A collection of desert city maps

[jfrazierjr]

Thanks guys

I actually keep forgetting to lower the opacity of the grid before I pull them out of PS (that should answer your question jfrazierjr but it's PS3 ). I use to not use a grid layer at all, hell the only reason there on there in the first place is so I can match up my walls with the FOW correctly when I import the maps into D20pro.

I'll take a crack at those suggestions jfrazierjr, I've never really hit a solid stride as far as getting my height and shadowing correct.

In the third map, I used a technique that I had success with while making a cave, it really gave ,what I felt to be, good indication of height, see below. So I was hoping to accomplish the same thing again.

Ettin Cave Prototype copy.jpg

The stroke could stand to be reduced a bit on three and I didn't even notice the clipping to be honest.

jfrazierjr pointers and critiques are always welcome trying to get better at this to start producing my own stuff.

That last one looks pretty darn good TBH. you might want to do a bit of blurring where it contacts the ground OR skrink it so that it aligns with the texture edge. Also, you could consider adding a very small outer glow around the trees to make them stand out a bit.

Do you utilize layer masks? If not, I would highly suggest you do as it makes things much easier once you learn the tricks. For example, that last map if you were to put a grid onto it for example, I put the grid on the entire layer and then mask the walls so that it only showed up on "ground" level. It could also be utilized to limit the size of the dark outline around the cage walls, among plenty of other things.

Let me know if you need pointers on anything(keeping in mind that GIMP does not have all the features of PS, so somethings will be easier in PS than in GIMP)

[NathanC]

That last one looks pretty darn good TBH. you might want to do a bit of blurring where it contacts the ground OR skrink it so that it aligns with the texture edge. Also, you could consider adding a very small outer glow around the trees to make them stand out a bit.

Do you utilize layer masks? If not, I would highly suggest you do as it makes things much easier once you learn the tricks. For example, that last map if you were to put a grid onto it for example, I put the grid on the entire layer and then mask the walls so that it only showed up on "ground" level. It could also be utilized to limit the size of the dark outline around the cage walls, among plenty of other things.

Let me know if you need pointers on anything(keeping in mind that GIMP does not have all the features of PS, so somethings will be easier in PS than in GIMP)

Thanks, some times I luck out when I try something And I use layer masks constantly, but probably not to the effectiveness I could. I actually just figured out how to really use an adjustment layer a few months ago which was mind blowing.

Took a look at the settings on the building I actually did my self in the burned down map. Looks like there is no stroke at all and the only effect I used through Photoshop as bevel/emboss

Kinda cool I managed to simulate those other effects on my own.

Capture.JPG

[jfrazierjr]

Thanks, some times I luck out when I try something And I use layer masks constantly, but probably not to the effectiveness I could. I actually just figured out how to really use an adjustment layer a few months ago which was mind blowing.

Took a look at the settings on the building I actually did my self in the burned down map. Looks like there is no stroke at all and the only effect I used through Photoshop as bevel/emboss

Kinda cool I managed to simulate those other effects on my own.

Capture.JPG

I don't know PS, but from what I have seen if you want to try, remove the bevel from the buildings and add a outer glow to it(see below). I can't give more details than that though. Of course, in GIMP, I would:

make a selection so that the draw-able area of the selection was OUTSIDE the walls of the building.
Add a new layer
add layer mask to the layer
stroke the selection(size depends upon the map size, but based upon your original map size, probably 25-100 px
undo selection
Gaussian blur about 30% more than the stroke size

Honestly, I always have to play around with it until I get the right feel. From what i remember, the PS Outer Glow is the easy way to do what I had to do several steps to achieve. It looks like you already have an outer glow on the building anyway, so i would simply stroke the building just tiny bit(like a pixel or two) to indicate that's where the wall and top meet, just so you have an actual "edge".

And make sure you are consistent. If you prefer bevel/emboss, that's fine, but I would then ditch the outer glow and make sure all of the objects have the same effect. You have one full building and 2.5 other buildings in this scene, but only the central one has the Bevel/Emboss.

Quick question, for that last image with the cave, did you use a stroke to get the depth effect? Or was it one or more layer effect? As I said, other than right where it meets the ground, it does a really good job of conveying depth to me.

[NathanC]

I don't know PS, but from what I have seen if you want to try, remove the bevel from the buildings and add a outer glow to it(see below). I can't give more details than that though. Of course, in GIMP, I would:

make a selection so that the draw-able area of the selection was OUTSIDE the walls of the building.
Add a new layer
add layer mask to the layer
stroke the selection(size depends upon the map size, but based upon your original map size, probably 25-100 px
undo selection
Gaussian blur about 30% more than the stroke size

Yeah so that's pretty much what I do, select the wall layer grow the section by a few PX depending, fill a layer with blue black, hide it, then take take a brush (soft) and color in the outside.

Honestly, I always have to play around with it until I get the right feel. From what i remember, the PS Outer Glow is the easy way to do what I had to do several steps to achieve. It looks like you already have an outer glow on the building anyway, so i would simply stroke the building just tiny bit(like a pixel or two) to indicate that's where the wall and top meet, just so you have an actual "edge".

And make sure you are consistent. If you prefer bevel/emboss, that's fine, but I would then ditch the outer glow and make sure all of the objects have the same effect. You have one full building and 2.5 other buildings in this scene, but only the central one has the Bevel/Emboss.

I think what the problem is as far as in consistency goes, is that a few of the buildings are pre-made, I got them off of rpgmapshare years ago, and slapped them in to this map do I didn't have to create new ones. I tried to simulate the style and color so it would work well together, the building on the lower right corner (that you only see a little of) it my attempt to really duplicate the style. At this point since the session I needed them for is over it would be easy enough to go back in and build out the others from scratch keeping the same style.

Quick question, for that last image with the cave, did you use a stroke to get the depth effect? Or was it one or more layer effect? As I said, other than right where it meets the ground, it does a really good job of conveying depth to me.

I have to look to be sure, but I believe, and don't hold me to this, that there's a stroke on the wall and an inner shadow and outter glow, the later set to multiple. When I have a chance I'll open the settings and take a look.

[NathanC]

jfrazierjr - Here are the settings i used for the ettin cave.

There's a 3px black stroke on the wall as well as a general painted shadow over the whole interior and a darker shadow that i traced the base of the wall with.

Ettin Cave settings.png