Map

[InsanitySorrow]

It's not too bad , Dito to the other comments.

[GOOGLEPOX]

Thank you.

[morcroft]

Just in case you're really new with Photoshop - two words: Layers and Masks! I use Gimp but I know Photoshop supports them as well, and you really can't use the tool properly (or without screwing up) without them. Use Layers to overlay your roads and cities; masks to control the transparency between layers, and to fade and blend images.

As a general point of interest, you might like this map tutorial at Cartographers Guild. It's gimp-oreinted but there's tons of good stuff in there. Create an account: it doesn't inline the images for guests.

[Ibsen's Ghost]

If the map were to be a fairly accurate reflection of the cell-based grid references then this would be particularly useful. Do you know whether this map tutorial helps you to do that?

[morcroft]

The tutorial is generic RPG - not even really computer game-oriented. Just thought it might help explain some general techniques.

[The Old Ye Bard]

Originally posted by GOOGLEPOX
Actually I used photoshop to make the whole thing. I used the geographic map you already had for Black Marsh, traced it out on sea textures from the other maps, placed land textures from the unfinished Valenwood map, and used the mouse to draw the outlines. Then I used the mouse to lighten the areas along the coast.

I know you used photoshop for the whole thing, 'by hand' refers to using a mouse or a tablet to do the outlines, which you obviously did, and with a mouse it would have obviously been a pain. Here's how you should have done it:

Trace around either an official map's borders, or an exported .bmp of the Height Map you're working for's borders, with the pen tool, creating a vector shape, then create a another layer, fill it up with the land texture from the official map (using the clone stamp), covering up all of your vector shape (it's good to go over the edges in this case), then you'll want to make sure that this layer is directly above the vector shape in the layers list and then make it a Clipping Mask; magic ensues, and you'll find your textures fills in the vector shape. Amazing. Then all you need to do is go into 'Blending options' for your Vector Shape, and play around with the drop shadow and inner shadow sections to get your border, in a way that won't take half a milliena to do (and looks 100x better).

[Ibsen's Ghost]

Interesting. Would that leave us with a fully workable map that can accurately pinpoint locations and be brought into the game?

[DoZeNt]

So , whats the current situation with the map???


Is there one in-game?

[Ibsen's Ghost]

TOYB offered to get it sorted. He needed a copy of our current height map which I sent to him using one of the map generator programs. He just needed the outline to get it set up apparently, although we haven't got an entirely height-mapped landscape yet. Nevertheless, he should be in a position to do this now but this was quite a long time ago now and I haven't heard back from him. I'll have to send a PM.