[WIP] World Map - Reinos Imortais

Mateus090985

This is my third try in do my world map. I tryed several times to do it on Fractal Terrains 3 but I dont have the time necessary to learn the program now. So I am using CC3 again. I am still drawing the continents. It will be 3 continets (I am drwaing the second one now) and in the middle will have a lot of islands.

EDIT: I am having problems in putting my map here... Sorry. I had to take a screen shot of my map and upload it here... It did not accept my .bmp or my .jpg map export.

Monsen

Looks like you are off to a good start. However, since you say this is a world map, I am a little puzzled by your choice of aspect ratio. A planet (sphere) when flattened is usually twice as wide as it is tall (Subject to map projections of course, since it is impossible to accurately represent a sphere on a flat surface).


As for the export problem, I am unsure why it wouldn't take a .jpg image. A .bmp is expected to be troublesome, since that is not an accepted web format. You may wish to try .png export, which is generally the best option for maps.

Mateus090985

You have a good point Monsen. I really did not even thought of that. I put a Mercator projection with a template 35000 x 28000 (it's easier to me remember the scale, as my world has a circunference of 35000km). If I put it on a Equirectangular projection I would create a template with what scale?

Mateus

Monsen

Equirectangular uses roughly a 2:1 ratio, so your 35000 wide world should be about 17500 tall. (Example: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Equirectangular_projection_SW.jpg)

Mateus090985

So, a little update. I put in in a Equirectangular Projection. I also made visible some lines, I continued to work on the second continent and I rearranjed all landmasses for the new projection.

Mateus090985

Posted By: MonsenI resized the image to better fit in a forum post.

So in what resolution I have to export my maps to "better fit"? This one I exported as a JPEG in 2600 x 1300.

Monsen

As the Forum Guidelines state, you shouldn't exceed 800px wide. This is to ensure that most people can view it properly. If a higher detailed image is needed, post it on an image-hosting site, and use a clickable smaller version in the forum post, as described in the guidelines.

Mateus090985

Here is an updated version. I am almost done with the continets and principal islands. The lines are only for reference, so I have a better notion of sun incidence.

Shessar

I really like this. The land masses have a very organic feel to them and are very believable.

Please continue to share as you go along.

Mateus090985

Thanks Shessar, I am really put a lot of work on it as I am still a "novice" in mapmaking .

Now I want to move to the relif. I dont want to use mountain symbols, so I am thinking in trying the CA24 - Shaded Relief. Do I have to use it in conjunction with Height Contours? Is it a lot of "work intensive"?

Old Guy

Very nice map! As Shessar said, the coastlines have a very organic look to them. I do have one comment though. There are two very large lakes (inland seas) next to each other on the rightmost continent. Their placement and similarity in size look a bit unnatural. To me, they look like two big eyes, with that portion of the continent becoming the head. I love inland seas, but I think the map would look better with just one.

JimP

Maybe they are eyes ?

I have a 'mouth' and some 'fingers' out in the oceans of Crestar. The fingers are 5 islands that resemble a thumb and four fingers. And the mouth is an atoll shaped like a mouth.

[ cue Twilight Zone music]

There are some surprises in my game world. Smoe of them kinda strange.

Ralf

I can only agree, you have a good eye for natural looking coastlines. Keep up the good work!

Mateus090985

Posted By: Old GuyVery nice map! As Shessar said, the coastlines have a very organic look to them. I do have one comment though. There are two very large lakes (inland seas) next to each other on the rightmost continent. Their placement and similarity in size look a bit unnatural. To me, they look like two big eyes, with that portion of the continent becoming the head. I love inland seas, but I think the map would look better with just one.

The lakes I put in a earlier version (when I did not know that was easier to put mountains firt!) and keeped then for now as they have their own sheet. Now I am working in the relif and will see what I do with the inland water later. Some of then I will rearange and resize.

Do somebody have sugestions in how I can do my mountains, plateau, etc without using symbols?

Mateus090985

Posted By: RalfI can only agree, you have a good eye for natural looking coastlines. Keep up the good work!

Thank you for your comment Ralf.

Mateus

Mateus090985

What I find funny is that "fractalize does not work in some landmasses that I draww... Some of then I just click and it fractalize and others dont change anything...

I tryed to use the CA60A Climate Textures to do my relif but it simple looks funny on my map. It does not scale properly. I also tryedit as bitmap fills to my landmasses and it looks like a lot of "mini squares" with the texture inside... I will se if at least the ice texturi goes right.

This is the problem hat I am having with the CA 60A

Its a problem of scale? I still dont know how to toy if that. I cna only resize things . My template is 35000x17500.

Mateus090985

!!! DELETED THE MAPS BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY OLD !!!

Here is what I am plaining for my reliev. I tryed some colour combination and have come with this. I will use a diferent shhet for each countour (I will do then in intervals of 500 m for this map). I am using the same Texturize in the countour that I use for the landmass and I am also using a Edge Fade Inner (edge 5 / inner opacy 95%).

!!! DELETED THE MAPS BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY OLD !!!

JimP

Uncheck the scale size in the bitmap fills area when you place a bitmap fill. The 'Scaled Width' check mark, uncheck it.

Ralf

Posted By: Mateus090985Its a problem of scale? I still dont know how to toy if that. I cna only resize things . My template is 35000x17500.

The bitmap fills don't scale with the size of the map automatically. As you have such a large map, the tiling will become obvious, as in your screen shot. You'll need to rescale the bitmap fills:

- Use KEEP on your contour, so it's bitmap fill is the currently selected one.
- Open the fill style dialog box (by clicking on the "FS: NameOfFill" indicator).
- Increase the scale of the fill (Scaled: Width and Height)

As Jim says, you can also uncheck the "Scaled" option, which will make the fill always use the screen resolution. Note that this will almost always look good on screen, but the effect for printing and exporting can be quite unpredictable.

Mateus090985

!!! Deleted Map Because They Were To Old !!!

This is only a small island of my map that I am using to choose colorus and see how well I can do altitude contours
I think that I have decided for this patern. I am still toying with the water. I will use green tones for 0 - 3 000 m and then I will change probably for a yellow/green (3 500 - 6 000m) and then brown (6 500 - 9 000m). For the final 3 000 metes (9 500 - 12 000) I havent decided yet but I am thinking in using grey/white.

!!! Deleted Map Because They Were To Old !!!

Mateus090985

!!! DELETED THE MAPS BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY OLD !!!

Island 2 (this one is a lot bigger than the latter.

!!! DELETED THE MAPS BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY OLD !!!

Mateus090985

I am not 100% happy with my skills, BUT can I move on? Are they good enought? suggestions?

Mateus090985

!!! DELETED THE MAPS BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY OLD !!!

Here is the world view of my map in the moment. Each colour is a 500m mark, but in this resolution is mpossible to see every detail. So I will put a "zoom". I have hided all water cause I am stil working on it and I want the focus to be the landmasses for the moment.

!!! DELETED THE MAPS BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY OLD !!!

jaerdaph

It seems to be coming along very nicely. I like the texture effect, especially on the oceans. The only (slightly jarring) thing I'm noticing that sticks out to me (from the very last map you posted above) is the color pattern progression on the contours: dark -> light -> lighter -> then dark(er) again. It's a pretty radical 180°. But I really think you are getting there. If you need to make you own palette to get more green shades than the default CC3 palette provides, see these articles in CC3 online help about customizing the palette: http://www.profantasy.com/cchelp/hlp_cmd_colordlg.htm and http://www.profantasy.com/cchelp/understanding_colors_in_cc3.htm

Mateus090985

I was thinking in using this palete:

CONTOUR LINES:
LANDMASS - COLOUR 86
0 500m - COLOUR 87
1 000m - COLOUR 88
1 500m - COLOUR 89
2 000m - COLOUR 90
2 500m - COLOUR 91
3 000m - COLOUR 92
3 500m - COLOUR 102
4 000m - COLOUR 103
4 500m - COLOUR 104
5 000m - COLOUR 105
5 500m - COLOUR 106
6 000m - COLOUR 107
6 500m - COLOUR 38
7 000m - COLOUR 39
7 500m - COLOUR 40
8 000m - COLOUR 41
8 500m - COLOUR 42
9 000m - COLOUR 43
9 500m - COLOUR 251
10 000m - COLOUR 252
10 500m - COLOUR 253
11 000m - COLOUR 254
11 500m - COLOUR 255
12 000m - COLOUR 15

What do you tihnk? The colours are with the numbers as show in CC3.

EDIT: I am also thinking in using a stroger Texture on the Altitude Contours.

EDIT2: In my current version I use the same line of the pallet for each 3 00 meters, then I change to another line. Thats why the effect became dark - light - lighter - dark - light - lighter - dark. I will toy a little more with the colours and see if I can come with a better palete.

Mateus090985

I am not getting satisfied by my results... What I can do with the mountains/altitudes...?

Old Guy

Posted By: Mateus090985I am not getting satisfied by my results... What I can do with the mountains/altitudes...?

I've never come up with a method for displaying mountains that I was entirely happy with either (although what you are doing currently is one of my favorites). Here's a technique that you may not have tried though.

Use Fractal Terrains to create the mountain range, export that area as a high-res png, edit it in photoshop or gimp to make the non-mountain portion of the image transparent, and then import the image into CC3 (placing it over the land layer).

Mateus090985

Posted By: Old Guy

Posted By: Mateus090985I am not getting satisfied by my results... What I can do with the mountains/altitudes...?

I've never come up with a method for displaying mountains that I was entirely happy with either (although what you are doing currently is one of my favorites). Here's a technique that you may not have tried though.

Use Fractal Terrains to create the mountain range, export that area as a high-res png, edit it in photoshop or gimp to make the non-mountain portion of the image transparent, and then import the image into CC3 (placing it over the land layer).

Here is the better that I achieved (I m redoing the two islands and the central landmass that I posted earlier)
Thank you! A light in the tunel! I will try it tomorow. It will be the first time that I use GIMP. Lets see what I can come with.

Mateus090985

Posted By: Old Guy

Posted By: Mateus090985I am not getting satisfied by my results... What I can do with the mountains/altitudes...?

I've never come up with a method for displaying mountains that I was entirely happy with either (although what you are doing currently is one of my favorites). Here's a technique that you may not have tried though.

Use Fractal Terrains to create the mountain range, export that area as a high-res png, edit it in photoshop or gimp to make the non-mountain portion of the image transparent, and then import the image into CC3 (placing it over the land layer).

One question, this metod is any diferent than export a FT3 map and then copy/past the contours sheet?

Old Guy

I was just suggesting using an image of a portion of a FT3 map in a CC3 map, but you could certainly add contour lines on top of that.

jaerdaph

Okay I really like the mountain contours in the last map you posted above. Although the colors get darker again, it's far less jarring than it was before. Looking great!