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How do I go about creating a map of the earth in QGIS or Openstreetmap, etc. and then export art in the appropriate projection so that it can be wrapped around a sphere?

milesmeow
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  • So you want something you could print? – BradHards May 16 '17 at 23:45
  • Yes. Something that we can print to manufacture globes – milesmeow May 16 '17 at 23:46
  • In general, you can't do this exactly- a flat object can't match a sphere. You can make something that will be close by taking small sections, but how large your sphere is, and how close it needs to be determines the layout. Its an interesting question - I don't know of anything in QGIS that does this. – BradHards May 16 '17 at 23:49
  • Is there a tool that can transform a 2D map to various projections? Seems like an image manipulation tool that potentially exists. – milesmeow May 16 '17 at 23:58
  • Maybe we don't have common understanding on "various projections". The concept is normally about how the 2D view of a 3D object is presented. – BradHards May 17 '17 at 00:04
  • Is there way to go backwards? From 2D to 3D? Is the process reversible? – milesmeow May 17 '17 at 00:07
  • I think you'd need to print it to several segments that can be cut out and then shaped together to form a sphere, like at the similar question at: https://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/158637/projecting-a-world-map-on-6-segments-to-print-on-ball and at http://www.cartotalk.com/index.php?showtopic=6259&hl=gores – Son of a Beach May 17 '17 at 01:01
  • Take a look at World Map in Dymaxion Projection (print-cut-fold-and-glue). This is a printable and foldable globe based on OSM data. Maybe you can ask the author how it had been rendered. – scai May 17 '17 at 06:52

1 Answers1

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Using QGIS Only

Follow the instructions at: Projecting a world map on 6 segments to print on ball

In brief, use the 'Sphere_Polyconic, EPSG:53021' projection and produce multiple 'gores', separately, and then join them together. ('Gores' are the curved wedge shapes that you can cut out, bend and join to form a sphere).

Warning: This is NON-TRIVIAL!

Using Commercial Software:

If you have Photoshop, this is MUCH easier...

You could use the Photoshop 'Flexify' plugin to automatically produce all the 'gores' already joined at the equator. You can get it from here:

http://www.flamingpear.com/flexify-2.html

For an good example of what it can do, search for "gores" at:

http://www.flamingpear.com/flexify-output-modes.html

Son of a Beach
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