Is it possible to create huge maps?
Is it possible to create large maps with several continents to the same quality as smaller maps? Every time I've tried to do this the land draw tool goes very rigid when I zoom in to draw -- most of the coastlines become no more than zigzagged lines and it doesn't look at all realistic. Also the background fill becomes blown up and looks very pixelated.
Comments
Why no:
- Detailed coastlines require lots of nodes, and there is a limit to the number of nodes your underlying OS can handle in drawing calls. I used to recommend at most 10000 nodes in a single entity, but modern versions of Windows can handle more than that. Too many nodes will start to cause problems like slow redraws, and in the worst case, crashes.
- A too detailed map usually looks very bad when zoomed out because all the small details get jumbled together and are difficult to identify and separate.
Why yes:
- Resolution of fill styles can be changed to make them appear good when zoomed in and not pixellerated. Do note however that this can affect the rendering when zoomed out, causing artifacts.
- Fractalization can be changed to increase coastline detail, but note that this creates many more nodes (refer to my NO point above)
Another reason for not doing it is simply mapping fatigue. If you are mapping your world map in extreme detail, that basically means that you have to do the whole map that way. That is a LOT of work. I strongly recommend mapping the world/continent map in a detail scale that looks good when zoomed out, and then create more detailed maps of only the part of that continent that you actually need in greater detail.
I know CharlesWayneRobinson is making such a map with his Kelleemah project, he might chime in with his experiences.
So far, it is not slowing my system down but I am not very far on the project yet.
One solution that I found is that I have set up a grid and I make high resolution images of each square.
I then go to a blank map the same size and insert the high resolution image into the same square using coordinates.
If the original file starts to slow down, I will just save it as a version 2, remove the detail from what I have already done and then expand the detail into the new area I am working on.
This will allow me to eventually have a large detailed map and bypasses the node issue and symbol overload.
I am completely completely new.
Is it possible to either explain that with screenshots or phonecam
Sorry, if I am being dense. Trying to digest a lot. Thinking I might work on a campaign world copied somewhat from Greyhawk starting in one area and expanding as I need - I'll have a very rough outline - probably partly hand drawn - then build as I need in CC. Thing is, I don't even know what size the canvas should be if I wanted to first duplicate the old Darlene Greyhawk map in general outline before customizing by frankenstein little here little there mods.
Was going to start near Hommlet and maybe path to Greyhawk - after that, would LOVE to have a map I can zoom in to good detail. But be happy to "expand" on actual hexes with separate detail hexmaps for important hexes. Was just thinking if could zoom to a tight enough level to crop and make VTT travel maps, that would be great.
If that cannot be done - then I deal with making multiscale maps (but since they won't be pretty or fast for me to make, prefer one main map if can - hex minis for special cases)
Thanks
Robert
Then Insert map, under the Draw menu at the top of CC3, and select the small map. Place the small map within the construction area.
You can then trace over the small map, and then delete the small map when done. Then delete the construction hollow square/rentangle.
detail:
1) click on the sheet part of CC3/CC3+ at the top. Where it says S: and something after that.
click add, type the word construction
click okay. You now have a construction sheet. Click okay again to exit the sheet menu.
2) click on L: and some text at the top of CC3/CC3+ that is the layer requestor. Type in the word construction and click okay to exit. Layers are alphabetical, sheets can be moved up and down.
3) make sure S: construction and L: construction is visible in the sheet and layer windows, so they are active.
4) using Info menu, at the top of the program, select Distance. Using that, measure off an area of the same size as the smaller map. This part is painful for me, so it can be painful for you. Someone else here very likely has a better method. Anyway, I draw a hollow rectangle/square, which ever the smaller map shape is, and insert it into the area I set aside for it in the previous sentences.
5) use the inserted map as a guide, and draw over it using CC3/CC3+ map tools to place land, and rivers, etc. and then symbols.
6) after you are done, hide all layers except for construction, then exit the layer menu.
7) delete the smaller map.
8) ctrl-r to refresh.
9) go back into the layer menu and click 'show all'. click okay to exit.
10) you now have a copy of the smaller map in the larger map.
4) Go to the draw menu, select Insert file. Browse to the
It does not matter what resolution you used.
But, I would recommend the highest resolution possible.