First time map maker, long time DM, Need some Non-video help!
I'm pretty severely ADHD, looking to get an autism diagnosis soon, so learning is always a bit difficult. Normally, I'm a poke around and find out person, but with something as... expansive as this software I got through the Humble Bundle, I don't even know where to start.
If I were just making an outdoor scene, that stuff is fairly easy to spot when you first download, but I'm not; I'm working on a half-indoor/half-outdoor winter battlemap for a New Year's themed oneshot I'm doing for my online friends.
I've used other map-making software before. My friend and fellow DM let me use their Inkarnate subscription before, and I've used the software that Roll20 provides, but I've never used THIS software before, and I don't even know which add-ons I need to make sure I have downloaded to do a Tavern/outdoor winter scene right now.
What I do know is that I have a very hard time processing information that is audio/visual. I can read things and process it, I can KINDA listen to things and process it, but I absolutely cannot watch a video, listen to the instructions, and process it. If anyone can help, at least help me figure out what downloads I need to get started, because it looks fairly intuitive otherwise, I would be extremely grateful.
Comments
Did you get ProFantasy’s Tome of Ultimate Mapping with your purchase? I believe it has written tutorials in it that walk you through how to map, if written guides are easier than video for you.
The best annuals for winter stuff are Annual 16 (2022), which has both Winter Village for city/town/village scenes and Ice Caverns for underground icy scenes, and Annual 17 (2023), which has Winter Trail (great for outdoor scenes). Each annual also has a PDF mapping guide, though they may gloss over some of the details for how to do certain things (because the PDFs would get awfully repetitive if they had to explain the same techniques each time).
I've been spending a lot of time this winter with those annuals and would be happy to help as best I can.
Beyond what Royal Scribe mentioned, if you've only used basic graphics manipulation programs for mapping before (such as Inkarnate), you may struggle to get to grips with CC3+ at first, because it's a true CAD software package, and works in a rather different way.
If you haven't already, I'd definitely recommend reading and working your way through the tutorials from the PDF CC3 User Manual (despite the name, it is written for CC3+ users; you'll find it in the Profantasy => CC3Plus => Documentation folder, or just click the "Help" drop-down menu in an open CC3+ window, then click "User Manual"). I can't stress enough the importance of doing this, rather than simply trying to make your own way through the program, if you have no prior experience with CAD software. Many folks (including myself) tried that, and ended up hugely frustrated until we sat down and actually learnt these basics properly.
There are other written tutorials available on the Forum and the ProFantasy Blog. This topic has a list of options, although they are mostly dealing with specific elements, not just how to map with the software.
Good luck, and if you get stuck, feel free to ask again here!
Always ask here if you have a problem!!!!!
Oh, and do the reading as referenced above! No really!
Cassy first awesome name, second I am not an expert but poke around with several different software packages. Let me ask what is your best way to learn? I find myself a combination of watching video then reading instructions and then asking questions.. but whatever works for you I know the people here are amazing and this software while it can be a bit more complex can create some amazing things. I myself am looking to create a Reindeer relay map..minus the deer.. as it will be a holodeck room more or less with mechanical deer or helpers.. and poking around to decide what software and what style to use to create what I want.. unless I trip over one that works that is already made.
I probably learn best by poking around myself. Although I'm figuring some stuff out, reading what I can, It's interesting software. I'm having a little trouble getting it to do an indoor and outdoor scene at the same time, which is what I need, when I tried opening more assets, it went to the wrong spot (Where I had saved, not where the assets were?) which is irritating because the assets and where I saved are two different DRIVES. Like. App I'm not saving all my maps to where you hide all your assets. that's insane and a lot of digging.
I recommend saving your maps in within your Documents folder, not with the software or the assets.
I find that while videos have their place, depending on what I am doing, I am not a video person. I tried Joe Sweeney videos and I found them awful. They were needlessly long, boring, and I feel disorganized for my brain. I think they are probably well organized, but they are inefficient in delivery of information for me. There are random videos people have done for CC3 over a topic that cover things 90% better in 10% of the time. I really only want a video if I need to physically see someone do something. Other than that, I would rather read.
What I did discover is that older annuals had mapping guides. They walked me through how do to everything. These were short. I had images in the PDF. I also had sample maps to look at for CC3 and play with the settings. Once I got the basics down, then it was just playing around with the styles or asking how to do X.
There is also a user manual. After a long introduction to the layout, there is a walkthrough on how to create your first map. That might be worth looking at.
There is a tutorial section installed. However, that all seems to be sample files. I am not sure if they go with some documentation I have never found.