Software Recommendations

[dfmoss]

Ok, I am new to mapping in general. I recently purchased Fractal Terrains Pro and CC3. So far, they are not producing the maps that I want.

The maps that I like best are similar to Handsome Rob's Western Jalaun (http://www.cartographersguild.com/viewtopic.php?t=394) - what a great looking map!

My question - will the two products I mentioned above get anywhere close to what I want.

Do I need to get GIMP? Bryce? (Can't afford Photoshop).

One of the few things I dislike about CC3 are the symbols. They strike me as fine for a players map but not for a map that is more detailed.

Thanks,

Don

[HandsomeRob]

Well, I do use FT to generate my relief and coastlines. Most of the work I do is in Adobe Illustrator, with some touch-up and raster effects in Adobe Photoshop. From what I've heard, GIMP is a free clone of Photoshop and Inkscape is a free clone of Illustrator, so if you don't want to spend the money you can try those.

I own an older version of Campaign Cartographer, but I think it is brutally difficult to use and I agree that it does not seem to do a particularly good job of making atlas-style maps even if you DO know how to use it.

-Rob

[Calendril]

HandsomeRobe - How are you able to get FT to generate such good relief? It seems to want to generate one or two ridiculously high points and some rather incongruous plains/valleys. Do you use the painting tools to customise its output?

[HandsomeRob]

Here's a tip - I only use the relief, not the elevations. If you generate a map with only one land color (white), and turn shading on, the relief looks pretty good. But don't use the elevations, they are crap. Completely unrealistic. I will use the relief to add mountain ranges in appropriate places at that point.

Hope that helps.

-Rob

[RogerStenning]

Here's a tip - I only use the relief, not the elevations. If you generate a map with only one land color (white), and turn shading on, the relief looks pretty good. But don't use the elevations, they are crap. Completely unrealistic. I will use the relief to add mountain ranges in appropriate places at that point.

Hope that helps.

-Rob

Erm... ok, use one colour - how? What settings did you alter to do this?

[HandsomeRob]

In my version of FT, if you go to Map > Lighting and Color, you can change the number of colors and the colors themselves, as well as whether they step or blend and whether or not to show relief. There are separate sections for land and water colors also.

Is this a feature that has changed in newer versions of FT? I think I am running an older one.

-Rob