Thread: [GIMP] Pits, Water, Stairs, and Firelight in Dungeon

I'll wade in here and try to help you but first I just need a couple answers to some questions. The hex grid you have is that do to having a RPG system restriction or is just preference. If preference then I suggest square grid. I'll start a little write up with some screen shots in GIMP to ease the process.

Yes. I only play GURPS. I hate that it uses hexes, but it does so there we are. On the flip side, it means I need to make most of my own maps since almost no one uses hexes...

I forgot to tone down the opacity on the grid layer before posting.

Strangely enough, looking at your maps gave me an idea. Fill the inside with black and do a gaussian blur on it in another layer and make it an overlay. Then, do the opposite for the inner shadow. You could even do that with pits, make the floor black and do a blur on it...

That work? I'll try.

Don't worry those are minor issues. Here I go then answering.

The pits are fairly easy to do. Take your freehand selection tool and draw the general form of the pit you want to make. Perform a distort on the selection (Select -> Distort) use the default settings, they usually produce good results you can change and experiment here if you want a more jagged edge. Add a layer and fill this selection on that layer to keep track of the form. Erase from the layer holding your cavern floor, refill the temporary layer with another texture more rough and of the same colour palette as the current floor you are using but noticeably different to act as the wall of the pit. Create a new layer and add a spherical shaped foreground to background blend using black to white the default FG and BG colours. Set this layer above the texture you chose to replace then the set the layers mode to Hard Light. Reselect the are you've used the blend on and fill it with 10-20% opacity black fill until you have the desired amount of wall showing usually three fills is sufficient. Now you want to have a pronounced edge around the pit top it all off. Add another later position this above all the other layers and your cave floor layer. Select the area for the pit from lower layers and on the new layer grow it by 2 px. (Selection -> Grow) Fill this new enlarged area with black re-select the lower pit area and re change to the recently filled black layer and delete the selection. You should now have a 2 px wide line surrounding the edge of the pit. Apply a Gaussian blur of 2 px on this layer and set the mode to Overlay. This should produce a reasonably good pit. Included a snapshot of cave battlemap I fool around with to show the end result. If you want more screen shots or hints just ask. Once you got it down ill tackle your second inquiry but I won't until you have something your happy with for your pit.

I don't have time to do it right now, but you example is exactly what I'm seeking!

Thanks, man!

Originally Posted by geamon

Add a layer and fill this selection on that layer to keep track of the form.

Okay.

Erase from the layer holding your cavern floor,

I have a gray floor and an overlay of a solid noise/bump map to give it texture. Erase both? Erase the shape I drew, right?

refill the temporary layer with another texture more rough and of the same colour palette as the current floor you are using but noticeably different to act as the wall of the pit.

You mean the layer you had me make and fill to keep the shape? Am I just filling the selection? I assume I am.

Create a new layer and add a spherical shaped foreground to background blend using black to white the default FG and BG colours.

I created a white layer... But I don't know about the "spherical-shaped foreground-to-background blend."

That's as far as I got. I looked for blend and sphere but couldn't find them... I is stupid.

I found the blend tool but I have no idea how to make it spherical-shaped. Should I be doing this in the selection?

Originally Posted by Sharpe

I have a gray floor and an overlay of a solid noise/bump map to give it texture. Erase both? Erase the shape I drew, right?

You simply have to erase the shape of the pit out of all layers you have for the floor. I usually make a new layer from visible with all the effects and layers for specific elements to make layers more organized. i.e. you can hide all layers except the ones for the floor, right click the layers menu/window and add new from visible. This way if your satisfied with the floor texture you don't have to work with many layers, just the one up to you though.

Originally Posted by Sharpe

You mean the layer you had me make and fill to keep the shape? Am I just filling the selection? I assume I am.

I see that you work with trying to make your own textures as opposed to me I use for the most part tillable textures and fills. You can try generating something more rough looking or you can try out what I have added to this thread. As long as you find something that works for you.

Originally Posted by Sharpe

I created a white layer... But I don't know about the "spherical-shaped foreground-to-background blend."

That's as far as I got. I looked for blend and sphere but couldn't find them... I is stupid.

Check out the screen shot of the blend tool I have, if you haven't used it before, it's a good way to create gradients that can transition from any color to another. Also you can transition colors to transparent area. Just use the gradient tool with in the confines of your pit selection/shape it should fill it with a reasonable looking shape to set to hard light as long as you use the fill tool after to ensure the layer mode doesn't expose any white.


Again let me know if you have questions.

Now that I got the spherical blend tool, I think I can work it out from there with your instructions. Thanks, man! I got to go, but I'll be back in about 30 min to try again.

Have any form of IM? I only have MSN and Facebook... PM me if you do and I'll PM you mine, if you don't mind me nagging you, that is!