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Lille - Tramway and Métro Transit Map


transitdiagrams

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Hello again :-)

 

I do transit maps (diagrams) for fun in my spare time to relax.

 

Here is another one of my recent works: a Lille (France) Tramway and Métro system map in my own interpretation (unofficial of course). I have included railways and their stations as well.

 

lill2.thumb.png.141308e1f484faf462c5c5be7d330342.png

 

The whole map is entirely done with Affinity Designer. 

If you have any thoughts on it or feedack this is much appreciated.

 

Have a great day/night!
Chris

PS: If you like maps you might also have a look at this community!
PPS: Want to know more about me and my ways? Head over to an Affinity Spotlight article about me and my maps!
PPPS: Do you love public transit and transit maps too? Then have a look at my home-made collection of transit maps under www.instagram.com/transitdiagrams or www.twitter.com/transitdiagrams

PPPPS: Other works than transit maps can be found here www.behance.net/chrisneuherz 

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I don't know why I enjoy these as much as I do!

  • Why did you start doing this?
  • How many have you done?
  • How long does a map like this take?
  • What are the different stages? I guess there is some research and planning before you even hit Affinity Designer?
  • What tools in Affinity make this easy / difficult?
  • Do you work on a grid? Is it square or do you need custom angles?
  • What do you do with the finished maps? Nothing / Print them (really big?) / Send them to the appropriate authority?

Feel free to answer all / some / none of the above :)

 

Win10 Home x64   |   AMD Ryzen 7 2700X @ 3.7GHz   |   48 GB RAM   |   1TB SSD   |   nVidia GTX 1660   |   Wacom Intuos Pro

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59 minutes ago, Aammppaa said:
  • Why did you start doing this?

Actually, I don't know. Maybe because my crazy brain needed some way of relaxing itself.  

1 hour ago, Aammppaa said:

How many have you done?

 I don't have counted them all yet but I guess it must be over 100 now.

1 hour ago, Aammppaa said:
  • How long does a map like this take? 

This one took my 6 hours (plus/minus 30 minutes). Normally it depends on my motivation - so it could be a couple of hours or even months. It's really hard to say.

1 hour ago, Aammppaa said:

What are the different stages? I guess there is some research and planning before you even hit Affinity Designer?

Just a little bit of research - I only need to confirm that the transit network is interesting enough ("speaks to me") that means it has to have a nice pattern to transform into a diagram.

1 hour ago, Aammppaa said:

What tools in Affinity make this easy / difficult?

The snapping tool, the grids, global colors and now finally the multiple stroke tool are my best friends - besides the pen tool of course - that's basically all I need. What's still quite anoying is the smybol tool as it looses linking wihtout reason - would  love to use it but not in this unstable state.

1 hour ago, Aammppaa said:

Do you work on a grid? Is it square or do you need custom angles?

I do use very different grids - every city has it's own approach. I like 60° grids but normally go with a square grid. This map started with a square grid which I finally dismissed in favor of a 60° one (as you can see).

1 hour ago, Aammppaa said:

What do you do with the finished maps? Nothing / Print them (really big?) / Send them to the appropriate authority?

I merely show them on my social media profiles (fb, insta, twitter, here in the forum, bebance etc.). Have never really printed any of them. And never have sent them to the appropriate authorities. Maybe I should... but sometimes I give pixel versions to people asking for them on social media. 

 

Hope all your questions are answered properly, @Aammppaa :-) if there are any further question I'd be happy to answer them too!

Chris

PS: If you like maps you might also have a look at this community!
PPS: Want to know more about me and my ways? Head over to an Affinity Spotlight article about me and my maps!
PPPS: Do you love public transit and transit maps too? Then have a look at my home-made collection of transit maps under www.instagram.com/transitdiagrams or www.twitter.com/transitdiagrams

PPPPS: Other works than transit maps can be found here www.behance.net/chrisneuherz 

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6 hours ago, GarryP said:

Unusually I have no picky little comments.
It looks great.
Clean, clear, inviting and somehow tranquil.
Lovely stuff.

I actually don't know what to say now - just this: I am really glad you like it :-) thanks man!

PS: If you like maps you might also have a look at this community!
PPS: Want to know more about me and my ways? Head over to an Affinity Spotlight article about me and my maps!
PPPS: Do you love public transit and transit maps too? Then have a look at my home-made collection of transit maps under www.instagram.com/transitdiagrams or www.twitter.com/transitdiagrams

PPPPS: Other works than transit maps can be found here www.behance.net/chrisneuherz 

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Very nice.

Have you tried publishing a PDF (Portable Document Format) document containing the image?

Is the original entirely vector based? If so, a PDF would retain the vector format and so when the PDF is viewed magnified the lettering would retain clarity.

Also, if you produce PDFs and publish them, there is always the possibility that at some future time an art gallery could print some of them at A0 size and produce an exhibition of your work.

William

 

Until December 2022, using a Lenovo laptop running Windows 10 in England. From January 2023, using an HP laptop running Windows 11 in England.

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Thank you, @William Overington!

 

It's done in Affinity Designer hence it's vector only. I do all my maps as vector designs. Just exporting them as pixel files for web presentation.

Usually I don't export them as PDFs because I have never printed them (for whom or what?) but still have the possibility to do so in any needed size.

Exhibition of my work? That would be awesome but I don't think that will ever happen. :-) but who knows ...

 

Thanks again!

Chris

PS: If you like maps you might also have a look at this community!
PPS: Want to know more about me and my ways? Head over to an Affinity Spotlight article about me and my maps!
PPPS: Do you love public transit and transit maps too? Then have a look at my home-made collection of transit maps under www.instagram.com/transitdiagrams or www.twitter.com/transitdiagrams

PPPPS: Other works than transit maps can be found here www.behance.net/chrisneuherz 

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One benefit of posting an image - as Chris has said - is that people can see what the work looks like in the forum without having to download and open a PDF.
Another benefit of posting an image, rather than a PDF, is that the image is fairly low resolution. This means that the work probably isn’t good enough for reproduction at any reasonable size and so is less likely to be used by other people for purposes which the originator hasn’t consented to, E.g. making posters of, or using in other works.
Posting a PDF also exposes the work to easier plagiarism as a PDF is much easier to manipulate than a low-resolution image.
Just some things to think about when posting work to public forums.

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1 minute ago, ChrisSmere said:

Thank you, @William Overington!

Usually I don't export them as PDFs because I have never printed them (for whom or what?) but still have the possibility to do so in any needed size.

 

Producing a PDF need not necessarily imply that the PDF will ever be printed in hard copy.

I often produce PDF documents and post them on the web and then send a copy to The British Library for legal deposit and so what I produce will be stored by The British Library.

A PDF is a convenient way to publish what one produces as it retains vectors and can contain all the font information needed for a correct display.

William

 

Until December 2022, using a Lenovo laptop running Windows 10 in England. From January 2023, using an HP laptop running Windows 11 in England.

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4 minutes ago, GarryP said:

One benefit of posting an image - as Chris has said - is that people can see what the work looks like in the forum without having to download and open a PDF.
 

Yes, that is true and it is a big benefit.

5 minutes ago, GarryP said:

Another benefit of posting an image, rather than a PDF, is that the image is fairly low resolution. This means that the work probably isn’t good enough for reproduction at any reasonable size and so is less likely to be used by other people for purposes which the originator hasn’t consented to, E.g. making posters of, or using in other works.

Well, yes, though that very low resolution can make the detail difficult to read as enlarging is often not helpful as it just goes blocky.

5 minutes ago, GarryP said:

Posting a PDF also exposes the work to easier plagiarism as a PDF is much easier to manipulate than a low-resolution image.
Just some things to think about when posting work to public forums.

Well, I send a copy of things that I publish - other than quick tests and the like - to The British Library for legal deposit and I receive an email acknowledging receipt each time. Most of what I have sent have been PDFs, though there are a few other types of things such as some png graphics and some fonts.

However, I recognise that what I have produced, such as my novel, might not be as attractive to a would-be-plagariser as these transit maps might be.

William

 

 

 

Until December 2022, using a Lenovo laptop running Windows 10 in England. From January 2023, using an HP laptop running Windows 11 in England.

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19 minutes ago, ChrisSmere said:

Exhibition of my work? That would be awesome but I don't think that will ever happen. :-) but who knows ...

Just wondering, how difficult would it be to get a tote bag made with your map printed on the side?

Just imagine if they were put on sale and people used them and walked around in Lille carrying them, displaying your art.

Also, very practical to have a map of the transit map with one if one is in Lille using the tramway system and the metro system.

Carry it as a bag normally and read the information when one wants to do so.

William

  

Until December 2022, using a Lenovo laptop running Windows 10 in England. From January 2023, using an HP laptop running Windows 11 in England.

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28 minutes ago, William Overington said:

Producing a PDF need not necessarily imply that the PDF will ever be printed in hard copy.

I know. 

29 minutes ago, William Overington said:

I often produce PDF documents and post them on the web and then send a copy to The British Library for legal deposit and so what I produce will be stored by The British Library.

You can do that in the UK? Just send them to a national library? hmm, wondering whether this is possible in Austria too.

31 minutes ago, William Overington said:

A PDF is a convenient way to publish what one produces as it retains vectors and can contain all the font information needed for a correct display.

If I do export PDFs I tend to convert all text to curves. But you are right the vectors stay alive and can be better used in future.

PS: If you like maps you might also have a look at this community!
PPS: Want to know more about me and my ways? Head over to an Affinity Spotlight article about me and my maps!
PPPS: Do you love public transit and transit maps too? Then have a look at my home-made collection of transit maps under www.instagram.com/transitdiagrams or www.twitter.com/transitdiagrams

PPPPS: Other works than transit maps can be found here www.behance.net/chrisneuherz 

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41 minutes ago, ChrisSmere said:

Exhibition of my work? That would be awesome but I don't think that will ever happen. :-) but who knows ...

Well they can only exhibit what is available!

William

 

Until December 2022, using a Lenovo laptop running Windows 10 in England. From January 2023, using an HP laptop running Windows 11 in England.

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20 minutes ago, William Overington said:

Just wondering, how difficult would it be to get a tote bag made with your map printed on the side?

Just imagine if they were put on sale and people used them and walked around in Lille carrying them, displaying your art.

Also, very practical to have a map of the transit map with one if one is in Lille using the tramway system and the metro system.

Carry it as a bag normally and read the information when one wants to do so.

That's a lovely idea - never would have thought of that. And it's actually not the difficult to have them produced (the art work would need adaption as thin lines would get lost). Last autumn I had to design and produce some at work for my city's department of environment. Worked just fine.

PS: If you like maps you might also have a look at this community!
PPS: Want to know more about me and my ways? Head over to an Affinity Spotlight article about me and my maps!
PPPS: Do you love public transit and transit maps too? Then have a look at my home-made collection of transit maps under www.instagram.com/transitdiagrams or www.twitter.com/transitdiagrams

PPPPS: Other works than transit maps can be found here www.behance.net/chrisneuherz 

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4 minutes ago, William Overington said:

Well they can only exhibit what is available!

Evidently :-) but why would they talk work from the internet? They could contact me for it.

PS: If you like maps you might also have a look at this community!
PPS: Want to know more about me and my ways? Head over to an Affinity Spotlight article about me and my maps!
PPPS: Do you love public transit and transit maps too? Then have a look at my home-made collection of transit maps under www.instagram.com/transitdiagrams or www.twitter.com/transitdiagrams

PPPPS: Other works than transit maps can be found here www.behance.net/chrisneuherz 

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1 minute ago, ChrisSmere said:

You can do that in the UK? Just send them to a national library?

Yes. It is amazing yet true. Indeed they want to collect it. As it happens, publishing on the web is where sending-in is optional as they harvest from the web from time to time: though I prefer to send in as well to make sure that it gets there as the harvesting is not instant and the website might crash or whatever. Publishing electronically on a CD or as hardcopy, whether for sale or given to some people, has a legal obligation to send it in within a month of publication.

2 minutes ago, ChrisSmere said:

hmm, wondering whether this is possible in Austria too.

That would be interesting to know.

However, The British Library collects things published by United Kingdom residents and also things published in the United Kingdom.

So if this webspace is based in the United Kingdom (or counts as if it is based in the United Kingdom as it is owned by Serif) then posting in this webspace may well count as being published in the United Kingdom.

It will need checking, but it might be that the British Library would then want to collect what you publish in this webspace.

12 minutes ago, ChrisSmere said:

If I do export PDFs I tend to convert all text to curves.

May I ask why please? Is it because of legal issues of embedding fonts?

William

 

Until December 2022, using a Lenovo laptop running Windows 10 in England. From January 2023, using an HP laptop running Windows 11 in England.

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10 minutes ago, William Overington said:

May I ask why please? Is it because of legal issues of embedding fonts?

Because I want to preserve the appearance as best as possible. I had some issues in the past with some of the printers (some letter got weird or lost and stuff). So I am doing it now automatically. Just to be sure. And only for print files. For web only files I don't do it.

PS: If you like maps you might also have a look at this community!
PPS: Want to know more about me and my ways? Head over to an Affinity Spotlight article about me and my maps!
PPPS: Do you love public transit and transit maps too? Then have a look at my home-made collection of transit maps under www.instagram.com/transitdiagrams or www.twitter.com/transitdiagrams

PPPPS: Other works than transit maps can be found here www.behance.net/chrisneuherz 

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