Thread: Kobold Quarterly Map of Fantasy: Bandits' Lair

Torstan:

That map is super-impressive. I would love to know what your work flow is for making a map like that. Do you actually model it in 3d and then export an image to work up in photoshop/GIMP? Or is it actually just a carefully measured 2d drawing?

Is there a tutorial on isometric mapping either made or recommended by you?

I'm repping you to a clean 500!

I never did put together a tute for that one. In fact it was my first iso map!

The workflow was to create the top down plan of the dungeon. I then rotated each layer by 45 degrees and shrank the (new) vertical axis to 57.7% of it's original value. That made it the correct dimensions for an iso grid.

With the floorplans laid out I then went into the vertical details. They were added free hand. After the line work was done I went in to colour and shade it, but that's relatively quick with the structure laid down well. Hope that answers the question, and thanks for the rep!

Yeah, that pretty much answers my question. But I guess I'm also curious as to what programs you used.

I'm new here, and I'm trying to get a feel for which software people are using to make which kinds of maps. So far, this is one of my absolute favourites, and definitely one I would like to try to emulate in the next little while.

Also, do you find it's necessary to use a tablet to do the kind of work you do, or do you work mainly with a mouse?

Thanks...

This was done in Gimp, with a tablet. I find that a tablet makes a huge difference. I've been using the smallest and cheapest wacom - a little 4 by 6 graphire4. They are great and I can't recommend it highly enough. The modern equivalent is a bamboo.

I now use photoshop, but the basic workflow is the same. The lines are done on one layer and then the colours on successive separate layers.

This map is great, good work my friend! I recently did a map similar to this for Paizo but it was of a massive mountain fast. It was however much more of an "Artistic" piece than a functional map, but the 3d isometric view is shared. Again, very good work, though my favorite map of yours so far is the "Iron Crag Cantons", it is quite exceptional