Thread: Rough Sketch Coastal w/ Large Island(s)

Originally Posted by Korash

Not that I am taking this, but just to see if I am thining along the same lines....Here is a quick sketch of what I understand to be what you want. I didn't put the other islands in, but let me know if this is even close.

this might help others if they do it instead (Go Ravs! ;-) ) or your making corrections....

You see, what I was looking for wasn't that hard. It isn't instantly usable but it is a lot better than anything that I have created myself.

Now, I know that there are tutorials on the forums on how to use different resources. Honestly, I haven't looked at them because I didn't want to work for hours to just figure out the style that I want, sifting their several tutorials just to find out that they are teaching me something that doesn't fit my criteria.

Your example is good enough for me. So, a specific tutorial or instructions on how you did you what you just did would be great. Even if you just briefly tell me what you did.

• What programs?
• How did you contour the land?
• How did you get the double line for the contour of the land?
• How do you decide where to put forests, mountains, deserts, etc ...?
• (Not included in your map)How about rivers and lakes? How do I decide where to put them?

Any info you can provide would be helpful.

I tried drawing a map with a mechanical pencil this morning. It was better than the fractal maps I was creating a few days ago.

And, perhaps if someone still wants to help me, I don't mind working on this with you. So, if I can figure out part of it, maybe someone else can either help me get started or help me finish. Only time will tell.

Thanks for your help already.


Mark

There you go! Korash is your man!!!

Originally Posted by ravells

There you go! Korash is your man!!!

Your help would still be helpful, though not in the form of a map if you don't want.

Thanks



Mark

Nah, I'm just into the maps!

Originally Posted by ravells

Nah, I'm just into the maps!

So, no words of wisdom to help me create the map that I want?


Mark

Sorry, not really. It sounds to me that what you're after is not a map but someone to collaborate with you in making your stories which include maps. It would be unfair to you if I agreed to do this and didn't follow through - which is almost certainly what would happen. I like simple projects which complete in shortish timescales. I really don't have the time (particularly with my gnatlike attention span - Look there's something shiny!) to go in for the long collaborative projects, unless they really, really, really grab me.

:: edit :: Sorry, typed at speed, let me clarify: I would be happy to do a 'one off' map for you with stuff in to pique your inspiration, but what I don't have time for is to get involved in the project for the long haul. Happy also to post up the .psd file here so others can take it on and continue to edit it as they wish. If you'd like to make the map, then all I can suggest is that you browse through the tutorials (the quickstart sticky is a good place to begin) and see which ones grab you.

Originally Posted by ravells

Sorry, not really. It sounds to me that what you're after is not a map but someone to collaborate with you in making your stories which include maps.

I don't believe that is what I am asking. Collaborate with me on the first map, and I can do all the following.

If you'd like to make the map, then all I can suggest is that you browse through the tutorials (the quickstart sticky is a good place to begin) and see which ones grab you.

I have an attention span such as yours. Reading through bunches of tutorials will not help me. It will encourage me to give up. I've done that on other difficult tasks, and since I have other hobbies, I would just go to one of those.

However, if you or someone else has a particular tutorial in mind that would answer all my questions, then feel free to point me in the exact direction.

Or, if someone has a few minutes, we can chat about my questions. Either way.


Thanks

Well, deciding where you want to put features (like forests, rivers, mountains etc) is more worldbuilding than map making, although the two are related. You might want to do a site search on worldbuilding, there is a good guide which is available free online which tells you where to put mountains, rivers etc, I can't recall it but it may be worth a google or someone else here may remember. Have a look in the mapping references subforum too on worldbuilding.

I really can't think of a tutorial that will help you with your map if all you want is a basic sketch - most of the tutorials are geared towards making something more advanced than that. It may be that if you want a sketch the best way to do it is with an HB pencil and paper.

Hope this helps!

Originally Posted by marcuslee

• What programs?
• How did you contour the land?
• How did you get the double line for the contour of the land?
• How do you decide where to put forests, mountains, deserts, etc ...?
• (Not included in your map)How about rivers and lakes? How do I decide where to put them?

Any info you can provide would be helpful.

I tried drawing a map with a mechanical pencil this morning. It was better than the fractal maps I was creating a few days ago.

And, perhaps if someone still wants to help me, I don't mind working on this with you. So, if I can figure out part of it, maybe someone else can either help me get started or help me finish. Only time will tell.

The first thing I did (was at work and only a short time to do it) was use "Snag-it" (a print-screen ap that we have at work. you might be able to find something like it) to grab your map, and then replaced the land colors with black. The water with white. Then edge detect to find the edges.

Seeing as how you used a prog to produce the map to begin with, you should be able to outline your land masses in that prog. Once you get the outline, if you still want the double line just select the line and offset it.

As for the mountains, forests and stuff....You did say that you wanted some sort of "unpassable barrier like mountains or a desert" on the right edge. Hence those mountains and the desert As for the rest, They just sort of placed themselves there. All you need to do is look at the land mass and say that "I think some mountains should go here and there, some forests here and maybe there, hills in this area and so on. Once you have some basic stuff laid out, remember that rivers flow from High ground to Low, and the steeper the faster it flows (and the straighter it is) and when it hit the low lands it will start to wonder a bit. ( as steel General has said a few times, Think of Rivers as a tree > the leaves are the high ground and as the branches get closer to the trunk (and the ground) they come together and get thicker. Only rarely will the trunk split before it gets to the ground (sea or ocean). Sometimes you will see exposed roots (think deltas) but not very often. In the lowlands, you may get swamps that spread the river a bit. Forests will usually have some sort of stream or river passing through it somewhere as a source of water.

Lakes will usually be be in low land, or at least lower than the land around it. One thing to remember, more than one river may flow into a lake, but only one will flow out. Placing the rivers and lakes is mostly a "I want something here" sort of thing. One thought to keep in mind is that most early towns and cities are placed along coast lines, lake shores and rivers (major trade routes don't you know) so think about where you want to have the cities.

Like Ravs said, the best way to figure out your map is to pick up some paper and a good pencil and go at it. Seeing as how you already have the land mass, make the outline as I described above and print it out. I would suggest doing it initially on a 11x17 and print out a few copies. I tried to find the tut that I was trying out for the mountains to show you what I was doing if you like that style, but I couldn't. Sorry.

Once you have a sketch that you like the look of, post it in the WIP forums. If you would rather, I could help you out developing the map, but available time is not something I am long on, so the help is most likely to be spaced quite a bit. I have been trying to get better at terrain features so I don't mind doing something like this. Just let me know what you want to do, or any corrections/additions/placement issues you want me to make.