HexGIMP is a GIMP tool by Isomage that will help You make pretty maps.
I have used it to replace the abstact map in my Trading on PYLKAH adventure. This map might be more fun for the players, since they now have the option of taking alternative routes (which their guides will not recommend).
I thought I should try a variation on the big hex style. This time for an important star system in the Spinward Marches.
All planets (except Cipango) was made with GIMP plug-ins. The Cipango ring system was made with the planet rings GIMP plug-in. The planet Cipango was made from an old texture that I have used for other maps of Cipango.
The distances for the planets from their “sun” Cipango-Taiyoo is calculated using a modified Titius-Bode law. Using the formula below for the Cipango system:
For our solar system the formula is:
Where a is the distance in AU, and m is the orbit number. (Where m is 1 for Earth.) The modification of the Titius-Bode law was needed to fit two planet orbits into the habitable zone. This gives the Cipango system a total of 3 garden worlds.
With the suggestion for a new hex style, I need a way to produce images of gas giants. I can do this (for free) with the gas giant plugin for GIMP. 
Travelling between different places in a solar system takes time. Sometimes it will even be faster to make a micro (in-system) jump than using the M-drive.
When jumping to a system, it might be important to know where to get free fuel. If you have a cargo or passengers for the main planet, then it might not be economical to go to a gas giant (to get free fuel) in the outer system as well. Even if the main planet has oceans, you might not be allowed to refuel in these. If you don’t have any cargo or passengers or any other business to the main planet, then you might want to jump directly to the gas giant instead. There you can refuel and jump to the next destination.
How can you plot all the relevant information for a system in a hex on the subsector map? My idea is to divide the hex in six triangles, and show the most important planets with the important moons in each triangle. If there aren’t enough important planets, just leave some triangles empty. But as a minimum 2-3 triangles should have planets. I have put the gas giants in the right part of the hex, just like where the gas giant icon is usually placed.
This is my example for the Terra system. What do you think?
There was some very sad news about JR Mapes, (a contributor to the Zhodani Base). 
At his traveller blog You can find his cleaned up Spinward Marches data and some other goodies.
His posts at the Zhodani Base:
For his big contribution to the traveller community, the planet at position 1234 in Foreven Sector is now called Mapes. I selected this planet since it is a peaceful place. When we visit it, we will think of him. New version of Harem Subsector below.
The biggest problem with this planet is that has TL-G and a population of zero. In the maps here at the Zhodani Base that uses data from Galactic, the population has been modified to reflect the situation a few years later. But in the original source (AM-3 Vargr) the UWP is:
0439 A000002-G Lo nIn As 220Va K8 V M7 D
Okay, so we got 2 Vargrs running a class A starport at TL-G. That seems a bit unlikely… It might be that they have lots of robots running the starport and the TL-G production facilities. Where did all those TL-G robots come from?
Another idea is that the only thing they produce at their asteroid base is coffee, and that they once visited Darrian and bought an old coffee machine. When the Impie Scouts visited Aek Elakfough they noticed that the only thing produced was coffee from a TL-G coffee machine. So these scouts followed their scout protocol and noted that this was indeed a TL-G world… They also noted that the two Vargrs were engineers and could (if they wanted to) overhaul starships on their asteroid base. Voila, it must be a class A starport…
Another problem with TL-G for Vargrs are that on page 29 in AM3, the maximum TL for Vargr is F. But on the other hand, that is the same page that have a table for Aslan Morale.
Roger Malmstein has also tried to answer the questions about Aek Elakfough and has written a document about it.
I have looked at three more subsectors from the Oolite Universe. The Iron Stars is subsector N. This subsectors have lots of industrial worlds.
@SUB-SECTOR: The Iron Stars #--------1---------2---------3---------4---------5---------6--- #PlanetName Loc. UPP Code B Notes Z PBG Al LRX * #---------- ---- --------- - --------------- - --- -- --- - Rabedira 0940 B546977-9 Hi In A 312 Hc Quzadi 1035 B7779CC-9 Hi In R 422 Hc Aona 1036 A445975-D N Hi In Cp 525 Hc Leleer 1039 C4449AC-8 Hi In A 313 Hc Qucerere 1040 B7577AC-8 Ag 310 Hc Biarge 1133 A666777-C N Ri 424 Hc Onusorle 1134 D843954-8 Hi In Po 300 Hc Usrarema 1140 A6769CB-C N Hi In 513 Sr Vebege 1231 E677973-6 Hi In A 222 Hc Entizadi 1237 A4469BC-C N Hi In A 512 Hc Rateedar 1331 B576976-A Hi In R 414 Hi Cetiisqu 1338 D543957-7 Hi In Po 210 Hc Geerra 1434 D456743-5 Ag 211 Hc Usanat 1437 D6777AB-4 Ag 212 Hc Digebiti 1531 C843956-8 Hi In Po A 300 Hc Soladies 1540 C6777A9-6 Ag 213 Hc
All maps in this post made using Traveller Map Post Function.
You might recognize this subsector? I have tried to make it more travelleresque. Please comment if You have any ideas on how to improve this.
@SUB-SECTOR: Old Worlds #--------1---------2---------3---------4---------5---------6--- #PlanetName Loc. UPP Code B Notes Z PBG Al LRX * #---------- ---- --------- - --------------- - --- -- --- - Relaes 0121 A8759CC-B N Hi In 412 Hc Orrere 0123 C6437CA-7 Po 300 Hc Uszaa 0125 C444972-8 Hi In A 324 Hc Riedquat 0129 E853873-4 Po A 210 Hr Ra 0222 E4208CA-5 Po A 310 Hc Diso 0228 B879745-8 Ag 110 Ff Leesti 0230 B4409CB-B Hi In Po 511 Hc Quator 0322 C777973-7 Hi In A 222 Hc Reorte 0324 C8577A7-6 Ag A 310 Ff Lave 0328 B5647A5-5 Ri Ag 213 Hc Zaonce 0530 A5779CD-C N Hi In Cp 525 Hc Aesbion 0622 B8979CC-A Hi In R 521 Gf Qutiri 0628 A787875-9 Ri A 322 Ff Isinor 0630 C85777A-7 Ag 400 Sf Isence 0721 A887874-9 Ri A 311 Fh Aronar 0726 C753753-8 Po 101 Hc Ontiat 0830 B866879-7 Ag R 321 Gl
Map made using Traveller Map Post Function.
Patron: Activist, Reporter, Agent
Required Skills: none
Required Equipment: long-jumping starship
Players’ Information:
In the local starport (in imperial space in the Spinward Marches) the group sees some activists handing out leaflets. The group will be given one by a young girl, and they see that the activists work for a sophonts rights movement. The leaflet notes some minority races that are mistreated in the Spinward Marches. (The Chirpers at Vanejen, The Llellewyololy at Junidy, and the Clotho at Cronor.)
Later that day, the group will be contacted, (unless they have already called the com-number at the leaflet) by a woman that appear to be in her mid 30’s. She says that since the group has shown some interest in sophonts rights and since they have a starship, they might be able to help. The woman needs transportation to Cronor, to visit the Clotho enclave there. At Cronor, she will document the treatment of the Clotho by the Zhodani. She will need 2 tons of cargo initially, and then for the group to pick up a 1 ton cargo at the Jewell system once a month. At these monthly visits, the group will the get an opportunity to help her with some of the documentation work. She will stay at Cronor for 6 months. Since the sophonts rights movement have limited resources, she first ask if the group can help her for free. She will not offer more that standard medium passage and standard cargo fees. If pressed she says, “that the border trade should give the group enough compensation anyway, and remember that You get to work for a good cause”.
I just wanted to make You aware of the very nice rendering of a SubSector that “Ran” has posted on the CotI Boards.
Just look at the detail in each hex! 
Traveller blog posts