Wow, tagteam even!!! Lol... Seriously, though, I went back and looked at it, and I ended up adding a village or.two, and some ruins to those crossroad areas. I will post tomorrow or Tuesday, whenever I can get my laptop back online.
I am having one issue that I could use some help with. In the story I'm writing to go with this map, my main character, Trystan, is the last surviving member of an ancient organization called The Order Protectorate. I have to come up with artwork to add to this map, and apparently I've done sea monsters and fish too much! . So I thought I'd create the seal for the Order as my artwork, using symbols from the program. I know what I want to do....I just don't know how to do it.
What I want to do, is take the gauntlet from the dd3 weapons catalogue, and the olive branch( I think it's fro.Schley's collection) and put them on a circular bitmap(not sure which one ATM) then encompass it with the magic circle from the main catalogue. Then I want to give the whole thing a glow, and a drop shadow so that it looks like it's floating. I want the seal to be one piece when it's done.
I'm sure either the manuals, or the Tome, probably has instructions on how to do what I want, I've looked though them, but can't find a reference. If someone could possibly point me in the right direction? Or if you have any ideas or suggestions, I would love to hear them! Right now, every time I try to make this seal, my symbols end up UNDER my bitmap fill, and my magic symbol gets cut off on the inside.
Create a sheet specifically for the seal. Maybe a layer, too.
Switch to the sheet [and layer].
Hide all other sheets and layers.
Make sure the sheet [and layer] are selected in the status bar.
Add each element. As soon as one is added, use Change Properties on it to ensure it's on the right sheet/layer. Note: If the element disappears before you can select it for Change Properties, right-click and choose Prior from the selection pop-up menu. That should select the last object you were working with.
Build the seal.
When everything is the way you like, use the Tools>Groups>Group menu command to select all items in the symbol and group them together. They should then act as one entity until you ungroup them. I think.
So we are continuing with this map... I haven't made the seal yet, but I've started some of the labeling. I'm not too sure about the labeling, I'm hoping for some honest opinion about it.
Considerable improvement, however, I still would lighten the color of the font. It's readable now, but for me, it still bleeds too much into the terrain.
I've tried many colors using this style and I've found that the only one that is easy to read is white. Any other color just seems to get lost in the background, though red did seem to be a bit better than any other besides white.
I use white often, but it may be a bit too strong to give this map the flavor that ladiestorm has in the rest of it. My inclination would be to try a very light pastel green, and if that didn't work, I might resign myself to a light yellow. However, I really would work hard first to try to find an acceptable light strength and tone of ... perhaps ... forest green.
wow... apparently you and I think a lot alike, Mark! I actually figured the blue was too close to the ocean, and it seemed to be throwing everything off....so I went with a pastel green.... here is the result. I think I like it better, especially with the black glow and the soft white glow behind it....
That's where I was planning on putting the legend... that's why I've left it blank, the right corner is where I'm putting the seal. Maybe I can put the legend above it. I will take a look at it later.
I don't know how big your legend will be, so I can't comment on that. A compass rose works best when there's some space around it. If the legend isn't too large, it might work best above the legend, but that's an "if." The only advice I have left is to not overcrowd things, which seal + compass rose lower right might do.
Well, I've already made the seal, and moved the compass to the lower right. The seal is currently in the upper left, covering the woods there. What I think I'm going to do, is create the map legend lower left as intended, then let the seal overlap into it, like the trees in my Inqtala Lake map. But I'll put it at the bottom corner of the legend.
I do have one question for anyone that can answer. Is it possible to access dd3 bitmap fills like you can the catalogues? The bitmap I want to use for the legend and the border are dd3 bitmap fills.
I think you can import bitmap fills them by using the "Import bitmap fill styles" item on the Tools menu. Click browse and look for Bitmaps/Tiles/Dungeon/CC3. (I think those are the ones you mean, aren't they? If not then you can find the folder by continuing to browse till you get there).
Posted By: LadieStormI do have one question for anyone that can answer. Is it possible to access dd3 bitmap fills like you can the catalogues? The bitmap I want to use for the legend and the border are dd3 bitmap fills.
Oh duh!!! In other words, I do it JUST like I was choosing from a different symbol set? I have spent the last three days trying to change the bitmap fills in the bitmap styles in the top bar!!! I can't even begin to tell you how stupid I feel right now...
But at least I can finish it up and move onto the next project!
Posted By: LadieStormI do it JUST like I was choosing from a different symbol set? I have spent the last three days trying to change the bitmap fills in the bitmap styles in the top bar!!!
You can open any PNG anywhere on your system as a symbol in this manner ... not that it would be sensible in many cases.
I can't even begin to tell you how stupid I feel right now...
Well, then, don't tell us please. Self-flagellation really is purposeless in cartography. Forward, onward and upward!
Posted By: LadieStormI do have one question for anyone that can answer. Is it possible to access dd3 bitmap fills like you can the catalogues? The bitmap I want to use for the legend and the border are dd3 bitmap fills.
Sure. It's as easy as 1-2-3. See the screen shot.
Does that make the fill available as a bitmap fill, or as a symbol? It seems like that would make it available as a placeable symbol.
If I'm wrong, sweet! That's a cool, easy way to get additional fills.
If not, then another way to import a fill would be the following.
To quickly copy bitmap fills from DD3 to CC3 (or between any add-ons or styles):
Open (or create) a DD3 map with an entity that uses the fill you want, like a filled polygon (e.g., a floor).
Copy the filled entity to the clipboard (CLIPCOPY) Note: Remember when using Clipboard Copy that you must select a "copy from" point after you select the entity you want to copy and choose Do It.
Paste it into the overland map.
Delete the pasted entity.
The overland map should still have the bitmap fill available to it, even after you delete the entity. When copying between styles or other add-ons, you would naturally choose the appropriate source maps for step 1 rather than always use DD3.
Right. For some reason, I thought LS said the import fill option wasn't working but, looking back I don't see it. I must've assumed it in my mid-workday stupor. LOL!
Comments
I am having one issue that I could use some help with. In the story I'm writing to go with this map, my main character, Trystan, is the last surviving member of an ancient organization called The Order Protectorate. I have to come up with artwork to add to this map, and apparently I've done sea monsters and fish too much!
What I want to do, is take the gauntlet from the dd3 weapons catalogue, and the olive branch( I think it's fro.Schley's collection) and put them on a circular bitmap(not sure which one ATM) then encompass it with the magic circle from the main catalogue. Then I want to give the whole thing a glow, and a drop shadow so that it looks like it's floating. I want the seal to be one piece when it's done.
I'm sure either the manuals, or the Tome, probably has instructions on how to do what I want, I've looked though them, but can't find a reference. If someone could possibly point me in the right direction? Or if you have any ideas or suggestions, I would love to hear them! Right now, every time I try to make this seal, my symbols end up UNDER my bitmap fill, and my magic symbol gets cut off on the inside.
- Create a sheet specifically for the seal. Maybe a layer, too.
- Switch to the sheet [and layer].
- Hide all other sheets and layers.
- Make sure the sheet [and layer] are selected in the status bar.
- Add each element. As soon as one is added, use Change Properties on it to ensure it's on the right sheet/layer.
- Build the seal.
- When everything is the way you like, use the Tools>Groups>Group menu command to select all items in the symbol and group them together.
Hopefully, that works.Note: If the element disappears before you can select it for Change Properties, right-click and choose Prior from the selection pop-up menu. That should select the last object you were working with.
They should then act as one entity until you ungroup them. I think.
Cheers,
~Dogtag
The map is excellent, but the font you picked is terrible. I can't read a lot of it.
what about the color? I wanted something that was muted, but still readable....
By the way, I just sent you an interesting E-Mail.
Nix für Ungut, as we say here. Which means "Nothing for Ungood," which is why we usually have the good taste not to translate it into English.
of course, it will probably be easier to read in a larger scale...
The only thing I would maybe look at is the compass.
It blends into the map.
You may try a contrasting color such as yellow/gold or maybe a red.
Just a nick-pick really - it is very nice!
:-)
Re: The Compass Rose. I like the colors the way they are, but it might work better in the lower left hand corner where there's only water.
I do have one question for anyone that can answer. Is it possible to access dd3 bitmap fills like you can the catalogues? The bitmap I want to use for the legend and the border are dd3 bitmap fills.
I think you can import bitmap fills them by using the "Import bitmap fill styles" item on the Tools menu. Click browse and look for Bitmaps/Tiles/Dungeon/CC3. (I think those are the ones you mean, aren't they? If not then you can find the folder by continuing to browse till you get there).
But at least I can finish it up and move onto the next project!
If I'm wrong, sweet! That's a cool, easy way to get additional fills.
If not, then another way to import a fill would be the following.
To quickly copy bitmap fills from DD3 to CC3 (or between any add-ons or styles):
- Open (or create) a DD3 map with an entity that uses the fill you want, like a filled polygon (e.g., a floor).
- Copy the filled entity to the clipboard (CLIPCOPY)
- Paste it into the overland map.
- Delete the pasted entity.
The overland map should still have the bitmap fill available to it, even after you delete the entity. When copying between styles or other add-ons, you would naturally choose the appropriate source maps for step 1 rather than always use DD3.Note: Remember when using Clipboard Copy that you must select a "copy from" point after you select the entity you want to copy and choose Do It.
Cheers,
~Dogtag
If you want it as a fill, it's still as easy as 1-2-3. Simply open your fill styles selection dialog and:
1. Click the command button Find
2. Find the fill
3. Click OK