im looking at making a map for a world iv been cooking on whats a good way / program to use
Everyone says Campaign Cartographer but - speaking from having tried it out on a friend's system - I found the learning curve pretty difficult. There's a few free apps out there on the web that will auto-generate your maps for you...
yah auto generating is a no go here i have the map in my head what i need is a good way to get it out to show / tweek it
There are all kinds of free Drawing programs to use. If you are familiar with image layering, you can have a hex or square grid as top layer. Then draw your map over it using a layer underneath. Download various PNG files of clutter to place on your map as well. Or make your own PNG cutter files as you draw content for your maps. Clutter gets placed on its own layer. And so on.
Programs to use:
GIMP
Inkscape
Krita
MyPaint
Quote from: kosmos1214;885154im looking at making a map for a world iv been cooking on whats a good way / program to use
Check links from my collection:
http://www.therpgsite.com/showpost.php?p=877441&postcount=109 (http://www.therpgsite.com/showpost.php?p=877441&postcount=109). There are some online/offline generators, simple mapmakers and tutorials that put either Photoshop or Gimp into action.
It all depends on what kind of maps you want to draw - there are better applications for "overhead combat map", there are that specialize in modern cities, there are some that are very good for giant landmass and some for buildings/dungeons.
I think Dundjinni (although no longer expanded) is a terrific application.
Personally, I love hexes and therefore I'm using either old AKS HexMapper, or Hexographer and later add some effects in PS or similar software. If it's about some one-shot, then I'm simply using a graphical tablet and draw simple shapes in KRITA. Brilliant piece of software.
Draw it by hand.
Scan it
Use one of the forementioned programs that has layers.
Put the scan on a bottom layer.
Switch to higher layers and trace over the scan.
Add symbols, text and other features that is easy with your program.
Delete the bottom layer.
Print.
I recommend Inkscape (https://inkscape.org/en/). It support layers, handles vectors and can combine them with bitmaps image.s
Campaign Cartographer 3 hurts my eyes to look at their maps. I had not heard of Dundjinni before. It's maps look less cartoony and have way better colors/textures to them.
Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;885230Campaign Cartographer 3 hurts my eyes to look at their maps. I had not heard of Dundjinni before. It's maps look less cartoony and have way better colors/textures to them.
Campaign Cartographer 3 has a steep learning curve. But one fault it doesn't have is the inability to draw in more than a handful of styles. There are dozens of styles to chose from (https://secure.profantasy.com/products/sub.asp) and it growing all the time.
Even the default styles of 3 are very different then the older Campaign Cartographer 2.
I've been playing with Inkarnate (http://inkarnate.com/). It's in beta testing right now, but it is very usable to create cool looking maps. And it's free for now.
Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;885230Campaign Cartographer 3 hurts my eyes to look at their maps. I had not heard of Dundjinni before. It's maps look less cartoony and have way better colors/textures to them.
Yep, it takes time to learn CC3. For all its worth, it's a bit specialized CAD software, so everyone who attempts to master it might as well consider learning AUTOCad, or similar professional application in hope to later get a well payed job. ;)
Dundjinni is JAVA based piece of software that reduces whole thing to "select an object and place it (like a stamp) wherever you want. It features quite big library of fantasy elements, but you can find modern/SF stuff and create relevant terrain/building/interior maps as well. You're also free to create (it's quite easy process) your own libraries of objects ranging from floor textures, plants and furniture to characters and monsters.
I might be too optimistic here, but I think that your own creativity is the only factor limiting it.
Spoiler
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f6/eb/45/f6eb45288e5c323f43ef98b0369d9381.jpg)
(http://www.rpgbooster.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/rpg-maps-Wentworth-Inn_bg.jpg)
(http://www.dundjinni.com/info/images/streets_ad.jpg)
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd131/Digger2000/scrounger-antiair.png)
Side note: It came around D&D 4th IIRC and I was convinced back then that Wizards used it to illustrate their sourcebooks/scenarios. :)
Quote from: Technomancer;885233I've been playing with Inkarnate (http://inkarnate.com/). It's in beta testing right now, but it is very usable to create cool looking maps. And it's free for now.
Wow, this tool looks really cool.
Thanks, Technomancer.
QuoteOriginally Posted by estar
Draw it by hand.
Scan it
Use one of the forementioned programs that has layers.
Put the scan on a bottom layer.
Switch to higher layers and trace over the scan.
Add symbols, text and other features that is easy with your program.
Delete the bottom layer.
Print.
It's cool to see your process. Step 1 here has always been enough for me, but it might cool to convert my analog maps to digital.
It's been a while since I've played with either game, but don't Civ 4 and Civ 5 have editors? You could use that, couldn't you?
I use Paint Shop Pro, or Gimp mostly to make most of my maps. Some are hand drawn that I scan in, some I make with Vue d'Esprit or Unity3d...
My Fantasy Map Album
http://imgur.com/a/GmYpH
Quote from: GameDaddy;885335I use Paint Shop Pro, or Gimp mostly to make most of my maps. Some are hand drawn that I scan in, some I make with Unity 3d...
My Fantasy Map Album
http://imgur.com/a/GmYpH
I love the style of your Silverlake map.
I've been working in a near identical style based on some of the tuts from this guy's isometric views. fantasticmaps.com (http://www.fantasticmaps.com/)
I also have some of my favorite tuts from that site listed on the link page of my blog here https://jaspersrantings.wordpress.com/links/ (https://jaspersrantings.wordpress.com/links/)
ok thanks for all the advice ill need to look at these over the next few days ill make sure to let you know what i go with
I've used a mapping program that uses icons with GIMP. Which is how made this map using AD&Ds random wilderness gen system
(https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic2037004_md.png)
Another method is to first draw out a map by hand. Then scan it in. Then wash it down to just a skeleton of BW lines. And then overlay a hex grid sized to fit the scale envisioned. From there either flesh it out in GIMP or print off and embellish by hand.
Jonathan Roberts is one of the best map dudes out there.
Quote from: merc;885326It's been a while since I've played with either game, but don't Civ 4 and Civ 5 have editors? You could use that, couldn't you?
Civ 4 does, anyway, and that's not a terrible notion.
For my part, I've seen a generation's worth of people tearing their hair out learning expensive computer programs, only to tear their hair out twice when the company goes out of business, and they're unable to unlock the program upon switching computers. At one point, there were four separate threads regarding four separate such programs on TBP within a fortnight.
I've been using colored pencils, markers and 17x22 graph paper for 35 years now. They work just fine, they don't get obsolete, their visual resolution is far greater than any affordable computer monitor can manage, and they last decades.
Quote from: kosmos1214;885154im looking at making a map for a world iv been cooking on whats a good way / program to use
A vote for Hexographer. It won't make you any pretty maps, but it's simple to use and versatile.
I also vote for Hexographer, free version:
http://www.hexographer.com/free-version/
Runs on all OS..
Quote from: tzunder;885542I also vote for Hexographer, free version:
http://www.hexographer.com/free-version/
Runs on all OS..
I looked into that once but discovered that it required the installation of virus script AKA java so it was a no go.
Quote from: Ravenswing;885519I've been using colored pencils, markers and 17x22 graph paper for 35 years now. They work just fine, they don't get obsolete, their visual resolution is far greater than any affordable computer monitor can manage, and they last decades.
Longer. The
Ashavergath map that is part of the collection presented here was started in 1995... So the oldest parts of this map is 21+ years old. These photographs of it were taken right around Thanksgiving of last year, and the colors are still true, the same as the first day I inked them. My oldest mapset like this that I have right now was started in 1991.
Sadly my original homebrewed game maps from the 70's and 80's were lost in the tides of time. My ex-wife sold the entire D&D collection, actually my entire games collection in 1985 during our divorce proceedings. I didn't actually play many games or much D&D after that, from 1987 until 1991 or so...
The 90's were slow also. Played from 1991-93, and then played just part of a short campaign hosted at the
Dragon's Lair in 1997-98 in Fort Lauderdale, however it wasn't until I moved back to the midwest and had plenty of indoor time in the winter before I regularly started gaming and attending conventions again, and that was in 1999 after WOTC had taken over from TSR with the RPG Rennaissance.
Dragon's Lair has moved since I have last lived in Lauderdale. You can find it now at;
The Adventure Game Store & Dragon's Lair
Address: 6895 Stirling Rd, Davie, FL 33314
Phone:(954) 580-9008
Hours: Open today · 12PM–12AM
https://www.facebook.com/AdventureGameStore
Quote from: Exploderwizard;885544I looked into that once but discovered that it required the installation of virus script AKA java so it was a no go.
You don't have to install JAVA - there are portable versions of it, meaning it's "run, do your work, delete" version.
You might also want to run any given application in a sandbox environment.
Also, what functionality do you need? If it's "stamp an object into hexes", then there are other, limited, but still useful hexmappers.
AKS Hexmapper: 5 minutes of clicking + 5 minutes of photoeffects added in PS.
(http://s10.postimg.org/yoz8jd63d/rpsitia.png)
Quote from: Exploderwizard;885544I looked into that once but discovered that it required the installation of virus script AKA java so it was a no go.
Virii can be written for any computer language. Even any human language.
For older computers there is
There's also Worldbuilder 2.0
I have a DOS map generator for older 32-bit machines that will create an old school style hext map.
Also have GRID to create the old school hex maps for even older machines
There is also Wilbur, from 2000, and it runs fine on my 64-bit Win Server.
Current version of Wilbur
http://www.fracterra.com/terrain.html
Other mapping apps that work on newer Windows PCs
Soft Pixel Sandbox
https://sourceforge.net/projects/softpixelengine/files/SoftPixel%20Engine%20SDK/SoftPixelEngine%28v.3.2%29.zip/download
paint.net - free painting program available from
http://www.getpaint.net
Truespace - 3d Modeler, execllent for creating maps both 2d and 3d.
http://truespace.soft32.com/
Blender3d - Also a 3d Modeler, but can be used to make really good maps.
http://www.blender3d.org
Unity3d - Game Engine. Tremendously good for creating maps and entire game levels. Comes with plenty of free examples to get you started, and an enormous support community.
http://www.unity3d.com
Wings3d - Yest another 3d modeler. Completely suitable for making game maps... and other stuff as well...
http://www.wings3d.com/
You can make maps with Google Sketchup
http://www.sketchup.com/
AutoRealm
https://sourceforge.net/projects/autorealm/
Hexgrid maker
http://cryhavocgames.net/Tutorials_Utilities.htm
Now some online tools include ...DungeonPainter
http://pyromancers.com/dungeon-painter-online/
Donjon RPG Tools
http://donjon.bin.sh/
The Cartographic Emporium at Gozzy's
http://www.gozzys.com/
Good list. I use L3DT ("Large 3D Terrain" generator):
http://www.bundysoft.com/L3DT/
But it helps if you understand a bit of GIS computer-stuff to work with that, and some other software like Photoshop or something to paint on the map.
Makes some really awesome terrains and texture-coverage maps, though:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77NMkphZCfg
Quote from: GameDaddy;885546Longer. The Ashavergath map that is part of the collection presented here was started in 1995... So the oldest parts of this map is 21+ years old. These photographs of it were taken right around Thanksgiving of last year, and the colors are still true, the same as the first day I inked them. My oldest mapset like this that I have right now was started in 1991.
Preach it. Heck, I've still got that
pad I was using in 1982 ... bought it that summer to replace the previous one. It has five sheets left. The oldest of the 17x22 maps I can positively date is from 1984, when I started a new campaign in an area of my world hitherto untouched by PCs.
Quote from: Ravenswing;885519I've been using colored pencils, markers and 17x22 graph paper for 35 years now. They work just fine, they don't get obsolete, their visual resolution is far greater than any affordable computer monitor can manage, and they last decades.
[/COLOR]
Keep them in sheet protectors. My original homebrew world map from circa 1990 has serious damage from years of use. I had to redraw it a couple years ago.
Quote from: Old One Eye;885921Keep them in sheet protectors. My original homebrew world map from circa 1990 has serious damage from years of use. I had to redraw it a couple years ago.
I have for a couple years now; I had to redo one (about 12 hours of drawing work) because one of my cats tends to be naughty on papers left lying around, and I was careless.
ok small up date iv been looking at a few of them but life got busy and i havent had much free time to look and try
i tryed Inkarnate seems like a good program but it felt clumsy to me
campaign cartographer 3 : looks nice but its defiantly a save my pennys sort of option
civ 4/5/ what ever version i dont own any civ games so thats a no go
Quote from: Ravenswing;885519Civ 4 does, anyway, and that's not a terrible notion.
For my part, I've seen a generation's worth of people tearing their hair out learning expensive computer programs, only to tear their hair out twice when the company goes out of business, and they're unable to unlock the program upon switching computers. At one point, there were four separate threads regarding four separate such programs on TBP within a fortnight.
I've been using colored pencils, markers and 17x22 graph paper for 35 years now. They work just fine, they don't get obsolete, their visual resolution is far greater than any affordable computer monitor can manage, and they last decades.
honestly i considered this hard but my complete lack of access to a scanner make it a no go if i want advice or to email it for some reason
also after 2 1/2 years of owning this computer i finally found its version of
ms paint witch ill likely give a try (i was pretty good with it back on the old win 98 ill see if im still any good with it )(i was also 12 sooo.........)
and those hex mappers look helpful if i turns out i cant resurrect my computer drawing skills
Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;885351Jonathan Roberts is one of the best map dudes out there.
CC3 has a Roberts pack of palettes and symbols to make maps in his style. The also have one for Pete Fenlon, aka the MERP map guy.
What happened to Wildgen? That made some very nice wilderness maps.