Newbie question
Hi all:
I am leaning towards purchasing this software but have a basic question.
What types of files and documents can be imported into the software and can they be edited? I am specifically thinking about real life geographical areas (such as Normandy) to put campaign maps together for historicl scenarios (such as the capture of Caen in 1944).
Thanks,
Rob
I am leaning towards purchasing this software but have a basic question.
What types of files and documents can be imported into the software and can they be edited? I am specifically thinking about real life geographical areas (such as Normandy) to put campaign maps together for historicl scenarios (such as the capture of Caen in 1944).
Thanks,
Rob
Comments
I am no expert, but I do know for certain that JPEG and PNG bitmaps can be imported and traced by hand, and that some kinds of conversion are available from earlier versions of CC to CC3 and CC3+.
There may be some resource maps that are appropriate for your needs, but I don't own any of the resources, so can't be certain about that.
To reverse the question, what kind of files and documents are you hoping to import?
To give your an answer, looking at importing jpeg, png, paint files and the like. Some of it will be screen shots taken from Google Map.
And it does sound like this is what I went, so that is excellent news.
Rob
In addition to various bitmap formats, such as BMP and JPG and PNG, CC3+ also supports importing DWG and DXF files.
As for real-world mapping, there are several ways to do accomplish this.
- First, for WWII maps, it's hard to beat ProFantasy's WWII Interactive Atlas. The maps are in vector format, not bitmap format, but they look pretty good. If you also buy or own CC3+, then ProFantasy provides a download link for CC2Pro, which lets you edit the maps (the atlas is not yet compatible with CC3+)! Note: If you do edit the maps remember to always immediately save a map you're going to edit with a new name so you don't overwrite the default maps.
- As Loopysue suggested, you can import an image of the location you want to map (e.g. Europe, France, or even a map of Caen) and then trace it. This is fairly easy but, depending on how detailed you want your map to be (as a starting point), it can be a little time-consuming.
- You can purchase the Cartographer's Annual Volume 8 (2014). The January Issue (#85) is about creating WWII Area Maps! Additionally, the August issue (# 92) includes maps created using real-world data and then saved to a format CC3+ can import. It also includes a detailed guide for finding, converting, and importing real-world data from the Natural Earth project. I'm not personally familiar with how granular their maps get (e.g. I don't know if there's a "France" map) but I know they have data that includes Europe as a whole, which you could edit. Note, however, that issues of the Annuals are not sold individually, so you would need to get the entire volume. There's lots of other good stuff in there, too, including the next issue (# 93), Modern Journeys, which might be useful along the same lines. For more information on Annual Volume 8, see http://www.profantasy.com/annual/2014/info.html.
- And, lastly, you can purchase Fractal Terrains 3 so you can import your own selection of real-world data and export it to CC3+. There are several forum posts that describe how to do that and, of course, if you can't find the exact question you're looking for on the forum, you can always post it.
I hope that helps.Cheers,
~Dogtag
~Dogtag
Look forward to seeing some of your new maps!