If you've thought about the geography of your planet, you'll eventually need a ConMap to organize the information. This section deals with how to make good, realistic, and eye-pleasing maps.

Table of Contents

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Computerized mapping

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Mapping software tools provide a wide array of options for creating maps at many different levels as well as rendered scenes of landscapes based on those maps.

Free software

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  • TerraJ by Martin Smith, an open source Java cross-platform solar system generator combining Fractal Planet, StarGen, and Planet Generator
  • GeoMorph relief editor
  • G.Projector by the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, a free cross-platform Java application that can reproject a map from a cylindrical projection to a Mercator projection, for example
  • AutoRealm is an open source mapping utility for creating maps of castles, dungeons, and cities

Commercial software

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  • L3DT by Bundysoft, a comprehensive commercial terrain modeling solution.
  • Fractal Mapper by Nbos Software, targeted at maps more similar to human-drawn maps
  • AstroSynthesis by Nbos Software, a star-mapping tool that maps the positions of groups of nearby stars in 3D
  • Daylon Leveller by Daylon Graphics, a terrain sculpting application for Windows
  • Terragen by Planetside Software, a terrain generator and rendering application

Unknown status

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  • Wilbur by Joe Slayton, a free digital terrain sculpting application for Windows
  • The Galaxy galaxy generator by Dmytry Lavrov
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