Wikipedia:Graphics Lab/Map workshop/Archive/Feb 2018

How to change projection
Could you explain me how can I change the projection of any SVG-map? The problem is I'm planning to work with historical (I mean old) maps and they often have very particular projection. So I need some soft or smth that can convert any random-projection-SVG-map into a standard-projection one and vice versa. I hope you understand my problem and pain and could give me some tips. --Yakiv Gluck (talk) 11:59, 6 February 2018 (UTC)
 * SVG has an operation "transform" which can perform any specified linear mapping to any image. This includes translations, rotations, and shears. It should be good enough for most purposes as long as the map only covers a small proportion of the earth's surface. Specifying what transformation you want may be difficult, particularly if you start with "any random-projection". Something that might help you, and maybe even exists, is software that, for a set of tie-points (at least three, ideally a few more), accepts their co-ordinates in your map and in the real world, and calculates the transform matrix that will give you the best linear mapping.
 * If you do use such a technique, I recommend that your transformed maps should include a comment containing a link to the original untransformed SVG, a list of the tie-points used and their coordinates, and the transform function applied. Maproom (talk) 16:57, 6 February 2018 (UTC)

Guatemala - Belize Territorial Dispute

 * Article(s):
 * Guatemala


 * Request:
 * Perhaps someone could edit the above map of Guatemala to highlight the territory it claims from Belize (above-right) in light green? After all, it would make it consistent with other such Wikipedia maps displaying countries with territorial disputes (e.g. India/Pakistan, Russia/Ukraine, Egypt/Sudan etc.). User:Snow Lion Fenian


 * Graphist opinion(s):


 * Dispute boundaries are very tricky, because there are political implications for getting them wrong (or right, for that matter). For a start, the colours are unconventional. Also, control maps shouldn't include labels, "just expose the areas of control, and don't include complex labels and explanations." This map also has an issue in that the disputed territory marked on this map doesn't match the district boundaries within Belize, and also doesn't match the disputed boundary points on the Natural Earth Data. I'd be more comfortable with editing/combining this map if the disputed territory map linked to an official source for the location of the dispute boundary. This map suggests that a road might border the disputed territory (probably George Price Highway, as seen in these maps, but it doesn't extend to the land edge); it'd be useful to know if that were indeed the case. gringer (talk) 13:14, 9 March 2018 (UTC)
 * I understand. So would you consider this request obsolete then? User:Snow Lion Fenian
 * No, the underlying request is reasonable (and important), but the images surrounding this should be changed a bit. I've created a location map for Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute with conventional colours. Unfortunately it's from GADM data, which means it can't be used for commercial purposes (and therefore doesn't fall under Wikipedia's free content definition). I'll have a go at creating a combination orthographic projection map (at lower resolution) using Natural Earth data which can be used everywhere. People will then be directed to the article with a higher-resolution for more details. gringer (talk) 23:07, 9 March 2018 (UTC)
 * ✅ Updated orthographic image to add in an inset (from the Free Natural Earth dataset) gringer (talk) 02:07, 10 March 2018 (UTC)
 * Okay, thanks, I really appreciate it. User:Snow Lion Fenian
 * ✅ Updated orthographic image to add in an inset (from the Free Natural Earth dataset) gringer (talk) 02:07, 10 March 2018 (UTC)
 * Okay, thanks, I really appreciate it. User:Snow Lion Fenian
 * Okay, thanks, I really appreciate it. User:Snow Lion Fenian

Commonwealth Games - Birmingham & Durban

 * Article(s):
 * Commonwealth Games


 * Request:
 * Could someone please change South Africa back to red and remove Durban from the map, as it is no longer scheduled to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games (after all, as far as I'm aware, Montreal was supposed to host the cancelled 1942 Games, yet isn't marked as such either). Also, since the city of Birmingham, England, has been chosen as the new hosts of the 2022 Games, perhaps you could also mark them as such. Thanks. User:Snow Lion Fenian


 * Graphist opinion(s):

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

 * Article(s):
 * Saint Pierre and Miquelon


 * Request:
 * please create closeup map of the islands in relation to Newfoundland. The article has two long-distance maps which show them as specks… -- Kintetsubuffalo (talk) 09:35, 8 February 2018 (UTC)


 * Graphist opinion(s):

Independence from Britain

 * Article(s):
 * List of countries that have gained independence from the United Kingdom


 * Request:
 * Okay, I've noticed a few inaccuracies with the above-left map that should probably be fixed:

1) The flag of the Dominican Republic is incorrectly shown for Dominica (above-centre), a completely different country.

2) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gained independence in 1979, not 1931.

3) There's no arrow linking the flag of Myanmar to its respective flag.

4) The flag of Malta is wrongly shown to be linked to the Balearic Islands, not at Malta itself.

5) Nauru gained independence in 1968, not 1957.

6) The Maldives gained independence in 1965, not 1982.

7) The flags of Tonga and Tuvalu are actually shown pointing to Fiji, and the flag of Fiji itself is linked to Vanuatu (the actual locations of said countries are provided on the above-right map).

8) Papua New Guinea gained independence from Australia in 1975, not Britain, hence it should be removed from the map (otherwise you'd have to include all other countries that gained independence from former British holdings, such as Namibia, Bangladesh, South Sudan, etc.).

Thanks. User:Snow Lion Fenian


 * Graphist opinion(s):

Repartition of Ireland

 * Article(s):
 * Repartition of Ireland


 * Request:
 * This map would be significantly more useful if it had a clear border delineation between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Since there is no clear border, a reader would have to refer to a secondary map to know which counties are Northern Ireland and which are Republic of Ireland. As a secondary and minor issue, it seems counter-intuitive to color the Loyalist/Protestant areas green, since that color is traditionally associated with Catholics/Republicans. The most literal coloration would be to have the RoI and Catholic areas of NI be green, and Protestant be orange, but honestly any scheme which doesn't label the Loyalists/Protestants as green would be better than the current coloration. -- MatthewVanitas (talk) 09:40, 16 February 2018 (UTC)


 * Graphist opinion(s):

I see four things that could usefully done to this image: I'll wait a while to read people's comments before doing anything. Maproom (talk) 10:05, 16 February 2018 (UTC)
 * 1) Convert it from .JPG to .PNG
 * 2) Make some of the county boundaries thicker, to show the current international border
 * 3) Use a more appropriate colour for the Protestant population
 * 4) Copy or move it to Wikimedia Commons
 * On the second map: Most valuable thing missing is to mark that area that actually changes. SVG would be better than PNG for this.
 * More problematically, who proposed the boundaries of the 2nd map? The first map showing census data (if accurate) is fine, but the second is dubious.--Nilfanion (talk) 21:55, 16 February 2018 (UTC)
 * If I make the international border thicker as proposed above, it'll be obvious what area changes: it'll be the blue stuff north of the border. A well-constructed SVG would indeed be better than a PNG, but is beyond my ability. And yes, we do need a source for the second map. Maproom (talk) 10:20, 17 February 2018 (UTC)
 * I updated this to PNG a few years ago, but never got to uploading it. File:Repartition of Ireland.png—SP E SH 531 Other  20:29, 10 September 2018 (UTC)

Modify Eastern Hemisphere - 700 AD for Afghanistan

 * Article(s):
 * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan


 * Request:
 * I want to use a part of the image on the above article. It should focus on area corresponding to Afghanistan. I need the name of Zunbils and Kabul (the Kabul Shahi kingdom) available. However, Kabul is mentioned by number on the map and its name is listed in "Numbered Countries". Please change the "12" to Kabul. Thank you. Also not to forget that the map should focus on area corresponding to modern Afghanistan. Thank you. -- MonsterHunter32 (talk) 08:32, 26 February 2018 (UTC)


 * Graphist opinion(s):