Flat Map style

[neomaximus2k]

hey guys, i'm new here and while I excel in online development and game creation I suck at GFX

I have a great game I am developing which promises to be really popular on facebook, yes its a facebook game and yes it is 100% free so what I need ideally is a tutorial on how to create a kingdom map, by kingdom map i mean it should show the castle in a semy perspective view on a hill with grass lands, mountains and forest below it.

An example image is attached as to what I mean and again i'm not looking for someone to do it for me, I want to do it myself but dont know where to start as my GFX experience is limited to photoshop website designs and GUI's

[Ascension]

You could draw up your castle in SketchUp, switch the view to Isometric, rotate to fit properly, then export it as a jpg, and then in PS erase out the background leaving the castle. SketchUp is a free program like a cheap version of 3DS Max. Otherwise, yeah, you'll need to draw it by hand in a raster app or maybe have someone else do it and you guide them with what you want it to look like.

[neomaximus2k]

thanks ascension for the tip, the castle isn't a major problem as I have a graphics tablet and can digitize most things into photoshop it is just the background that I'm struggling with

[Ascension]

Oh, so you're wanting isometric terrain, my bad, I thought you were wanting the iso castle.

[the-golem]

You could draw up your castle in SketchUp, switch the view to Isometric, rotate to fit properly, then export it as a jpg, and then in PS erase out the background leaving the castle. SketchUp is a free program like a cheap version of 3DS Max. Otherwise, yeah, you'll need to draw it by hand in a raster app or maybe have someone else do it and you guide them with what you want it to look like.

Sorry, this just rubs me the wrong way. Maybe it's because I'm an Architecture student. First, you said "cheap," implying that the product is substandard. I'm guessing you meant more along the lines of "inexpensive," which is only half true. The "free" version isn't as featured as the Pro version, which runs $500 USD. Secondly, SketchUp is Business Information Modeling (BIM) Software, and about the only thing it really has in common with 3dsMax is the "3d" part. In truth, it's much closer to Revit. In fact, SketchUp files import seamlessly with Revit. Anyway, it's a really promising emerging software in both the architectural and engineering fields.

</soapbox>

I'll go hide in my castle before the villagers come after me with pitchforks and torches.

[neomaximus2k]

yeah sorry didn't really make myself clear on that one it is the terrain i need

[Ascension]

If you have artistic skills (illustration or painting) then you could do it in Photoshop, Paint Shop, Painter, etc. but if you don't have those skills then you might want to look into 3d programs. There are a few programs that are free that can do up some random terrain and you can set the camera angle. In order to get trees and stuff you might have to look into buying some software and there are tons. The one that I really want to look into I can't remember the name of...something like Nature 3d or Landscaper or something like that...its main function was not 3d cars or spaceships but trees. If I can find the link I'll post it up...I just remember that I was searching for 3d trees on Google once and found it.

[Tom_Cardin]

I think your example has just about everything you need in it right now. The most important part being the grid made up of the waterways I see. If you make yourself a nice grid in photoshop you can keep your graphics aligned to it well.

I make a straight horizontal and vertical grid, rotate it 45% then I transform it vertically, squashing it down until I have a perspective I am happy with.

You can do the same thing with a striaght up map, one where the features are all in outline and your view is looking straight down at it, or flat to the view. Then you can do the same thing you did with the grid, rotate it then squash it the same degree and amount. This gives you an outline of your terrain to paint in. Draw your mountains and trees in as though you were looking at them from the side and you are 90% of the way there.

[neomaximus2k]

I forgot to meantion the image attached is an example and can not be used due to copyright issues

[Ascension]

Indeed, cheap was meant as inexpensive not as crap. I use Sketch Up often and I like it so I wouldn't denigrate it.