11 replies to this topic

[bullamakanka]

Well, here goes. This is purely fictional. It's based on the fantasy of having an island nation that is in itself an entire city (like Malé in the Indian Ocean).

I started this years ago on an old Mac LC, which ran at a whopping 25Mhz (after an upgrade from 16), with 12Mb RAM. Powerful stuff! It sat dormant for a long time, probably a decade untouched, until I rediscovered it in old disks and brought it up to speed on my current MacBook.

It's unfinished. The bottom island appears different to the top in that the street lines have been outlined. I haven't gotten to the top island yet. Outlining lines is time consuming, not just in finding every little point and making it join another, but (at least on the old machine) waiting for Illustrator to slog through all that stuff and return control to me.

I understand it's amateurish compared to most maps/skills, but it's a hobby that calms the mind and lets me escape for a while.

Since there's a limit to file size here, I've posted a better version to my site (about 4Mb): www.vinsgraphics.com/island.jpg

 map.png   382.68K   315 downloads

[razornole]

hello bullamakanka,

Don't know really how to reply to this, but maybe you should practice some with label. Making a basemap is a lot easier than placing labels.

kru

[bullamakanka]

hello bullamakanka,

Don't know really how to reply to this, but maybe you should practice some with label. Making a basemap is a lot easier than placing labels.

kru

Thanks.. you'll have to explain what you mean. Do you mean "label" as in an application, a process, or are you referring to labels on the map itself (which I hadn't gotten to yet)?

This is merely an Illustrator file, nothing more, at this point. I didn't have any grandiose plans for it afterward... just file away, start a new one.

V

[frax]

Looks nice, and reasonably believable! What is the line projecting in the top left?

I would be curious about the topography of the island, is it mostly flat?

[François Goulet]

Like Hugo, I think it's a believable map! I could think that place exists somewhere!

You could add a legend. It would help you at the same time to "see" what's missing on your map and you could add.

[razornole]

Hello,

I was referring to labeling specific places on the map itself (Montego Bay, Pier 57, etc...). However a legend might be useful as well. Just noticed the planes on the runway this time around.

kru

[Michael Karpovage]

Pretty darn good! Looks really cool and technically drawn well. I noticed how the darker pavement on the top end changes to a lighter gray on the bottom, was that intentional or maybe still unfinished? I sort of like the lighter bottom gray for the smaller side roads myself and maybe having major thoroughfares in the darker gray. I can also sympathize with you on working on a slow Mac in Illustrator. It used to drive me absolutely bonkers waiting and waiting for the computer to catch up. I since bought the new iMac with 3.06Ghz in speed with a big ole' wide screen and it rocks. Maybe you could actually sell this to some science fiction or some other genre writer or script writer - maybe do an internet search for island cities that appear in stories or something along those lines and then working with the author you could actually apply text labels to fit their story and one day get all your hardwork on this published. Just a thought. Well, continue on. It looks great.

Michael

[DaveB]

I agree that it looks believable. I like the varying density of streets. Looks like probably a ritzier area to the southwest, maybe even hilly. Lots of nice touches for the stage the map is in. Michael's idea of seeing if you can find someone in need of a map for this sort of place sounds intriguing. Labeling, legend, etc. would certainly add to the map, but I think it might help to have a use or audience in mind for that. If were to be for a book, for example, you might have to be limited to only naming places mentioned in the book. If you come up with your own idea for user and use then you could decide what additional information would be useful for your imaginary audience. Of course, it's your hobby so do what makes you happy. No need to turn it into "work" or something that isn't fun for you, right?

Thanks for being brave and sharing it!

[Matthew Hampton]

Very well done Bullamakanka! I was thinking this area belonged over in Dubai.

I think it's a very well laid out area that could be the envy of any land use consultant. There are some elements that I don't quite understand. At first I thought the golden-yellow referred to transit lines with stations (round circles), but then it got all fragmented in the lower island.

In some ways, maps of imaginary areas can be more difficult to make because you start with nothing. Since most places on this planet have been mapped or imaged before most of us start with at least a foothold.

[bullamakanka]

Very well done Bullamakanka! I was thinking this area belonged over in Dubai.

I think it's a very well laid out area that could be the envy of any land use consultant. There are some elements that I don't quite understand. At first I thought the golden-yellow referred to transit lines with stations (round circles), but then it got all fragmented in the lower island.

In some ways, maps of imaginary areas can be more difficult to make because you start with nothing. Since most places on this planet have been mapped or imaged before most of us start with at least a foothold.

Actually, the gold line is a rail/transit line, and goes subterranean in parts on the lower island.

The biggest problem I have with starting a new map is having it too quickly look boring. I get bored quick with grid patterns, for starters. However, they come in "handy" as a means to define a CBD apart from a residential area.

My dad once saw a map I was drawing when I was a kid, and rather than ridicule it (as I expected he would), he offered a suggestion. Move away from the grid pattern, he said. Move more toward the three-point intersection, or other types of connections that reflect a move away from the old-timey traditional grid. It was a pivotal moment in my mapmaking. Plus, a wake-up call to deciding that perhaps my father wasn't completely insane after all.

V

[Esther Mandeno]

Hello bullamakanka,

So, I'm not the only one.

I started a whole new world (Pandora - I know, cheesy name), haven't gotten around to doing the cities (at least, not the details). My world only has one continent (Gaia - I know, an even cheesier name!) and a few islands. The continent is roughly the size of Antarctica, spread across the northern and southern hemispheres. One island to the north, two in the south.

Maybe when you are finished with your island, we can place it in my world?

[Esther Mandeno]

By the way, I agree with everyone else. Your island-city looks very detailed and an awfully good start. Keep going!

Well, here goes. This is purely fictional. It's based on the fantasy of having an island nation that is in itself an entire city (like Malé in the Indian Ocean).

I started this years ago on an old Mac LC, which ran at a whopping 25Mhz (after an upgrade from 16), with 12Mb RAM. Powerful stuff! It sat dormant for a long time, probably a decade untouched, until I rediscovered it in old disks and brought it up to speed on my current MacBook.

It's unfinished. The bottom island appears different to the top in that the street lines have been outlined. I haven't gotten to the top island yet. Outlining lines is time consuming, not just in finding every little point and making it join another, but (at least on the old machine) waiting for Illustrator to slog through all that stuff and return control to me.

I understand it's amateurish compared to most maps/skills, but it's a hobby that calms the mind and lets me escape for a while.

Since there's a limit to file size here, I've posted a better version to my site (about 4Mb): www.vinsgraphics.com/island.jpg

 map.png   382.68K   315 downloads