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Thread: How to draw politcal borders for empires/kingdoms?

  1. #1
    Guild Novice cdeldridge's Avatar
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    Help How to draw politcal borders for empires/kingdoms?

    So I'm new to cartography and I've been using CC3 to draw a world map that covers a fantasy series that I've been working on. I'm close to being done (in a rough draft format) and I can't figure out how I can draw political borders (empires/kingdoms) with relative ease. I want each empire to have a different colored pattern representing the empire that is transparent enough so I can still see the terrain, land features, structures, etc. Is there an easy way to do this or do I have to just draw out a terrain, or landmass (and try to stay along the lines of the landmass - which will be a pain) then change the sheet, try to find 15-25 different colored dashed/broken lined fill styles, etc.? Any advice/tutorial would be appreciated. Thanks....

  2. #2
    Community Leader NeonKnight's Avatar
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    Check out my tutorial, DRAWING POLITICAL BORDERS IN CC3 in the tutorial section.

    http://www.cartographersguild.com//showthread.php?3516-[Award-Winner]-Making-Political-Borders-in-CC3
    Last edited by NeonKnight; 01-19-2010 at 09:33 PM.
    Daniel the Neon Knight: Campaign Cartographer User

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    MY 'FAMOUS' CC3 MAPS: Thunderspire; Pyramid of Shadows; King of the Trollhaunt Warrens; Demon Queen's Enclave

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    Guild Novice cdeldridge's Avatar
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    Cool thanks for the reply. That will definitely help.....

  4. #4
    Guild Novice cdeldridge's Avatar
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    Okay so the tutorial really helped, but I want to use my terrains to trace to draw out my empires (and not my land), however i want some of my empires to cover two or more separate terrains. How do i join multiple terrains and turn them into a single "permanent" entity, so I can trace say four separate terrains (now one) and then use an appropriate fill style on the "now" single entity? I hope that makes sense. Thanks...

  5. #5
    Community Leader NeonKnight's Avatar
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    Assuming you are not using 'overlapping' borders, simply draw your borders on a seperate sheet. As you draw one border, use the trace option to trace along coasts or rivers, and 'free-hand' it over forests, marshes, or mountains. It's really that simple.
    Daniel the Neon Knight: Campaign Cartographer User

    Never use a big word when a diminutive one will suffice!

    Any questions on CC3? Post them with CC3 in the Subject Line!
    MY 'FAMOUS' CC3 MAPS: Thunderspire; Pyramid of Shadows; King of the Trollhaunt Warrens; Demon Queen's Enclave

  6. #6
    Guild Novice cdeldridge's Avatar
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    And what if they are overlapping? Am I hosed?
    Last edited by cdeldridge; 01-19-2010 at 10:51 PM.

  7. #7
    Community Leader NeonKnight's Avatar
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    just means you'll need multiple sheets
    Daniel the Neon Knight: Campaign Cartographer User

    Never use a big word when a diminutive one will suffice!

    Any questions on CC3? Post them with CC3 in the Subject Line!
    MY 'FAMOUS' CC3 MAPS: Thunderspire; Pyramid of Shadows; King of the Trollhaunt Warrens; Demon Queen's Enclave

  8. #8
    Guild Novice cdeldridge's Avatar
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    Thanks for the help. I got it all figured out...
    Last edited by cdeldridge; 01-20-2010 at 01:30 PM.

  9. #9

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    I use Gimp, but what I do with this is I just make a layer entirely for political borders... and when I want to adjust a border, I use a 1-pixel pencil to cut into a neighboring empire with the color of the conquerors. I then fill the new space with the conquerors' color, and voila! The pencil tool makes it easy to fill because it's hard-edged, as opposed to soft-edged paintbrushes or the like.

  10. #10
    Guild Expert rdanhenry's Avatar
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    Borders are drawn in blood and iron.

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