Mapping software

[Hemdian]

Have you tried Universe? It's Hemdian's baby, get him to talk to you about it. It's cheaper and easier to learn than the profantasy stuff for a one-off project. I'm sure it does what you want, and I think you can get a full colour, black background if you want it. I don't recall much about it myself, I temporarily shelved it waiting for Universe 2...

Thanks, Icosahedron.

I wouldn't recommend Universe 1 if you have Windows Vista or Windows 7 but it works fine on Windows XP. It can be bought via BITS webshop (Ancient Tomes) ... though I make and ship the disks myself. Output:

• Spinward Marches (with Red Zone terminated J1 main shown),
• Jump 6 map (centered on Yori/Regina),
• and some screenshots.

Meanwhile, progress continues to be made on Universe 2 (I've just refactored the code to make it multithreaded for better performance) but there is still a huge amount to do. Sorry, but it might still be another year before it's ready. Here are some old screenshots of Universe 2 (I should really make an updated set sometime).

 

[Blue Ghost]

Interesting.

Is it possible to change the fonts?

 

[Blue Ghost]

One more thing; I guess the easy way out would be to take one of the LBB free-bee PDFs, edit the file by just inserting my own stuff into it. But, I'd like to create a look unto myself that hopefully people will like, but I'd still like to keep a bit of an homage to the LBB format.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Well, I had a gander at Campaign Cartographer, and specifically their "space/sci-fi edition". I'm not quite sure it's what I want. The pictures seem awfully "early 90s home-user graphics" quality.

Which means that my old CAD program is probably the best way to go. Either that or hire a commercial artists = bucks. Bucks I don't have. But we'll see.

 

[aramis]

Well, I had a gander at Campaign Cartographer, and specifically their "space/sci-fi edition". I'm not quite sure it's what I want. The pictures seem awfully "early 90s home-user graphics" quality.

Which means that my old CAD program is probably the best way to go. Either that or hire a commercial artists = bucks. Bucks I don't have. But we'll see.

CC is a vector-based 2D-CAD engine; it renders to just about any DPI one cares for, and certain vector formats, as well. If you already have a 2D CAD program, you don't need CC2 unless you want the specific features CC2 adds: fractalized lines, randomized symbol chains, tri-grid/hex-grid options.

a lot of the symbol libraries are mid to late 1990's... But it's also been the standard for game maps for a decade+... the reason so many of the mid-90's and later stuff comes to mind is that a lot of it was done with CC2.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Just out of curiosity, could you post a link to the RPG stuff you're referring to that was done with CC2? I'd kind of like to get a feel for what was published with the software.

 

[aramis]

Just out of curiosity, could you post a link to the RPG stuff you're referring to that was done with CC2? I'd kind of like to get a feel for what was published with the software.

Many of the D&D maps from the mid-90's. The Core Rules CD included a bunch of them; the D&D Core Rules mapper was CC2 light.

L5R 2nd Edition - the maps inside the covers there use standard symbols, even! (I was able to duplicate the look and feel of those maps with a standard install.)

 

[Sturn]

Several fantasy novels have used CC to make their maps even using standard symbol sets as Aramis described below. Sorry, I recall seeing these as I read books through the years but would have to go through my library book by book to tell you which ones.

 

[toddaroo]

I purchased CC3 and Cosmographer 3 this past weekend and have to say I have absolutely no idea what to do with it. I looked at all the beautiful maps that were made, the stunning deckplans, and was sold. Wow - steep learning curve indeed. I have no CAD experience. I figured it had to be a little intuitive right? So I open it up, click around, get no where, and close it. I did manage to locate a blank Traveller sector map, but I'll be damned if I can figure out how to do anything with it. I managed to put a planet on the map, but it was massive and I had no idea how to scale it down to fit into a single hex...

At any rate I am printed off all of the pdf guides for CC3 and hope to go through them during my vacation. Sadly there are no guides at present for Cosmographer 3.

I'm sure it is an amazing tool and I don't want to discourage anyone though.

 

[Space Hamster]

I purchased CC3 and Cosmographer 3 this past weekend and have to say I have absolutely no idea what to do with it. I looked at all the beautiful maps that were made, the stunning deckplans, and was sold. Wow - steep learning curve indeed. I have no CAD experience. I figured it had to be a little intuitive right? So I open it up, click around, get no where, and close it. I did manage to locate a blank Traveller sector map, but I'll be damned if I can figure out how to do anything with it. I managed to put a planet on the map, but it was massive and I had no idea how to scale it down to fit into a single hex...

At any rate I am printed off all of the pdf guides for CC3 and hope to go through them during my vacation. Sadly there are no guides at present for Cosmographer 3.

I'm sure it is an amazing tool and I don't want to discourage anyone though.

Yes it is a full blown CAD package to specialize in map making. If you are willing to climb that initial hurdle of learning the software you will find it is the best way to make maps.

One piece of advice I give beginners is to try very hard to get into a good habit of using layers. It is a pain at first because you forget what layer you are on and you add a bunch of stuff to the wrong layer. Spend the time moving it to the correct layer. The only rule for the layers is to make sure the layer the object is on is named something you can remember. You want to quickly be able to turn layers on and off without having to find the layer with the object you want to edit. Proper layers make all the difference in trying to select and edit.

If you look at the documentation for Cosmographer Pro, it should tell you how to make sector and subsector maps. It will not have all the new CC3 stuff in it. It will have the basics though.

 

[aramis]

Step one to learning CC (or most any CAD/CAM program): Forget everything you know about selecting before acting.

The sequence is

1. Select action
2. select what to apply action to
3. right click and choose "Do it"
4. answer the further questions as to how to do it, if any.

Do the tutorials. They are, in fact, the fastest way to learn it.
This is, in fact, different from a typical draw program...

At first, do some simple 1 layer 1 sheet stuff, to get a feel. Then, quickly, learn layers. Then add use of sheets. The use of sheets and layers makes GM maps and vertical stacks MUCH easier.

One other thing: in play, use CC3 viewer, not full CC3... this prevents accidental changes.

Oh, and my deckplans for the type S were done in CC2...

 

[Gray Lensman]

BG, if this: http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Gallery/index.php?n=1027
will do ya, then shoot me the data and I can pop it upfor you within a week in a variety of formats including PDF.

Can colorize it if you wish, the B&W thing is a "me" thing.

 

[toddaroo]

Space Hamster and aramis - Thanks for the suggestions. The concept of layers I am very familiar with. I have been using Photoshop since version 2 (though I am too stubborn to progress beyond my copy of version 7). So in theory I should have that down. And I've a ton of patience, so that should help too. I do plan on working through the tutorials as well, and thanks for the reinforcement that they will be a benefit.

This is, in fact, different from a typical draw program...

You can say that again.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Many of the D&D maps from the mid-90's. The Core Rules CD included a bunch of them; the D&D Core Rules mapper was CC2 light.

L5R 2nd Edition - the maps inside the covers there use standard symbols, even! (I was able to duplicate the look and feel of those maps with a standard install.)

Do you recall which D&D maps?

I'm kind of anxious to get this completed, but want to do the graphics right.

 

[Sturn]

CC definitely has a learning curve. Once you get used to the interface (click what you want to do, THEN click object instead of the usual click object first),it is still overwhelming probably due to the number of things you can do with it. I find that I have relearned CC more then once through the years since if you don't use it, you tend to forget it.

I thus have used AutoRealm (a streamlined free CAD, more intuitive GUI) for most projects. I jump over to CC when AutoRealm can't do something I want).

 

[aramis]

Do you recall which D&D maps?

I'm kind of anxious to get this completed, but want to do the graphics right.

No. Just suffice it to say, the "1992 to the end_of_TSR" map look was, in fact, often CC2. TSR even commissioned profantasy to do a simplified version for the Core Rules CD.

 

[kafka47]

Not what you are looking for but way too cool not to share with Wanderer fans or Low Tech Traveller...or anyone needing maps...

http://dizzydragon.net/adventuregenerator/home

 

[Tekrat04]

Space Hamster and aramis - Thanks for the suggestions. The concept of layers I am very familiar with. I have been using Photoshop since version 2 (though I am too stubborn to progress beyond my copy of version 7). So in theory I should have that down. And I've a ton of patience, so that should help too. I do plan on working through the tutorials as well, and thanks for the reinforcement that they will be a benefit.



You can say that again.

A piece of advice:

One thing that is not emphasized in any of the tutorials is that in CC3 the final output resolution has nothing to do with the size of the map you are drawing. When you chose the size of the map in CC3 base on the size needed to draw the objects you are mapping. In CC3 you draw objects on a 1 to 1 basis. For example say you want to draw a starship that is 37.5m in length by 24m wide (a Type-S), you would chose a template that that is 40m by 50m. The same map will look just as good printed on an 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper than on a 36 by 48 poster.

 

[aramis]

A piece of advice:

One thing that is not emphasized in any of the tutorials is that in CC3 the final output resolution has nothing to do with the size of the map you are drawing. When you chose the size of the map in CC3 base on the size needed to draw the objects you are mapping. In CC3 you draw objects on a 1 to 1 basis. For example say you want to draw a starship that is 37.5m in length by 24m wide (a Type-S), you would chose a template that that is 40m by 50m. The same map will look just as good printed on an 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper than on a 36 by 48 poster.

Only mostly true; if the detail level is too high, it will render poorly on 8.5x11.

But that's an artifact of it being a CAD program.

Be warned, tho'... CC3 PNG imports as textures do not get scaled with the rest of the drawing; in a small space printed, it might not even include the full texture sample, and in a large one it tiles the sample...

 

[Blue Ghost]

All I need are some rudiementary top down maps. Black and white, I'm thinking. Nothing color. No fancy stuff. Just plain vanilla C-Trav.