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Creating Hills for SS4 (Mike Schley style)? Any tips?

CraigJCraigJ
in Mapping with ProFantasy's Software
Hello all,
I have the SS4 plug-in for DD3 which provides the Mike Schley style dungeon artwork. Looking at some of Mike's original work (see http://www.mikeschley.com/phandalin for example), I'd love to be able to recreate the look of his hills and cliffs. I've used the cliff symbols from CC3+ in some cases, but I'd like to figure out how to best do hills.
I know this might seem like a vague question, but, any tips? Anybody have a technique they've used for making hills that they would care to share?
As an example, I'd like to set a city's palace atop a hill in the centre of the city. Rather than just explain "it sits at the top of a hill", I'd like the map to actually resemble that somehow.

Thanks!
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Comments

  • VintyriVintyri Newcomer
    Let me be the first to admit that I might be missing a point. Still ... nonetheless ... why don't you use the Mike Schley hill symbols in:

    (Data Folders)\ProFantasy\CC3Plus\Symbols\Maps\Mike Schley\Mountains.fsc?
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  • CraigJCraigJ
    Posted By: VintyriLet me be the first to admit that I might be missing a point. Still ... nonetheless ... why don't you use the Mike Schley hill symbols in:

    (Data Folders)\ProFantasy\CC3Plus\Symbols\Maps\Mike Schley\Mountains.fsc?
    They're not top-down, rather isometric, which isn't what I'm looking for.
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  • VintyriVintyri Newcomer
    edited October 2016
    Let me be the second to admit now that I still might be missing a point. However, after looking at your sample Schley map, this is what I would do. First, I would make some fractal polygons with all fills white and a dotted line frame like the one below. Then I would save it as a PNG.
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  • VintyriVintyri Newcomer
    Next, I would call up the PNG file in The GIMP or some other program that can add an alpha channel and transparency. I would do just that to all of the white areas and save the result. I then would use the CC3+ Symbol Manager and the import PNGs operation, to import the modified graphic as a symbol in all four resolutions. The result of that operation is in the ZIP file below. If you want to try this quickie symbol out, unzip it into (Data Folders)\Profantasy\CC3Plus\User. Then create a new map with a green background and insert this symbol into it.
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  • VintyriVintyri Newcomer
    edited October 2016
    Next, add darker green fractal polygons inside the symbol and give them an edge fade. See the sample below, but keep in mind that it's a quick and dirty sample, not high level cartography. If you want to use this method, you need to spend more time on it than I did to make it look better.

    Also don't be surprised if someone comes along with a better method. I don't make maps with CC3+, but this is the first idea I had of how I would do it if that's what I had to do or wanted to do. Who knows? Maybe I may even think up a better method. If I do I'll let you know.

    Happy Sunday!
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  • CraigJCraigJ
    I see what you're getting at there. However I can cut a step by just making a fractal path instead of a polygon so it has no fill. Then I can use some shaded fractals like you did in the last image. Hmm... going to try that out
    Thanks for the ideas.
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