Covering the Flanaess one region at the time, and after covering the sparsely populated northerly parts its now time to get into the core of the setting with the Aerdy West centered on Nyrond.
Lots of heraldry and little details to get right meant that this one took a little bit of extra work, despite that I'm impressed how well QGIS performs. It handles even this level of complexity without too much fuss.
You can get it here:
JPG (33.5MB): https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/GIS/2Million/AerdyWest/Aerdy%20West%20-%202%20Million%20-%20Dec24.jpg
Layered PDF (762.2MB): https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/GIS/2Million/AerdyWest/Aerdy%20West%20-%202%20Million%20-%20Dec24.pdf
Layered PSD (1.7GB): https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/GIS/2Million/AerdyWest/Aerdy%20West%20-%202%20Million%20-%20Dec24%20-%20public.psd
Sorry about the canceled stream yesterday. A neighbor had a medical emergency and needed some help. This is part of living in a 55+ community, a lot of my neighbors are old and need a helping hand from time to time. I'm glad to help out.
More stuff is coming soon!
Here comes the third installment in my new 1:2,000,000 scale Greyhawk maps.
JPG (26MB): https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/GIS/2Million/Thillonrian/Thillonrian%20-2%20Million%20-%20Dec24.jpg
Layered PDF (643MB): https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/GIS/2Million/Thillonrian/Thillonrian%20-2%20Million%20-%20Dec24.pdf
Layered PSD (1.4GB): https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/GIS/2Million/Thillonrian/Thillonrian%20-2%20Million%20-%20Dec24%20-%20public.psd
One of the problems for others using my QGIS project files to make their own versions of the map is, that SVG icons file paths doesn't work on other computers. I have found a workaround, by uploading all the SVG files to my website and giving them an individual URL they are usable everywhere. In order for this change to work I need to reprogram all the SVG references in my project files to use URL's instead of local file paths. A lot of work, but its only needed once. I will get to that in a bit, and send out new files.
More stuff will come soon!
Here comes the second GIS area map, the Northern Reaches. starting to get the hang of it now, the first map took at least 8 hours to do, this one probably more like 3 hours and it gets easier as I get better at it.
Don't hesitate to call out typos, missing things or other errors!
You can get it here.
JPG (34.1MB): https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/GIS/2Million/NorthernReaches/Northern%20Reaches%20-%202%20Million%20-%20Dec24.jpg
Layered PDF (767.6MB):
https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/GIS/2Million/NorthernReaches/Northern%20Reaches%20-%202%20Million%20-%20Dec24.pdf
Layered PSD (1.8GB):
Download manager might be needed to download them.
Work continues, so I wish you all a great holiday and I will be back with more tomorrow.
Finally, after a wave errors and problems that always comes up in projects like this, here is a first proper GIS based map. It is a fist in a series of maps optimized for digital use covering the whole of the Flanaess at 1;2,000,000 scale using Orthographic (or more correctly an Oerthographic!) Projection.
Despite having worked with QGIS for about 5 years I still is very much still in the learning phase, trying to push the limits on what is possible to do. This first map have taken me days to get right. I had issues with my cities, which after a deep investigation turned out to be errors from my initial setup still being present. After some workarounds I managed to get it to export properly. This will need to data cleanup and rebuild which is on my to do list for January 2025.
I also discovered that changing presentation can mess tings up, which happened with border classifications which meant that I have to redo most province and local borders, which I will do bit by bit that is covered by each map. If I ignore my learning pains this was a very easy map to create, and I have a whole series lined up to be done over the holidays.
It comes comes in JPG (31.3 MB):
https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/GIS/2Million/BitterNorth/Bitter%20North%20-%202%20Million%20-%20%20Dec24%20-%203.jpg
Layered PDF (539 MB):
Layered PSD (1.6GB):
https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/GIS/2Million/BitterNorth/Bitter%20North%20-%202%20Million%20-%20%20Dec24%20-%203%20-%20public.psd
The PSD version is great for creating player versions, load it in a program that can open PSD's and hide what you don't want your players to see.
It has two grids. A white 100-mile grid for distance measuring, and a 2-degree black Lat. Lon. grid for referencing.
Roads and Sea Lanes have markers, small ones every 5 miles, and bigger ones every 50 miles.
Thank you so much to all of you for making this possible, it is a bit late but it looks as good as I wanted it to, and I'm very optimistic about GIS possibilities going forward.
I which you all a Merry Christmas, and I will be back very soon with more!
Here comes the final GIS Test map - Hepmonaland.
This time i used the simpler vector heraldry, it might be the best for this type of map. It comes with a 250 mile square grid. Due to the size of Hepmonaland, symbols and text appear small, despite being equal in size to the other test maps. This is due to me using symbols and text sizes based on real world measurements. This is so they will work better in an digital environment, easy to read closeup but disappearing as you zoom out. The upcoming series of maps designed for printing will use sizes defined by how large thy will be on the print.
You can download the map here (JPG 61.6MB): https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/GIS/Testmap%201%20-%20Hepmonaland%20-%202.jpg
Make sure yo download the file, it is probably too big to view in your browser.
I'm sorry for a bit of a delay. I was out with my Dog Chico a week ago, and we ran downhill for fun, which didn't end well for me. I tumbled and hit the curb and sidewalk really bad. Broke a rib, severely sprained an ankle and injured a knee. It kept me in bed for a few days and I've been slowly hobbling back to normality, now I can get around pretty good and even work for a coupe of hours at a time without painkillers. This proves I'm getting old and should be more careful. Chico was a champ and stayed with me to make sure I was alright, while I was stubborn enough to walk a mile home. That came back to bite me, but I'm on the mend!
Next up is for me to put together all the files into a GeoPackage, will post that for all Cartography tier Patreons very soon.
My GIS conversion project is now very much on the home straight, having done almost all of the data entry. Next up is to have a look at the Baklunish side of things and have a new look at provincial names, so see if they can be made to both blend in and still be visible closeup.
It is not perfect, still a few things that are on my list to fix but it is close to done. I added a 250 mile square grid and a scale. Realized afterwards that a 100 - mile scale and grid would be more appropriate, which I will keep in mind. More important for this test map is to verify that I can integrate grids and scales into my QGIS workflow, and that is a success.
QGIS have shown its strength more and more as I worked with it, very few crashes and a solid set of features and standards supported. Another great feature of QGIS is, it is open source software, that means it is both free and has a large user base. Lots of tutorials and plugins are created by its many users.
Another test I did was to export a layered PDF of an area, which is very easy to do and the PDF looks good and are of reasonable size.
You can download the Baklunish Test map here (179.5MB): https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/GIS/Baklunish%20West%2015%20milj%20-%201.jpg
The Layered PDF Map here (9 MB): https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/GIS/QGIS%20PDF%20export%20test%20-2.pdf
Remember to download the files, they are probably too big to be viewed in your browser.
Left to do are the Sea Lanes which will take me a week or so, and then it is time to go over and double check things which will probably take another week or two. So hopefully there will be a first set of GIS based maps for digital use, and a geopackage for you guys to play around with for Christmas.
After the holidays I will start work on a series of maps for print and make vectors of all the coastlines, and rivers. This is to make is easy to create overview, spread maps and things like weather maps and more.
I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!
My journey to use GIS started back in 2017 when I set out to learn how to create maps using Geographical Information System technology. My then 20 year old World of Greyhawk map started out back in 1997 using Bryce 3D and Corel Draw, which where the tools I used until around 2009. Since the start my goal was to make an atlas by creating it page by page, my computer could barely handle a page at a time. With 64-bit computers coming of age the possibility of making a single big map emerged, and I switched from Corel to Adobe, who had a much better 64-bit support in Illustrator.
The Illustrator map has been a good staple for over a decade, but it is limited to a single size, resolution and scale. It is also only an image which can’t be used for anything besides being used in its current form. This is very inefficient use of all the work that went into it. I didn’t know at the time I started making it how big this project would be, and how technology would develop. Now with new, more powerful tools, more skills and resources it is time to move beyond a mere image of a map to utilize state-of-the-art cartography technology and put it to good use mapping our Greyhawk.
The first step is to put all the date in, from georeferenced the existing terrain image to draw all the roads, borders and sea lanes, and then enter all the places and names of everything. Thousands of pieces of data required hundreds of hours, but now it is almost all done. I have a few province and local names left to do.
Now its time to start presenting all this data, to make sure QGIS (and my computer and skills) are up to the task, and as usual I start with the most difficult task first. I tend to want to start with the most dauting task, knowing that if I can pull that off the rest is easier. In this case a full Flanaess map with the same level of detail as the current map was a good hard tsk to start with.
This map is a first test to see if it is possible to export a 30,000 pixel map, in layers that looks good, which I think is an affirmative success. There are still issues to investigate, like overlapping labels, and complicated settings in QGIS for label placement. In tight places with colliding details and labels, what gets displayed where (or left out) is governed by a set of hierarchies that I still have to fully understand.
Style choices are another thing I’m using this map to test out, like bright instead of dark political names that are blended into the map rather than being firmly superimposed above. I find them easier to see, zoomed out and yet less intrusive closeup. I’m not sure I like the looks of them that much. Do you like them or are I’m just screwing things up?
One of the benefits of using GIS is that I can just change the settings for a class of labels, and they all change, no need to adjust every object individually which I had to do in Illustrator. This means experimentation and style changes are much easier to do.
Added a few shields to see how they would look and used the new more detailed heraldry. I wasn’t sure how they would look, but I like them better, what do you think?
I didn't include grid, scale on this map. Its purpose is to test out the capacity to make big maps so t save time I skipped that part of this map. Another quick note is the mile makers on the roads, small pink dots are every 5 miles, large ones every 50 miles.
You can download the map here (99MB) JPG: https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/GIS/Flanaess%208.5%20x%2011%20Test%20Map%201%20-%2030K.jpg
Time for a much overdue update!
The last weeks have been the most hectic I have experienced in my decade or so doing this full time. Two conventions almost back to back, Virtual Greyhawk Con 5 and now Gamehole Con in a few days, wrapping up a big commission for Gamehole Publishing, running games that debuting Hawk Tales FRP. New solutions, software and more, so let’s dig into it.
Virtual Greyhawk Con 5
I had a bast playing, watching and interacting with all you fellow Greyhawk fans. An extended weekend of gaming galore, that could be conveniently experienced at my desk. I’m starting to like virtual conventions more and more. My seminar centered around my new generation Greyhawk maps and Hawk Tales FRP.
I played in some great games, which emphasized the fact that one of the best aspects of conventions are the different gaming experiences they offer, wonderful way to be inspired and learn new ways of doing things. Hawk Tales had its first real game run at VGHC5, and it was fun, and I hope the players had fun going after Iuzians east of Critwall. Considering it was the first real game run using an alpha version of the rules, it ran reasonably well. Proper character sheets were sorely needed, which I’m fixing for Gamehole Con next week.
Warden of the Eastern Marches
A setting by Gamehole Publishing for their new organized play program, and I did the map for it.
https://gameholepublishing.com/wardens-of-the-eastern-marches/explore-the-setting/
I did a map of this area some years ago, this was only going to be an update. My backup routines half a decade ago weren’t as rigorous as they are now (perfect backup cost a lot and are technically challenging) so I had lost my source files. This meant that as a punishment I had to start from scratch and redo the whole map in much more detail. In hindsight I’m glad I had to redo the map at a new improved standard.
It took me a few months where I spent most of my time away from Greyhawk. I’m now back in Greyhawk again and after Gamehole it will be full time Greyhawk with several projects lined up.
Commissions
I will make two maps for Troy over at Canibaal Publishing. A quick one that is on a tight schedule and needs to be ready in a couple of weeks, and a longer-term project. More on both soon.
Another Greyhawk related commission is on the horizon, I don’t know much yet and can share even less, but it might have my maps in it. The good thing with these commissions are that they are all set in Greyhawk, which is the reason I said yet to do them.
A Miracle
Yesterday something happened that almost deserve to be described as a miracle, a new version of World Machine. I have not played with it yet, will do that on Friday on my twitch stream I think.
The release notes mention a whole range of new and improved goodies, and yes the Tiled Input bug that almost derailed me, is fixed. Now I have to re-evaluate which approach to take, there are several new options that might be better. I will take a couple of weeks to evaluate the new version when I get back from Wisconsin and see what it can do, then its time to see if “porta potty the whole way” or large areas first” are the best strategy. I’m also going to see how I can utilize Gaea 2’s strengths in this as well.
Great upgraded in the WM version are, a new memory management, GPU utilization and MUCH faster render. Seems like most large scenes can be rendered in less than half the time, I’m fast moving away from rendering being the bottleneck to editing and touch-up holding me back. This is good for several reasons, more people can do Photoshop than have really fast computers, so teamwork can be easier to do. It is also a lot more fun to doodle in Photoshop that it is to manage renders, and with faster renders the inevitable crashes matters less. If the results are not good enough, changing things and render again is much easier, which means the end result will be improved.
I’m also intrigued by the new Erosion options in the new WM, hopefully it will bring it up on par with Gaea that has been leading in this field for a while. The few samples I’ve seen means much better maps. What used to seem like a distant dream with at least a decade of work, to map the Flanaess in high detail, is now something I plan for.
The combination of hardware improvements and now software catching up, means it feels like the 1990’s again. Getting started on a whole new cartography journey again, this time its not looking at Greyhawk from a huge distance, now its down in the weeds seeing the sights.
Gamehole Con
Early next week I’m off to my second Gamehole Con XI. My first one was Gamehole Con VII, and from what I’ve understood it has grown a lot since then. Meeting a lot of friends and colleagues in the business is always the best with conventions, and this year I’ve signed up for a lot of seminars to learn and see what is going on.
I will have a seminar myself on Friday night, and run a 6 hour game on Saturday, the next episode of my Shield Lands Campaign, again using Hawk Tales FRP. I have more new monsters, and more Iuzian magic ready to unleash!
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