9 replies to this topic

[Martin Gamache]

My current project is an 90+ page Pocket Star Atlas.
Feel my pain.....

[frax]

Interesting.

So if you put a star a little bit off, then I will be light-years off the route when I navigate my spaceship to the outer rims?

[Hans van der Maarel]

Martin,

Ouch, that looks like it's a lot of work.

One of my current projects is offering technical support and advice for the production of hydrographic maps. I don't think I'm at liberty to share any images at the moment, but let's just say that they're very complex. I ended up making separate symbols for the different parts that can make up a single bouy (a bouy, with or without a light, with or without a topmark, with or without a radar-reflector). Worked out all the correct spacings and displacements from the center of the symbol to make sure all the parts lined up. I think I ended up with 250+ legend objects in MAPublisher.

[Martin Gamache]

FRAX...The tricky part is that none of the stars can move....just the labels. At least in the first round of edits, second round stuff might start coming off, I hope...

HANS That sounds very cool. I think that if your work is moving in the direction of advising and helping design map specs your in a good position work wise.

[frax]

where does the data come from? Was it generated in GIS or CAD?

[Martin Gamache]

where does the data come from? Was it generated in GIS or CAD?

Proprietary star mapping databases & software output to illustrator.

[ELeFevre]

Just curious,
How did you get involved in a project like this? very cool.

[Hans van der Maarel]

Martin,

Yeah, I'm doing a lot more advice and consultancy nowadays than actual map production. That's cool, because it's very challenging work (like that one project I mentioned), but on the other hand I don't want to lose touch with the map production either, so I'm sort of trying to get the best of both worlds.

[Martin Gamache]

How did you get involved in a project like this?

Like almost everything else, it's right place, right time and good references.

[Rick Dey]

In all my years of using star charts I have to admit that I never considered them to be a cartographic item. Well of course only spending a few moments thinking about it suddenly makes me realize my lack of connecting synapses. My son got his degree in Physics because of his interest in Astronomy, we could have worked together! Nowadays I usually use a computer program instead of a star chart, but then thats exactly what the people that run my company keep saying about paper maps, "Doesn't everyone just use their computer?" Most everyone, except for those 5.5 million we distribute each year.

Best of luck with the project Martin. Sure makes my map of Reno look a lot easier.