What program do some of you adventure designers use to create your maps? I'll be starting my own Dark Sun adventure path for my players and I no longer have Photoshop or Illustrator to help me create my maps. Is there a cheap program that everybody uses? Are there files to download somewhere to make it look like the map is on Parchment paper with a grid for scale? I eventually would like to submit some of the adventures I create and when doing so, I'd like them to look as professional as possible.
Speaking of which since we're on topic. I'm assuming everybody uses MS Word to write their campaigns as well, or is PowerPoint better? Any feedback on this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you, and happy campaign designing.
A little way down lists a few mapmaking tools.
I use the Draw Menu in Microsoft Office Word and then cut and paste to an art Package like Paint or Lexmark All in One.
As you can see, there is a diverse selection of mapping possibilities to be created using MS Word.
www.habitualindolence.net/masterplan/
Yellowdingo, I had no idea you could do that with word and the maps you made look incredible with that program.
Masterplan also has some great tools to use and I like how you can put the stat blocks and encounter information on the same page as the map.
Thank you very much for the help, I greatly appreciate it.
)I recently had someone suggest using excel and colored cells. Sounds like it would work fairly well to me, and I plan to try it soon.
Other people I know have good luck with GIMP,which is a free photoshop with a higher learning curve. (I can't figure the dang thing out).
Personally, I draw my maps out blank paper, and then when game time comes I draw it on the vinyl chessex battlemat.
Anyone try Campaign Cartographer 3? I know it's $50 , but the sample maps they show on their site are pretty sweet. I know that WoTC has used it in the past for some of the Dungeon articles. I'm curious about its ease of use. Is this something that a mere mortal can use? Or do you have to be some kind of GIS specialist?
I saw it demo'd at GenCon a couple years ago. It looked as though it was pretty straightforward if you just wanted to generate a random map and then add in your own towns, and names, etc. If you are actually trying to create your own personal vision (i.e. you have a set map in mind) then it is likely much more difficult -- it just depends on how good you are at using programs like that and how patient you are. That being said, I've never broken down and bought it myself yet.
Anyone try Campaign Cartographer 3? I know it's $50 , but the sample maps they show on their site are pretty sweet. I know that WoTC has used it in the past for some of the Dungeon articles. I'm curious about its ease of use. Is this something that a mere mortal can use? Or do you have to be some kind of GIS specialist?
I used CC3 a few times. It's one of those types of tool that has a really steep learning curve, but the results can be good.
It has developed quite nicely, and with the addons I can make whatever I need
so.. 90% of that tutorial was awesome and I figured it out in about 1/2 an hour and then 10% (the critical 10% to get the map to actually look cool) took me 7.5 hours of frustration... (and I can honestly say the last 2% I still haven't figured out or accidentaly stumbled upon a technique that I actually like better than what was presented so it didnt' really matter in the end).
that said, if you can fumble your way through a few tutorials, google your way through help, and have some mild artistic skills I think you can make some very nice maps and dungeons with GIMP for free...
I have not used cartographer but am goign to check out the hex based program because I can't decide if I like my maps just with a scale and hand drawn/GIMP based or if I want the hexes.. I guess I see hex maps and think back fondly to my original D&D Mystara and Hollow World maps which were all hexes.. lol..
Josh
Anyone try Campaign Cartographer 3? I know it's $50 , but the sample maps they show on their site are pretty sweet. I know that WoTC has used it in the past for some of the Dungeon articles. I'm curious about its ease of use. Is this something that a mere mortal can use? Or do you have to be some kind of GIS specialist?
I highly recommend CC3 if you can afford it. I just purchased it, along with the Dungeon Designer, and I'm in awe with what I've been able to create.
It has a definite learning curve, but if you use the 3 videos found on their website, you'll have the simple tricks needed to build a quality dungeon. And if you don't want to put out the cash for Dungeon Designer, there is a Microsoft Word guide (one of the frequent forum posters created it) on how to build dungeons using CC3 itself.
Dungeon Designer comes with a host of commonly-used images to get you going. There was also a massive collaberation of art, with 3000-5000 images total, and all for free.
The community at Cartographer's Guild is also incredibly helpful. I've only had CC3 for 3 days now, but between the various tutorials, and various forum posts, I've already become comfortable with creating a variety of dungeons for my group.
As for what program to use, you can't find a more powerful and versatile program than Photoshop. Most of the maps you'll see on my Guide (and throughout my website) were created using Photoshop. However, the big problem is its very steep price. Not everyone has access to it (I have it through work). But, frankly, not everybody NEEDS the power that comes with that high price. Not everyone needs to, or wants to, create publication-quality maps.
If all you want to do is make maps for your personal campaign, Photoshop Elements (basically "Photoshop Light") will serve perfectly well. You can pick up the newest version of Elements for $79 straight from Adobe.com, and maybe even cheaper if you can find it on sale at your local software distributor.
Nor do you really need the new-fangled uber-functionality of the newest version of either Photoshop or Photoshop Elements! I've seen old versions of Photoshop on sale for the price of the newest version of Elements... and if you can find an old version of Elements, it should be even cheaper!f you can find an old version on sale of either. I've used an old Photoshop 5.0 for years on one of my older work machines that would choke on Photoshop CS2... never mind the new CS4. The one problem is if you are running Vista. Unfortunately Vista is not very friendly to older programs. You pretty much need to get a newer version. If you run XP there is no problem running a 1995 version of Photoshop, and I'm told Windows7 is friendlier to legacy programs though I don't have first hand experience.
Lastly, when I bought my digital camera several years back (Nikon), it CAME with a free copy of an older version of Photoshop Elements! Free is the best!!! Ok, well... the digital camera cost me a heck of a lot. But if you're in the market for a camera already, it pays to check out the extra software that comes with it. There are so many cameras on the market, than why not use that as a way to help thin out the field.
There is a bit of a learning curve with Photoshop (and Elements), but its worth it. The original poster said he "no longer had access to Photoshop", which implies to me that he already knew how to use it. Finding an older copy of Elements may be worth the minor expense... for a program that is far more versatile than any of the dedicated mapping programs. Besides, CC3 is not gonna turn you into a mapping god AND fix the red-eye in your family photos. ;) An extra selling point when it comes to convincing your significant other that you REALLY need that program. LOL
If the Photoshop family is still beyond your means, than it may be worth trying at GIMP, as a free graphics-editing program.
Denis, aka "Maldin"
Maldin's Greyhawk http://melkot.com
Loads of edition-independent Greyhawk goodness... maps, magic, mysteries, mechanics, and more!
Latest website update: a layered PDF map and description of Greyhawk's Underdark
If I'm making overland or world maps I use AutoREALM for the fractal line tool. Takes all the hard work out of coastlines and cave walls.
If you're just interested in making simple reference maps then programs like Campaign Cartographer are fine. Master plan looks pretty schmick. I might give it a go myself.
If you are intending to print these maps out as proper battle maps you're better off spending some time to learn some simple graphic editing (plenty of links and tips on these forums) to create your own high resolution (300dpi) assets like dungeon tiles and items.
Google Sketchup is great for obtaining simple objects to throw on your map. They have a giant repository of 3D objects that are all free to download, so you just throw them in to Sketchup, set your camera view to top-down and export to a jpg or png, which can be edited in just about any graphic program.
Here is a battle map I made the other day of a small slaver camp:
This took a bit of effort to make, but in the end I ended up with several reuseable assets that will make future maps a breeze to construct.
The grass texture was made with a combination of a fractal generated grass texture made with Context Free, exported to a png, which I tiled in photshop as a 1x1inch square at 300dpi with the offset filter and some rubber stamping, then thrown in to illustrator and set as a pattern. I could then apply the pattern to a simple box in illustrator and presto: instant grass field.
The dirt in the middle was made the same way, except I drew a custom blobby shape in illustrator and applied a feather effect to it so that it would blend smoothly with the grass.
The tents, cage and cart were all objects exported from Google Sketchup, then vectorized in Illustrator with the live trace tool (and some fiddling with the settings). I can reuse these objects later and scale them to any size I want. The great thing about working with Illustrator and vector images is that I can print this image at a high resolution (300dpi reccomended) at any size I want. This can all be done solely in Photoshop (or GIMP), but I would suggest working at 300dpi in no larger segments than a 10x10inch square if you intend to print.
Oh, and just as a side note, I use Adobe InDesign to write my campaign, but that is mostly just because I have access to the software. Word/OpenOffice is just as good. Hell, I've used notepad to write some of my campaigns.
I apologize if this thread has been created already, but I haven't found one answering this question.
What program do some of you adventure designers use to create your maps? I'll be starting my own Dark Sun adventure path for my players and I no longer have Photoshop or Illustrator to help me create my maps. Is there a cheap program that everybody uses? Are there files to download somewhere to make it look like the map is on Parchment paper with a grid for scale? I eventually would like to submit some of the adventures I create and when doing so, I'd like them to look as professional as possible.
Speaking of which since we're on topic. I'm assuming everybody uses MS Word to write their campaigns as well, or is PowerPoint better? Any feedback on this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you, and happy campaign designing.
Hi-
Just a quick note for the analog-minded: A good set of colored markers and one of these works great in a pinch, and doesn't require you to own an expensive wipable Battlemat (or color printer). We use them religiously.
-JC/MM