Cartography tools for Fantasy Maps

What you need

• Google Earth for Desktop (you can download it here)
• Any hi-res image with a scale (you can download the image I used in this tutorial)

NB: this tutorial is made with Google Earth v.7.3.0

Ready-to-use maps:

• Faerun (.kmz)
• Silver Marches (.kmz)

Place marks

Determine a known distance on you map. For instance, I know that the scale bar in my image is 480 miles (see figure A).

Open Google Earth and place two place-marks exactly at this distance. Better if you position yourself not far from the equator.

Obviously, the place-marks must be in the same orientation as the known distance on your map. My 480-miles bar is horizontal, so also the place-marks must be horizontal.

• Place the first place-mark (use the icon and click on map). Let's name this one "Placemark A".

• Open the dialog and select "Line" and "Miles" (or whatever measure units you're using).
• Click on the pin point of "Placemark A" and move the cursor until "Map length" measures your distance (480 miles in my example).
• Try to draw at the orientation you need (my 480-miles bar was horizontal, so I kept "Heading" on 90°)

• Place a second place-mark ("Placemark B") at the other end of the line.

• If your line must be horizontal or vertical, you can fine-tuning the place-marks.
• Right-click on one of them, enter the "Properties", then copy the Latitude (in case of an horizontal line) or the Longitude (for a vertical line).
• Enter the properties of the other place-mark and copy the value.

Image overlay

Right-click to "My Places" (where you should also have place-marks A and B), then "Add" > "Image Overlay", as in figure B.

Browse to your image and import it. Now (with the "Properties" window open), you can adjust the image in size and position.

To move the image, click and drag on the middle green cross.

To resize the image, hold down the "Shift" key and drag one angle. Important! Hold down "Shift" key and use only angles, so you can preserve the aspect ratio of your map!

Your goal now it's a bit tricky and boring. You must try until your known distance overlay exactly on your two place-marks.

In my example, I have to move and resize the map until the 480-miles bar goes from "Placemark A" to "Placemark B".

Saving your work

Right-click on "My Places" and then "Save Place As...". You will be prompted to save a ".kmz" files. Do it.

You can load this map anywhere now, just start Google Earth and "File" > "Open" your .kmz file.

You can download mine here: Faerun.kmz

Done!

Now you can browse your map as if it was the Earth!

You can pan and zoom and explore it...

You can use the ruler to measure distances and paths... and so on.