Thread: Abebe

Ok, I'm got 1700+ of the cities numbered now. Ouch...hadn't realized how big of a challenge I was setting myself in creating this world.

Once done, I'll start naming them (and taking suggestions for name)...the numbering will let me easily find them which will allow me to easily change the name of the map. Still, all is non-destructive, which is nice too.

www.davidpiercey.com/maps/abebe

Whoa, that's a lot of names to come up with, dang! I really like the looks of it, appears to be some artsy filter applied to a FT exported image. At first glance I thought, "oh an FT map" and then as I zoomed in it got cool and I thought "hey, neat". Good stuff, man.

Thanks.

It was made following my brief "Nothing but Layers" way of creating something non-destructive and repeatable using FTPro output as the starting point.

As I'm numbering each, zoomed in, I'm able to consider and come up with brief ideas of why a city is located where it is and small things about it....

1700 names?
LOL

You got yourself into a good deal of work it seems

The numbering for the names is now in place. (2600+)

Now to start the next part.

Identifying a name and some brief details about each.

I've had a blast zooming in and thinking about how different cities may have started, what they rely upon, their relationship to neighbors etc.

If any of you see a location you'd like to offer up some suggestions for, let me know.

Two have names already and I'm thinking about their background and how it fits into my world's history.

Oasis is a fresh water lake in the middle of a huge baren wasteland - all that remains of a vast inland lake/sea.

Federation is the core of the one part of Abebe that survived a great disaster in which most others were killed. It's in the large "crater" on the Southern part of the Western-most continent. It represents the central government of a federation of cities in that crater who want little/nothing to do with the outside world.

OK...back to playing.

the link for your convenience...

http://www.davidpiercey.com/maps/abebe/

Originally Posted by guyanonymous

Thanks.

It was made following my brief "Nothing but Layers" way of creating something non-destructive and repeatable using FTPro output as the starting point.

As I'm numbering each, zoomed in, I'm able to consider and come up with brief ideas of why a city is located where it is and small things about it....

I'm new... so I have a question. What does non-destructive mean?

Hmm..maybe I made up that term.., but it made sense to me.

Essentially, I mean that

1) You can start with base image (or series of images) for the map; In this case I use a collection of outputs from Fractal Terrains (water only, land only, heightmap, etc.)

2) Putting the different images on their own layers to start.

3) Modify the layer opacity, layer style, add filters, etc. on clones of your starting map image(s); each of these goes on it's own layer.

4) The whole process has not required you to paint, draw, or modify selected portions of images.

5) And yes, once defined, the process could almost completely be automated.

6) You could output a completely different map, using the same output choices in your mapping software.

7) You would achieve the same "style" of result on that map as the first. (Predictably repeatable)


I've really bitten off more than I can chew on this map, but I have the idea that I'll eventually setup a website that allows writers, artists, cartographers, etc, all create anything in the universe they want in their form of art, to fit into a greater universe. People can create anything from the largest galaxy to the tiniest atom and give it a place in that greater universe.

The catch - others can use their creations in anyway they want (so long as it is consistent with the universe)...anyway, I babble.

For me I started to envision building, essentially, an atlas for this planet Abebe. It then made sense for me to figure out how to a style that I liked in a repeatable way so that all the maps in the atlas would go together.

Phewph....shouldn't have hit the pub on the way home from work.

Here's the area I'm starting to name now.

The mountain range is the border of the "Federation". The cities of the Federation each specialize in a different area of research -> artisans of the Federation tend to congregate there in efforts to "perfect" that area.

For example, astronomers all congregate in one particular city, working together (and at odds) to perfect their science/art.

I'm sharing this part of the map in case any of you have suggestions for either city names, or specific cities which, because of geography, lend themselves better to certain areas of specialty.

There are annual/biannual celebrations in the kingdom where cities share their research with other cities for mutual growth.

Any help or feedback is appreciated.