Cliffs = big problems

[Perfect]

This map was inspired after playing around with texture fills, layer styles etc. in Photoshop cs2 . Remember those old rpgs on super nintendo with the topdown view? Thats kinda what I was going for her. Anyways lots of problems with this map , first there are some weird colors that seem to come out when I use the texture layer style (an orange-ish glow around some of the cliffs ) and the grid. I cant get it to match up for the life of me. I used a tutorial I found somewhere on these forums.. Anyways give it a look, leave a comment.

[ravells]

Drop shadows are dangerous to use with mountains - they make the mountains look like they're floating over the landscape rather than rising out of it. I don't know the nintendo rpgs you're referring to, but did the mountains look long and thin with no branches on them? (I'm assuming yes). If you're going to make them long and thin, I'd be tempted to make them more maze like, rather than running in parallel. Maybe, instead of the drop shadow, if you feather the mountain base it might look more a part of the grass where the two meet? Nice look to the grass though - how did you do that?

[RPMiller]

Those aren't mountains Ravs. Those are cliff faces. The terrain is slopped and you move from one elevation to the next between the cliffs.

That said, I have to agree that the illusion doesn't quite work because it is an attempt at combining top down and isometric which is never easy. I was able to see what was being represented because of being familiar with his example he used, and because of the thread title, otherwise I would have been trying to figure out what I was looking at as well.

[RobA]

I think replacing the square grid with an isometric one would solve the confusion:
Cliffs-Uber-realistic_ISO.jpg


(or loose the grid entirely)

-Rob A>

[RPMiller]

I don't thinking loosening the grid would fix it. However, the isometric grid is definitely an improvement! Good call on that one!

[ravells]

Ahhhh! Now I see!

[Perfect]

Wow. Roba thats freaking ingenious. I don't suppose you could reveal the technique you used to make that grid?

[RobA]

Wow. Roba thats freaking ingenious. I don't suppose you could reveal the technique you used to make that grid?

Thanks.

Probably the "wrong way"

I used a voronoi plugin in Gimp to generate regular diamonds, then stretched them out horizontally by eye until they lined up with he main features.

-Rob A>

[torstan]

Try the following:
1. create a square grid.
2. rotate it by 45 degrees
3. Scale it vertically by 0.577 (or 57.7%)

That will give you a precise isometric grid.