US Map + Force dispositions

[castlebravo92]

Been playing around with this, will add New America, Soviet, Canadian, French, and Mexican forces the next couple of days. May throw in some marauder units as well were notable forces are documented in canon.

[castlebravo92]

Forgot to add...counter symbology: 1st on bottom is thousands of men (rounded up, so 1200 men = 2), 2nd number = # of AFVs in unit. Number to the right of unit type is the unit name / number.

[Claidheamh]

This is great, maps really help me visualize the layout of forces.

[kato13]

This is what I built a while back.



Unfortunately Google maps has changed versions at least twice since I built it so I am stuck with only screen shots rather than it being interactive.

[castlebravo92]

Originally Posted by kato13

This is what I built a while back.
Unfortunately Google maps has changed versions at least twice since I built it so I am stuck with only screen shots rather than it being interactive.

Yeah, when I finalize it I will distribute it as a QGIS qgis file and a maptile so people can add / change to suit whatever their style aesthetic is. Helps avoid the problem of Google/Bing/et al changing stuff on you (and, regarding aesthetics, I really don't like the modern look of Google maps anyway).

One of the things I'm also trying to do as I build out the maps is use urban areas from circa 2000 for cities. There's been a lot of sprawl in a lot of urban areas in the last 30 years since T2K was published (and road building).

[bash]

I long for an archive of the old Microsoft TeraServer map tiles. It came out around 97 or 98 and was an impressive set of map tiles. A lot of the higher zoom levels were ortho-adjusted aerial photography IIRC. I've always wanted it for historical comparisons with modern maps but it would be an amazing T2K mapping resource.

[Ursus Maior]

I once again would like to share this excellen website: https://www.map.army/

Map.Army allows the user to facilitate so called MilX-layers to create maps that visualize tactical, operative or even strategical situations with APP-6 conform icons. Different map types can be used, such as satellite, topographic, road based or terrain oriented including Google based information such as cultural, natural or commercial landmarks.

From the web based application printouts in various scales can be generated, which includes multilayer PDFs. Also, various layers can be switched off so that these maps can be presented to players in a different form that they're being used by the GM: Either by printing out only select layers or sharing one browser window, while working on or looking into another browser window.

[Ursus Maior]

Originally Posted by kato13

This is what I built a while back.

[...]

Do you remember where the West German (FRG) 63th Tank Battalion comes from sourcewise? I reckon, they were going through training at Shiloh, when war broke out?

[castlebravo92]

Originally Posted by Ursus Maior

I once again would like to share this excellen website: https://www.map.army/

Map.Army allows the user to facilitate so called MilX-layers to create maps that visualize tactical, operative or even strategical situations with APP-6 conform icons. Different map types can be used, such as satellite, topographic, road based or terrain oriented including Google based information such as cultural, natural or commercial landmarks.

From the web based application printouts in various scales can be generated, which includes multilayer PDFs. Also, various layers can be switched off so that these maps can be presented to players in a different form that they're being used by the GM: Either by printing out only select layers or sharing one browser window, while working on or looking into another browser window.

I use QGIS because, well, I've used it before and have a decent amount of experience in it. QGIS is really, really good for what I play around with, once you get over the learning curve. Specifically, because it's a GIS visualization and editing tool, it reduces the re-work you need to do, and allows you to persist your data in a variety of formats, and zoom in our out infinitely. It also allows you to use just about any map source data you want. About the only map type / data source I haven't been able to integrate so far is Jet Navigation Charts (ala https://skyvector.com/), and that's only because I lack an online data source for it.

In my first run on Sunday, I was mentally tired and lazy. My first attempt at showing the unit icons was just to print the APP-6 true-type font NATO icon. This lead to less than spectacular results, however, as the font glyph has a transparent background, and no color combination really shows up well on the map. I also didn't have the brain power left to figure out how to set up the rules to put all of the various unit decorations, so I ended up just creating each unit icon as an .svg file in Illustrator and using a rule to match the file to the unit name.

That being said, it irked me, so I worked on it this morning:



That example is a 100% pure "programmatic" output, using a shapefile database (could just as easily be an excel spreadsheet or csv file, but I can drag and drop shapefile elements onto the map visually, and shapefiles can contain row/column data, so I tend to use shapefiles for even columnar data in cases like this).

Adding a new unit is as easy as clicking on the "Add Point Feature", clicking on the map for the location, and then typing in the data:



If I want to plop the 49th on Fort Hood, I can just drag it there:



And if I don't like the v1 map style aesthetic and want a satellite view, I just change the map layer:



Same thing with zooming in and zooming out different map resolutions. QGIS makes adding / removing features with a relative minimum amount of work much easier than say, doing the same map in Google Earth, Photoshop, or Illustrator.

Not crapping on Map.Army because I only took a cursory look on it, I'm just a big fan of QGIS for mapping, be it professional or amateur GIS work or RPG related play. I'm still also very obviously learning the ins and outs of it.

[kato13]

Originally Posted by Ursus Maior

Do you remember where the West German (FRG) 63th Tank Battalion comes from sourcewise? I reckon, they were going through training at Shiloh, when war broke out?

It comes from a Challenge article on Canada. (It should be 53rd on the graphic but might be too hard to read.



Anglo-German Brigade (Ontario)
1/The Royal Hampshire Regiment: 250 cavalry (Kitchener).
1/The Cheshire Regiment: 350 men (Sault Ste. Marie).
53rd Panzer Battalion: 250 men, 9 AFVs (Sudbury).
81st Panzer Grenadier Battalion (M): 300 men, 6 AFVs (Waterloo).


Edit and yes they come from training in Shilo

Originally Posted by rcaf_777

BATUS or The British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) is a British Army unit located at the vast training area of Canadian Forces Base Suffield near Suffield, Alberta, Canada. BATUS is the British Army's largest armoured training facility, and it can accommodate live-firing exercises up to battle group level. Think of this unit like the US Army Fort Irwin National Training Center.

In TW V1 this unit along with German Army Training Establishment Shilo formed an German Anglo Brigade. However will war in europe I doubt the UK and Germany are going to leave tanks, APC, aircraft, men ect in Canada. If they did they might a shell of their former pre war strength.

[castlebravo92]

The talk of wargaming the Siege of Warsaw inspired me to create this map variant: