Thread: theJimGaudet, not much of a Cartographer :(

Welcome to the Guild, home to all things mappy

I have to tell you that the computer is THE great equalizer for a supossed lack of talent. Being a computer pro such as you are, you should have no problem getting the hang of yje programs used to make maps.

If you have yet to decide on what prog you want to use there is the Software forumn to help you make a choice in that regard. I would suggest looking at the various forums to find styles youlike and what progs they used to make them and use that as a guideline for making your selection. We have a forum just full to the brim with tutorials for many progs and on even more subjects. We also have forums where people display their Works in Progress and show off their Finished Maps. For true inspiration you need to check out the Cartographer's Choice forum as well.

Look around and see what you like, and don't be afraid to show what you got be it maps, techniques or even (or especially) C & C. We are quite the friendly bunch here so don't be afraid of getting your head bitten off for stating that some thing does't work for you. Just be polite about it and maybe say why.

See you in the WIPs

Welcome to the Guild!

Welcome Aboard!

Given that your fairly IT tech I would suggest getting an elevation model of costa rica and you can do that by going to the USGS and using a program like the free Wilbur or something similar to convert the format that it produces into a grey scale height map.

Then take different shades of gray and group them together into bands and shade them with textures like old pirate parchment or make up your own hills or mountains or trees using a real black pen and scan it in or use a pen tablet or look through the site and find something to use.

Koresh is right, you should use your IT skillz as leverage to get the map out.

Welcome btw.

I'm no artist either thejim, but I can testify to the fact that one can create some pretty awesome stuff just by following directions. The first, most important thing is to get some tools and start producing whatever it is you need. There will be lots of folks to will pitch in to help you along your way and before you know it, you'll be helping other people.

Welcome aboard!

And if you want a fun, non-paying project to work on, I'm sure there are a few people who have ideas