A New Map?

[Gigantus]

Mundus Magnus? It would seem to have roughly the area that you are looking for. Looks as if he used the 3Dem method for his heights - the odd incorrect waterbody is a hallmark of it (eg top of Caspian Sea and Aral Lake).

The projection method also seems fairly close to what muizer was suggesting, certainly has a reduced 'dead' area.

[Muizer]

But what projection (if any!) is it? Anyway, I used it as an example of how to build terrain..........but from the op it's clear it's not a finished article. The 80/20 rule definitely applies here: it's not that hard to create something that looks allright, but to make it work, with regions and all is a whole different ball game.

As for projections. Google earth uses orthographic projection or something close to it. How about something like this. It keeps the focus on the mediterranean, but does add the east, albeit increasingly compressed the further you go.  To add more of it, shift the focus of the map a bit further east and more rolls into view.

I suggest you all have a look at it and see if there's a cut out that meets your needs.

[ahowl11]

Honestly I think if the focus got shifted a little bit further east, maybe centered on turkey, that it'd include the areas we need.
Can we all agree with this method?
About Ozmans map, and Mundus Magnus they're extremely similar to the one we are using now. If we were to choose those, then why not keep our current one?
Muizer, I like your idea but out of curiosity, aren't the eastern regions going to be cramped and proportioned strangely? I do like where you're going though

[DCLXVIMRTRVEBLAKKOKKVLTDCLXVI]

But what projection (if any!) is it? Anyway, I used it as an example of how to build terrain..........but from the op it's clear it's not a finished article. The 80/20 rule definitely applies here: it's not that hard to create something that looks allright, but to make it work, with regions and all is a whole different ball game.

As for projections. Google earth uses orthographic projection or something close to it. How about something like this. It keeps the focus on the mediterranean, but does add the east, albeit increasingly compressed the further you go.  To add more of it, shift the focus of the map a bit further east and more rolls into view.

I suggest you all have a look at it and see if there's a cut out that meets your needs.

I think it's a good idea to use this projection but like ahowl said, focused a little more east so the indus river is on the map. Also, could you include a sea heightmap that is scaled 1024x1024 pixels? the shallow areas should be cyan, the dark areas very dark blue. For lakes and rivers you should use the colours of the previous map.

[Gigantus]

A projection of 'looking down on the ball' should work - as has been mentioned it's a matter of the focus, the size will remain the same with the edges being compressed due to the viewing angle.
It does remind me about way back when making maps with worldwind - haven't worked with in ages .

[xeofox]

But what projection (if any!) is it? Anyway, I used it as an example of how to build terrain..........but from the op it's clear it's not a finished article. The 80/20 rule definitely applies here: it's not that hard to create something that looks allright, but to make it work, with regions and all is a whole different ball game.

As for projections. Google earth uses orthographic projection or something close to it. How about something like this. It keeps the focus on the mediterranean, but does add the east, albeit increasingly compressed the further you go.  To add more of it, shift the focus of the map a bit further east and more rolls into view.

I suggest you all have a look at it and see if there's a cut out that meets your needs.

I think that view is not a good choice. Working with map and the height map will be in manual mode.
We can use Mercator (UTM) projection. This gives us the pluses:
1) free and ready elevation map (you can use the SRTM)1,2,3
2) Localization of points (work through GIS 1,2 or SASplanet)
3) Any correction of map is easy.
4) The UTM projection available set of maps (cities, rivers, ponds) (by SASplanet or Openstreet)
5) are available satellite images

I think UTM projection it`s more easy and faster:

Agree with a projection that compresses the areas at the top and bottom of the selected map section. Just a pity the demis mapper doesn't have that function. So I guess it will have to be done manually, I wonder if there is a Photoshop function that would be able to do that (gradual reduction).

Edit: I doodled a bit with the map from my other post to achieve some compression. Unfortunately I can't do it in non-cubic mode (unlike with complete resizing) and this results in 'smudging' which makes the result unsuitable for map files. Can't do it gradually either which results in a somewhat weird look.

[xeofox]

One more sample:



Games use this projection: for exaple europa universalis 5
We need to correction map and DEM (by Photoshop). We can even  twirl and trim, but do not stretch map. (If the twirl, then a little harder to work with GIS-  but still good). Stretch for UTM can be but undesirable (but can be vertical or horizontal only)
P.S.: If we will make with UTM projection we can (without problem) make KML & KMZ files. And put our map in Gogle earth (as layer) 


I do not insist on this. I recommend.
I'm  archaeologist, but experience with GIS good! I can help with GIS work.   

[ahowl11]

We'd need to really trim a lot of dead space off of that map. I know it's just a sample but just saying. Also games like Ck2 and Eu4 you can zoom way in and way out, with RTW you don't have that luxury sadly.
Listen I think trying gigs method a few posts above compromises with everyone's wishes. Anyone disagree?

[Muizer]

@ Xeofox,
I'm not quite sure about your reservations. As you know most gis datasource provide their data in latitude-longitude format. That includes elevation, coastlines, rivers, places and the available dataset on ancient places, roadsystems and so on. Any self respecting GIS will allow you to define your projection according to your needs. Qgis definitely supports the kind of projection used by Google Earth or something very much like it. The GIS I use certainly does. So, I do not see why opting for one projection over another would affect the availability of geographical data? The question at hand is, knowing we can choose any projection system we want, which suits your goals best? The orthogonal and (other) perspective projections have the advantage that the area the map is centered on has the highest resolution and this can be used to compress the periphery where in this case is either "dead space" like Siberia or the Sahara, or a series of regions that currently are rather larger than the others.   

Btw, my background is physical geograpy, so my focus in GIS tends to be primarily on the physical environment and on rasterized data.  However, I'd love to work on a map that faithfully incorporates historical geography as much as possible. For RTR VII I managed the accurate placing of settlements allright, but there are a couple of aspects that I never got quite around to doing well, mainly concerning the infrastructure and land use. 

[ahowl11]

Well I think if we took the map we have currently and tilted it 20 degrees to the left or so, we'd have what we need. Obviously not the map itself, a new one, but with better projection and terrain.
Me personally, I just want to choose a map projection and move on. The one gig advised last seems best.
But yeah I kinda wanna get going with this if we are going to do it.

[xeofox]

@Muizer
The problem is that the current version of map has the error of projection (East added by manual work). For example: When the work was carried out with adding objects (adjustment) was very difficult to add the city to make a correction of the river and so on.
The most important:
The sample need to make in real projection ( it will be more easy wark).
Why UTM? Because the material on the Internet is the most common.
For example: SASplanet has access to a variety of sources.
If not UTM then map projection can be any, but real (!). When the need to create a backup copy of the map in GIS (parallel work). However, Mercator metric system is very useful for images and vector data. If we use the Gauss Kruger Proektion, Winkel Tripel or Kavrayskiy proektion - It is a common but at the moment the most popular Mercator system (more sources).
Using the KMZ and KML is generally simplify our work. (Here more UTM good- i work in ArcMap).
With coordinate system (not projection) can be ... latitude, longitude all this we can easily change in any  projection.
If we no agreement to UTM projection- So we need to find another map! Not only the raster, but bind (rectification). Also, a height map. With PRJ files (rectification).
UTM not best projection - but more eays work.

If not UTM then we need an another map (rectifying) and a map heights (rectifying).
If we have, then we most easier will be add objects (or make correction)
Or like before ... to make  monual work with maps

Sorry for bad english.

[xeofox]

Here i made few samples of map (source is: WGS84  web UTM projection)
with changed projection (here we can try to crop this samples)
and try to see this sample in game. After that i can make raw image map (cuted)
and raw DEM (H-map) cuted also.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[ahowl11]

I think it should be cropped at the top of Scotland in the north. Lake Baikal in the east, Ethiopia in the south and Mauritania in the east.
I'm not sure which projection is best, honestly regardless we are going to have to deal with the Sahara and steppe no matter what. I guess we should experiment to see which projection gives is the smallest land mass in those areas.

[ahowl11]

Hmm I was trying to remember a thread I made and I found it. Gig actually helped out here, what do you all think? I think it has what everyone wants.
http://exilian.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2924.0

[xeofox]

Here some test of croping maps (just for test) without rotation:
8 samples of projection

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

if we will use GIS it will be two paralel map: game map and modern map.
And it will be real coordinates for game map. And as i say before we
can make third duplicate of map for Google Erth (for example)- it simplifies our work.