Oh dang, I REALLY like that latest 3D version! Looks fantastic. Maybe instead of placing the labels and then '3D-ing' it, add the labels after, so they pop out from the map a bit?
Thanks Chashio, I like that sci fi thing going on. But I have come up with a good idea which is fantasy but does have the side by side effect. But not quite side by side, more foreground background sort of thing. A bit hard to pull off but I think I can do it.
The real time thing is a nice thought but a bit of a pipe dream I think. But would that ever make it easier to use...
I have been continuing. I kinda like this new map style and I can keep the realistic in reserve for later.
I wrote a few scripts to turn a text list of place names into the text using a font. I did this using image magick which is a very cool utility and you get it for windows and linux so thats nice. Another text based thing tho so no UI on it. But it does render out text very nice with antialiasing and it looks smooth with no jaggies.
Also, I have been grabbing some icons off the web as public domain images and used them to set out the locations.
### Latest WIP ###
MapPartial.jpg
No idea why I include a 3D view any more but it gives some idea about where I have placed the villages and other icons with respect to the heights. Aww heck, it just looks nice !!!
MapPartial3D.jpg
I still have to label a lot more villages and places before the map is done.
Oh dang, I REALLY like that latest 3D version! Looks fantastic. Maybe instead of placing the labels and then '3D-ing' it, add the labels after, so they pop out from the map a bit?
That would be nice. But I would have to model a bit of 3D shapes to get them into the 3D view. Also, my 3D viewer only does textured landscapes where the landscape is a height map. So the models would be rather low res. What I am planning on doing is to incorporate this map into a scene with the 3D terrain as the background - thats if I can manage it ! I will try to use the latest Blender since I don't know how but I am led to believe that its got easier to use since its UI update several years back. But failing that ill resort back to using my super ancient copy of lightwave.Originally Posted by Diamond
I have added a lot more symbols including all of the wrecks. I put in a table for them and to denote what ship sank based on the prevailing historian knowledge and the cartographers from Thornside Castle.
I think the "map" bit of it is done now. So after this I will concentrate on bringing the two images together in some way that is interesting.
### Latest WIP ###
MapNamesSymbols.jpg
I did a lot of public domain image searching. I was searching for horses head, well Pegasus but they didn't have that. Actually they didn't have the horses head from the right direction. I found a 3D object of one and then I tried that and it didn't look right either.
I looked for an eagles head, hawk or similar as though some red robed magi was riding one of those. But I couldn't find a suitable image of that.
Then I thought magic carpet and that was no good either.
So red robed magi is riding his cloud ! Not my first, second or even third choice but hey...
I found this image tho...
https://unsplash.com/photos/person-h...nt-tr7yiwAwVq0
where unsplash license is kinda odd but permissive all the same.
I edited it a bit and then made up some masks for it.
BookHand.jpg MapWarpedMask.jpg
Then warped the map image from before so that it matched the page.
MapWarped.jpg
Need another post because the wip catcher is getting the wrong one again...
Last edited by Redrobes; 12-07-2024 at 07:07 PM.
Then I composited all of it together and made up the bottom image.
### Latest WIP ###
MapBookCloud.jpg
I like it as a concept but I think that some of the intermediate stages from earlier posts look better as a map. So maybe the image that I put in as my entry might not be this one. I feel like I have missed the mark with all of them by a little bit. There's things I like about them all and things I don't like about each of them so that no one image is the right one. But it was fun doing that composite image.
So do you like the concept ? Is the cloud chair any good ? Do I need more clouds to make him look high up in the air ? Should this be the entry or the previous map image ? Does it need a border ?
Last edited by Redrobes; 12-07-2024 at 07:08 PM.
A really interesting process, thanks for sharing!
Some thoughts:
I really dig this idea - it makes sense and is clear what you're going for. I would add a few more wispy clouds to make it clearer that we're looking down from on high (and not just that RR had a large burrito for lunch).
I think a border on the map in the book would look great, if you can swing it, but probably not necessary. I'd leave out a border on the overall image though.
Thanks Jo !
I agree with both of those tips. There are two things I really dont like about it at present and that is the hand is rather pasty and needs more contrast to look more realistic. The second is the key on the map which is not parallel to the edges of the book. So if I do have a border on the map then I would be able to have something which goes off the edge of the page and therefore line up better. When I get a bit of time again ill have a go at that.
I'll try to add a few wispy clouds. I don't have a lot of room to leave the ground showing through but I think it would greatly help the distance effect.
Ok I think this one is it.
I have added the map border, added some page edges because the book looked like a block of solid wood. I have added some clouds to make it look like we're higher up. And there are just a few little details in the blurry landscape to suggest some buildings on the ground. Only a few were in view which is just as well. I think aside from doing a bit of masking, these bits of blurry items were the only thing I had to hand draw on the whole map. Everything else was programmed through shaders and texturers and image manipulation of existing images stolen gratuitously from the public domain - like painting with photos. Anyway, for somebody who cant draw like you pros out there, this is what I have to do.
I got the font from dafont as normal and this one is Moon Runes.
I like this final much more than the previous one so I think this will be the entry unless anybody has something to point out that I can fix.
### Latest WIP ###
Final1.jpg
Yep, I agree, that's the one. Really nice work man.
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