For the next Palace in the sequence, Number Five, I decided to switch to one of the black-and-white styles, and picked the Mike Schley Inks one to try out for the first time. I'd hoped it might be possible to use some of the actual symbols that come with the style this time, instead of just drawing almost everything, but unfortunately, there seemed to be too much surface texture on the ones I preferred, so that when viewing the whole map, they looked like indeterminate black blobs, which didn't seem ideal. The texture might have worked for the ice furniture the Palace contains in a smaller map, I suspect; all part of the learning curve, of course!

I also took the opportunity to try out some ideas for colouring the whole map, using Effects like the RGB Matrix Process. That too proved unhelpful, as colouring not just the map, but all of the surrounding CC3+ drawing window as well, which isn't something I've come across before. Then again, I've not used anything other than the "Gray" and "Sepia" settings on an entire map like this previously, so again, live & learn.

What I did decide upon was to provide an option to view the map with a coloured screen over it, so I simply drew a white rectangle across the whole map and its frame, applied a strong Transparency Effect to its Cover Sheet, and a simple RGB Matrix Process Effect too, favouring an icy pale blue. Hopefully, this can be applied using one of Monsen's special toggles in the final Atlas version.

It is slightly terrifying to open the CC3+ map now with the Cover Sheet showing, but with the Effects turned off, because all you see is a white screen! First time I did that, there was a moment of panic as to whether I'd lost the whole dratted map! Then I remembered...

So, two versions of Palace 5 here, the first the straightforward black and white one, the second with that Cover Sheet in action.

Inevitably, the uncoloured one is the sharper, because to get a sufficient RGB Matrix colour Effect on the blue one, the Transparency can't be set too low, but it seems an acceptable compromise.

Thanks Sue! Tracing snowflake shapes is quite addictive after a while - probably just as well, as I've still six more to go...

I have started making progress on getting the accompanying notes sorted out for the Palace as well, so it's not been all mapping lately. ?

If you were willing to use the older style Character Artist options, there's a greater range of instruments, albeit that's somewhat relative - a bell, a horn and a lute! The missing horn and lute in CA3 do seem rather an oversight, but then we've discussed endlessly on the Forum about ALWAYS wanting MORE symbols for everything ?

I'm not certain if that unqualified "5' Grid" label in the Annual issue's PDF Mapping Guide may not be a mistake, as looking at the sample FCW file map with that issue, there are only two five-foot grids in it, "5' Grid, 2 Snap" and "5' Grid, 5 Snap".

It doesn't really matter however, as BOTH are basic 2D rectangular grids, and that's actually all you need for drawing 2D maps. The snap setting just mean the snap points in the grid will be either every 2.5 feet (2 Snap) or every 1 foot (5 Snap).

The 10' Grid, 2 Snap is also a rectangular grid for 2D work, with snap points every 5 feet.

This will let you draw a plan-view = 2D vertical of your dungeon layout, and following the next part of the Mapping Guide will help you convert your 2D floorplans into 3D isometric forms.

The third Palace map was done using the Caves pack from the first year of the Cartographer's Annual, in CA7, though you might be hard-pressed to tell! After some experimentation, I opted for the Fog, Green Bitmap fill, as with a little colour tweaking, its texture has an interestingly ice-like look - to my eye, anyway! It's also slightly transparent as a texture, so the underlying Dirt, Grey 1 background has an influence on it too.

The Locations map continues to be tweaked and adjusted still. This is its form after I finished the Third Palace map:

I've just been using copy & paste versions of the floor designs for the "Palaces" list, since that way, you get an impression of the overall form of each, if in a very simplified/condensed way. It'll need further tweaking before this one's finished, of course, once the rest of the Palaces are filled-in. The "Places" list could probably handle a slightly larger font size, for instance. For now, I wanted to make sure I'd simply got all the key text there though.