Battle Cartography

Battle Cartography - 2nd Battle of Ramadi (2006 - 2007) V2 Update I am really proud how this project is turning out and I feel like I am getting close to the finished projects. What do y'all think? Creating maps like this are a labor of love that fuses history, GIS, and art. Here a few things I have learned on the way: 🔘 Readability on paper maps matters more than digital. You have to get the font, size, and any modifications correct the first time. I strive to have all text readable at 50% zoom. 🔘 If you don't want to spend money (or you don't have enough money) on Adobe creative suite than you can do almost the same quality of work using ArcGIS Pro, powerpoint, and your handy iPhone. All of the cartoon Soldiers and vehicles on this map are made from DoD released photos that I manipulated with my iPhone and powerpoint. I created the blue arrows using powerpoint. 🔘 It's worth spending the money on fonts. I purchased two fonts from https://lnkd.in/gffXqyVq 🔘 Make military maps that anyone can understand. I didn't realize that my previous maps were difficult for people without military experience to understand. 🔘 I need use negative space more effectively. On some of my earlier maps I picked the wrong scale or I just didn't think about space. With this map I have learned to space things out. I would love some feedback on this map. Please drop a comment or DM me!

I am working on my first email newsletter! Subscribe today and receive 10% off you next order. I am slowly figuring out this business and marketing stuff 🤣 Battle Cartography https://lnkd.in/gkw9SiFG

Battle Cartography Update (24MAY2024) -              I'm almost finished with my new website. The new site will be on Shopify which is a much more stable and customizable platform than Etsy’s ‘Pattern’ platform. I underestimated the amount of time it would take for me to setup this new website 😂 .  Just a note – prices will be different on the Shopify website compared to Etsy. Etsy takes a higher percentage cut. -              I am starting on the BIAP and Camp Victory map which should be a quick turnaround (1-3 weeks 🤣 ). -              WW2 History of the 2nd Armored Division (This map will be my first commercially available WW2 map and I am planning several different maps. Some of those maps will be of specific battles or battle plans) -              Baghdad Surge Battle Map -              Panjwai Valley and Route Hyena (Three people have requested this map and I am bumping it up on my list).  -              Since I have almost finished setting up the business backbone for scaling Battle Cartography I am going to start marketing. I plan on working with some content creators and I plan on creating content of my own. I would really appreciate any advice. -              I plan on grilling some hotdog and hamburgers this weekend. Please enjoy your holiday but keep in mind the reason we have the privilege of living in this great country. Have a great Memorial Day weekend! 🇺🇲 Buy maps and cool stuff here 👇 https://lnkd.in/d3hBAPSP or https://lnkd.in/gH9TYW3R #veterans #veteranowned #maps #GIS #history #army #navy #marines #airforce

I just submitted the paperwork to file Battle Cartography as an LLC!!!! 😎 Thank you all for your support! This is a preview of the green notebook version of the JRTC and Fort Johnson map. These products will be available next week along with a more detailed topographic map of JRTC. #Veterans #Veteran #USARMY #GIS #Maps #Geronimo

Battle Cartography Weekly (or not so weekly 🤣) Update: News: - Awesome shout out by Ryan Mcbeth on his YouTube channel. If you don't follow Ryan you are missing out on some great content. - 15APR - I am presenting a customized map to the Sheriff of Franklin County, Ohio at the The National Veterans Memorial and Museum. His dad fought from North Africa to Germany and it was an honor to do this project. - I am learning a lot on the business side of things. I will be forming an LLC, getting a PO Box and moving my website to the Shopify platform. My intent is to start an email newsletter that gives people some transparency on upcoming projects. Current Project: HKIA (Hamid Karzai International Airport) in Kabul, Afghanistan Upcoming Projects: I have 63 requested projects on my list and a few that I want to do for fun - The Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) Ft. Johnson (formally Ft. Polk) - BAIP (Baghdad International Airport) and Camp Victory - WW2 History of 2nd Armored Division - Baghdad Surge. The two maps attached are from U.S. Army War College history of the Iraq. The War College has a great library of resources (https://lnkd.in/gVNZDW7z) https://lnkd.in/gH9TYW3R https://lnkd.in/d3hBAPSP #Maps #Cartography #GIS #USARMY #History #Veterans

Michael (Tim) Kossbiel is unreal. He sent me a HAUL of awesomeness. Now I have to find frames. I will say this: I am truly grateful for everyone who is a part of this, regardless of how big and small. It’s unreal the community that exists, and the continued support from each and every one of you. Thank you. Now to figure out where to hang them….. Stay caffeinated. Aerial Resupply Coffee® #veterans #coffee #marketing #military #aerialresupplycoffee #maps #history

I’ve been experimenting with some new cartographic techniques for my company- Battle Cartography To create the fake 3D elevation contours I followed this workflow: - Download the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) from the USGS earth explore (https://lnkd.in/gh_qaFxW). The resolution of this DEM is 1-Arc second or 30 meters - Create a contour layer using the DEM geotiff in AcrGIS Pro. The key here is to use the contour shell up option for the contour type. I learned this technique from a recent semi-viral esri tutorial. - Next thing - and this takes a lot of artistic experimentation - find the best symbology for your scale and purpose. This map is 1:50k scale and is essentially art so the accuracy isn’t super important. To symbolize the contours like mine you need to follow these general steps 1 - change to single symbol 2 - vary symbol by attribute - use contour minimum field 3 - color scheme - I use the same color scheme for my “desert camo” stylized maps. For this map I used a continuous style starting from dark brown (25% transparent) to tan and then white (50% transparent. The dark brown represents lower elevation and the white higher. The hardest part is finding the sweet spot in matching the elevation to the appropriate color. 4 - Allow symbol properties connection. This is key to creating the 3D effect because it allows your to move (x and y) each contour layer by a formula that is connected to the minimum contour elevation data. The equation is typically contour minimum / 10 (this number is dependent on your scale) 5 - Make it look pretty. This requires a great deal of experimenting and is made up of several sub steps that I won’t go into because this post is already super long Let me know what you think! #GIS #maps #cartography #kabul #afghanistan #veterans #usarmy

Check out this preview up my upcoming WW2 map depicting the legendary 2nd Armored Division "Hell on Wheels!" Let me know what y'all think! https://lnkd.in/gH9TYW3R https://lnkd.in/d5Pevq8z Email - info@battlecartography.com Follow on LinkedIn - Battle Cartography Instagram - battle_cartography #usarmy #veterans #veteranowned #ww2 #history US Army

Journaling is one of the best therapies. That is why I have started producing journals. I try and journal every morning. I wake up at 0500, drink coffee, listen to some podcasts, read the Bible and other books, and journal. Battle Cartography is also running a Black Friday sale with everything 25% off!!!!!! https://lnkd.in/gJiz3hkq