Octogonal tower (WVMIP)

[Simon33600]

So, I did this tower [using GIMP]:

Hexagonal tower.png


I wanted to have a bit of detail in the structure of the walls, so, what I did is download a pattern (I believe it's called "stone-brick") and played with it to have it as a wall of two stone wide. Then I copy pasted it a few times to make my walls and used the cloning tool to fuse the various bits together relatively seamlessly.

I'm kinda happy with how that part turned out BUT, I have two questions:


First of all, is there a way to speed up the process? I tried saving the walls as a brush, but the product is far from seamless.
So, question 1, does anybody knows if there are any such brush floating around that you could put together to produce a seamless line, a bit like there are patterns that produce a seamless pattern even when repeated?
Is it even possible using a complex picture as a brush?


Also, and maybe more importantly, I am only somewhat happy with the result. Because the wall itself looks a bit rough. It would be great for some buildings, but I am trying to make a posh and sophisticated building (the marbled floor might have been a bit of a give away). I think it would fit the building's personality better if I had an actual brick or brick like structure: very homogeneous stones, maybe alternating, producing a very smooth finished wall.
Does anybody has such a wall structure lying around I could pilfer?

[atpollard]

Note this (copyrighted image for reference only):

fig28.jpg

from here:

http://www.pasvalco.com/Elements%20o...nry-chpt.2.htm

Seen from the top, the wall sure looks like a floor pattern to me.

Does that give you any ideas? [I don't use Gimp, so I can't offer more specific advice.]

[RobA]

It really depends on what you are trying to depict. Any map is just a diagram, so intent is everything.

Since this is a map of a structure, I'd assume there is a roof, which mans you are depicting the room floors, battle-map style. You focus should really be on the edges of the wall outlines, not the interior of the wall, unless this is either important to you or important for the purpose of the map. Referencing atpollard's image, there is no "top" of the wall to depict in your map.

You say this is a posh and sophisticated structure, so the interior wall surfaces would probably be parged/plastered over and smooth, not rough as you have them, with the outer wall surfaces most likely a cut stone, or brick.

Do you need/want to depict the detail structure of he wall itself:

| plaster | rough stone | rubble fill | cut stone |

or is it more important to generally indicate the walls overall structure (stone)?

-Rob A>

[Simon33600]

Honestly, I was initially just looking at improving the artsy quality of my maps. In the past, I had only used line drawings to represent the walls but wanted to improve on that...

Anyway, here is the results I obtained:
Image1.png

I think it looks ok enough... but the process is time consuming and I was wondering if there was any magical button that could streamline it...

[atpollard]

Both maps actually look pretty good.
Photoshop has a feature that creates a shadow around an object - Gimp probably has something similar.
Try RobA's advice and create a shadow or black outline around the wall. I think that you will be happy with the result.

Personally, I am old school enough that I like solid black walls, but there are a lot of maps that want to depict wall materials and most of the better ones are made or broken by the wall shadows rather than the pattern (IMHO).

I think that the grass texture is scaled too large and the marble floor needs something to suggest tiles rather than a single slab. Perhaps a fine grid or pattern with alternating tiles filled with different marble patterns (or the same pattern rotated).

All these are just ideas ... ultimately it is YOUR vision that needs to shine through.

[Simon33600]

Well, I will probably end up adding a grid myself, so that I can scale it, in case the map ends up being a battlemap...


Do you mean adding a shadow a the bottom of all the walls? Shouldn't I take the light orientation into account?
I see how I'd go and do it, select the shape and use the "trace selection" function, and then blur the result.


As far as the grass pattern, now that you mention it, I see that you are right. But I don't think GIMP has the option to scale a pattern, so I'd probably have to use smartiness, which hurts my brain. I guess I could make a picture of the right size and shrink it to fit...

I'll need to work on that and learn a bit more about good ol' gimpy...