Convert Map Style to Look Drawn

Terenn

Hello,

I have completed a full-color overland map for an adventure. Is it possible to "convert" this to look as if it were drawn on parchment? I know there is a style for it, but redoing all would take time that I hope someone has a trick to save...

Thanks!

Loopysue

Here is how I would do it if I just wanted a background with nothing fancy, like scrolls or ragged edges.

1. Add a new sheet on top of your map (bottom of the list)
2. Add a Blend Mode sheet effect to the new sheet
3. Set the Blend Mode to Multiply
4. Draw a rectangle of the desired parchment fill over the entire map on that new sheet.
5. Refresh the drawing

You may find that this trick works better with black and white styles, but it does depend on the style. Here is an example:

You will find parchment fills in the Bitmaps\Tiles folder and subfolders depending on what add ons you have. If you can't find any you like in there, there are some free here:

https://www.profantasy.com/products/subsamples.asp#&panel1-1

Terenn

https://forum.profantasy.com/discussion/comment/102277#Comment_102277

Thanks - I finally got a chance to try this - It does apply the parchment look which is great.

That said, as you mentioned, it doesnt work as well for color maps. As such, I figure I will have to do as second map using black & white symbols only. Give this, a follow up question:

What would be the best way to use my existing map as a reference so that everything is to scale?

Loopysue

What style is your current map done in?

The reason I ask is to estimate how dark the colours are, and whether we can just make it greyscale with an RGB Process Matrix, or if we really need to convert it to a different style.

If you aren't sure, a screen shot should show it.

Terenn

https://forum.profantasy.com/discussion/comment/102392#Comment_102392

I am relatively certain its a Mike Shelley(?) Overland - Screenshot below:

Loopysue

You're right - that's pretty, but way too colourful for the parchment trick to work on this version. If we were to use an RGB Matrix Process (Yes, I got the name twisted back to front last time I mentioned it), the map would be generally a mid grey, which wouldn't work very well either.

However, there is a solution close at hand.

Fortunately for us Mike Schley did a black and white version of this style. I'm not sure if the new settlement symbols he's been doing for the free monthly content will be there, but this should be relatively easy to convert.

Start by creating a new map in the Mike Schley Inks Overland style that is the same size as your current colour map.

Then hide all the sheets you don't need to copy across from the first map (shown below) and use the Copy and Paste tools in the Edit menu to copy everything else across to the new blank Inks map.

Once you have the map in the new template you can use the Change Properties tool to swap the colour polygon fills with their black and white equivalent, and the Symbol Manager to Replace the colour symbols with their black and white versions.

Then try the parchment trick, and you should have a much clearer conversion.

This is a brief description only - don't be afraid to ask how to do something if you get stuck.

jmabbott

Sue, as usual, is spot on. Before you start, I would also watch the Live Mapping video @Monsen did that shows this process in detail. Yours should be relatively straight forward as it's the B&W version of the same style.