[WIP] Fijüwë

[Ukyuu]

A little nerve wraking, I can't seems to find anything... Am I searching wrong or maybe "datapad" isn't a good idea for mapping? Maybe I should rethink everything and start it from scratch ?

The idea just seems good, I'm maybe a little too confused about how I want it ?

DF.

[Greason Wolfe]

Oh, that happens from time to time, even to the best of us.

Perhaps rather than doing a "search" it might be easier (albeit, more time consuming) to just browse the aforementioned sub-forums. I think, though, that I understand what it is you want to do, and in terms of direct suggestions, you might take a look at the various e-readers in existence today and try to build a graphical representation of what they might look like in the future. Or maybe even look at some of the latest hand-held game consoles or I-pad set-ups and try to imagine how they might change in the future. You could even make those changes to reflect a specific purpose, in this case, perhaps something specifically for calling up details of a planet/world, with specialized "bells and whistles" devoted to that purpose.

Wish I could offer more in the way of help, but I'm more of a fantasy writer/cartographer than I am a sci-fi type, even though I love reading good sci-fi.

GW

[ravells]

Hi UKyuu. Re the drawing of your datapad, references are always useful, and there's a ton of them out there. See attached. It might also help if you were to 'design it' so you'd have a better idea what it might look like and is consistent with the 'tech level' of your universe. How big is it? What is it made of (metal? plastic?), Steampunk or far future (or something else?), what shape is it? Has it got lots of buttons and dials or is it very clean? If you like we could do something together on this thread? I'm happy to help.

best

Ravs

[ravells]

Couldn't resist having a play....this is a kind of modern Kindle I guess...

::edit:: the space map was from the web - not mine!

[Ukyuu]

Hello !

We're on the same lenght here; it's very near what I was thinking about, however, it should be a little less clean, it's military stuff, it's used to show a specific location on Fijüwë by zoom-in from the main-screen. There's also interference due to the location, so the screen wouldn't so "clean".

I haven't yet figured out the galaxy this planet would be in, but that should be something I'd work on. I'm going to map it however I can.... (trough, I don't know how to map a galaxy Oo) I was set in the planet itself since the datapad should be planet-specific. I'm going to work on this part too, and will come tommorow with more "refined" map that we can include in the datapad (It's curently 00:20 AM here so I need sleep).

DF

[ravells]

Glad it was along the lines of your thinking. Made it more military looking.

[Ukyuu]

Yup, I'm actually fitting the maps to it so we can have a look at it !

Here, I've roughly put the stuff where it should be... however, still totally unsatisfied with the map integration in the datapad...
Also, the manual buttons bugs me, something that works with touching it would give off a better vibe maybe ?

My Fractal Terrain file and the original resolution maps and e-reader-2 file were too big so you can get them from here :

Archive-host shared directory for e-reader map ! (simply clic on the shown files to download them)

For the datapad with the maps, it requires a 400% zoom-in to see (roughly) the black triangle that shows enemies.... I'm thinking of a way to show them better... Maybe should I do :

- A datapad showing the world map (First curent map)
- A datapad showing a zoom-in on the region of the world where they are (Second curent map)
- A datapad showing a greater zoom-in on the recommended path;

Because presently, I don't know how to make a dapad that would show it all without being too overloarded. What do you think of it ?

I put the FT files into a .rar; there is no password to open it, if you are in need of a software to open .rar files, get 7zip from : Here This is a free software for archives.

BTW Ravels, how did you managed to make such realistic metal ? The software and techniques would really interrest me, since I never managed to make something that actually really looks like metal... Same for the texture of the datapad, if it's not too much trouble, would you agree explaining it to me someday ?

To answer all of your questions above (your first post)

- I tried to design it but was absolutely no goods with drawings (my hand-drawing is about three-years old level of drawing, you'd be unable to recognize a cat !)
- The fifth image is close to what they have as technology on the world of my story, but a slightly-under technology is needed here, as it is the non-expansive version (for soldiers since they will most probably break such frail technologies in mission) so they're made of materials like the ones you've done in the present datapad you drew.

From your design, the screen should be a little wider, as there should be only the retinea-scan (I love the 72 idea, I'll give this number to the team using it) The small screen with green inscription is great too. The screen would be light-green visual like in your third picture research. The progress-bar idea is cool, it shows the degree of danger at their curent location, I was thinking about a second one for air-rarefication (they're on a mountain) that would be to the red-limit too... don't know if the idea is feasible all in all... as for the pocket-size of the datapad, it's all good !

That's why I said you're a genius, you've pretty much guessed it all without me even having to describe it !

DF.

[Ukyuu]

Sometimes, I wonder if my answers aren't just too long ?

DF.

[ravells]

Not too long, it's good to have more information than less. How about something like this. (The FTW files you enclosed were different to the ones you have posted here). We can use the small screen as a planet overview screen and have the 'zoomed in' version on the main screen. I don't think you need 3 screens - unless for story purposes - since (presumably) the tech is such that the user can zoom the main screen in and out like an ipad. Too much 'obvious' information like, 'These icons are enemy units', or 'this is the path you need to follow' is not good since it becomes too obvious as an info dump to the reader. Hopefully the symbols should speak for themselves, or the explanations can be given elsewhere.

I made this in Serif Drawplus. You don't need hand-drawing skills at all. The technical readouts were photoshop brushes I found on the web and should be credited in the drawing when published. I think me getting what was in your head was more luck than genius!

If you like the design, please consider making a voluntary donation to the guild (see the donate button at the top). Whether you want to and the amount are entirely up to you.

best

Ravs

[Ukyuu]

Hi there,

I like it a lot, I'm thinking about it in a little more finished style...
Hum, the FTW of Fijüwë 2 is the approved map that will be used (I had to get the approval of my publisher and he only wanted the one called fujiwe2.ftw). It takes place on the mountain (iced place) in the center where there is a mountain and a pass, and the extraction point is toward the south east, where there is a point of connection toward the main land.

For the donation, I has considered it already, I was mainly waiting due to some personal finacial issue (had to buy so much mapping software before finding the right ones to my needs...) I've made one a lot less bigger than I wanted but still, you're right it's best now since I like the design so much.

Can you tell me the credential I'll have to add please ?

DF.