Symbol Creation - Input and Requests

You know how, when you look at something too long, you are no longer sure if it looks right? Well, I need your eyes to tell me if my current symbol project looks OK.

I am currently working on fireplaces. Here's a JPEG sample of one of them. Does it look OK to you?

Also a sheet of what I have completed so far.

I'm currently working on Kitchen Hearth's but if you have requests for types of symbols I'll consider it. Fantasy style only, I'm not into Modern/Sci-Fi. :)

Comments

  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 46 images Cartographer
    Looks great to me. Maybe a little boring with all the fireplaces having the same rounded arc on the floor front of them though. Maybe some different shapes, and some without floor cover at all?
  • Good point on the different shapes Monsen. I'll certainly work on that. :)

    Thanks for the input too. The perspective on the top down view was making my eyes go buggy.
  • They all look great.

    I've seen square fronts for fireplaces. Along with tile fronts with simple designs on them.

    My grandparents had just a stone front to their living room fireplace. The top of the stone was level with the floor so it was inset into the concrete.
  • Nice symbols. What are you doing with them when you're done? I. e. sell them, keep them for your own use, offer them for download or something else?
  • Thanks guys. I spent a lot of time researching fireplaces and looking at hundreds of images before starting on this. Translating reality into a top-down view that still shows what the object is can be tricky. I started with fireplaces because DD3 didn't really have any and most of those I've found around the web all appeared to have an odd angle that tilted back too far towards the wall. The curved hearthstone was just artistic license for a personal project that I needed it for. I plan to make enough different styles and variations so that you should be able to find a suitable fireplace for any map. :D

    Mark, I plan to release these as free to use privately and commercially. Since many use ProFantasy art in their construction, Simon has offered the potential of distributing them via the PF registered users area. I hope to go with this option for the entire set. However, I am also using art from the Dundjini forums in some, so will definitely be releasing those via the Dundjini forums and RPGMapshare.
  • OK. Sounds good. Keep up the good work!
  • These are fabulous! I'm going to need some fireplaces when I get around to maps for my next fantasy novel project. I would be excited to have this many choices.

    Right now I'm trying to find more fountains. The round one in CD3 is nice, but I want some half-round types to be built onto walls. :)
  • VintyriVintyri Newcomer
    Posted By: carfinielRight now I'm trying to find more fountains. The round one in CD3 is nice, but I want some half-round types to be built onto walls. :)
    Then you might want to prowl your way through these:

    http://www.dundjinni.com/forums/search.asp?KW=fountain&SM=1&SI=TC&FM=8&OB=1

    Mark Oliva
    The Vintyri (TM) Project
    http://www.vintyri,org
    info@vintyri.org
  • Your symbols are fantastic Shessar! How are you drawing them ?
    Different shapes would be good indeed.
  • Glad you like. :)

    Fountains are an excellent idea Carfiniel! I think I'll bump that to the top of my list once I finish the fireplaces. I only work on this now and again in my spare time, so if you need something right away, do check out the link that Vintyri gave you to the Dundjini forums. They have great art and great artists.

    Thanks for the compliment Joachim! I'm using and older version of Paint Shop Pro for these and the occasional transfer into Photoshop for filters that I can't find for PSP. I'm not really proficient with the art programs, so I do a lot of trial and error until I get something that looks right. The more I experiment (and read tutorials) the better I get though, so I'm happy with how this is looking. :D
  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 46 images Cartographer
    Posted By: ShessarI'm not really proficient with the art programs
    Sounds like something I could say... I just wish learning/using Photoshop was as intuitive/easy as learning/using CC2 (and now CC3). Photoshop is powerful, but it is horribly difficult to learn.

    As for fireplaces, I just returned from London, where I amongst other places visited the Tower of London. One of the things that I did find interesting about several of the fireplaces I saw there was both how little they extended from the wall (far less than your current ones, resulting in a rather narrow ledge on the top), but also how little they extended into the wall as well. These narrow fireplaces made the hearthstone extending into the room really important, since there weren't enough space "inside" the fireplace for a decent fire.
  • edited March 2012
    I envy your visit to the tower Monsen. It has been a lifelong dream of mine and one I hope to achieve after my husband retires. Alas, my only opportunity to see actual historical fireplaces has been through multiple visits to Colonial Williamsburg. My best representation of the kitchen hearth I had seen there in the Governor's Palace ...
  • 1 month later
  • I am putting the finishing touches on these so I'm almost done. Finally! I'll need to show them to Simon to make sure none of them violate the EULA before making them available. Still, almost ready.

    In your opinion, which directory would be best/least confusing to put these into when I create the catalog? CC3/Symbols/?
  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 46 images Cartographer
    I like to use the User-directory for this purpose, so something like

    #Symbols/User/Dungeon/Shessar/Fireplaces would be good (With the symbol catalog itself in that directory, and the artwork in an "Art" subdirectory below that.

    Note that I believe it is important to have the "Dungeon" directory there as a top-level directory under user, since this makes it easy for the user to get the right type of symbols. If you omit that one, or swap the order, searching for symbols will take much more navigation if you have symbols from various artists.
  • These are now available from the registration downloads page. There is a total of sixty symbols; fifteen styles of fireplaces grouped into four variations of each style. Enjoy!

    I just have to add a post script here. ProFantasy is one of the most supportive software companies I've ever come across. They have been so helpful and generous with their time, even on a project like this which brings them no income. Great software and great people. It doesn't get better than that. :)
  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 46 images Cartographer
    edited April 2012
    Posted By: Shessar... and great people
    Hope you count yourself in that category. By giving back to the community like this, you make CC3 better for us all.

    I think we have a great community here, with a lot of great people.
  • Posted By: ShessarThese are now available from the registration downloads page. There is a total of sixty symbols; fifteen styles of fireplaces grouped into four variations of each style. Enjoy!

    I just have to add a post script here. ProFantasy is one of the most supportive software companies I've ever come across. They have been so helpful and generous with their time, even on a project like this which brings them no income. Great software and great people. It doesn't get better than that. :)
    just want to say thank you!
  • jaerdaphjaerdaph Traveler
    Awesome - thank you very much! :)
  • If I had the dungeon add on - I would snag these yummys! Thank you Shessar!
  • 4 years later
  • Friends ... I'm very confused on how to fine these assets.
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    Hi Centumviri - welcome to the Profantasy Forum :)

    Shessar's beautiful fireplaces are part of the DD3 downloads you can access from your account page - if you have purchased DD3 they should be there waiting for you to download them :)
  • Thanks Shessar. I use top down mostly, and these symbols are a God (Shessar) send. They are wonderful
  • Posted By: qwalkerThanks Shessar. I use top down mostly, and these symbols are a God (Shessar) send. They are wonderful
    When I first made these there were few if any fireplaces for DD3 and the ones on the Dundjini forums were at an odd 'not quite top down' angle. I'm glad that they are still useful. I wish I knew how to create an installation file so that they could be updated for CC3+.
  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 46 images Cartographer
    I don't have proper installation creation tools at the ready, but you could just update the symbol catalogs for CC3+ and post them as a zip file here for now, it is reasonably simple to extract this to the right location for most people.
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