How Can I Draw Real-World Places in Campaign Cartographer?
I'd like to use Campaiagn Cartographer 3+ to draw hex maps for wargames. Because these are real-world places, I don't want to rely on random generation.
I'm trying to create relatively "clean" area maps instead of detailed topo maps. For now I'm redrawing maps I'd created in LibreOffice. I started a grassland map, but the hexes are too dark and too textured for easy readability.
I don't have the coordination for completely freehand drawing, but I want relatively free placement of coastlines, rivers, railroads, and cities. I need these to connect with each other, so it helps if I can snap to a detailed grid. I want other terrain to snap to the hex grid. Most hex-grid samples snap coastlines to the grid.
... I don't have the faintest idea how to do this kind of map in this app. I think there's a tutorial, but I doubt it's relevant.
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Hi Marja :)
What styles have you tried so far?
Can you show us a small sample of one of your Libre Office maps so we know what we are aiming for?
It is fairly straightforward to draw hex maps using Campaign Cartographer, providing you have access to one of the hex-map styles. I did a series of small test-maps in such a style back in 2023 here, where you can see both the snap-grid placement of symbols and terrain hexes, coastal shading, and, by scrolling further down the page, some samples where I redrew the coastlines by-hand. Adding roads and river lines would be fairly easy as well, as they're simply coloured lines of whatever style and thickness you prefer, and which can be drawn freehand, or using the hexagonal snap-grid.
@mike robel here has created a number of historical wargame hex-maps. This is his most recent topic on the subject. He can doubtless advise further on the subject, given many of his maps are based on real-world examples.
Wyvern is very generous in remarking upon my work. All my maps are made by using contour maps, usually at 1:100000 to 1:24000 scale and I mostly trace the contours and other features. My attempts at more generic maps look more like a 6 year old's scribbling. I was chastised mightily in third grade for my inability in penmanship, coloring, and staying inside the lines...
Having said that, I love drawing contour maps.
Hi Marja,
Although not a Hex map I did create a real life map using Birdseye Continental - which I know would quite possibly not be suitable for Hex maps. My point is just to say ’Yes I know it can be done”.
https://forum.profantasy.com/galleryviewer/395/36987 -- this is what I came up with if you’re interested.
(I wasn't able to link the original odg. This is a playtest map for a commericial product, but it is not the publishers' final map. I want to draw a smaller map for a mini-game and preview of the full game. I checked the CC3+ license terms, and it does allow commercial work.)
There are a number of hex mapping styles that might suit, but do you need to limit yourself to actual hexes or will a hex grid do? CC3+ can add a numbered hex grid to any map, like this (the map below is one of the example maps from the style Modern Political in the 2010 Cartographer's Annual).
Original map (no grid)
The same map with a grid I just added.
As I said above, you could use any style you liked if a hex grid was an acceptable alternative to hex components, or even make your own style as Mike has done.
If you want to have a look at other styles available there's a page of links here.
As for the actual drawing of the map - the coastline etc, you can import image files of these types into CC3+ and trace the shapes as you wish.
I have coordination problems, so I want to avoid too much freehand drawing. I also want to make sure it's clear which hexes everything is in or passes through.
I can’t draw for the life of me but I can draw maps with cc3+ pretty well these days,,
It sounds like you need a hex style where the hexes are ready-built to be placed on a snapping grid, though that might mean the coastlines, rivers, and boundaries, etc. are more hex shaped than you would probably like them to be.
Perhaps something like Hex Overland? It's in the same Cartographer's Annual as the last example I showed you - the 2010 annual, or "Volume 4".
These are the symbols from that style.
Looking at your PDF sample map, it seems as if what you may need are just hexes with three different fills to duplicate it. Two of those are terrain fills, the other is simply the flat colour representing open terrain (I think). If so, you can easily create those in CC3+, providing you have suitable bitmap fills available (either custom fills from the publisher, or ones you think will be suitable from what CC3+ assets you have available). All you need do is draw a hex using the hexagonal snap grid, and then change its fill style, then copy and paste that hex exactly where you need, again using the snap grid.
The river and coastlines may be trickier, because those are all obviously freehand on your sample map (I've drawn this coastline myself before, although for the ancient period, so I know it's not easy!). However, there is a trace option using CC3+ drawing tools that is able to at least approximately follow strongly-defined lines (that is, lines where there's a good degree of contrast) from a bitmap image (such as a JPG) imported into your CC3+ map. (Note though that this is separate to the Trace command the tools allow you to use when drawing with one in CC3+, because that needs a line already drawn in the CC3+ map to follow, not something on a separate image).
Sue's advice is good if you wanted to draw a map with a lot of different terrain types particularly, but those terrain symbols do seem rather different to your sample map's appearance. Hopefully though, some of our comments here will help point you in the right direction!
[And don't be so modest @mike robel 😁!]
When I was using LibreOffice, I would create layers for:
I relied on snap-to-grid options to make sure these would align and connect properly, but they could easily get mis-aligned during editing, and especially during rotation. I ended up with a LOT of work just getting them re-aligned. It's one reaso I'd prefer to avoid too much freehand drawing.
I'm just getting started with Campaign Cartographer.
1. Sure. Just put each image on a different sheet and/or layer. Than you can show/hide those sheets/layers as required. If you use sheets, you can also add a transparency effect on one of them so you can see them overlaid on top of each other if that is helpful.
2. If you make your hex grids manually after creating the map instead of in the new map wizard by using Draw -> Hex or square overlay you can hit the Select points button in the dialog to have more control over the placement of the grid. But due to the fact that hexes by their very nature doesn't really line up very well with nice round numbers, it can be a little trial and error getting them exactly as as you want. Keep in mind that coordinates in CC3+ can be entered on the command line when requested, and not just by clicking the mouse, this makes it easier to do precision placement.
Also note that when it comes to hexes within hexes, if you are using a hex mapping style, the hex tiles are designed to snap and size to the hex grid, so you should place the actual grid you are mapping by first, and after making the map add any additional overlay grid. Also remember that hexes doesn't actually fit perfectly within each other, the big hexes will always clip through the middle of the smaller hexes along some of the edges.
3. You can combine styles, but it takes a bit of additional work. Mostly you need to import the fills used by the secondary style. See https://forum.profantasy.com/discussion/comment/99096/#Comment_99096. For the hex symbols themselves however, it is simply a matter of just opening up the appropriate symbol catalog.
4. CC3+ doesn't do any special touchpad handling, it just treats it like a mouse (like most other software), so if it zooms instead it is a result of the signals your touchpad sends to the program. Touchpads are not generally very good for any drawing applications though. But try the PAN command (just type PAN and hit enter on the command line). Pan lets you scroll by clicking two points in your map, and then scrolls the viewport by the amount indicated by the distance between those two points. It may feel a bit foreign at first, but it is a great way to have perfect precision when scrolling.