Shessar's Overland Mountain Tutorial

Shessar

I often need to make my maps quickly a few hours before the gaming session. As a result, I've found ways to streamline the map making process. The results are often not perfect, but are a good starting place for the beginner map maker (or those in a hurry).

I hope that you find this helpful.

Loopysue

Oh excellent

Please don't take this the wrong way, but we need to find a way to get you sat down with nothing better to do than write amazing tutorials more often!

Thanks Shessar. I'm going to bookmark this one and use it every time I try to explain it to someone else.

Shessar

I do have a few more ideas for these quick and simple tutorials so I'm glad you find them useful.

I also owe LadieStorm a more detailed tutorial or two.

Maybe it's time for me to focus on one project at a time rather than working on thing all willy-nilly. LOL!

Loopysue

There's nothing wrong with willy-nilly. I do that all the time.

Looking forward to seeing more of your slices of wisdom...

Tonnichiwa

Thank you Shessar, This is wonderful!

Lorelei

Nice....easy....simple. I'm sure all the newbies out there will really appreciate tips like this, as we have all used your other tutorials in one way or another to improve our own mapping skills! Great work, Shessar

Wyvern

Do you delete the red squiggle lines afterwards, or simply work the mountains and draw the mountain contour so they'll always hide them? Perhaps useful to mention what sheet the squiggles need to be on too, as someone new might not be aware of the issues this can raise if you get it wrong - such as trying to select just the mountain symbols, and not the underlying red squiggles as well, if they haven't been deleted by that stage.

Shessar

Posted By: WyvernDo you delete the red squiggle lines afterwards, or simply work the mountains and draw the mountain contour so they'll always hide them?

Thanks for the input Wyvern! I'll confess that I actually don't draw the squiggles; I just imaging them in my mind. However, it was easier to explain and demonstrate using the actual lines. It really is up to the mapper on what sheet they are placed and if they are erased or not or even if they draw the actual lines. I was mostly trying to demonstrate a method for quick and easy mountain layout. Call it a mini tutorial rather than a fully in-depth description. LOL!

Dogtag actually pointed me towards another similar method that was demonstrated on the forums a few years ago that uses a loop-de-loop rather then a squiggle. (That sounds rather silly). A combination of both methods on a map for different mountain ranges would look really good. The idea is to get mountain 'ranges' rather than a "patch" of mountains.

Happy mountain mapping!

Dogtag

A very easy way to do it is to make sure you place your squiggles on the TEXT layer or create a TEMP layer or some other layer (as opposed to sheet). Then, when you're done it's a simple matter of either hiding all layers except the one with the squiggles, and then selecting and deleting them. Or, if you used a layer that you know ONLY CONTAINS the squiggles, you can just select by layer and delete everything on the layer all at once.

Layers are unaffected by sheets or sheet order, so they're a great way to organize things in that way.

Cheers,
~Dogtag

Alirode

Very helpful thank you,
Do you think you would use a similar method for laying out forests as well? How about lakes?

cobra mustang

When I do my forests I usually create a polygon as a base. Then I start filling from the top down. I make sure to use lots of vaired symbols and try make areas look dense and sparse and some clearings.
Usually I don't have a set idea, I let the map evovle. Sometimes need ideas just pop up during the process.

Wyvern

Posted By: ShessarI'll confess that I actually don't draw the squiggles; I just imaging them in my mind. However, it was easier to explain and demonstrate using the actual lines.

Makes sense; just thinking someone new to all this might need a little more advice

A combination of both this and the looping line method should certainly provide enough variety, I'd think.

Posted By: DogtagA very easy way to do it is to make sure you place your squiggles on the TEXT layer or create a TEMP layer or some other layer (as opposed to sheet). Then, when you're done it's a simple matter of either hiding all layers except the one with the squiggles, and then selecting and deleting them. Or, if you used a layer that you know ONLY CONTAINS the squiggles, you can just select by layer and delete everything on the layer all at once.

Layers are unaffected by sheets or sheet order, so they're a great way to organize things in that way.

I've only done this using sheets before - usually temporary ones I can simply delete when finished - for the structural elements. Hadn't thought of using layers this way too - thanks for that!

Shessar

@Alirode - Cobra mustang has the right idea for forests in his above post. I am working on mini-tutorials for continents and forests but I have family coming in to stay for a few days, so I may not get to finish the tutorials right away. I'll finish the one for forests first since you've asked.

Loopysue

You are so good to us, Shessar. But don't let us keep you from your family. Its Christmas coming up, after all

Oh yes... and has Dogtag has just kindly reminded me - of course its Thanksgiving next week

(not such a big thing over here in the UK!)

JimP

Yeah, and some stores, for which I mumbled about it in the store, had Christmas decorations up in September. Argh. Most places seem to not even have Thanksgiving decorations.

Barliman

Posted By: ShessarI often need to make my maps quickly a few hours before the gaming session. As a result, I've found ways to streamline the map making process. The results are often not perfect, but are a good starting place for the beginner map maker (or those in a hurry).

"Beginner map maker" - Fits me perfectly! Thanks for this, I have trouble doing mountain ranges that look right.

Jay_NOLA

Very nice. Even though it was short please make PDF of the tutorilal.