Forum:CT Archive/Trade route template overhaul

Legend Major planet/system Planetary right hand junction Planetary left hand junction Minor planet/system Sector capital right hand junction Sector capital major intersection Sector capital left hand junction Sector capital Sector capital starting terminus Sector capital ending terminus Planetary starting terminus Planetary ending terminus Alt. sector capital starting terminus Alt. sector capital ending terminus Planetary four-way intersection Deep space intersection Alt. deep space intersection (w/ ramps) Left hand deep space junction Right hand deep space junction Alt. right hand deep space junction Alt. left hand deep space junction Sector/Region border Route fade forward Route fade against Route fade left Route fade right Straight route, no intersection Heavy traffic planetary intersection (i.e. Coruscant)

Dear Wookieepedia,

For several years now, in a super-secret hidden laboratory chamber, I have been floating around a major change to the trade route infobox template (Template:Trade route) in which the lists of planets and astronomical objects would be converted to an icon based route map, with each icon representing a planet, object, sector (or region) border, or intersecting trade route. If they look familiar, it is because they were used on Wikipedia previously for German train lines, which explains the long file names for the icons. I found that I could represent trade routes in a similar fashion by linking them together within the infobox. For the moment, the work has been done within the junctions section of the infobox. There are both pros and cons to this, which are to be meticulously picked apart here.

Still lacking are icons for T-intersections (both planetary and deep space) and existing icons with gray side routes should really be red, or whatever solid color we choose. I am hoping there is someone with experience in editing SVGs, as they are the sources for the icons. A legend is presented below the Triellus Trade Route, which may be sent to the main template page, while there exists an option to add tooltip text that hovers over the icons when moused over.

Tm_T has proposed that we template the section by stringing together the individual planets and objects, such as this:

which would roughly display like this:

Coruscant Quermia

This is only representing two planet endpoints however, and upon adding a full route such as the Triellus, Perlemian, Hydian Way, or Corellian Run, things start to add up. Smaller routes such as the Agarix Trade Route have been created with citations as shown here, below the Triellus. The citations themselves do not seem to be creating gaps between the icons, as icons without citations can gap. Screen resolution is key to how these appear within the infobox.

Questions to be determined by the wiki:
 * What sections from the existing trade route template would be removed by the entrance of this format?
 * What information would be moved from the various sections to this format?
 * Which left and right hand junctions are more preferable, the sweeping ones or the straight ones?
 * Would we want to leave open the option of a left to right trade route display, as evident by the left-right fading routes?

I'd like to see ideas as to how we can streamline this, and if anyone can produce new or improved icons that would better represent the route system. --  Riffsyphon  1024 13:44, July 12, 2011 (UTC)