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Curtis Baer
Curtis Baer
Participant
March 12, 2021
Question

Map Making Skills

  • March 12, 2021
  • 2 replies
  • 932 views

I am struggling to make efficient use of Illustrator for purpose of producing maps.

Looking for someone with good Illustrator skills and experience with mapping to instruct me and thereby raise my skills level in this regard.

I'm sure we can agree to a resaonable fee for this instruction if the  person with thsese Illustrator skills and mapping experience is available.

Please help.

Thanks, CHB

Curtis

 


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2 replies

michelew83603738
Community Expert
michelew83603738Community Expert
Community Expert
March 14, 2021

Hi Curtis,

 

I have worked with an urban planner for many years now illustrating his concepts for transportation and pedestrian safety. Perhaps I can help you. What is it that you need to do? Are you trying to manipulate a GIS map that you have imported? 

Curtis Baer
Curtis BaerAuthor
Participant
March 17, 2021

We are military historians and augment our study of military history
through wargaming. In this regard we produce maps at certain scales to
allow a portrayal of Campaigns and Battles at different levels of military
operations.

For example you can study all of WWI strategically, globally - this would
require a scale of maybe 100 miles to an inch. Or you could study
campaigns in WWII operationally, say the eastern front at 8 miles per
inch. You could look at the tactics of squads of say 10 soldiers - map
scale here, maybe 50yds to the inch.

It's all a matter of scale.

My friend Forest is the one who has done the work with ARC GIS and period
maps of WWII to analyze terrain features and then produce terrain objects
in layers in Ai.

I then do the artwork to revise and refine these objects to present them in
acceptable form and within the conventions establish for my game system -
the Operational Combat Series.

At this time I am engaged in examining the west front of WWII
operationally at about 5.6 miles to an inch. This is base work that Forest
created for me.

See attached 2 of 5 current map sheets I am working on to portray NW
europe at this scale. We prepare our artboards at 34" x 22" to
accommodate the eventual publication of these maps. This map section is two
landscape 34 x 22 artboards stacked North/South.

I assume you saw my list of skills that need to be improved.

At this point, after 10 years of frustration using Ai, I refuse to
needlessly struggle with the vastness of it anymore. I need *specific help*
with Ai to get the *skills I need for exactly what I'm doing*.

If you feel you can help in this regard, please give a call to discuss this
in more detail. (number below)

Thanks, CHB
[private information removed for security reasons]

D
d0nut247
Inspiring
March 14, 2021

maybe check FIVVR ?

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Monika GauseCommunity Expert
Community Expert
March 14, 2021

I'm really not sure if I would search for expert knowledge on fivrrr

 

But there are some mapmaking trainings on LinkedIn by Tony Harmer.

    Curtis Baer
    Curtis BaerAuthor
    Participant
    March 14, 2021

    Monika,

     

    Thank you for this, I'll try the LinkedIn reference.

     

    However, I'm not confident this will help.  I have tried Take Lessons with two individuals who responded to my call for help "as Adobe map making experts".  Neither was an expert.  They each logged into my computer where I explained in detail what I was trying to do and how. It was evident both were in over their heads.  I wound up teaching them some skills.

     

    So, what I really need is someone with real Ai experience and skills, specifically:

     

    Art Brushes

    Graphic Styles

    Patterns

    Library managment of all the above.

    Color swatch managment.

    Most effective use of Pen, Pencil, Brush.

    Best practice to create printer ready files with good resolution and reasonable file size managment.

    Anything and everything else that I'm not aware of to make my task easier and more efficient when doing this map work.

     

    Can you help in this regard?

     

    Thanks, CHB

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