[Award Winner] Using GIMP to Create an Artistic Regional RPG Map

[Nick Luigii Hill]

Now using the Magic Wand Tool, (making sure Sample Merged is Checked and the Threshold is 0) click anywhere in the dark area. This will define your coast. If you want to adjust it, just undo the selection (ctrl-Z) and change the levels of the “Land Clip” layer. I wand back and tightened the coast a bit.


Now Invert the selection (Select->Invert), create a new black layer called “Land Mask” and fill the selection with white. Now save the selection to a Channel (Select->Save to Channel) and rename the channel to “Land Mask”. This will be used a fit bit later.

Now clear the selection (Select->None).

That technique (the Three-Layer-Sandwich of noise, shape and threshold clip layer, or TLS for short ) will be a basic technique that will be used over and over again, using different blending modes between the noise layer (to give some variegation to the surface) and the shape definition layer. It will be used to define forests and mountains, even clouds in the sky.

This is a fantastic guide! I've gotten further on here than I ever have in map making. However, I'm stuck on post 4 (I appreciate this isn't exactly far in the process). I select, invert and save my channel calling it Land Mask. However, after that, I'm left with the pure white Land Mask and not my full screen like you do. I've followed what you've said to a tee many times and don't get where I'm going wrong. I'm obviously missing something somewhere!

[Talonkaine]

Create a new layer called “Land Clip”, filled with white above that, and set its blend mode to Lighten. You will have a white image. Now, with this layer selected, Open the levels dialog (Colors->Levels) and grab the white output slider, and drag it down. As this happens, the land will be revealed. Stop at a place you like, and click OK.

Hello everyone, I need some HELP. So I've been following the guide so far up to this point no problem, however I've hit a roadblock. I created the new layer called Land Clip... but what does he mean by "filled with white above that"... Does he mean to use the bucket fill with white color and make the whole image on the Land Clip white? I've tried this but when I get to the output slider part my image does not change, it just stays solid white.

Any help would be appreciated.

[trandoductin]

This post is great.
I used the tutorial steps to write my script in GIMP to generate maps from black and white drawn layers to speed up the process.
Hopefully help future Indie Game development.
You can find my scripts on this thread: https://www.gimplearn.net/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=772

[RaNaketh]

Hey Talonkaine,

If I recall correctly, Rob's tutorial is getting you to create a new Layer, fill it (or create it) with complete base white. When you're adjusting this layer as he mentioned, because it sits 'above' your other layer when you adjust the slider you should start to see the lower layers appear on screen.

I think I have a complete Tutorial GIMP file where I went through this process when I was learning too and can share it if you still need help and want to see all the layers separately defined?

Let me know.
Ra.

[thebeard88]

Post 1:Introduction

First off, let me say that it was Pyrandon’s city map tutorial that inspired me to write up this one, so I will steal his format . I have been working on a variety of techniques to make (what I consider to be) “nice looking” maps using GIMP, and felt they are polished enough now so that anyone can follow along and do the same.

I intend to publish this tutorial serially, in the How-To forum at the Cartographer’s Guild web site, and hope to coalesce it into a single pdf for download when complete.

Why GIMP?
In case you are not aware, GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a raster graphic editor. It is free software available under the GNU General Public License and can be downloaded from www.gimp.org for a number of computer systems, including Windows and Linux.

This tutorial has been developed with GIMP version 2.4, and may refer to features not available in older versions. Additionally, the menu structures have been shuffled about as of this version. There are some super new features that make upgrading worth it (in my opinion).

Most of these techniques will also have equivalents in Photoshop, PaintShop Pro, and other raster editors. The key features that will be used are Layers, Layer Blending Modes, Layer Masks, Blue and Noise (cloud) filters, Gradient Mapping, and Bump Mapping. Additionally, some of the more advanced techniques will involve Channels and Paths.

How well do I have to know GIMP?
Don’t worry, as everything will be explained fairly methodically, with a lot of screen grabs to show what is meant. Hopefully, full menu paths (like Color->Auto->Normalize) will be provided all the time, though there may be the occasional miss for the more common commands.

What type of map?
The result of this tutorial will produce a map similar (but not exactly the same as some techniques have changed) to this:
Attachment 1417

This type of map is good for representing larger overland areas where details like mountain ranges, rivers, lakes, roads and forests would be discernible. The techniques explored here will not work well for whole world maps or local maps.

What do I need to begin?
1) Well, GIMP (of course).
2) Hopefully an idea for a map. Ideally this will be a rough sketch showing the general shape of the land, with locations like mountains, forests and possibly cities marked out. It is best not to be too detailed at this point, as the techniques used will auto-magically provide a lot of the details for you. If you have NO idea or concern of one, a few options for completely random map generation will also be thrown in, for good measure.
3) A colour scheme. This is the thing that will really give the map its characteristic appearance. For this example, I will be using the same colour than Pyrandon used in his city tutorial. A GIMP palette has been put together with these colours, and will be attached for download.

I looked at GIMP years ago and was overwhelmed with the learning curve. I will now try it again using this tutorial, thanks

[Non Nomen]

Hello everyone, and sorry if I'm being a bother dragging up a really old thread like this, but I'm new to both CG and using GIMP to make maps, and I'm trying to use this walkthrough here to try to help me make a world-map for a game I was gonna run for friends. Anyways my issue here is, I don't quite understand how Rob got all this bump-mapping stuff to work, part of the problem is that the GIMP program I use keeps crashing when I try to apply the stuff he's doing here. I'm not sure if you guys can help me with that, although I'm wondering if it might have anything to do with all the beveling effects I've been adding to mountains, which seems to have given me about 50 different layers of previous bump maps and I'm just adding too many features. Aside from that I've been finding it kind of hard to find & use the tools Rob has described here & in other steps because I think they moved where they were at and I'm also wondering if that's causing problems here.

[Azélor]

Hello everyone, and sorry if I'm being a bother dragging up a really old thread like this, but I'm new to both CG and using GIMP to make maps, and I'm trying to use this walkthrough here to try to help me make a world-map for a game I was gonna run for friends. Anyways my issue here is, I don't quite understand how Rob got all this bump-mapping stuff to work, part of the problem is that the GIMP program I use keeps crashing when I try to apply the stuff he's doing here. I'm not sure if you guys can help me with that, although I'm wondering if it might have anything to do with all the beveling effects I've been adding to mountains, which seems to have given me about 50 different layers of previous bump maps and I'm just adding too many features. Aside from that I've been finding it kind of hard to find & use the tools Rob has described here & in other steps because I think they moved where they were at and I'm also wondering if that's causing problems here.

Is your computer old? It looks like you're trying to do too many things at the same time.

[Non Nomen]

Is your computer old? It looks like you're trying to do too many things at the same time.

No, not particularly, although I have been meaning to get more RAM for a while now. That said I did also come to the conclusion that I probably got ahead of myself trying to do mountains the way I was because what Rob ended up instructing I should do is a lot easier than continually layering bevel effects, and is probably easier on GIMP as well. So I've started my project over from the beginning to fix it.

[Silbrulf]

I got as far as the seashore step, and then hit a roadblock... I don't have "edge behavior" options. It's not a vital step, map for my personal game of DnD, but i dont really want to have to go back and rebuild all the following layers once I figure this out (I'm a perfectionist and if there is even one thing that feels "off" I'm going to go nuts trying to fix it...). So, my question is, how would I do this in gimp 2.10.6? If there's anyone who knows. (Figured it out: there IS no edge behavior in that dialogue for 2.10.6... it seems to be automatic.)

Edit: Went ahead and pushed on... 3 questions.
1) Found a way to maneuver around this, but not ideal; I can't get the mountains "high" enough. Some of my "impassable" ranges are a bit shallow. (Fixed to my satisfaction: used bump map instead of bevel. left me with a "glow" that took some work to fix, but finally got it)
2) I'm absolutely lost when trying to get anything at the beginning of post 13 done. Backtracking to the sea layers and doing the underwater terrain especially was a nearly catastrophic failure (Fixed: One of the layers was somehow broken, completely redoing select layers fixed it.)
3) Starting on rivers now (going to use the other forest tute for now), but when I draw the white lines on the grass mask, the white of the "shoreline mask" blocks the blue water... (Fixed: somehow, when I redid the layers, the rivers turned pale blue... *shrugs*)

Well. Feel a little less stupid, and when I get it finished I'll attach a pic so others can see that even a noob can accomplish a good map with this one. LoL

[Thorijel]

I'm following this tutorial, very helpful and efficient.

But how can I add snows, not to the whole map, but just some parts of it?