Starmapping?

[Ben Wilson]

http://www.graphviz.org/Gallery/undirected/softmaint.html

This URL is pretty close to how I picture the Espace universe. The
ovals are inhabited systems, the circles are uninhabited (link)
systems. The lines are Soup routes.

--
Ben Wilson
"We cannot determine the character or nature of a system within
itself. Efforts to do so will only generate confusion and disorder."
Boyd

[Ben Wilson]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:UnitedStatesGraphViz.svg

This is another way of doing it, though this is more what I would
expect with a Traveller universe.

[Aaron Clausen]

I certainly like this one the best. Now, other than owning Visio, how
do we produce them. I've used OpenOffice's draw program for some flow
charting. Could give that a go.

Aaron Clausen

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[Ben Wilson]

That's the special sauce... Pull up the [graph] and click on the
picture. You should be greeted with text. That text is called DOT,
which is "is a plain text graph description language. It is a simple
way of describing graphs that both humans and computer programs can
use."[dot]

So, there are two things about this that are of interest. First, we
can create a text file that describes, and convert to an image...
Second, if we go about it right, I can create a markup on the wiki
that, coupled with (:pagelist:) would allow us to wiki the graph. I
would think it could be done on a "per system" basis, where one wiki
page is the [system]. There are other [wikis] that use Graphviz, which
converts the text to image.

The [graph] appears to be a network diagram (finite state machine).
The following shows the relationship between the LR_2 node and its
three downstream nodes.

LR_2 -> LR_6 [ label = "SS(b)" ];
LR_2 -> LR_5 [ label = "SS(a)" ];
LR_2 -> LR_4 [ label = "S(A)" ];

So, all we need to do, really, is link a system to its nearest
neighbors, perhaps with something to denote distance (if possible) to
lengthen/shorten the lines (there's a 'len' attribute for edges). It
appears you can color the lines, which would allow assignment of
pollution levels; or just label the line with the pollution (Fudge
Trait style; preferable for color-blindness).

Alternately, I can create a script that will randomly generate systems
in the universe that we would retro-assign system relations within...
I think that's a good starting point. There would be the DOT file that
we could then label systems (nodes) with the appropriate name.

[graph]: http://www.graphviz.org/Gallery/directed/fsm.html
[dot]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOT_language
[system]: For example: http://espacesociety.org/StarSystems/NovyaSiberia
[wikis]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphviz

[Ben Wilson]

Here's an example:

graph starsystems {
node [fontsize=8];
edge [fontsize=6];
splines="polyline"
subgraph cluster_A {
"Sol" -- "Alpha Centauri" [len = 1.5, label="Superb (200)"]
"Alpha Centauri" -- "Hazadal" [len = 1]
"Alpha Centauri" -- "Ithad" [len = 3]
"Ithad" -- "Gazar" [len = 1]
"Gazar" -- Sol [len = 2.1]
"Sol" -- "Hazadal" [len=4]
}
subgraph cluster_C {
"Imperial\n Core Worlds" -- "Purivi Donar" [len=2.1]
"Imperial\n Core Worlds" -- "Souldogle Prime" [len=4.8]
"Imperial\n Core Worlds" -- "Belshane"
"Imperial\n Core Worlds" -- "Dazamine"
}
"Gazar" -- "Imperial\n Core Worlds"

[Aaron Clausen]

That's pretty cool. How many systems are we going to map?

Aaron

[Ben Wilson]

I believe we should definitely map all systems we have already named,
which is ~34 systems. Being somewhat arbitrary, though not totally
without reason, I'd like us to assume the Imperium has 270 total
inhabited systems, of which 125 are along main routes (the other 145
are connected only to one of the 125).

I'll try to get the basic structure put together soon. If you can
think of systems in the StarSystems group that should be put together,
let me know. What I think works is to put systems into regions (or
"families," which is merely a vernacular during the Imperium).
Families are star systems that perhaps are ranged at Near to
Medium.[Distance] I'm not sure how many of these there would be...

[Distance]: http://espacesociety.org/NaturalSciences/SpaceTravel#toc2

On Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 1:39 PM, Aaron Clausen

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[Aaron Clausen]

I'll look at it over the next few days and get back to you next week.

Aaron

[Aaron Clausen]

Ben, bear with me a bit longer. The last few weeks have been crazy hectic.

Aaron