newbie 'advanced options' question
LadieStorm
🖼️ 50 images Surveyor
Okay, now that I have played around with this program a bit... and I have made a few maps, I have noticed that I am picking certain options in the effects, because that is what I was shown.. I don't really know what they do, how they work, or why they work the way they do. I also notice there are other possibilities that I am not using, because they don't seem to do anything, or because I don't know what they do, or how they work.
For example: I use the glow affect a lot.... I like the way it makes the water bitmap look more shallow as it gets closer to the land. Well, I have started using a glow effect on the inside of my rivers to make them stand out a bit more. I pick my blue, change the glow from outside, to inside, choose my strength and blur radius, then click on the option 'percent of view width' and click okay.
But what about the other two options? Under the effect units, there are actually three options: 'percent of view width', 'map units', and 'percent of drawing extents width'. What do the other two options do? How do they affect a map? When would one use those two options? I have tried them a few times, but I didn't see any change, so I ended up not using them. But they must do something, or they wouldn't be there. Do they work better with a different style than what I am using? I tend to use the cc3 standard. Do these options not work with the style of map I'm using?
The manual I got with the program doesn't really explain all the different things that CC3 can do, and I know I'm just barely scratching the surface. I'm making some nice maps now, with what I'm doing, and they are looking pretty realistic for what I need them to be... but I may need to make some maps that show some truly fantastical places, and I want to know what my options are.
where can I find this information?
For example: I use the glow affect a lot.... I like the way it makes the water bitmap look more shallow as it gets closer to the land. Well, I have started using a glow effect on the inside of my rivers to make them stand out a bit more. I pick my blue, change the glow from outside, to inside, choose my strength and blur radius, then click on the option 'percent of view width' and click okay.
But what about the other two options? Under the effect units, there are actually three options: 'percent of view width', 'map units', and 'percent of drawing extents width'. What do the other two options do? How do they affect a map? When would one use those two options? I have tried them a few times, but I didn't see any change, so I ended up not using them. But they must do something, or they wouldn't be there. Do they work better with a different style than what I am using? I tend to use the cc3 standard. Do these options not work with the style of map I'm using?
The manual I got with the program doesn't really explain all the different things that CC3 can do, and I know I'm just barely scratching the surface. I'm making some nice maps now, with what I'm doing, and they are looking pretty realistic for what I need them to be... but I may need to make some maps that show some truly fantastical places, and I want to know what my options are.
where can I find this information?
Comments
If you really want to know what can be done with Campaign Cartographer 3 or 3+, I suggest you purchase the Tome of Ultimate Mapping. It goes into detail of pretty much anything and everything you will want/need to do. It is inexpensive too but worth every penny.
I purchased it and have never regretted it. I bought it in 2014 and I still feel like I have a ton to learn but I can tell my maps have improved greatly since getting it and actually trying out a lot of what it has to teach.
Basically cc3 and cc3+ are programs that run off of a FastCAD program, not a graphics program like photoshop.
The manuals you get with the cc3 or cc3+ program will tell you a lot of the info that will help you make great maps, but it doen't get super technical, just like in most manuals you would get with something like photoshop.
The Tome however, is almost like a computer programmers manual because it gets down to the nitty gritty super intense details of how and why every single function works the way it does, and how to change the settings of everything.
I have never seen a manual that comes stock with any program that goes into this level of detail. It is 616 pages and covers all of their products in exhausting detail. For what they are asking, it is totally worth it.
I don't know what to tell you about convincing your husband but it isn't that expensive. I've spent more money than what the Tome costs just on going out to a movie with my wife, and thats even before popcorn and drinks.
I contend, however, that you will still find it invaluable in helping you to learn and master the ProFantasy products.
Cheers,
~Dogtag