Mapping Los Santos! Building/landmark analysis

[lxr]

I tracked some railroads while looking for them, most of these are probably known, but I'll post what I found. I left out most images with actual tracks and trains, some are also guesses.

Great job!

 

I'm not sure I agree with all of them (especially the one along the southern shore of the Alamo Sea, near Mt. X/Y/Z -- that's a road to me), but it's good to start mapping them.

[InternetKillTV]

 

Have anyone found the Union Station or the MTA building?

 

I tracked some railroads while looking for them, most of these are probably known, but I'll post what I found. I left out most images with actual tracks and trains, some are also guesses.

Railyard seen from the river:

 

I also did the ones I found in the desert, should be nothing new here. The first two screens show the same tracks, and the last three are the same stretch seen from different angles.

Your mountain pics can't be right. Your second to last one is a collection of 4 mountains or so behind each other. Zancudo is one small mountain, from that angle anyway. Furthermore in the second to last pic there is a steep river valley coming down and a bridge infront of it. I've highlighted it but you won't be able to see it well because of the highlight, reference it with the original pic to see it more clearly.

 

Zancudo lacks the river valley, the bridge, the multiple mountains and so on. Not to mention all the trees, foliage and bridges seen in pictures inside the range of the first picture here:

 

 

Oh my god I'm such an idiot. IGNORE this post! Completely misread everything there. Good job on the road mapping!

Edited May 2, 2013 by InternetKillTV

[japse123]

Your first pic is not Zancudo. That's probably the little pointy one in the middle of the east edge of the map.

Yup, the pictures show Mt. Sandy, Mt. Alamo, (probably) Mt. Alamo, and Mt. Zancudo.

The second one isn't Alamo, it's again too small and nowhere near on the scale of the third.

 

Anyway, my point is that massive triangle mountain, "Alamo" in this case, just can't possibly be Zancudo in my eyes. Zancudo's environment is different and it's so much smaller. We can see this when comparing the scale of character models with the mountain itself.

 

I wonder where the source is for this river.

 

To me it definitely looks like it is travelling downhill away from us

 

In the Zancudo screenshot you can see a waterfall, so the river is flowing towards us

 

So if they are same mountain that matches

 

But i wonder where the river source is?

Anyone noticed the mountians waaaay back in the backround? Where could that be?

[lxr]

Anyone noticed the mountians waaaay back in the backround? Where could that be?

See here.

[japse123]

Anyone noticed the mountians waaaay back in the backround? Where could that be?

See here.

I see the guy who named those mountians made the names up, does that mean that the area we see there is most likely the part of the map we havnt seen?

[CaptRobau]

Looks to me to be in the direction of the Welcome to the Zancudo River promotional image, just further along that small river that we see going off to the West in that image. Mountains can make things look really small, so while that promotional image might have dry terrain further along the river it can be green like in the airplane shot we're discussing.

 

Don't know what the consensus is about these shots and what they represent though are. I feel not everyone is even using Mt. Zancudo or Chilliad for the same mountain.

[Kifflom112]

 

Sorry - some people can talk about island size but city size is taboo - even when new info (or opinion) was given today.

 

Your precious , precious maps may need to be updated btw considering most so far have not represented the countryside to city ratio correctly.

Haven't you taken a hint yet, GKP? This is a mapping thread, not a size thread - and you've been warned many times by Kirsty. If you want to constantly complain about the size of Los Santos or make fun of it, then go back to that awful Los Santos thread and stop wasting space here.

[Neudd]

Has anybody updated their maps for us to see?

[lxr]

 

Anyone noticed the mountians waaaay back in the backround? Where could that be?

See here.

I see the guy who named those mountians made the names up, does that mean that the area we see there is most likely the part of the map we havnt seen?

If you browse the full album, you'll see that the mountains in the background are all within the known territory, i.e. they're all visible in other shots, at well-established locaions.

 

 

Looks to me to be in the direction of the Welcome to the Zancudo River promotional image, just further along that small river that we see going off to the West in that image. Mountains can make things look really small, so while that promotional image might have dry terrain further along the river it can be green like in the airplane shot we're discussing.

 

Don't know what the consensus is about these shots and what they represent though are. I feel not everyone is even using Mt. Zancudo or Chilliad for the same mountain.

Basically, the new screen is the reverse shot of the left side of the Zancudo River postcard.

 

[lxr]

[...] stop wasting space here.

Yeah, no need to waste even more space by keeping that conversation going.

[LotusRIP]

Ok so the lighthouse isn't far north of the Alamo sea. So our endless ocean is not far north of Alamo sea? This makes the map somewhat cramped doesn't it? I hope all these huge aerial shots aren't just trick photography and any way you turn you'd see ocean....

[lxr]

Ok so the lighthouse isn't far north of the Alamo sea. So our endless ocean is not far north of Alamo sea? This makes the map somewhat cramped doesn't it? I hope all these huge aerial shots aren't just trick photography and any way you turn you'd see ocean....

For now, I'd rather think of that lighthouse as being in the north-east corner of the map. It's also not exactly close to the Alamo Sea. And we know there's more territory north of the Alamo Sea -- most likely all the shots with train tracks, the diner/rocket, the surrounding mountains, plus some of the unknown peaks.

 

Same with the eastern part of the map. In terms of vegetation, that desert image (with Mt. Sandy) could be in the east, and it shows some rather vast, unknown terrain.

[zombie elvis]

Ignore my city

 

View from the Bank tower:

 

Zancudo and Alamo from the same point at Sandy Shores:

[reform]

Pretty damn tight Elvis. Really helps to get a feel for the landscape as a whole, and is super close to the released screenshots.

[lxr]

[iMAGES]

Hm... yeah, I see your point.

 

Nothing beats having a model, I guess.

 

Still, I don't see the rather flat top of Mt. Alamo, behind the city. I think to convince anyone, you'd have to point out a few points on that mountain flank that are identical.

 

But... yeah, you got me thinking...

[hachiroku]

I realized with today´s pics that we have no idea about the map.

Don't understand what your are talking about?

It's already confirmed that the maps in this thread are pretty accurate.

Yes, but we don't know the exact place of Grapeseed. We don't have any clue about the south and north limits of L.A.. We don't know if there is anything beyond Zancudo Mt. Even, if I'm not wrong, we have not located the windmill of Trailer #1 or some small town.

 

Actually, the only things we know is: Landmarks of Los Angeles that appears in Los Santos. The position of the lake and some mountains according to the lake.

[Fail_At_GTA]

I'm glad to hear the maps created by this thread are fairly accurate. Very great work guys.

[jfavignano]

The only question I still ponder on is this...Why would Rockstar create the Alamo Sea (Salton Sea) north of LA? The real Salton Sea and Desert Shores is way southeast of LA towards San Diego.

[zombie elvis]

[iMAGES]

Hm... yeah, I see your point.

 

Nothing beats having a model, I guess.

 

Still, I don't see the rather flat top of Mt. Alamo, behind the city. I think to convince anyone, you'd have to point out a few points on that mountain flank that are identical.

 

But... yeah, you got me thinking...

 

 

Here's the view from Trevor's perspective, it's not perfect as I need to shift the whole mountain Northwards before I do any more to it.

[lxr]

But... yeah, you got me thinking...

So, yeah, the shape of the mountain (also the shape of your Mt. Alamo vs. the actual Mt. Alamo) tells me you're wrong.

 

But this screen, which has no trace of the lower end of the Mt. Zancudo triangle north of Vinewood Hill, suggests that you're actually right.

 

Hmm...

[Choco Taco]

http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtop...entry1062160692

 

I think it might be "B" now. There doesn't seem to be enough space to get everything lined up correctly if it's "A".

 

[lxr]

 

[iMAGES]

Hm... yeah, I see your point.

 

Nothing beats having a model, I guess.

 

Still, I don't see the rather flat top of Mt. Alamo, behind the city. I think to convince anyone, you'd have to point out a few points on that mountain flank that are identical.

 

But... yeah, you got me thinking...

 

 

Here's the view from Trevor's perspective, it's not perfect as I need to shift the whole mountain Northwards before I do any more to it.

HOLY SH*T!!

 

I'd say you've made a major discovery.

 

(And please keep going with that model )

 

Edit: If there's a lesson to be learned here, at least for me, is that one should never imagine a mountain having just two sides, like "the sea-facing flank of Mt. Alamo", vs. "behind Mt. Alamo", since in fact, every mountain has many different sides, depending on where you stand. And that it's very hard, at least for me, to actually abandon that simplistic view of mountains.

Edited May 2, 2013 by lxr

[zombie elvis]

 

http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtop...entry1062160692

 

I think it might be "B" now.  There doesn't seem to be enough space to get everything lined up correctly if it's "A".

 

I'd not noticed that peak from the boat but here's the view from thereabouts.

 

 

 

I'd say you've made a major discovery.

 

(And please keep going with that model )

 

Edit: If there's a lesson to be learned here, at least for me, is that one should never imagine a mountain having just two sides, like "the sea-facing flank of Mt. Alamo", vs. "behind Mt. Alamo", since in fact, every mountain has many different sides, depending on where you stand. And that it's very hard, at least for me, to actually abandon that simplistic view of mountains.

 

It was only today I realised it wasn't Zancudo, it was quite weird that I'd been posting pics of the model before then. I just had to go back and tweak the sizes of each mountain until it looked right from the city.

Edited May 2, 2013 by zombie elvis

[lxr]

 

I'd not noticed that peak from the boat but here's the view from thereabouts.

Wow, that's damn good, too.

 

I really think the future of mapping Los Santos is 3D models.

 

Just curious: are you close to being able to replicate this one, or this one, too?

 

Edit: Ah, I see, you've kind of already done that.

Edited May 2, 2013 by lxr

[GTAking33]

Have you guys managed to differentiate between Mount Chiliad and Mount Josiah yet? They talked about MC not being the only peak in the game in the CVG preview.

 

(Sorry if mentioned, haven't read the last couple of pages)

Quoting because I'd like to know too.

[Mnxanr]

@zombie elvis Your work is pretty amazing, for a while now I thought the mountain peak seen behind Vinewood Hill, to the left, was too big to be Mt. Zancudo. The position of the mountains on your map make a lot more sense imo.

I'm still curious to find out where the lighthouse is located, and what mountain peak that is in the middle. Hopefully you'll be able to answer that in a few days with your work.

 

EDIT: Changed image size.

[zombie elvis]

 

@zombie elvis Your work is pretty amazing, for a while now I thought the mountain peak seen behind Vinewood Hill, to the left, was too big to be Mt. Zancudo. The position of the mountains on your map make a lot more sense imo.

I'm still curious to find out where the lighthouse is located, and what mountain peak that is in the middle. Hopefully you'll be able to answer that in a few days with your work.

 

EDIT: Changed image size.

Thanks.

Actually it was the first thing I did when that screenshot came out

It's changed a bit since then but you kinda get the idea.

 

http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtop...st&p=1062447312

 

 

Wow, that's damn good, too.

 

I really think the future of mapping Los Santos is 3D models.

 

Just curious: are you close to being able to replicate this one, or this one, too?

 

Edit: Ah, I see, you've kind of already done that.

 

For the plane one it should be something like this, but that giant green shoreline on the left needs removing. Can't do any more work on this for a while.

Edited May 2, 2013 by zombie elvis

[InternetKillTV]

@zombie elvis Your work is pretty amazing, for a while now I thought the mountain peak seen behind Vinewood Hill, to the left, was too big to be Mt. Zancudo. The position of the mountains on your map make a lot more sense imo.

I'm still curious to find out where the lighthouse is located, and what mountain peak that is in the middle. Hopefully you'll be able to answer that in a few days with your work.

 

EDIT: Changed image size.

I'd say that it's mountain B, or the mountain Zombie is modelling. The shame of the peak matches up, even at the different angle

[LotusRIP]

zombie elvis. amazing stuff!

 

are you able to also make a standard version (2D top-down view) of the map?

[countrymike84]

Could the Alamo Sea be larger than what has been mapped of it so far? The CVG preview stated there are even sharks in the lake!.

Perhaps the Alamo Sea is farther north that what has has been mapped so far