Drawing Maps

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CixrTyx
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Drawing Maps

Post by CixrTyx »

Hello Everybody,
Are there any tutorials that show off advanced map drawing? I want to create maps like this: http://prints.mikeschley.com/img/s5/v13 ... 9516-4.jpg

I don't want to import that map but create it using the drawing tools, but I'm stuck on drawing diagonals and curves when it comes to corridors and hallways. Also are there good wall shadow packs so that I can make the maps look more 3D?

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aliasmask
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Re: Drawing Maps

Post by aliasmask »

I subscribe to the google+ forum Map-Making in Games where many contributors give tips and tutorials on their map-making techniques.

taustinoc
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Re: Drawing Maps

Post by taustinoc »

This isn't helpful for making maps in MapTool, but Mike Schley has contributed quite a lot to Campaign Cartographer, and making maps in his style is fairly easy (to the extent that anything is easy in Campaign Cartographer).

It is not, however, free, and the learning curve is fairly steep (but the forums are very friendly and genuinely helpful).

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Full Bleed
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Re: Drawing Maps

Post by Full Bleed »

CixrTyx wrote:Hello Everybody,
Are there any tutorials that show off advanced map drawing? I want to create maps like this: http://prints.mikeschley.com/img/s5/v13 ... 9516-4.jpg

I don't want to import that map but create it using the drawing tools, but I'm stuck on drawing diagonals and curves when it comes to corridors and hallways. Also are there good wall shadow packs so that I can make the maps look more 3D?
Going to be tough to create maps like that in Maptool... but some people have surprised me and done some really interesting things.

Best bet, go to youtube and look up some videos.

Examples:

Start with Quick Maps techniques:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDkviZW1rCc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOChfQAT-z4

Tips and Tricks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SacDBXnSQdw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvxbsBy6ZpM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPJQIaQlggw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOrHReUYy1o
Maptool is the Millennium Falcon of VTT's -- "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts."

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aliasmask
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Re: Drawing Maps

Post by aliasmask »

Importing images is the way to go for nice looking maps. The tools in MapTool are very limited.

SzassT
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Re: Drawing Maps

Post by SzassT »

You won't get maps that look like that, but I use Dungeon Painter Studio (There is a free to use Online version and a paid version on Steam). You can make some really nice looking maps with it. Plus, when you export the map, you choose the px/in, setting it to 50 makes its grid line up with the default MapTools grid perfectly so you can easily do Vision Blocking, and of course you can set it to anything else so that it would match a custom grid size for maptools!

CixrTyx
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Re: Drawing Maps

Post by CixrTyx »

SzassT wrote:You won't get maps that look like that, but I use Dungeon Painter Studio (There is a free to use Online version and a paid version on Steam). You can make some really nice looking maps with it. Plus, when you export the map, you choose the px/in, setting it to 50 makes its grid line up with the default MapTools grid perfectly so you can easily do Vision Blocking, and of course you can set it to anything else so that it would match a custom grid size for maptools!
That tool is amazing! Thank you so much! :)

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