How to get started with size and pre-planning

Questions and comments about Other World Mapper.

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Lionheart
Posts: 26
Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:10 pm

How to get started with size and pre-planning

Post by Lionheart » Mon Jan 22, 2018 12:35 pm

Hi there

I recently got the Other World Mapper tool and played with. But I am getting bogged down with how to plan the pixel size of the map.
I learned some of the basics (though I miss a more in depth video going through everything - other than those on Youtube already).

I am planning to create a map of a larger country with seven major regions. There are bordering oceans and countries next to this country. I want to focus on the main country with seven regions and just include a small bordering part of the other countries and seas.

My purpose is to create a world map for a book series I am writing. I want the finished map to be used as both a map in a book as well as a small poster. I also want to later create submaps of the seven underlying regions of this world and perhaps maps of the neighboring countries.

What pixel size do you think I should use. I assume 300 DPI is a good starting point but what about pixel size?

Also I have tried the tool and have problems with creating the unfinished neighboring landmasses. The system seem to auto close the neighboring landmasses and I would want them open. How do I do that?

Finally I tried working with the tool and sometimes it is a little jittery. Is this due to my system or?
My system info: Intel Core i7 - 3770K @ 3.50GHz. Memory: 16.0 GB. 64 bit.

Cheers
L

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Kanchou
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Posts: 1021
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 2:23 pm

Re: How to get started with size and pre-planning

Post by Kanchou » Mon Jan 22, 2018 3:03 pm

Welcome to the forums and OWM! :)

I'll break down the answers
Lionheart wrote:Hi there

I recently got the Other World Mapper tool and played with. But I am getting bogged down with how to plan the pixel size of the map.
I learned some of the basics (though I miss a more in depth video going through everything - other than those on Youtube already).

I am planning to create a map of a larger country with seven major regions. There are bordering oceans and countries next to this country. I want to focus on the main country with seven regions and just include a small bordering part of the other countries and seas.

My purpose is to create a world map for a book series I am writing. I want the finished map to be used as both a map in a book as well as a small poster. I also want to later create submaps of the seven underlying regions of this world and perhaps maps of the neighboring countries.

What pixel size do you think I should use. I assume 300 DPI is a good starting point but what about pixel size?
We are overdue for a tutorial on this (both written and video), but meanwhile. 300 dpi is correct for what you are trying to do. For size of the map,

1. Remember you can change the size of the map anytime. Also, you can scale the objects without issues (only limitation is the features/symbols).

2. Do you have in mind how you would want it printed? I.e., if you want to print the map to a letter size page, then you can select "Letter" in the size and the resolution at 300dpi and OWM will calculate the pixel size to make that happen.

3. If you aren't sure, you can size the map based on the size of the symbols/features you are using assuming they are scaled to between 50% and 100%.

In general, the default size (either in lanscape or portrait) will work as a starting point and then you can always change the size of the canvas if you find it's not quite big enough.
Lionheart wrote: Also I have tried the tool and have problems with creating the unfinished neighboring landmasses. The system seem to auto close the neighboring landmasses and I would want them open. How do I do that?
Landmasses always close, but if you are trying to separate the landmass into countries or regions, then you would draw regions or borders with the boundary tool inside the landmass.
Lionheart wrote: Finally I tried working with the tool and sometimes it is a little jittery. Is this due to my system or?
My system info: Intel Core i7 - 3770K @ 3.50GHz. Memory: 16.0 GB. 64 bit.
Those PC specs are better than my dev machine (and I run OWM in debug while developing), so it should be plenty powerful. What kind of issues are you having?

Thanks!

- Alejandro
Alejandro S. Canosa
Three Minds Software

Lionheart
Posts: 26
Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:10 pm

Re: How to get started with size and pre-planning

Post by Lionheart » Mon Jan 22, 2018 3:16 pm

Hi there
Thanks for the swift reply!

You wrote:
"Landmasses always close, but if you are trying to separate the landmass into countries or regions, then you would draw regions or borders with the boundary tool inside the landmass."

Not sure what you meant here.
Not all maps are islands. How do I create a landmass that ends where the frame end?

Can you elaborate, pls?

Cheers
Lars

P.S. It might just be my PC that is having issue with hardware or age and the amount of stuff I did that made it jittery. I will report back when / if I see it again and under what specific conditions. Thanks!

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Kanchou
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Re: How to get started with size and pre-planning

Post by Kanchou » Mon Jan 22, 2018 3:37 pm

You are welcome! We try to reply right away - only exception is during "regression testing hell" right before a release ;P
Lionheart wrote: Not all maps are islands. How do I create a landmass that ends where the frame end?

Can you elaborate, pls?
I understand what you mean now :). Landmass tools (and other tools) have an option "Snap to Edge" that when enabled will let you snap the segments to outside the frame. In essence, all it's doing is drawing part of the map outside the edge of the canvas so that it looks like it goes to infinity. If you moved the landmass you'll see it's just closing the shape outside the edge.

You could also achieve the same result by drawing the landmass fully inside the canvas with extra overhang and then moving the landmass so the overhang is outside the canvas.
Lionheart wrote: P.S. It might just be my PC that is having issue with hardware or age and the amount of stuff I did that made it jittery. I will report back when / if I see it again and under what specific conditions. Thanks!
Shouldn't have any issues unless you have a huge map with lots of objects, so please do report back. We want to make sure to address any issues.

Thank you!
Alejandro S. Canosa
Three Minds Software

Lionheart
Posts: 26
Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:10 pm

Re: How to get started with size and pre-planning

Post by Lionheart » Wed Feb 21, 2018 8:15 pm

Hi again

Can you elaborate how "snap to edges" work? I check it on the menu but it doesn't seem to work.

cheers
L

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Kanchou
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Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 2:23 pm

Re: How to get started with size and pre-planning

Post by Kanchou » Thu Feb 22, 2018 1:20 pm

Lionheart wrote:Hi again

Can you elaborate how "snap to edges" work? I check it on the menu but it doesn't seem to work.

cheers
L
Certainly! (And hopefully we'll get a tutorial out on that soon too)

Taking the landmass tool as an example, if you check "Snap to Edge" on the landmass tool bar, when you click to add points nears the edge of the map the points will get added "outside" the canvas. Moreover, as you add more points they will be connected by lines outside the canvas (not the selected pen). That will give the partial map look (i.e. like Middle Earth).
If after finishing, you move the landmass so the "overhang" is inside the canvas you can see how it was created.

Please let me know if that didn't make sense! :).

- Alejandro
Alejandro S. Canosa
Three Minds Software

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