With my usual delay, I've just caught up with this week's video now.

Didn't really know what to expect from the title, but it proved quite fascinating, and thought-provoking. Having spent a lifetime making and painting models, I'm inclined to agree with Remy's "stress-inducing" comments in the YouTube chat, as getting models to looks right needs a lot of concentrated effort, especially when you're doing something new for the first time!

However, what occurred to me while watching this is that you don't actually need to make your own models. There are many, often small, companies that specialise in manufacturing scale models of all kinds, including scenery for model railways, wargames and RPGs, some of whom prepare pre-painted and finished items. So picking up some of those would be another option for those who don't trust their own modelling skills, or who haven't the time or interest to follow the DIY route. Image those, and away you go. And yes, there are even companies that make finished model mountains!

I mentioned recently when presenting my in-progress mapping for Wyvern Citadel elsewhere on the Forum that the basis for that castle was a full 3D model castle constructed from modular pieces produced by Dwarven Forge. Now Dwarven Forge also produces modular model dungeons and caves, all finished, painted and ready to use out of the box. And yes, they're not cheap, just like that castle (if not quite so fearsomely-priced overall)! Other companies do some stuff like this, often unpainted, so there are alternatives, and DF do sell unpainted versions as well. However, the DF items cover probably the widest range of possible options in a consistent format. What struck me watching Ralf's video was that with enough pieces like these, it would be possible to generate your own Perspectives-style set of dungeon or cave symbols, by imaging your own models. So this idea needn't be restricted to just overland mapping.

Just a quick follow-up here to highlight the brand new Cartographer's Annual issue, freshly issued (CA172), Ship Deckplans, which does indeed update the original Sailing Ships pack, much as hoped! Especially happy to see the sample FCW file for the Drakkar, personally. Thanks very much @Ralf !

Isn't this the wrong way "up" to match with Level 1? I'm assuming the stairs down are those that link with the secret passage off the northeast side of the Training Arena in saying this, mind you.

I agree it would be helpful to know what the original purpose was for the "trident" room, and also why it links with one of the caves, as this would likely give you a better feeling for what you want to do with the map overall.

JG Campaign Map One is probably he most detailed of any (i.e. more place-names), and I think because those of us of a certain age and/or association with D&D and JG started out with City State of the Invincible Overlord, this is THE campaign map that ties together all the items in that original pack - The City itself, the surrounding terrain (including the explanation for why the City's on a huge estuary, but nowhere near the sea!), Thunderhold, and the explanations for a lot of place-names and places that feature in the City descriptions without any strong idea of where they were in relation to the City. And Tegel village, so you know the Manor's just over there too!

I still get a thrill just seeing the names again, for all it's been nearly 40 years since I last gamed there!

Hi @Nevermet!

The intuitiveness of CC3+ is directly proportional to your familiarity with CAD software. Most folks coming to the program afresh are more used to image manipulation software, and that works in a very different way. But we all started from the same point of knowing nothing. Now we know how much we didn't know then and how much we still don't know... ?

I'd recommend working through the CC3+ manual and the tutorials (especially the video tutorials - see the links in the Forum sidebar, any page, for these) before going too deeply into the Tome. The Tome's intended more for people who are already moderately familiar with the program, but want to get more involved with it, and improve their mapping strategies and abilities still further.