Need tips for this map style...

Eugee

I'm trying to get better at making maps with CC3/DD3, and I'd like to make maps with the style below:

DMG Map

That is an artwork excerpt from the DMG on WotC site, so there shouldn't be an issue with linking to it. I like how it looks like the floor was just "cut-out" from the parchment. If anyone could give me some tips on how to do this effect with the walls, I'd be grateful!

JimP

Looks like the walls are a solid line, with some width, and a glow effect.

Eugee

What about the bevel?

JimP

No idea.

Eugee

Well I got some tips on how to do this, not exactly the same but it has the cutout style.

First I just dropped down a poly, fractal poly, and smooth poly on the Floor sheet & layer, with different fills (moved the fractal to back). Then I grabbed wall tool (closed poly) and used TRACE to make a wall piece that matches all of the floors. (I couldn't figure out how to do TRACE without the wall tool, would love help with that.) I then hid all but the wall layer and put a polygon over the whole map. Did a multipoly with the big block and the traced wall and it cut out the floor area. Show all, add a glow and bevel to the Walls sheet, and this was the final product! I'm very excited about this cutout style!

After that I figured out that I can just make a floor poly that covers the map, then a wall poly to cover the map, then show only the wall layer, and then I just draw a room, multipoly to cut it out, draw a room, multipoly, etc. This saves having to trace your floor if you make it irregular, like a cave, etc.

Ralf

Very cool stuff and great that you figured it out yourself!

Eugee

I noticed that the second method (starting with a block on the WALL layer and mutlipolying the rooms out one at a time) tends to leave a little sliver of wall between the last room you cut away and the next one. How do I get rid of that little sliver? I kept trying to use BREAK but I couldn't select the big block as an entity for the life of me. Do I need to use EXPLODE on it? (I've never done that.)

JimP

Have you tried zooming in to get better placement of your poly ?

Eugee

I fiddled with it some more, and it doesn't happen every time, actually. Just often enough to be annoying. I did figure out the fix though. Basically you explode the multi-poly (turning it back into whatever it assembled originally) and remove/redraw the polygons that aren't meshing well (or ideally, redraw it as one big polygon). Still, you're much better off just waiting until the floors are completely finished, then just making a single multipoly of them, and using that single piece to cut away that shape from the wall layer.

This still brings me back to my other question--how do you use TRACE when using the drawing tools on the right, instead of the Wall/Room presets? I can't figure that part out.

Ralf

Posted By: Eugee
This still brings me back to my other question--how do you use TRACE when using the drawing tools on the right, instead of the Wall/Room presets? I can't figure that part out.

Unfortunately those commands do not include a trace option. You can workaround this though by creating a "Polygon" or "Path" drawing tool that has all its properties set to "Use current properties". Let me know if you need a more detailed description of how to do that.

Eugee

Why didn't *I* think of that!? *slaps forehead*

Well I'll be... I can even make a wall preset that is a closed polygon, too! Nice. I'm going to have to post my finished map with this cut-away style, soon.