Elevation, Weather Charts for Entire Fictional Planet

[waldronate]

The first interrupted map that you refer to isn't a Sinusoidal one; it's Quartic Authalic (which is indeed equal-area).The general idea of making an interrupted projection is to reduce distortion in areas of interest while putting breaks into areas that are less interesting. The second image that you reference just sort of arbitrarily breaks things at convenient locations. The breaks usually are put in more useful places, such as emphasizing land or ocean. The problem with the map you presented is that it doesn't have any natural break points that would be good for doing large splits (see north and south pole presumed reprojections, assuming that your original map was Equirectangular).


A generic split shows some promise, but the split lines would need a little refinement.

[Podcreature]

This is fantastic, thank you so much... The folks in this forum just blow me away. Thanks for pointing out that the first map is not Sinusoidal. Still learning terminology and I think what I'm really looking for is just an "interrupted" map then?

The maps you've showed me look -great-! Now the tricky part for my brain is, to make these "threadfall charts" I need to take a pattern of bands, (like a series of meteor showers that typically have the same configuration) and move them based on the rotation of the planet, as they move in a SE direction - X degrees East and X degrees South.. need to read my notes again to know the exact numbers. Each chart represents a "fall cycle" which is a span of 50 days, before the cycle restarts, probably with some variation in the arrangement or "fall pattern." So the pattern of falls is a long strip with these bands scattered around on it that I need to move around the planet, over and down before each "fall." Fall representing when the strips of meteors actually get close enough to the planet to hit the atmosphere and rain down on the planet below. Hope I'm describing things well. I'm an artist, not a mapper, or a scientist, but this project has been so fascinating. Here's a threadfall chart from the book, which doesn't actually make any practical sense: http://www.agriphoto.nl/pma/Maps%20a...p005_DDcUS.jpg

With that being said, I suppose I could work with either type of map. But I have an easier time wrapping my head around the second map, being that it's.. horizontal? I don't know the words I need, haha. Still a bit broken up, however. Would putting it into 3 parts instead of 6 cause a lot more distortion? (Some distortion is ok.)

I can't express how thankful I am for any and all input, but do not feel obligated to go out of your way to answer my noobish questions. Thank you guys for everything.

I just downloaded G.Projector, and I've got updated Java, but still getting error message on start up, so I'll be trying to sort that out now. Can't wait to make some incredible (at least to me) maps like those you did there, Waldronate. And, I am quite sure that my map is Equirectangular. (I had to look that word up.) These are the maps I've been working from: Pern Map - Current Stage by AMCAlmaron on deviantART and http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o...6.png~original

[Azélor]

No, It's not equirectangular because the spacing of the latitudes is not constant.

[waldronate]

The threadfall map that you linked to has a graticule on in, which makes it easier to get a reasonable reprojection. The two attached images show that map reprojected to equirectangular and to orthographic projections (10 degree graticule, and it looks like I missed the scaling a little bit).

[Podcreature]

No, It's not equirectangular because the spacing of the latitudes is not constant.

Ohh, ok. I see now. Hmm, ok, so I think I follow. I need to convert my original map into being equrectangular if I want to make an accurate split that centers on the North and South poles. Or I could go with the "generic split" that was shown, which I somewhat favor, though the previous is really visually cool. I see what you meant before, Waldronate, that this layout (of continents) is inconvenient, because you can't make an interrupted map without breaking them up.

So.. will an interrupted map in three sections be equal area -enough-? And am I getting you right: G.Projector can convert my map to being equirectangular before it's wrapped around a globe? Is that what you're showing me there? Edit: would an equal area map in one big piece be a better way to go than an interrupted map?

Really enjoying looking at these projections. I'm itching to try this program out.

[waldronate]

Be warned that nothing I've done here uses G.Projector; it's all software that I wrote long ago (ReprojectImage to get things into Equirectangular and Fractal Terrains to get things into other projections). I've never used G.Projector beyond observing that it uses Java and so can't be installed on my machine. I am of the opinion that Java makes even Linux or Flash look good on the security front and I haven't had it installed since I was forced to in order to pass a few classes back when I was getting an IT degree.

I'm not sure that I understand what you want to do with your map (or set of maps, really). Any equal-area projection is equal-area everywhere, interrupted or not. Interruptions on an equal-area projection are used for minimizing shape distortion, not area distortion. The projection that you pick must ultimately be one that you like and that has useful qualities. And by "useful qualities" I mean qualities that support the purpose for which you are making the map.

[Podcreature]

Thanks. Sorry if I'm not very good at describing things. I think I have learned enough to make an informed decision. In this case, less interrupted is probably better. Two or even one solid part would probably be best.

[Podcreature]

Quick update:




Looks pretty warped by the poles and a bit in general. Will need to blend the square map better. I think I'm going to try to figure out a way to create threadfall charts from 3D renders of an actual gobe.