UESPWiki:Morrowind Map Design

UESP's Morrowind Map is modeled on the Oblivion Map.  This is a very new product and is currently under active development by several editors.  

The code for the Morrowind map was originally just copied directly from the Oblivion map, so any information that isn't documented here can be assumed to be the same as for the Oblivion map.

Map Specifications
umMapDefaultCenter   = new GLatLng(89.92, -179.815)
umMapBounds          = new GLatLngBounds(new GLatLng(89.85, -179.95), new GLatLng(89.98, -179.68))
umMinMapZoom         = 10
umMaxMapZoom         = 17
umBaseMapZoom        = 16
umObCellSize         = 8192.0
umNumMapTilesX       = 64
umNumMapTilesY       = 64
umObCellOffsetX      = 34.0
umObCellOffsetY      = 37.0
Note that several of the parameter names include "Ob", signifying Oblivion, since the code was originally written for the Oblivion map.  At the moment, it does not seem worth the effort to change the parameter names.  In general, they are completely hidden from readers; the only exceptions are oblocx and oblocy, which can be used in the URL to go to a specific location.

Markers
Questions:
What do we want to include: DoorMarkers? TravelMarkers? Actual door locations? Silt Striders? 
Should we distinguish between these?
Other items of interest: corpses? Merchant mudcrab? Quest NPCs outside of cities? 
Should we make it possible to do a query that shows all locations relevant to a given quest?  For example, mwmap.shtml?quest=Recovering_Cloudcleaver would display markers for Hlormar, Sosia, and the Caldera Mages Guild.

Marker Data
This is a proposed list of information to store with each marker.  Sample data is shown for Vacant Tower (although the data doesn't exactly match what's being used right now for that marker, since the current marker is just for testing).


Marker Display
There are several places where the marker information can end up being displayed.  The following entries provide the specific parameters shown in each of those places.

;Map Location
:[Icon (determined by MarkerType)] + [Name]

;Sidebar Listing
:[Icon (determined by MarkerType)] [Name] ([MarkerType])
:[Region] ([ObLocX], [ObLocY])  link with [Namespace]:[WikiPage]

;Map Popup Box
:[Name]
:[MarkerType]
:Location: [Region] ([ObLocX], [ObLocY], [ObLocZ])
:EditorID: [EditorID]
:link with [Namespace]:[Wikipage]

;Searches
Searches check for matches in both [Name] and [SearchTags]

Marker Types
For the Oblivion map, the markers were taken from the map markers used on the in-game map.  Since no markers are used on Morrowind's in-game map, there is no default definition to use for the marker types.  Instead, a list has been compiled from the different types used on the Morrowind and Bloodmoon place pages.  Having the type displayed on the map match the type displayed on the place's wiki article would be useful.

The type determines the icon used, but multiple types can use the same icon.  The type is also part of the information displayed about each place, which is why setting up a comprehensive list of types seems worthwhile (instead of ending up with a lot of locations dumped into "None" or "Other").  The order is the order in which the types will be shown in the cartographers' drop-down selection box.


Other oblivion map icons that are available (not used in above list):


Todo List
Tasks which have already been assigned to an editor:
Create list of all markers -- rpeh has done all doors, and they are now posted (finetuning needed, see below).  Do we want more/other markers?
Update code, post any changes on server -- being done by Nephele as needed
Create new marker icons.  Current icons are taken from Oblivion.  Potentially, some could continue to be used for MW, too, but there is a need for several MW-appropriate ones. -- being done by Vesna, several new ones already added

Volunteers needed:
Cartographers can now fix problems with markers, using the map editor at  (to non-cartographers this is a blank page).
Scan the map for wikilinks that don't work (blank the wikilink entry if there is no appropriate link)
Check whether displayed name is appropriate (e.g., a place with EditorID "Deserted Shipwreck, Cabin" might appear on map as "Cabin"; would "Deserted Shipwreck" be more appopriate).
Tweak display levels (e.g., should some places in cities be visible at moderate zooms?  Are some important places only showing up when zoomed in?)
Put markers into correct MarkerType (we probably need to add some more types, need feedback on what types would be useful).
Add quest information to Search Tags.
New markers can be added as needed, for example, one for the mudcrab merchant.  However, if a large set of markers needs to be added (e.g., all quest NPCs outside of cities), it's best to do that automatically.

Locations to add
 

Silt Striders-- add caravaners instead?-- added Vivec, Molag Mar, Seyda Neen, Suran, with newloc and approx tags, named "Silt Strider". Can be changed to caravaner, if we decide that

rest of the boat transports, all open vessels used, Tel Branora, Hla Oad, Khuul, Gnaar Mok

  added, with newloc and approx search tags

  very, very lose approximation
 
 
  
 
  

Coordination
To make it easier for editors to keep track of what's been happening with the map, there are a couple of new ideas on how to add information specifically to coordinate map-related tasks:
Add "newloc" to the SearchTags of any new location that's added to the map.  Therefore, this link will always allow any editor to see any new additions to the map: New locations
Any editor who adds a new location should try to remember to type "newloc" in the SearchTags box.
Nephele can periodically do maintenance with the list.  The current list was created at the database level (all IDs since the initial map creation were tagged, i.e. IDs 1280-1300).  After a couple weeks, the current "newloc" tags can be removed.
If other editors have questions/feedback on a given location they notice, they should post comments on this article's talk page.
Add "approx" to the SearchTags of any marker whose position does not come from the Construction Set. Therefore, this link will allow editors to see which X/Y/Z coordinates may need updating: Approximate Positions
Any cartographer who has access to the CS can go through this list and update the X/Y/Z positions, at which point the approx tag can be removed.
Until someone has manually checked the position, the approx tag will stay in place (unlike the newloc tag which will automatically disappear).
Add "autoloc" to the SearchTags of all the markers that were automatically generated for addition to the map when it was first posted.  All can be seen at: Automatically generated
These are basically the high-level markers created for all cities, towns, etc.  This is probably a one-time only group (i.e., people updating the map don't need to worry about adding this tag).
These locations need to be checked to make sure:
That the marker is needed.  If not, it can be disabled (delete isn't possible from the map-editing box, so disable is probably best for now)
That the marker is in a useful location.  Unlike most markers, the X/Y position of any autoloc marker can be updated (the exact position does not correspond to anything physically on the map).  In particular, the position may need to be tweaked so that the marker doesn't overlap with building markers.
Once the marker has been checked, the autoloc tag can be deleted from the SearchTags.

In general, if there are other reasons why a cartographer wants a set of map markers to be reviewed, a keyword can be added to the SearchTags parameter, and then the maplink listing the locations can be posted here for other editors to access.