The distance problem solved!

[Bill3000]

We all know that Micras is supposed to be a sphere. But a problem of this is that we cannot use the regular distance formula for a flat map, because the amount of the distance will vary according to the location of the points in question. Well, that's no longer a problem. I have found the formula that's needed in order to convert from merely the pixel coordinates of two points to the shortest distance between them in kilometers! I tried deriving it myself and failed, but then I found a wikipedia article. <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :P --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/tongue.gif ALT=":P"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> As Micras is a perfect sphere, this should be an exact formula. Where I got the formula was at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spherical_distance<br>
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I have created an excel document that will calculate the great circle (shortest distance between two points of a sphere, akin to a line) between two coordinates in the MCS map. It will convert the angular measurement to kilometers.<br>
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The program:<br>
<!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>http://bill3000.hypermart.net/Archives/ ... <!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br>
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Instructions on how to use this program:<br>
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1) Open up paint. Find the (X,Y) coordinates of the two points you want to calculate the distance to. This will be in pixels, of course. Remember that the map itself is 3600 x 1800, so those are the maximum values.<br>
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2) Insert the two points into the program where it says Initial X Coordinate, Final X Coordinate, Initial Y Coordinate, and Final Y Coordinate. It will calculate the distance and the distance in KM will be shown near the bottom under "Shortest Distance."<br>
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3) Below that, there is "Left to Right Distance." This is the distance that you would take if you do not go from the right side to the left side of the map - this means that it may not be the shortest distance, but will show the distance from the left side to the right side of the map.

<p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p100.ezboard.com/bmicronationaln ... ill3000</A> at: 9/12/05 19:50<br></i>

[extreme007]

Or we could just assume that the MCS political map is drawn after the whole globe has been flattened out.... then all we have to do is find the pixel distance between the two points and multiply by the pixel/km legend value..

<p><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:red;font-size:small;">Discover, Invent, Theories, Experiment,<br>
<br>
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[Bill3000]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Or we could just assume that the MCS political map is drawn after the whole globe has been flattened out.... then all we have to do is find the pixel distance between the two points and multiply by the pixel/km legend value..<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br>
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The program is that would lengthen the poles, making the distances larger than they actually are. This program and formula accounts for this.

<p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p100.ezboard.com/bmicronationaln ... ill3000</A> at: 9/12/05 20:13<br></i>

[King Oscar of New Oscland]

or we could make the MCS map flat, just like humans used to all that time ago?!?!?!

<p></p><i></i>

[drspangle13]

That would be very primative and we have evolved past that, i think.<br>
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Just to test, does Micras go round a star?

<p>-------------<br>
dr-spangele<br>
one of the two emperors of www.new-empire.com<br>
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[Bill3000]

Micras has been decreed quite awhile ago to be a perfect sphere (ignoring the terrain variations, of course.)<br>
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It does go around a star, named Atos, although the name is technically unoffical.

<p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p100.ezboard.com/bmicronationaln ... ill3000</A> at: 10/12/05 21:26<br></i>

[extreme007]

your sig script is still not working... <br>
<br>
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and, though Micras has been defined as sphere... we could say that the map is being drawn after the sphere has been perfectly flattened out!!

<p><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:red;font-size:small;">Discover, Invent, Theories, Experiment,<br>
<br>
Advance Science,<br>
Advance Extremism,<br>
(in <!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.karnali.co.nr/" target="top">Karnali, Republic of</a><!--EZCODE LINK END-->)</span><!--EZCODE FONT END--></p><i></i>