The Mines of Lorkh WIP

I've been experimenting with using Photoshop instead of DD3 for my dungeon maps. And I'm really growing to love the added flexibility of PS. My goal is to be able to produce nice maps, but relatively quickly, so that I can make them on a regular basis for the gaming group I'm running. This means creating a library of textures, symbols, PS actions, and just techniques in general. The learning experience is proving to be pretty fun. I'll offer more insight into the workflow I'm developing once I figure more of it out myself, lol!

But here's a small section of the map I started in on tonight. This is a cave that is part of a larger mine complex. The water is that sickly greenish color for a reason. The villain of the adventure has tainted this underground spring! I'll post more (and larger sections) as I complete it.

Here's the continued WIP. Opinions on the wall/floor textures? And any other C&C that strikes your fancy of course.

It is a nice map.

The larger view shows a bit of repetition in the rock pattern that is a bit distracting.

I think you will like the freedom that a full editing program gives you.

-Rob A>

I like it. Have some Rep. Is the cavern wall texture on its own layer and not cut into by the dungeon itself? If so, one trick I use is to duplicate the layer and then rotate it with the free transform function (make sure to stretch the selection to cover the whole layer). Then change the blending option to multiply and adjust the opacity to help blend the pattern in with the cavern pattern underneath it. I hope that makes sense. ;)

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Originally Posted by Turgenev

I like it. Have some Rep. Is the cavern wall texture on its own layer and not cut into by the dungeon itself? If so, one trick I use is to duplicate the layer and then rotate it with the free transform function (make sure to stretch the selection to cover the whole layer). Then change the blending option to multiply and adjust the opacity to help blend the pattern in with the cavern pattern underneath it. I hope that makes sense. ;)

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Yes, the cavern wall layer is a seamless pattern fill with a mask. I'll try that duplicated layer idea tonight. That's a good one. Thanks!

Side Note/Question: This file is getting BIG! And I'm only working at 50 pixels per 5 ft. What are most of you working at with PS/GIMP maps? 50 dpi? 100? 200? And how large an area do you usually try to map in one file?

I usually work at 200dpi (or higher), the size of the map varies but for a "default size" I generally use 3000x3000 pxl. I usually then have to lower the resolution for posting here.

I generally work with 300 dpi and my default map size is 1000 px by 1285 px but I have been known to extend/shrink that as the case may be. I generally don't make battlemaps so I don't worry fitting miniatures on to my maps.

Yeah I'm not sure about what I want for dpi... I don't "plan" on using my maps for minis, at least not at the moment. I'm going with 50 dpi for now because it works well for VTT apps. But honestly, it makes it hard to see the objects I place down in Photoshop. I've pulled most of my objects from my copies of DD3 and SS2. When I'm viewing the LO (50 pixels per 5 ft) versions on a 24" display at 1920x1200...you can imagine my squinty frustration.

What about people that make maps for VTT or even for minis? What kind of settings do you think would be ideal? And...is it possible to threadjack my own thread like this?

Well it's coming along. But something about it just doesn't feel quite right to me yet. I'm still really trying to emulate the somewhat more hand drawn feel of the newest 4e D&D maps. But it's just a bit "off" still. Does it need more stuff? I don't think so. Maybe something with the outlining? The WotC maps have a much more graphic feel to them than this. I just can't quite put my finger on it though...

I think it looks fine. My art instructors used to always hammer in to my head "there's a difference between decorating and design"...which basically means don't be a decorator be a designer, think it out, do it, then leave it alone. The only thing that I might tweak is the green slime, it looks a bit neon to me and I think that part affects the whole.