Neat stuff.

That's a nice site Jim. Easier, but not so many features as the https://apps.nationalmap.gov/viewer/, but still good. I really like the ability to have the map fill the entire screen.

Hmm. my edit for the correct link didn't work. Here is the correct one: https://opentopomap.org/#map=11/49.9991/9.8383

This should take you to the area near Gemunden, Germany where TF Baum had to leave its planned route to get to Hammelburg on account of a blown bridge.

Another problem I see with importing terrain data, is all the other stuff is left out: roads, cities, bridges, vegetation and so on, so you have to figure out how to put all that onto the map.

Others on the map pointed me to Fractal Terrain which I couldn't get to work and I decided adding the above (augmenting the terrain data) was too difficult, especially trying to align the paper map with the digital data, it was just better to do it manually.

I also found 1:100000 maps to be lacking in detail and so have bought 1:50000 German maps (expensive) or 1:24000 maps (US) and do the tracing thing. USGS offers downloadable PDF maps, which can be stitched together, but the German maps are paper, so one has to scan them in order to manipulate them. Bothersome.

I'm pretty much with Jim: Filename_202103041646 which is the date and time of the phase. 2021 03 04 1646

In so far as the grid, I use a hex grid. In this case, I want to have the 1km grid from the map to have 4 hexes inside it, so each one is 250m wide, as shown below. The sizing is arrived at by experimentation and the size is 0.65. The grid is actually a trapazoid and not a square/rectangle, but it is close enough for my work.

A modern topographical map annual It may be of limited interest, however.

There are elements for this sort of work spread among various templates but a dedicated one would be nice.

Not much is required in drawing tools, but the symbol set could be consolidated and expanded. I know I could construct a custom symbol set drawing them from all the various other sources, but I have had little success with doing this in spite of several attempts.

A custom palette also might be useful concentrating on providing more shading for contours in green (for most environments) and brown/sand (for desert environments). Monson prepared for me a several large pallets of green/brown with 32 and 48 ranges of colors, as well as one that splits the 48 into two between green/brown.

Overhead views of trees and other vegetation would be good as well, allowing one to replace the various symbols with easier on the eyes overhead views of trees for example.

Tedious is a good word to apply to drawing contour levels.

Simple but very nicely done!

Well, I think I can help you.

Go to https://spatialillusions.com/unitgenerator/ and you should see "Symbol Set" and it shows Land Unit.

Then click on the Land Unit and select Land Installations

In the upper left you see a large blue rectangle with a small black box on the top.

Go to Main Icon, click the drop down and you will see a lot of possibilities. Scroll down until you get to Airport

Then just explore the various drop downs.

Go to the bottom and you will see Show Additional Options and you will get some 'standard colors" but there is also a place on the right that you can select custom colors. In this case I indicated it is a Civil Airport, the name is MCO (Orlando International Airport, but it was original McCoy AFB), and it is fully capable.

Once you are satisfied with the symbol, you click png to save it to your computer. The icon will then be very large, but you can use a graphics program to change the size, and then save it with an appropriate name.

I suppose you could make a special symbol set that has all the symbols you want and then reduce the size in CC3+ rather than having a bunch of different sizes.

If you want to know more about the symbols, you can go here: https://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Doctrine/Other_Pubs/ms_2525d.pdf or you can search for Army Field Manual 1-02.2 Military Symbols. You should be able to download it from the Army Publication Site or other sites. IT will show examples for many symbols.

Tom's stuff is good, but I think the above is better, but since it is based on text, I think it is less flexible and sometimes does funny things. I used it a lot until I discovered these sites.

I'm sorry I failed to understand you were more interested in installation symbols rather than tactical symbols.

I will try to be there for this. Right up my alley and my needs.