OpenGeofiction
Hello,
as I’m sloooowly starting to fill out at least the inner part of my capital city, I’m also starting to wonder about how to create a both aestheticly pleasing as well as practical metro map. Now, I’ve been looking at some programms here and there and tried some free trials etc., but I would really appreciate if some users who are more experienced with this issue could share their experience and tell me/us, which programmes you used and perhaps even go into a little more detail or share some patterns? Of course tools which are for free are always a favourite option; But if it’s actually needed to purchase a “premium” image-editing software, then it would be nice to know beforehand what other users have archived with it in the past, and how :)
So to sum up, if you have any experience with making maps for public transportation in OGF, please share it here! I’ve seen some great ones in the wiki, so there have to be some experts here ;)
Discussion
Comment from histor on 30 June 2015 at 21:36
The question is, what do yo want. Normally the map of a metro-system is abstract.
Beginning with the design of Beck in the 1930ies for London there are some basics as * lines only vertical, horizontal or 45°. * Lettering always horizontal. * clear colours
An other good example is the map of Vignelli for New York.
To see good examples, you can go to the websides of the metro / underground/ subway - systems and have a critical look. Buenos Aires “Subte” map is interessant with its unusual lettering of 45°.
Here in OGF for Cordoba, Elegantia and Porto Colon I draw my maps with piantbrush, the anchestor of paint. Important is not the tool, you tak, but what you draw. You need some time for a good graphic and the time, you seek the easy way you can spend, to start with thinking about the design of your net.
Best methode seemed to me, as first step to draw the structure of your net with pencil and paper and to smooth the lines (only 45° – or 30° and 60°, no 45°) . The metro-net must not be geographical correct, but sure north shall be north.
Important item are the stations - better as round point or quadrat as only a nipple in the line. For stations, where two or more line meets, it seemed to me important to show, that the trains will stop at the same platform or at different platforms.
Short sayd: Look at real metro maps, choose your style and then you can draw with the tool you want.
Comment from histor on 30 June 2015 at 21:38
P.S. Have you seen the metro-map for KHAIWOON of isleño? A very good example, to learn.
Comment from Sarepava on 30 June 2015 at 22:11
Inkscape is your best bet and as good quality as a commercial program. paint.NET is faster to learn but less professional-looking. Both work in layers, so one can move objects around freely without having to disturb things underneath. One can also create templates for station symbols and other objects. Be sure to sketch the layout on paper first so you can check the connections work properly.
In my experience - that’s halfway through making the Santjana (Karolia) and Alexandria (Mecyna) maps - your finished map will end up bigger than you expected. The biggest task is fitting everything in particularly station names, without them being crowded or overlapping. Remember the map needs to be instantly comprehensible to somebody with no knowledge of the city and who may have only a basic understanding of the vernacular language. Line colours need to be easily distinguishable - use black, red, yellow, green and blue before you move on to other shades. Keep the lines as simple as possible. If you have an east-west or north-south railway, make it a straight lines as far as is practical. Circle lines can be an actual circle. Up to you if you wish to show surface and suburban rail lines on the same map. Often an S-Bahn or similar network will be worth showing if it has a similar level of service.
Items that make a metro map interesting are things such as dotted lines for restricted service patterns, interchanges and fare zones, special symbols for surface rail and tram connections and simplification of complex routes.
Comment from Leowezy on 1 July 2015 at 08:58
Thank you Histor and Sarepava! I will definetly check out inkscape. And yes, Khaiwoon’s metro map is really impressive; I actually like it better than most real-world metro maps I’ve come across yet xD Also thanks for you advices on making metro maps, Sarepava, I will try to apply them as good as I can!
Comment from tule00 on 1 July 2015 at 20:49
I think Inkscape is the most efficient. Depending of the shape of metro lines, you can use 45° for a simpler system and 30°/60° for a more complex shape.