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Star Map Creation

Noldona

Scribe
I am looking for links for ways of generating a star map for my world. All of the links I have found either link to sites which no longer exist, or software which is very old and won't run on a modern computer. It doesn't need to accurate to known star layouts. Just something good enough to start generating constellations.
 

CupofJoe

Myth Weaver
I can find a few [as you mention] older sites and programs that make solar systems but I haven't heard of anything that will create a star map...
If it is based on Earth, then I'd have a look on Google images or similar for star fields/maps that you can use as a base point for your new constellations and night sky. Let you mind run riot as you join the endless dots!
If you want something totally made-up, then there is probably something very clever you can probably do within Photoshop and its equivalents to create random patterns that you then play with and manipulate to get the maps you want.
If you want constellations, then I'd start with the shape you want [Duck, Tennis show, whatever], add it to the sky and add the dots/stars afterwards.
Not every star is import and so you may only need a few [dozen] to make a convincing and detailed [enough] night's sky.
I knew someone that used [in an RPG] a gas cloud/nebular to make whole areas of the planet's sky seem black and star less... apart from one star that was closer than the cloud/nebular, which had a quarter of the sky to itself. I thought that was a cool idea. It also screwed with the infra-vision of most of the PC and that was even cooler!
 
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