How useful is CC3?

[Aelyn]

The title basically says it all- how good is CC3? I'm a PS user, but the results of CC3 fascinate me, so I consider buying it. But their page is somehow a bit... overwhelming. Could someone please tell me the advantages of CC3 and which of these myriads of programmes I actually need?

[Gidde]

I'm a past-CC user for the most part, and others will be able to give more insight into its virtues, but I see the differences/advantages mostly as this: CC is in essence a CAD program, so you have a lot of scale/zoom/exactness type power when you use it, but it lacks some of the artsy filter-type stuff you can get using PS. That said, we have several users who make stunning maps using it. Also, my experience is with CC2, and as I understand it they've added some of the artsiness into CC3 that was missing before.

[Midgardsormr]

Based on what I've seen of your PS mapping, CC3 will be something of a step backward for you for overland mapping. However, for battlemat-scale and city mapping, CC3 + City Designer 3 could be very useful. Even for symbol-based maps, though, I really think Photoshop can produce better results easier than CC3 if you've already got reasonably good skills with it (which you appear to have).

[Aelyn]

I'm afraid you're right concerning the step backward in overland mapping, I had already begun to suspect that myself. But concerning city mapping, although I followed different tutorials and tried a lot of things, it still seems a) a vast amount of work and b) just not pretty enough. Here I thought CC3 might be a help, but if you know a way to make good city maps in PS, please point it out to me!

[Gidde]

Well, "good city maps" is pretty subjective, but I imagine you could make comparable maps to CC's in PS, by using the symbols for buildings etc that you'd normally use in CC, as brushes in PS. Additionally, PS gives you the option to jitter the angle and size, where you have to do that manually in CC (if i remember correctly; it's been a while). The Dundjinni forums have been mentioned as a great place to get those symbols, and if you really want the whole kit'n'kaboodle, this is a 2.7GB repository of just about any symbol you may ever want (including several types of buildings), from the MapTools tutorial site. As far as I can tell, they're all pngs.

[tilt]

I tried CC2 some years ago - but was to used to photoshop/illustrator to enjoy it - I felt it akward to use. And I do love the look I can get with photoshop, and I pride myself in doing most of the graphics myself insted of using predefined stuff, so that's also easier(possible) in photoshop

[Clercon]

I'm using both CC3 and PS. I think that PS is far supperior to CC3 when it comes to flexibility and artistry. For me this is especially true when it comes to world maps. Doing them in CC3 feels like trying to get dressed while driving your car. But that said it is a completely other story when it comes to drawing cities and dungeons. Here I think CC3 really shines. And it lets you create artisty stuff in a very short timespan. So I think CC3 is well worth the money, but you really need those addons, CD3 and DD3, to get happy. You also get a lot of fun stuff in the monthly annuals that makes the product even more valuale.

[Midgardsormr]

Do note, though, that the Annuals are an additional cost.