Map Creation

**Dunchad** · 07-31-2008, 04:19 PM

Okay not sure if this is the right place for this thread or not. I have a world that I created about 15 years ago and have been using it ever since. I have scanned the maps I drew and reworked them with MS Paint, but I would really love for them to have a more professional look. Does anyone know of any programs out there that might be able to aid me in this process?

Thanks!!!!!

**Bearfoot_Adam** · 07-31-2008, 06:36 PM

Well there is always campaign cartographer. but that costs money there is a freeware version that I hear is decent but is not very user friendly.

**jade von delioch** · 07-31-2008, 09:21 PM

Photoshop.

You can also get some free photo references at www.SCX.hu
they have some paper textures there that you can use with photoshop. Plus theres a site out there that have free photoshop brushes that would help.

On a side note, i plugged in heraldic symbols to make them brushes for photoshop for quick make family crest.

**nijineko** · 07-31-2008, 10:09 PM

as for myself i use painter (i received several free copies when i purchased my graphics tablets...) and i also use fireworks and gimp. gimp at least is free. ^^ and very comporable to photoshop. they even have a custom version called gimpshop that lays it out like photoshop. may i also suggest the cartographer's guild website? they have excellent resources. =D

**Grimwell** · 08-01-2008, 01:09 AM

For things like this I prefer to ask a friend to do it and then feed them well and thank them profusely.

**Dunchad** · 08-01-2008, 01:14 PM

I would like to think everyone for answering. I am looking into the campaign cartographer program. It looks very nice, but man is it pricy.

I would use photshop, but never had good luck figuring it out. When I did do something and went to save it, well it didn't look the same. I like the idea of different brushes, and adding the heraldic symbols. I will remember that for future endeavors.

I have not heard of fireworks, will look it that as well. I had gimp for a while and it was a great program but it was causing some issues with my system and had to dump it. Might see if I can get a newer version and see what if may have been corrupted or something. I have not heard of a cartographers guild website. Any further info on that would be great as well.

I do have some friends that are amazing artist, but when they tried to help, well it just didn't look the same as what is in my head.

**aboyd** · 08-03-2008, 06:54 AM

AutoREALM is free. Here are tutorials. Here is the official site. Here is the SourceForge download.

**Dunchad** · 08-03-2008, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by aboyd

AutoREALM is free. Here are tutorials. Here is the official site. Here is the SourceForge download.

Very nice, looking it over now and most likely will be downloading and seeing what it can do. Appreciate the link.

**bltzkrg242** · 08-03-2008, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by grimwell

For things like this I prefer to ask a friend to do it and then feed them well and thank them profusely.

I have also used this scheme to good effect. I have a friend who uses campaign cartographer to good effect. I'm fortunate that he has taken my world on for me since all I have ever done is paper maps

**nijineko** · 08-03-2008, 04:05 PM

here's a link to the cartographer's guild.

autorealms is pretty nice as well. takes a bit of practice to get the layering right, but i had fun with it.

**Bearfoot_Adam** · 08-07-2008, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by aboyd

AutoREALM is free. Here are tutorials. Here is the official site. Here is the SourceForge download.

Been haveing a lot of fun with this. Thanks for the info.

**aboyd** · 08-08-2008, 05:11 AM

No problem. I'm glad it helped out anybody. By the way, if you're looking for more about it, here is the AutoREALM Yahoo group & mailing list.

**nijineko** · 08-08-2008, 03:50 PM

once i get me pc back up and running, i might play with autorealm again. drawing it out still works for me.

**Dunchad** · 08-08-2008, 11:34 PM

Originally Posted by aboyd

AutoREALM is free. Here are tutorials. Here is the official site. Here is the SourceForge download.

Very nice program. A little rough on some things, but it has made my maps look a lot nicer then they were. Thanks alot for the info.

**Briarthorn** · 08-13-2008, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by Bearfoot_Adam

Well there is always campaign cartographer. but that costs money there is a freeware version that I hear is decent but is not very user friendly.

Have you used this program? I was looking into buying it, but I don't want to be stuck with something that is too complicated to use. If anyone owns it let me ask this, how user friendly do you find Campaign Cartographer 3?