How to create a real city map (San Fran) in Fractal Terrains / Campaign Cartographer?

[CheriLasota]

I'm a brand new member *waves hello*. This sounds like an amazing guild, and I'm excited to explore the forums features. I actually stumbled upon the guild while looking for an answer to this question: How do I create a real city map (San Francisco) using Fractal Terrains / Campaign Cartographer?

I've created a bunch of fictional scifi maps and some fantasy maps, but this will be my first foray into attempting a real map. I'd take a modern real map of San Francisco, but I'm really looking to create a older version from around 1900 or so. Anyway, I wondered if any of you have done something similar and what method you used. I can't figure out if I have to upload a real map from something like Google Maps (which I thought was proprietary anyway), or if there are real world maps within FT or CC3. I've browsed the programs and googled for answers but I'm coming up short on answers.

I'm looking to do something like this: http://www.cliffhouseproject.com/maps/3732001.jpg

Thanks in advance!

~Cheri =)

[Chick]

Hello CheriLasota, Welcome to the Guild!

I suggest you post this question and map in the section of the forum called Town/City Mapping. That is where you will most likely get the quickest help and ideas.

[CheriLasota]

Thank you, Chick. I'll also post in Town/City Mapping. Good tip! =)

[johnvanvliet]

as above

but i would use Qgis and GDAL on the real lidar data for the area

The LIDAR data can be gotten from many different sources and if you use a USA Govt. source should be free or for a processing fee

Then in gqis add the contour lines and road overlays

there are other ways and other tools you can use , but use a tool designed for the task at hand

[CheriLasota]

I just downloaded Qgis (and I guess GDAL?), but in looking at the software, I think it take me too long to learn another program given my client deadline on this project. Do you know if it's possible to import real maps into Campaign Cartographer and/or Fractal Terrains?

I will probably learn Qgis when I have more time though. Looks cool. =)

[ravells]

openstreetmap.com will give you the street data.

[ravells]

You can import USGA data in FT, I've made some great maps with it, but it won't do streets, just terrain height data. You could use FT to render the terrain data and then trace on top of the image with CC perhaps? But I think it won't get you the style/finish you're looking for the example you posted (if that is the finish you're looking for).

[CheriLasota]

You can import USGA data in FT, I've made some great maps with it, but it won't do streets, just terrain height data. You could use FT to render the terrain data and then trace on top of the image with CC perhaps? But I think it won't get you the style/finish you're looking for the example you posted (if that is the finish you're looking for).

Hmm... I think you're right that hand drawing in streets, etc. using FT wouldn't probably give me the look I'm going for. I'm not horrible with Photoshop. Do you think that would work better? I saw that you have a tutorial link for creating Photoshop maps, and I thought about maybe giving that a whirl. What do you think? Doable? Or too crazy hard to do this kind of detailed street work in Photoshop?

[ravells]

You mentioned you are doing this for a client? When is your deadline? What standard of map is your client expecting? My thoughts are seriously that if you are this far behind the curve in knowing how to do this and more importantly knowing the software and/or having the drawing on paper type artistic chops to get the finish you mentioned - you are going to need a deadline of months (at least -depending on how well practised you are with the software/trad art) to get the map done. You might consider subbing it out to someone else. It's a real world map, so you could go to www.cartotalk.com which has people that specialise in real world maps and try and get help there, but my impression is that if your deadline is within a month it's going to be a hard ask.

Your style example was probably drawn by one or more commercial artists who had many years of experience in doing this one thing and who fed their families on it. Can you tell us what experience you actually have in drawing maps like these, how well you know which software? If you could post some examples of previous work you've done with CC and FT and the deadline you are expecting to meet, that would be useful just to assess if you have a chance. I can tell you with utter certainty that there is no silver bullet piece of software that is going to do this for you by pressing a few buttons.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

best

Ravs

[CheriLasota]

Thank you, again, ravells. Though, I just finally got a response from Campaign Cartographer support as follows below:

no, real map data is not included in our software. You'll have to draw these maps like a fictional one. But you can use existing maps as a drawing guide:
- scan or download an existing map of San Francisco 1900 and convert it to PNG image format with a graphics software like Paint.NET.
- Create a new map in CC3+ at the size you need and in the style you want to use.
- Add a new sheet to the map, e.g. called BITMAP
- Use Draw > Insert File to insert the PNG map into your drawing.
- Now use this map to draw streets, houses, etc. in CC3+

But to answer your questions: no, it's not an "urgent" deadline so much as I don't want to take months and months to complete the project. This is a kind of value-add for an author's historical book series. She's already waited a year for me to get around to having time to attempt this map for her. As for experience, I'm more or less a newb who tends to figure things out as I go. The style I've done thus far is world/regional maps for a fictional planet for a recent multi-author scifi project that launched back in September. (Example: https://paradisichronicles.wordpress.com/maps/). I can't share the other maps I've done, as they are for a fantasy series that I haven't launched yet. =)

The style I'm going for is more realistic than what I've done before, but it doesn't absolutely have to look like the example I've linked to. That is just an example the author shared with me. The nice thing is she wants very little detail and only a small section of streets from that map. The main thing she wants is labels for the different locations that are featured in her books.