Pandrea [critics & advice welcome]

[Heinrich Zweihänder]

@jbgibson You're right on the whole thing.

@lukc the height map is done with inkscape, yeah. This is a custom filter because I prefer to code my own than to search through the 100 pre-made filters the conveniant one. It basically use the color matrix effect to convert gray value to alpha channel, then use the diffuse lighting effect to generate a grayscale image of the lighting with a distant light. The grayscale is merged with the background with a composite effect in the custom arithmetic mode. On top of that filter I usually add a "rought paper" filter to get a slighty rough surface. It works almost the same way, but its input is a perlin noise. I can write a tuto for it if anyone wants.

@bisol This is a common reference : https://github.com/404.
For the new blank map, this is new concept, I have no idea what is best to do. Jeez, you've just managed to put my work in stand-by with one suggestion. If you want to restart the map, you ought to ask the other on the forum

[Hai-Etlik]

Speaking of Hai-Etlik :-) if I suggest slapping a latitude/longitude grid or graticule on willy-nilly, I'll get in trouble :-)... but if you *do* want to hold yourself to the implied precision of such an overlay, synchronizing the gridlines with your filter boxes could hide the linear artifacts. Only doable if you have a rectangular projection going on -- unless you get fancy with the shapes of your filter boxes, which would seem to be a bit excessive. For that matter, a locator grid doesn't have to match any particular projection, so long as you make it clear by labeling your axes that that's all it is (say, A,B,C... one way; 1,2,3 the other). But the only reason for a map to have a locator grid is if you have a bunch of scattered items the reader wants to find - or if there's stuff you want to label that would make the map too busy otherwise.

Depending on the extent of the map, there is a fairly simple way to come up with a graticule: http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...ules-Made-Easy

@lukc the height map is done with inkscape, yeah. This is a custom filter because I prefer to code my own than to search through the 100 pre-made filters the conveniant one. It basically use the color matrix effect to convert gray value to alpha channel, then use the diffuse lighting effect to generate a grayscale image of the lighting with a distant light. The grayscale is merged with the background with a composite effect in the custom arithmetic mode. On top of that filter I usually add a "rought paper" filter to get a slighty rough surface. It works almost the same way, but its input is a perlin noise. I can write a tuto for it if anyone wants.

I think you're the first other person on this forum I've seen using Filter Effects in Inkscape.

Given the complexity and varied data sets of this map, you might be in territory where a GIS wouldn't be the utterly ridiculous overkill it would normally be for fantasy maps. Using one would allow you to create multiple maps from a single pool of raw data fairly easily, and it should allow for a better shaded relief effect, especially if you were to switch to a proper Digital Elevation Model rather than a simple greyscale image. You do end up with the problem of needing an editor capable of editing a floating point GeoTIFF as if it were a normal image though.

This tutorial is rather terse, and not complete (I'll get back to it at some point), but it should give you an idea of whether you want to try a GIS: http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...-for-using-GIS Several GISes are available for Linux, including QuantumGIS, which I use in that tutorial.