Mapping question(s)

[Kailux]

I just start mapping (CD version) and there will be a lot of questions i guess.
To avoid cluttering the maps forum with a bazillion threads: collective thread.
Highjacking expressly welcome.

First speed bump i hit: fords!

I created a stream and i really don't want fords in there since... well, there aren't any in the real world in this location and i also want the bridges to be the choke points/important features.

So i cleared the ford hex, then made it a stream hex again: ford!
Cleared again, stream: ford!
Cleared, stream: ford!



Is there any way to get rid off unwanted fords?

[DRG]

Read the in game help file. Look for ......

'Asterix' - This allows the map editor to input a new height to a hex. it is best used right after placing the hex. Use to adjust a hexagon's height slightly when desired - do NOT use this to create 'invisible' 80 high hills!. for experts only.

Streams in game are -2...... fords show -1..... click on the ford hex and then press * then enter -2 and your ford will go away

[DRG]

...and since I believe you have the CD version of the game use the Extended map editor as that will allow you to UNDO any errors

[Kailux]

I read about the asterix already but didn't think about applying this to the streams/fords at all.

Thanks for the hint DRG.

(already using the extended editor, love it. It's got so many neat features)

[DRG]

The way the code is set up, -3 is deep water -2 are streams and swamp and -1 is either shallow water in main bodies of water or Fords in streams

[zovs66]

Some notes or tips.

What I usually do is find the place in some mapping program (google earth, google maps, elevation topical maps to get me the latitude and longitude and then I paste them into venhola and adjust the map (i.e. move north/south/east/west or adjust/flip the venhola map to or where I want the battle to take depict), usually this is based on the historical reference point based on the scenario or/and from which point the attacker may be coming, in this case the Japanese were coming right up the north road so I had to flip it, since in SP player one is on the left and player two is on the right (this is critical for scenario design, reinforcements/routing, etc.).

Lastly, I set the parameters to download the venhola map like so:



You'll notice that I changed all the defaults (I already have maps created/tweaked, etc in slots prior to 701 and I used part of my scenario template for this scenario in the map text, because when you generate a lot of these maps, you need to remind yourself what each one is, in this case for this map, 699 was level 10 the default, but that did not work for the water, so I tried 5, 3 and then 1 to get the water filling right, I'll kill off the other two maps, eventually to clean up my maps directory, also I'll generate 3-9 maps for my scenario packs, each one in a different location in the world and come back and work on them at different times and need a way to remember what the heck I generated the map for in the first place, lol).

Then I go through using the venhola map in its default mapping view to set up the roads, stopping to fill in any rivers, ponds, streams, coastal areas or any obvious terrain features first, then finish out the road systems, and any other noticeable features in this view.

The basic 'paved' road and a small village (I ignore the village the first time round):


In this one, I did the coast line first and then came back and filled in the swamps, and major roads for the 'village' (remember this satellite image is from today and my scenario is from 80 years ago, so a little imagination is needed):


Then, I toggled the venhola map, and then I it to use satellite imagery and changed the hex grid color (to better see stuff) and zoomed in. Now this is on my monitor 2.



And then over in monitor 1, I have the extended map editor open and I am just simply painting in what is on the venhola map.



You do have to use a little imagination because things are not always 1 to 1.

Hope this helps.

[zovs66]

Oh, and have fun, when you start to get to the point when your saying things like "that's just beautiful" or "need to be creative here" then your on to something.

I also cut parts of maps and or resize them. In this particular one 120x80.

It takes an awful lot of time to do the 200x160, I have one of those in Cavalry Brigade Model, and a couple of 80x160's in my packs and I also have some 80x100's I cut out and I think one was 130 by 60 so it was a little odd but worked for the scenario and gave it that 'historical' feel I was aiming for.

[zovs66]

So still a wip, got about 1/2 the map done for now.

Z0 (zoom 0)


Z1 (zoom 1)


Good fun stuff.

[Kailux]

Hey, thanks for the small tutorial and some hints (wasn't aware of this rotate feature for example).

I did the maps i did so far pretty much the same way: rivers and lakes first, roads and railways right after followed by towns. The remaining space then got filled with forests first and fields after. Since theres a lot of trees along rural roads and occasionally between fields in Germany, i put them in last.

One fair warning on Venhola: it uses SRTM (radar from space) collected elevation data which results in odd "hills" on the location of towns, forests and such - took me a while to realize that's NOT hills (!), it's the elevation of trees (10-60m in Europe) and buildings in towns registered by the radar and interpreted as hills by Venhola then.

One might want to keep that in mind regarding elevation settings and interpretation of the topography.

Mapping a region with big difference in elevation (and therefore higher level setting necessary then 10) will probably compensate that tree height.

But since the region i do maps of right now (LOWER saxony ) are so flat (around 40m in height difference lowest to highest on 200x160), changing the level setting in Venhola really doesn't help (20 already sucks up most "real" elevation) so i do it manually right now by lowering by 10 (cutting off 1 level of hills) where Forests or towns are.

[zovs66]

And it's finally done. Took about 6-9 hours for this small map. I think on one of my maps (80x160) it took about 14 hours and I did one that was the full size (200x160) which only took about 8 to 10 hours. I guess I am a little slow with maps



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