MAPS: Clean Map Backgrounds for Map Makers

[randowe]

[/quote]

[randowe]

reserved

[randowe]

So, here are my 18 clean map backgrounds for map makers. You'll notice that some are more advanced thans others. Some are ready to use as is and some need to be largely covered by woods and fields and stuff. I may post more in the future.

I also checked if i can share my collections of cut out graphical objects like houses, trees, woods, fields, etc., but that seems impossible because these images contain endless levels of transparency while a png file only seem to support 100% transparency or 100% opuccation.

I reserved the second post, so if other people want to share their map backrounds in this thread, i can create a table of contents in the first post and move my stuff to the second post.

[sympatyk]

Thanks for publishing Your works
Sorry to ask - All these backgrounds are original size 400 x 381 px, are they just thumbnails?

[randowe]

Sorry to ask - All these backgrounds are original size 400 x 381 px, are they just thumbnails?

Yes, they are just thumbnails. You can click them and get to the picture with 3150x3000 pixel size. Doesn't it work?

[sympatyk]

Yes, it works ... although at first I thought it was an image ... and after save as -> a small image was downloaded.
Thanks

[randowe]

Yes, it works ... although at first I thought it was an image ... and after save as -> a small image was downloaded.
Thanks

You are welcome!

It also works with right klick on the thumbnail and then "save target as/Zapisz obraz jako/Ziel speichern unter", then the linked big picture is downloaded.

Hope the pictures will be useful for somebody and we will see a lot of big maps in the future

[sympatyk]

Yes, it works ... although at first I thought it was an image ... and after save as -> a small image was downloaded.
Thanks

You are welcome!

It also works with right klick on the thumbnail and then "save target as/Zapisz obraz jako/Ziel speichern unter", then the linked big picture is downloaded.

Hope the pictures will be useful for somebody and we will see a lot of big maps in the future

Save image as(Zapisz obraz jako) -> will save the thumbnail
Save target as(Zapisz element docelowy jako) -> will save the image

[randowe]

Yes, it works ... although at first I thought it was an image ... and after save as -> a small image was downloaded.
Thanks

You are welcome!

It also works with right klick on the thumbnail and then "save target as/Zapisz obraz jako/Ziel speichern unter", then the linked big picture is downloaded.

Hope the pictures will be useful for somebody and we will see a lot of big maps in the future

Save image as(Zapisz obraz jako) -> will save the thumbnail
Save target as(Zapisz element docelowy jako) -> will save the image

Haha, okay, sorry for my mistake I just looked for the translation at a website and it seems it told me the wrong one

[sympatyk]

You never know how it will be read in another language ... and there are misunderstandings

I also checked if i can share my collections of cut out graphical objects like houses, trees, woods, fields, etc., but that seems impossible because these images contain endless levels of transparency while a png file only seem to support 100% transparency or 100% opuccation.

I will refer to this passage
I changed my version of GIMP to a newer one
I made the last 2 pictures for maps on the new version
What surprised me?
No transparency in forests and cities ( in the picture)
The templates were made in the previous version of GIMP - and saved in 24bit color
The current version opens by default with 8 bit color - even in pictures saved in 32bit color -> the conversion takes place -> goodbye transparency

In your case - I think it removes the alpha channel - writes the transparency with the gray colors,
or it converts to a mix of background color and gray
If you send me a snip of the original file with transparency(no png) - it will try to do something ...

[randowe]

Please test and load this file first. Its a 24bit png with transparency. By the looks of it it works

[sympatyk]

It works

[randowe]

It works

Ok cool, then i can share my other stuff like this. Maybe i'll have to rearrange the files a little bit. I'll see...
Then i'll put the map background pictures into the second post and use the first post as a table of content and link to the (picture) posts in this thread.

[sympatyk]

check more 8 bit color depth + alpha channel .. if you have it written in 8bit color
i.e. figure 8bit color + add alpha channel -> write to png file

[randowe]

check more 8 bit color depth + alpha channel .. if you have it written in 8bit color
i.e. figure 8bit color + add alpha channel -> write to png file

Sorry, i don't understand. What? Why?

The original file were i collect all the graphical elements (houses, fields, etc.) is a photoshop file (.psd). I never work with png files when i design a map. I never work with or alpha canal or so. I don't even know much about that. I work on and save my work as a photoshop file, then export as png for Open General when the map is finished.

[sympatyk]

Ok
What color depth do you save the png file in?
photoshop file (.psd) ---> png? 8bit color?
Your backgrounds are in 256 colors with no alpha channel ...

ok - there is no point in dealing with this
Kb profit is small - do - as shown in the figure softedge2aokdu.png

[randowe]

png 8bit has a maximum of 256 colors.
png 24bit has a maximum of around 16 million colors = true color. Same as my photoshop files.

I store the map backgrounds i posted here as 8bit because at the end the map will be a 8bit png and this background collection just evolved like this.
But the objects (houses, fields) i store in a photoshop file and so i can export them as png 24bit.
But nowadays i take most objects directly from the photoshop files of my exisiting maps. Because then i can take everything i need to create the same look. For example the Ukrainian Black Sea maps are all looking the same and when i make a new map i do not use my collections but i take everything what i need from the existing Ukrainian Black Sea maps.
At the end everything is reduced to 256 colors when a map is finished and ready for playing OG.

Anyway, here is how my houses/airfields/bridges collection looks. So one can take these houses and a background and create a simple map.
Of course there are much more houses and different styles than i store in my collection, because - again - nowadays i use the other maps as a source.
Click on the thumbnail to get to the large picture and load it in GIMP. Do you think something like this is worth sharing?

[sympatyk]

Of course it's worth posting
While writing the topic - How to make maps in Gimp - I shared my graphics (currently the server is not working - where was it placed)

Briefly about the color space
Yes - png format -> is either 8bit or 24bit color space
So all images with 257 to 32bit colors - will be stored in * png -> 24bit color

I thought you wanted to publish your work in 8bit -> but that's a misunderstanding

[randowe]

Allright, then i will prepare the files and post in the next weeks.

Not that i think anybody will use them and we will see a flood of maps But we can hope for the best

[EDIT: since there is no interest anyway i'll not further update this thread and save my time for other things ]

[randowe]

While working on a enlarged version of the Stalingrad map by Marodeur i created this Steppe background. Added link to the first post.

[sympatyk]

It's nice that you publish it -> Maybe, the dead horse will still get up

[randowe]

Added 3150x3000 pixel hexgrid to first post. This time i was to dump to create a transparent file because every time after upload/download the file was not transparent anymore. Anyway, after download load it to Photoshop and select pink color with magic wand tool and remove the pink.

[none]

Wow, thanks!!!

[randowe]

All files from the opening post are lost since the image hosting site does not exist anymore.
I don't even have all the files on my disk, since some of them where only created for this topic and i can't find them
If someone downloaded all files you maybe can share them

Anyway, here's a new one which i created for a new 3150x3000 pixel map https://i.imgur.com/DvWxlri.png
(Resources are maps 737 and 741 by Andrey Zorin. I am working currently on a new Viazma map just as a hobby )

[none]

If someone downloaded all files you maybe can share them

I did download some of them (I'm a packrat...) and I still have them, but I don't know how to share them (about 90 MB). Right now (and for some more months*) I'm not at home and have a rather crappy Internet.
Point is, I can share those I have, but it won't be easy or quick.

* Sorry, no idea how many.

[sympatyk]

And there is nothing to talk about.

However, there is something to talk about ..

I also have your drawings (I don't know if all of them ..) and I will put a directory with them on Google Drive
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

However, this is not the best solution (you can download them, but you can't view them on the forum)
I will ask the OG management - if there would be space on the server - for such things ..

[randowe]

I also have your drawings (I don't know if all of them ..) and I will put a directory with them on Google Drive
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

That's it, thanks Half of files i could not find on my computer anymore.

For the opening post of this thread i had created 400x400 pixel thumbnails. But everything got lost when the image hosting site was closed.

[sympatyk]

You can now improve/complete the page --> using image uploads to the forum
https://forum.open-general.com/viewtopic.php?t=1029

[sympatyk]

Hello Randowe

If you have difficulty uploading all previous backgrounds to the server (in order to renew the ability to display and download) --> I will gladly do it
In that case - please specify - whether the names remain as before
A question of thumbnails --> upload 400x400px thumbnails to the server for these backgrounds? --> then under what name? --> if the same as the main images, they will be in jpg

I apologize for writing about this, but I thought that posting images on a community server is a good idea (they will not disappear - as long as the forum exists)

[randowe]

Yeah sorry, i didn't look into it. I did not try uploading any pictures because i was too lazy and i thought it is not urgent because nobody is woking on maps anyway

(I am currently working on the Vyazma map of which i showed the background. I added the highway and now working on the rivers.)

[sympatyk]

Your backgrounds for the first message
Click on the miniature (JPG) - shows the drawing in the original (PNG)



Code for the above image with link

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[randowe]

Your backgrounds for the first message

Thank you very much

[sympatyk]

Thanks for your cooperation

To make the forum load faster (for weak connections) --> I will remove images --> I will only insert the code .. to the previous message