03 - Atlas Ward [Mouse]

[Abu Lafia]

Can only echo Voolf here, once again you're pushing this software to it's limits Mouse! Fantastic work, i particularly adore the "Old Atlas" part, it has such a charming and lovely flair to it. The only nitpicky thing that bugs me a bit is the black linework on the cliffs. It doesn't fit too well with the bright stone texture in my view. Thanks again for getting this wonderful Guild City project rolling in the first place and keep up the awesome work!

Oh and btw. i think it's an interesting idea with a "night version" of Guild City, but i wouldn't dare to bring that topic up in front of guilders like Kacey after they've been through hours of beautifully shading their roofs

[Mouse]

Aw thanks Abu

I do mean to do something like Merelan City with the cliffs, but I need to know my neighbours are happy with the exact extent and height of the drop before I get seriously into that part, so for now the black lines area really just markers. I'll wait for GLS to be ready to discuss it, but I think number 4 on the other side is just going to have to work with what I do, or I'll never be finished.

As for the getting the project rolling? I was just musing. It was John who picked it up and gave it a kick start, then everyone else joined in. We all got it rolling - including you! LOL!

The shading in a night version would be the same - imagine the moon in the same position as the sun is now... but... Well I'd better clap my hand over my mouth because I don't want to spark anything else off while we're still only in the early stages of this one

[kacey]

It's looking good Mouse, I really like the trees, and that design you have in the centre of the compass rose...Verry nice so far.

[Mouse]

Thanks Kacey

The trees are composite images - each made up from 3-5 separate transparent pngs I rendered from 3D Vue models with additional shading by hand. Unfortunately due to the EULA covering fan art (some of the models I used were created and shared by other users) I cannot sell any map they are in, and nor can I share my composite work with anyone as individual transparent pngs (or the the full set of 150 different colours would be in my free textures album), but I can use them to make my 'not for sale' maps more attractive

The compass rose pattern was drawn directly in CC3, making use of the software in its basic capacity as precision vector drawing tool. Here it is at higher resolution.

compass rose detail.JPG

[Tonnichiwa]

Awesome! I've still never even tried doing stuff like that yet. It looks fantastic!

[Mouse]

Thanks Tonnichiwa

The first couple of compass designs were drawn as lots of individual polygons, but modifying it was a nightmare, even though I'd set my heart on a more 'compassy' pattern. I settled then for drawing it all as one simple star with different length spikes, but remembered at that point that if you fold a polygon over itself the fill is cancelled out and you get a transparent bit. So I tried again one last time by drawing from point to point across the circle with a single polygon - and this is the result. One massively folded polygon

Totally off-topic, I also discovered this morning that if you chatter incessantly on this forum (as I do - sorry!) you eventually get to be a 'Guild Master' at 2000 comments! I'm telling you this because the label has no bearing on my knowledge or skill level - it just means that I'm an incurable chatter-mouse!

[Mouse]

This is the somewhat disappointing result of several days attempting to create a building block style symbol set for my houses.

If I had a printer to print out my base map (or enough money to get it done down town) I'd turn to hand drawing as well.

I could use my tablet, but I don't know how to use GIMP properly for anything yet - other than colouring in pencil drawings.

### Latest WIP ###
Atlas Ward 02.JPG

What I might do is finish the construction and then touch up in GIMP - add lichens and bird nests etc.

[Chashio]

I'm not sure what all goes into making a building block style symbol set in the program you're using, but it sounds complicated and frustrating. Sorry it didn't go as well as you hoped. But, what you have there looks mighty fine and is clearly the creation of a master. The Guild Master title might not have a correlation to skill level and such, but it fits nonetheless.
If you have a scanner you could try viewing the map on-screen at print size and draw stuff to approximate scale on paper and then make adjustments in GIMP if need be. Maybe another option.
I look forward to how you fill this out... and the lichens and bird nests. Nice touch!

[Mouse]

Thanks Chashio

Symbol sets aren't that difficult to do - very easy in fact. Its getting the scale of the drawing and the textures correct that's the problem, and I seem to be in a creative lull right at the moment. I'll blame it on the short dark days

While I have a scanner I'm not keen on doing the map piecemeal. That's probably because I don't have half such a clear plan in my head as the rest of you seem to. It just kind of... 'happens', with me.

I am also looking forward to seeing how I fill this out! LOL!

[Chashio]

Thanks Chashio

Symbol sets aren't that difficult to do - very easy in fact. Its getting the scale of the drawing and the textures correct that's the problem, and I seem to be in a creative lull right at the moment. I'll blame it on the short dark days

While I have a scanner I'm not keen on doing the map piecemeal. That's probably because I don't have half such a clear plan in my head as the rest of you seem to. It just kind of... 'happens', with me.

I am also looking forward to seeing how I fill this out! LOL!

Well then, you definitely know more about them than me; I've never done much with symbol sets in my own work. I have drawn some, not quite the same as what I think you are talking about , but they're never quite the right thing for the map I am currently making, so they just sit in dusty corners of my studio and hard drive.

Haha! I know what you mean. I am very much the 'it just happens' sort. I just kind of... scribble... until it looks halfway right. Also, I look at a ton of reference imagery so I know where halfway to right is.