Noob looking for Sensei advice on My World making
Hi yall, Very new to any forums of any kind AND new to working with CC3. I'm looking to create a world map of Earth Size then be able to utilize that to create Continent, Country, and area maps based from it. I'd like to utilize hexes to indicate mile units in the end. (3 miles per hr walked in clear terrain for a 24 miles in an 8hr walk day as a guide.)
So of course I couldn't wait and started my first parent map. I watched a lot of great tutorials to get the gist and am attaching my efforts so far. I tweaked some land sheet settings and contour sheet settings and just started adding Veg to the western hemisphere.
Any advice on how to make things look better so far... or how to set the map up better to accomplish my end goals would be very appreciated. As I say I'm new to programs of this type and anything that might help me avoid headaches later are welcome. Here's my map!
So of course I couldn't wait and started my first parent map. I watched a lot of great tutorials to get the gist and am attaching my efforts so far. I tweaked some land sheet settings and contour sheet settings and just started adding Veg to the western hemisphere.
Any advice on how to make things look better so far... or how to set the map up better to accomplish my end goals would be very appreciated. As I say I'm new to programs of this type and anything that might help me avoid headaches later are welcome. Here's my map!
Comments
- Map readability. The map may look good when zoomed in, but it will easily look to cluttered when zooming out, as well as actually making out what the symbols actually are is difficult. You have already stated you want to make regional maps from this map, which is a great idea, which also means you don't have to have all the detail in this map.
- Mapping fatigue. Mapping everything in tiny detail takes work, and it is easy to tire oneself out. It is generally better to no overdo the details on any map level, saving additional detail for the next level.
- Map flexibility. The more detailed a map is, the more you impose structure on the next level map. For example, look at all those tiny islands you have. They are too small to make any difference on this map level if you just deleted them, but you are also basically saying that when you add details to the coast line for the regional maps, you cannot add islands any larger than those tiny ones at the world map (because if there where any, they should have been visible from the world map)
I also noticed that you are showing your polar ice caps here, indicating that this is your entire map. Have you made any thoughts about the projection of your map and the shape of your planet? It also looks a bit too square-ish for a planetary map if this is the entire planet. Also, watch out for distortions due to map projections. As an example, look at the world map from the community atlas, and then the continent of Peredur. Notice how map projection in the world map squashes the continent compared to the true shape found in the continent map.
And lastly, you should use the map units properly, it will help you A LOT when you make regional maps later. I measured your map, and right now, it is 100 by 80 map units, and your 1000 mile scale bar is actually only 10 map units. For overland maps, a map unit normally represents a distance of 1 mile. While you technically don't absolutely need this to be correct, every measurement you are doing using the various tools will be wrong, symbol scales will be meaningless, and so on. This map should really have been made 10000x8000 from the start, to match the area it represents. I recommend you read this article about scale. It might be a lot to take in right now since you are a novice, but getting the scale correct is one of the really helpfull things to get right early on.
These cover climate, tectonics and tides and wind. I have found them invaluable.
Ok made map 10000x8000 and drew some continents and lrg isles and did some sheets effects. How'm I doin? Any fixes or sheet tweaks? I'm having problems with my ice caps sheets. They are very glowy, no black line edge, and they glow over the border frame instead of behind. Any advice there?
Greg
Your LAND ICE sheet needs to be moved up - perhaps just before or after the LAND sheet - that will solve the problem. Also, if they appear too 'glowy', then just tweak the effects for that sheet.
Here is an example of what I mean. I have also changed your map units to Percent of Drawing Extents Width, and altered the dimensions of your effects accordingly. Just check out what effects I have altered.