Planetary Map Generator
I found an interesting web site the other day that generates planetary maps. You can, in fact, download the C source code for your own use. The author, Torben Ægidius Mogensen, claims it’s been tweaked and updated for over twenty years so the code may be a bit messy. Still, you know the saying about gift horses.
There is a simple web interface to the program. Although you may not know the difference between gnomonic, mercador, and mollweide you’ll be able to figure out how to get the map style you want in short order.
Here’s a snap of the control console. As long as you use the same values for Seed and Waterline, you should be able to generate the same map over and over with different viewpoints, shades, effects, and angles.
Here’s a small sample of the maps its able to generate.
I’m sure you can see how this will help you and your reader visualize the worlds you create.
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