Creating a Globe

[Michael Morris]

Hello everyone. I stumbled upon an interesting crafting project - making a campaign setting globe.

To start you need to get a dry erase globe from a teacher's supply store, like this one

fisherSci.com - Dry-Erase Markable Globe

I personally used this one

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-Color-World-Globe-stickers/dp/B000IXKRIE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1345031118&sr=8-3&keywords=color+my+world+globe"]Elenco 11" Color My World Globe With stickers : Toys & Games : Amazon.com[/ame]

Using the erasable pens that come with it and using my old maps for reference I worked out the map.



The problem with this is that it is *very* easy to rub this off. The next step is to apply a permanent surface. For that, enamel paints come into play.



I don't know if I'm going to continue with adding details like mountains, rivers and deserts or just leave this alone. Still, for about $60 in materials it's gotten a lot of use in play and brought a new level of depth to the game. One added bonus is that if you squint you can still make out the outlines of Earth's continents behind the enamel. This gives me a way to equate fictional locations with real world equivalents both for myself and the players.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Just so you know, in one of the old Dragon magazines, they included a D20 paper patern so you could do just this.

Pro: colored in ink or colored pencil, it would not be erasable

Con: takes some time to draw, cut out, fold, and glue; as a hollow paper d20, it is easily destroyed

 

[Michael Morris]

Yeah, that's definitely one way to do it. Another way is to learn the mysteries of Blender

Pro: Map is digital, can be shared.
Con: 3d printers are expensive.

 

[Janx]

or you could learn the specification for the Google Maps API.

It's pretty easy to use from a developer's standpoint. Work out the requirements for the graphic files and load your map onto a page that looks like Google Maps, but is running your world.

the Elder Scrolls Wiki does this to display the map of Tamriel.


back in the day, I did all my maps as .gif files and area mapped them so you could click on regions and jump to sub-pages for that region, with maps...

 

[GeorgeFields]

The globe is something I'd thought about in the past.

When my son was 3 or 4 years old, I bought him a large plastic ball that had the earth painted on it; and I wondered if an RPG company would consider doing that. The quality wasn't the best, but they could be relatively inexpensive if there was enough demand to print off a bulk quantity.

MM> Yours looks pretty sweet! I didn't know dry erase globes existed. I might have to get one of those myself.