Help with Snow/Ice Terrain CC3+

I've read through the Tome of Ultimate Mapping and scoured the internet, but I'm still have some trouble in creating a snow-type terrain. I know CC3+ has a tundra terrain, but I'm a bit lost on how to make a snow/ice-type terrain. Similar to Antarctica or northern parts of Greenland.

For example, the image I had in my head is north of the mountain range is an ice area. So any help on how to accomplish this or ideas, would be appreciated. Thank you all very much.

Comments

  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    Hello Ookakiba :)

    What map style are you using? Mike Schley... Herwin Wielink?
  • ScottAScottA Surveyor
    It's very possible with a little work. Look in the community atlas, there are some winter maps there as examples.
  • I'm using the Mike Schley map style.

    I have looked in the community atlas, I'm just not sure how to get around to making it.
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    I just checked the drawing tools, and you are right - there isn't one for drawing with the built in Ice_MS fill, though the fill exists.

    You can deal with this one of two ways.

    Use one of the other drawing tools to draw the right shape for the ice terrain in a different fill, and then use Change Properties on that polygon to change the fill to Ice_MS (and possibly the sheet it's on as well), or...

    Create your own new drawing tool to do the job.

    The second option is a little more complex, but I can try to show you how if you want to do that.
  • Is there any repository of user-made drawing tools that creators have decided to share?

    After reading your comment above Sue, I’m planning on going through the drawing tool process tonight and would be willing to share said result afterwards.
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    I don't think there is a repository, but that is a thought isn't it.

    I am in the middle of preparing a set of images for a 'how to make your own Ice terrain drawing tool' post. I will post it anyway, even if you find a way to share your drawing tool, so that Ookakiba can make others for him(?)self in the future.
  • I've searched for a repository of sorts, but I couldn't find anything.

    I would appreciate a 'how-to' for making a drawing tool. It would be incredibly useful
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    edited February 2021
    If you choose to make your own drawing tool, Ookakiba, this is the easiest way to do it.

    First, with your Mike Schley map open, click the crossed hammer and pencil button ringed in red on the left. It will open the 'Select drawing tool' dialog, which shows all the drawing tools available for this style.



    Click the Advanced button at the bottom, and from the list of tools in the left panel select a tool that is closest in behaviour to what you want from your new Ice tool. Here I have picked the 'Terrain Default, Desert' tool. Then click New.



    A smaller dialog will open allowing you to name your new tool. I generally stick with the defaults and just change the name at the end (as shown) so that the new tool will appear in the same place as the rest of the terrain tools. Click OK.



    So you have a new drawing tool for your Ice, but it's still showing desert fill (or the fill of the tool you chose to use as a pattern for the new one). Click Properties on the right above the image (1), and change the fill to be used to Ice_MS (2). Then OK the properties dialog (3) and Save your new tool with its changed properties (4)



    Then you should be able to use your new Ice drawing tool just like you use any other drawing tool, though you will have to locate it each time by clicking the Hammer and pencil button.


    MarkOlsen
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    In addition to these basic instructions, you can see that there are a lot more options available to use if you ever want to make a specific drawing tool that isn't just a simple job of changing the fill on a cloned copy of an existing one.

    Most of these options speak for themselves, but if you find anything you can't understand please just ask :)
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    Also, I noticed that earlier you mentioned looking in the Tome for help. The instructions on how to make your own drawing tools are on page 140 if you want to see them. That will give you a much more detailed breakdown of the process.
  • Sue, you are the treasure at the end of the dungeon! :-)
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    Thank you!

    You're welcome :)
  • edited January 2020
    As I said it, so I did it. Here's the drawing tool Sue tutorialized above, just in case you don't want to do it yourself. It's SO very easy though, I highly recommend doing it yourself.

    This is Terrain Default, Ice, in the Mike Schley Overland style. Unzip it and save it in Profantasy\CC3Plus\System\Drawtools\Overland Mike Schley. If you're using a wintry or arctic theme for your map and require using this often, a quick addition to the instructions above would be:

    Click "Open Symbol Catalog", navigate to "Profantasy\CC3Plus\System\Drawtools\Overland Mike Schley" and select "Terrain Default, Ice.dto", then click "Open". BOOM! Your custom drawing tool (that you made yourself, right?) is now in your symbol catalog for quick and easy access. (Sorry no screenshots, I haven't figured out how to do that on this board yet, but I promise I'll work it out someday.)

    Daisho
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    edited January 2020
    Well, I've learned something new myself :)

    I didn't know how to include the tool in the symbol catalogue until now. I know it's probably in the Tome, but somehow I've never found time to find it.

    Thanks Daisho! :D

    Edit: screen shot to forum image - lots of different ways. I press the "prt sc" button and then open GIMP, where I use File->Create->From Clipboard. I then make sure its no wider than 1024 pixels by either cropping or scaling the image, and export it to .jpg format.
  • 10 days later
  • This guide is really awesome! Thank you for making it!

    Sorry for such a late response, it's been a busy few weeks. But I was finally able to make it and it worked like a charm. You are a savior! Thanks a lot :).
  • 1 year later
  • ClayCClayC Newcomer

    Hi all, I've been busily digging into the software potential since picking it up over the holidays. I've discovered how to create a custom drawing tool. The steps above have been really useful. Sue, always a joy when I find your excellent instructions for something I'm trying to do and have overlooked in the Tome.

    Next level - I'm trying to use a fill (something like ice or snow) from Mike Schley Overland in a custom drawing tool made using the steps above. However, I'm trying to make that custom drawing tool in Cities of Schley. I thought I'd be able to copy over the .dto file from one C:\ProgramData\Profantasy\CC3Plus\System\Drawtools\<target> folder to another, but when I try to create the custom draw tool using a map built in SS5 Cities of Schley, CC3 does not pickup on the new .dto.

    I also tried copying over the Overland bitmaps into the C:\ProgramData\Profantasy\CC3Plus\Bitmaps\Tiles\City\SS5 folder. And still, when creating the new custom drawing tool, CC3 does not "see" these bitmaps when using Properties to try and select a new fill style.

    Any ideas?

  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 46 images Cartographer

    Copying a drawing tool (*.dto file) from one folder to another should not be a problem at all, jsut make sure to put it in the right folder. Do remember to check for it from the all drawing tools window though, it won't magically appear in the symbol catalog window, tools need to be manually added to symbol catalogs.

    As for the fills. First of all, don't copy them around, that won't help anything, and only confuses things if you bring the map file to a new computer. Fills are not picked up by being in a folder, fills are defined as a fill style in the map, click the fill style indicator in the top right and go to the bitmap files tab to see the fill styles defined in the current map.

    Now, that drawing tool you copied, when you find it, is probably not going to work directly exactly because the fill style isn't defined in that map. The easiest way to import the fills from another style is to use Draw -> Insert file, then pick a map in the style containing the fills you want to insert, and click ok. Now, once you click ok, you should see an outline of that map on your cursor. Simply hit Esc to avoid placing a copy of the map, but the fills will still be imported.

  • ClayCClayC Newcomer

    Excellent, thank you very much. Worked amazingly well!

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