Parchment style symbols and maps (CA07, SS1)

Hey all

I'm working on some parchment style maps (annual 2007 vol6). I'm still pretty much of a newbie, so there's a lot I don't know yet, just following examples and guides etc yet ;)
I'm wondering if there are any other symbol sets but the Handdrawn/Hollow set from SS1 that works with this? The Handdrawn style is ok, but I think the structures look abit childish, and at any rate there isn't enough of them... I'd very much like to use the Fantasy/Monochrome symbols from SS1, but the white fill in these don't really work with a parchment background... Tried transparency sheet effect, but they still leave a noticeable lightening, which looks silly. Is there some way to make the white fill in these symbols transparent? Has anyone made a Hollow version of the Fantasy/CC3 standard symbols? My goal is simply to make "Tolkien"-style monochrome maps that are easily readable when printed out in black and white, and still look decent. Any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Comments

  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 46 images Cartographer
    I was going to suggest the new B&W symbols that was released for CC3 a few months ago, but I realize most of these have a white filling too.

    Your best option is probably just editing these symbols yourself. If you are unfamiliar with symbol editing, I suggest you have a look in the CC3 manual, as it describes the process of creating and editing symbols. If this gives you any problems, feel free to ask.
  • edited September 2009
    A hollow symbol is not really a solution because if you pile symbols, like in a moutain range for example, you will see the back symbol through the *white* area of the front one.
    You indeed need do edit the symbols if you want to do this because you need to replace the white fill by the background fill of your parchment.
    For that, I recommend to clone them first.
    Process:
    a) Open the symbol manager (symbols>symbol manager)
    b) Select the symbol you need, click clone, give a name, click edit and select a box area. A new window will open and you should see the symbol in it. Except it isn't a symbol anymore but a CC3 map.
    c) Use change properties or CHANGEFS and type B (both) C (color) 15 (White) to select the white parts.
    d) Right-click to open the fill styles window and navigate to the one corresponding to the background of the parchement.
    e) Close the symbol window by clicking on the upper right cross and click Yes.
    f) After modifying a few symbols, save them in a new catalog (select them in the symbol manager and click Save as a new catalog).

    Making hollow symbols is the same, just erase the white parts. You might have surprises then as the black outlines has sometimes parts you didn't saw before...

    Note you can't edit bitmap symbols that way.
    Note too that if the background has effects the symbol sheet should reflect them too or the difference will show...

    Hope it helps.
  • edited September 2009
    I'm using the parchment style for a dungeon map and to soften the white I added the sheet effects:
    - a texturize with the standard paper.png and then a RGB Matrix (preset Sepia).
    I added a section of the dungeon to show the effect.
  • Your pic doesn't show Luhrmanz... I'd really like to see it!
  • I have been playing with the texturize effect a little and came up with this. I'm using the parchment which is also the background and I increased the intensity (the first picture had an intensity of 0,25 - now it is set to 1)
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