What to buy?

KitCat · February 2017

I'm gonna make this a short question: Which products do I need to buy in total to:

- Create Overland Maps using the DeRust Overland Tileset from Cartograhpers Anual Vol. 7?
- Create Dungeon Maps using the OSR Dungeon Maps from Cartographers Anual Vol. 15?
- Create City Maps using the Black&White Towns Set from Cartographers Anual Vol. 15?

Thanks in advance.

Josh.P. · February 2017

I'm by no means an expert on this software yet. But...

You would need CC3/CC3+. Get the one listed below to get both. This future proof's you as CC3+ will be the way forward.

1. Campaign Cartographer 3 with downloadable CC3+

This will give you the core, then you need the two volumes.

The Cartographer's Annual Vol 7
There is no volume 15 so assume you are talking about 2015 which is - The Cartographer's Annual Vol 9

Now volume 7 is not yet compatible with CC3+. So unsure if there is a way to do a manual install but for now, to use both of these annuals, you would need to use CC3. Annual 9 does wotk in CC3+ though which I find preferable to use.

Monsen · February 2017

Note that while the annuals will work without them, you will have better tools at your disposal for making Cities and Dungeons with these annuals if you also have City Designer 3 and Dungeon Designer 3.

KitCat · February 2017

Thanks for the answers! Yes, I indeed meant Vol. 9 published in 2015, the name switch kinda confused me a little when I wrote this late at night.

So the absolute must is logically CC3+, while City Designer and Dungeon Designer are optional but recommended? Fair enough with the discounted bundle price. I'll look into them and see what my final decision will fall on. Thanks in any case!

KitCat · February 2017

I just noticed that I skipped @daplunks last sentence. Does anyone have experience to tell if the Anual Vol. 7 is somehow integrateable into CC3+? I don't mind more complex approaches if available.

Monsen · February 2017

It is. Most of the work is just copying the files to the appropriate location (Install it into CC3, then copy the files from the CC3 install to CC3+), and then open up every template, map and symbol catalog for editing, and run the FFIX on them. This makes things work and usable, although it isn't a full integration (You need to manually load symbol catalogs for example, the toolbar buttons won't load them automatically). Making that work is quite a bit more involved.

Note that this handles the basics, there are some additional issue regarding sizing of effects, and the rare issues that comes with their own .dll files cannot be manually handled this way.

KitCat · February 2017

So it's presumeably more comfortable to just run CC3 normally for the DeRust overland maps? Is there any downside using CC3 instead of CC3+ for that?

Loopysue · February 2017

CC3+ is a lot faster than CC3, and far less 'crashy' on really huge JPEG exports. It also has more sheet effects (I think). I've never bothered with CC3, but I don't have any annuals to worry about. This is just general information I have picked up along the way by reading the forum on a regular basis and comparing notes with my own experiences.

You also don't get any lighting effects to use in your dungeons unless you have DD3, and no automatic streets and buildings without CD3

Medio · February 2017

I´m personally suffering the use of a heavy load map with effects in CC3. Wish i had the Annual i used (13th Age style) updated for CC3+. What i´m sure is that my next maps will be done in CC3+

Loopysue · February 2017

CC3+ can be used with sheet effects on, which is often very handy if you want to place something half in and half outside the shadow of another object to show it is lower than the shadow casting object (for instance), but there are limitations if the file is absolutely huge.

Merelan City - the biggest map I've made so far with 135 sheets and about 300 sheet effects spread between them all takes about 30 seconds to zoom in or out with the effects turned on, but I wouldn't dare try to open it in CC3. I doubt it would even open

Monsen · February 2017

Posted By: LoopysueI doubt it would even open

It would, but everything would be just red x's, since CC3 doesn't understand the @-path reference used by CC3+.

But yes, the performance of CC3+ is far superior to CC3, especially for effect-heavy maps.

KitCat · February 2017

Thanks for all the feedback! I've purchased the bundle with CD3 and DD3 along with the two anuals. Gonna test it out to see what runs smoother.

Loopysue · February 2017

Have fun KitCat - there's a lot to learn, so don't expect to fly before you can walk.

Best advice - work through the example map in the CC3 User Manual to get a hang of the controls, and ask if you don't understand something

Happy Mapping!

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What to buy?

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