How about an atlas? - Page 2

Sweetpea · 03-02-2009, 05:19 AM

Hmm, maybe I should mention this to the company I'm working with at the moment... It's one of the most famous atlas creators (at least, here, in the Netherlands). They've experience with creating atlases for over 130 years

(over 10 million copies sold so far, not bad!)

(the latest edition: the atlas of the Netherlands, has 560 pages and 2400 maps... it's a magnificent work, they have it on display in the hallway here...)

zelda_pinwheel · 03-02-2009, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Hmm, maybe I should mention this to the company I'm working with at the moment... It's one of the most famous atlas creators (at least, here, in the Netherlands). They've experience with creating atlases for over 130 years

(over 10 million copies sold so far, not bad!)

(the latest edition: the atlas of the Netherlands, has 560 pages and 2400 maps... it's a magnificent work, they have it on display in the hallway here...)

oh, drool !!!! i love maps.

tompe · 03-02-2009, 05:24 PM

Use Open Street Map for maps with creative commons license:

http://www.openstreetmap.org/

Sweetpea · 03-04-2009, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

oh, drool !!!! i love maps.

Me too! And I will be buying the new Atlas of the World that'll be coming out soon.

Jellby · 03-08-2009, 03:36 PM

A couple of maps generated with GMT (generic map tools), withe the GLOBE elevation data. I've just discovered these tools, and there is much to tweak in order to make it usable in an e-ink reader, but at least there is a way to obtain free maps

thibaulthalpern · 03-08-2009, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jellby

So... what would you think of an atlas for ebook readers? Can you produce any ideas on the format and interface? I was thinking that maybe having a world map with links (in text, below the image) to continents, then maps of continents with links to countries, and maybe links to further divisions for large countries, would be fine enough at first. The maps would not be incredibly detailed, just borders, main cities (perhaps rivers)....

My thoughts: for most ebook readers, this is a so-so idea. Most ebook reader screens are not suitable to display maps which require some expanse. Probably it would do okay on one of the iLiads but not for something like the Kindle 2, Sony PRS-700 which is typical of the size of most ebook readers.

Jellby · 04-04-2009, 05:04 AM

I've done a proof of concept. Just created some topographical maps (no political borders, no labels) with GMT and added simple HTML navigation. Below each map there are 4 arrows for movement, ⊗ to zoom in and ∴ to zoom out (only two zoom levels: 90 and 30 degrees). If this is going to work in a b&w screen the colour palette should be modified (not difficult, just a matter of re-running the scripts) and maybe the quality reduced, this is taking already 14MB, and I'd like to go down to 10 or 5 degrees resolution...

Anyway, the zipped HTML and images are available at http://djelibeibi.unex.es/files/map.zip
Remember, this intended to be viewed in a browser, not in a portable reader (yet).

HarryT · 08-20-2009, 09:30 AM

Did you ever proceed with your idea of an ebook atlas, Jellby?

Jellby · 08-20-2009, 09:49 AM

Not much farther. I created the topographical maps at 90, 30 and 10 degrees, black and white, and split in land relief and ocean bottom relief... I should at least publish the files, but it was going to be huge (~90MB). I also wanted to give it some ePUB wrapper.

HarryT · 08-20-2009, 12:15 PM

Yes, size is obviously the issue for such a project!

Jellby · 08-21-2009, 07:38 AM

Just to show where I stand, I made a quick ePUB version for the colour maps (so, they don't look good on eink screens). It's 88MB, the b/w version would be almost double size. You (all) can test it and tell me if it's worth to publish this and if the "interface" is usable.

Below each map there are four arrows for displacement, the symbol in the center is for zooming in, the symbol in the top-left is for zooming out.

This is the file: http://djelibeibi.unex.es/files/World%20Map.epub (88MB)

Jellby · 08-21-2009, 09:00 AM

Doh!

Silly me, I was using the 100%-quality JPGs generated in the process. I've now created a much more manageable file, with maps at 75% quality.

http://djelibeibi.unex.es/files/World%20Map%2075.epub (23MB)

Nate the great · 08-21-2009, 09:10 AM

I can probably make a Mobipocket map book from the source images. May I?

nrapallo · 08-21-2009, 09:32 AM

Ooh, Ooh, I got dibs on the .imp versions...

Jellby · 08-21-2009, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I can probably make a Mobipocket map book from the source images. May I?

I have the basic mobipocket framework already done. I think the main problems I found are:

- Since mobipocket does not support font embedding, I could not reliably use the symbols in the "navigation pad".

- I don't remember I could find a way to center the tables horizontally.

For the symbols, I could use images, but MobiPerl (which I use to generate the .mobi) includes the same images multiple times, and with Calibre I would not have the same degree of control over the resulting .mobi

03-02-2009, 05:19 AM	#16
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	Hmm, maybe I should mention this to the company I'm working with at the moment... It's one of the most famous atlas creators (at least, here, in the Netherlands). They've experience with creating atlases for over 130 years (over 10 million copies sold so far, not bad!) (the latest edition: the atlas of the Netherlands, has 560 pages and 2400 maps... it's a magnificent work, they have it on display in the hallway here...) Last edited by Sweetpea; 03-02-2009 at 05:21 AM.

03-08-2009, 03:36 PM	#20
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 7,549 Karma: 19500001 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spaniard in Sweden Device: Cybook Orizon, Kobo Aura	A couple of maps generated with GMT (generic map tools), withe the GLOBE elevation data. I've just discovered these tools, and there is much to tweak in order to make it usable in an e-ink reader, but at least there is a way to obtain free maps Attached Thumbnails

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03-02-2009, 05:24 PM	#18
tompe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,452 Karma: 7185064 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Linköpng, Sweden Device: Kindle Voyage, Nexus 5, Kindle PW	Use Open Street Map for maps with creative commons license: http://www.openstreetmap.org/

04-04-2009, 05:04 AM	#22
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 7,549 Karma: 19500001 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spaniard in Sweden Device: Cybook Orizon, Kobo Aura	I've done a proof of concept. Just created some topographical maps (no political borders, no labels) with GMT and added simple HTML navigation. Below each map there are 4 arrows for movement, ⊗ to zoom in and ∴ to zoom out (only two zoom levels: 90 and 30 degrees). If this is going to work in a b&w screen the colour palette should be modified (not difficult, just a matter of re-running the scripts) and maybe the quality reduced, this is taking already 14MB, and I'd like to go down to 10 or 5 degrees resolution... Anyway, the zipped HTML and images are available at http://djelibeibi.unex.es/files/map.zip Remember, this intended to be viewed in a browser, not in a portable reader (yet).

08-20-2009, 09:30 AM	#23
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Did you ever proceed with your idea of an ebook atlas, Jellby?

08-20-2009, 09:49 AM	#24
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 7,549 Karma: 19500001 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spaniard in Sweden Device: Cybook Orizon, Kobo Aura	Not much farther. I created the topographical maps at 90, 30 and 10 degrees, black and white, and split in land relief and ocean bottom relief... I should at least publish the files, but it was going to be huge (~90MB). I also wanted to give it some ePUB wrapper.

08-20-2009, 12:15 PM	#25
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Yes, size is obviously the issue for such a project!

08-21-2009, 07:38 AM	#26
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 7,549 Karma: 19500001 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spaniard in Sweden Device: Cybook Orizon, Kobo Aura	Just to show where I stand, I made a quick ePUB version for the colour maps (so, they don't look good on eink screens). It's 88MB, the b/w version would be almost double size. You (all) can test it and tell me if it's worth to publish this and if the "interface" is usable. Below each map there are four arrows for displacement, the symbol in the center is for zooming in, the symbol in the top-left is for zooming out. This is the file: http://djelibeibi.unex.es/files/World%20Map.epub (88MB)

08-21-2009, 09:00 AM	#27
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 7,549 Karma: 19500001 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spaniard in Sweden Device: Cybook Orizon, Kobo Aura	Doh! Silly me, I was using the 100%-quality JPGs generated in the process. I've now created a much more manageable file, with maps at 75% quality. http://djelibeibi.unex.es/files/World%20Map%2075.epub (23MB)

08-21-2009, 09:10 AM	#28
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	I can probably make a Mobipocket map book from the source images. May I?

08-21-2009, 09:32 AM	#29
nrapallo GuteBook/Mobi2IMP Creator Posts: 2,958 Karma: 2530691 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Device: REB1200 EBW1150 Device: T1 NSTG iLiad_v2 NC Device: Asus_TF Next1 WPDN	Ooh, Ooh, I got dibs on the .imp versions...

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