I cranked the jpg save quality up to 100% but didn't modify any other settings. It almost seems as if there is a layer in the mountains stack that is darkening everything except the mountains themselves. The catch is that all but the final two layers of this stack have their visibility turned off. The second layer's visibility is optional as it only affects the snow cap for the mountains. When it's visibility was shut off the work space in Gimp didn't look any different. ::shrugs:: I get the feeling that it's a combination of the base layer colors themselves and the blend mode of each layer that is affecting the visibility of the rest of the map I'm just not savvy enough with this to pinpoint the issue. It is my first tutorial and foray into this arena, after all. I did drop a question into RobA's thread on his Simple Mountains in Gimp tutorial asking if he'd look over here and offer his opinion/expertise on the issue. If he has the time I'd be grateful for the pointers.
As for sticking with one tutorial all the way through, well, I can't say that I have. So far, I've used RobA's original Using GIMP to Create an Artistic Regional RPG Map tutorial, his Simple Mountains in Gimp tutorial, I'm looking very strongly at arsheeshA's Making Photo-realistic Trees in GIMP tutorial, and I've pulled ideas from several other tutorials and essays. The idea to use the dirt layer as the guide for the mountains location came from my experience with how the land colors mapped onto the mountains the first time I tried building them along with how torstan built his mountains in Making mountains in Gimp using an overlay layer tutorial. I'm thinking I'll lay rivers in next before forests so I've read up on them in a couple of different essays here, re: placement and flow. I don't want a ticket from the River PoliceI'm not sure I'll pull Inkscape in at this point to taper the rivers, maybe I can do something in Gimp with using different size brushes. Beyond that, I haven't gotten much further. Oh, no, I did read a discussion on placement of roads and the level of technology of a given culture to produce roads of various qualities.
I'm not to worried with this approach as, ultimately, I'm having fun. This engages both my creative and analytical sides. I cook the same way and most times the results are palatable. I'm focusing on the journey here not a specific destination, letting the map grow organically. Would I like to understand why there's a visual difference in Gimp's work space and the jpg output? Definitely, but I'm not letting it hold me back.
Hi-
I'm not sure where that dark image (I assume that is what you refer to when you say they are different) is coming from. Can you upload the xcf file somewhere?
It looks like you might have "show Layer Mask" turned on in the stack some where? Also, what version of Gimp are you using?
-Rob A>
My tutorials: Using GIMP to Create an Artistic Regional Map ~ All My Tutorials
My GIMP Scripts: Rotating Brush ~ Gradient from Image ~ Mosaic Tile Helper ~ Random Density Map ~ Subterranean Map Prettier ~ Tapered Stroke Path ~ Random Rotate Floating Layer ~ Batch Image to Pattern ~ Better Seamless Tiles ~ Tile Shuffle ~ Scale Pattern ~ Grid of Guides ~ Fractalize path ~ Label Points
My Maps: Finished Maps ~ Challenge Entries ~ My Portfolio: www.cartocopia.com
Rob, thanks for taking the time to look. I really appreciate the help.
The file is around 135MB at this point. I think I have someplace I could upload it to but as it's a private file storage site I'd have to PM you the link if that's ok?Originally Posted by RobA
Hmm... I don't recall that so if I did it was inadvertent.
I just downloaded and installed it recently, I know it's 2.6 but not which increment beyond that. I can verify that later tonight.
Rob, I've verified the version of Gimp, it's 2.6.8. Also, you should have a PM with the link to the xcf file. I ran through my layers and I didn't see anything that indicated Show Layer Mask, though a couple indicated Edit Layer Mask. I could be missing something somewhere I'm just not sure where else to look other than the context menu for each layer.
I sent a pm back. You had visibility turn on for one of the saved selections (channels).
Hope that helps!
-Rob A>
My GIMP Scripts: Rotating Brush ~ Gradient from Image ~ Mosaic Tile Helper ~ Random Density Map ~ Subterranean Map Prettier ~ Tapered Stroke Path ~ Random Rotate Floating Layer ~ Batch Image to Pattern ~ Better Seamless Tiles ~ Tile Shuffle ~ Scale Pattern ~ Grid of Guides ~ Fractalize path ~ Label Points
My Maps: Finished Maps ~ Challenge Entries ~ My Portfolio: www.cartocopia.com
It certainly did. Switching off the visibility of that channel changed the whole work area so it now looks like the jpg export. I'm really grateful for the help, Rob. I was beginning to think I'd be doing a great deal of exports to check the color maps as I went.
I decided to add in rivers last night which turned out to be an interesting experience. The wispy sea foam around the edge of the land is actually a layer with a displaced layer mask and gaussian blur. See here for details. It works well, but when I began to draw in the rivers on the Grass layer's land mask I found that they turned out white rather than blue. It took me a while to figure out what had happened. I systematically turned off the visibility of each layer and finally found blue rivers when I turned off the Seashore layer. So, I created a new layer, slipped it between the Seashore and Grass layers, loaded the land mask channel and bucket-filled it blue. Seems to have worked and didn't cause any issues with what I already had. I didn't really want to lose the sea foam as I think it's a nice stroke to add dimension to the land.
Once I turned all the layers back on I found that some of the dirt textures covered rivers, most noticeably at the rivers mouths. So, I dropped back to the grass layer and turned the visibility of the layer mask on then using the fuzzy select wand I selected the sea which had the effect of selecting the rivers too. This is when I noticed that the selection of the rivers wasn't quite as complete as I'd hoped. I had painted the rivers in using a 3px black brush and the option of 'fade stroke'. I tripped over the fade stroke option and realized that it gave me a bit of a taper on the river without much hassle. Well, I'd now found the hassle.
I turned off the grass layer land mask visibility and jumped to the dirt layer. I loaded the rivers channel and using the eraser tool cleaned up the river mouths and bed as far as the selection would go. This seemed to work. I then thought, "You know, RobA mentions adding a bevel to the rivers for a little added dimension. Let's try that." It took me a little while to figure out the process, I added a layer filled with 50% grey above the Grass layer and ended up using the Rivers selection channel as the bump map using the inverted option. I'm pretty sure I did anyways, details are a little fuzzy by this point as it was going on midnight. Once Gimp applied the changes I found most of each river nicely beveled. Right up to the point where it starts to fade. So, the rivers look a little off.
I'm going to go back through next and see if I can use the fuzzy select to add the ends of the rivers to the rest of the waters selection. If I can, great, if not, well, back to the digital drawing board. I'll probably try RobA's Tapering Rivers in Gimp script. After that, forests!
Hey, folks, life happened and I had to focus in other directions, but I'm back for the nonce. I went back and completely re-worked the rivers. I found three different scripts (Fractilize Path, Smooth Path, Taper Path - threads rated and repped) to help with that and found I ended up with much better looking results than trying to draw them in with a mouse. The results are below. I've actually spent more time working on just the rivers than I have on the rest of the map alone. ::shrugs:: Hey, it's all fun, right? Next stop, forests!
Just a brief note, folks: this map is on hold while I work on a private commission for a sci-fi RPG.
Looking back at that last post, it's been awhile. That sci-fi map fell through, 'nuff said.
Over the last couple three months I've been working with Arsheesh's tutorial: Making Photo-realistic Trees in GIMP: A Mini-Tut. I ran into a problem that I finally figured out was an issue of scale. See, Arsheesh's tutorial teaches with a canvas size of about 1000px. My map is more than double that size at 2400px x 3200 px. The forests I was generating were far to smoothed out. I figured out that the issue had to do with Gimp's Render > Cloud filter. The filter seems to produce the same render irrespective of canvas size. For smaller, regional maps this is fine as the light/dark areas of the render provide more variation in forest canopy in the area selected for a forest. For larger maps, say continent size, your perspective is more zoomed out but the cloud render remains unchanged. When the area for a forest is selected there is actually less variation in the forest canopy resulting in a flatter looking forest. This ends up visually unappealing, kinda like a Christmas cookie with green sprinkles glued to the surface of your map. So, I started looking for alternatives.
I found a good alternative in the Felimage Noise filter. I spent hours experimenting with various settings and finally found something that worked pretty well. Using the Sparse Turbulence algorithm with a 15x15 scale and 5 octaves I was able to produce -
While I'm sure I have more to learn, I'm pretty happy with the results. I've already added another forest in the north between all the mountains. I have plans for two more - one in the eastern central area and the last in the south just north of the river. Once I have all the forests generated I'll upload a new version of the map.
It must be said, Arsheesh was very helpful in answering my questions and offering additional advice and alternatives. The problems I ran into were decidedly not a failure on the part of his tutorial they were specific to me and my map. I'm grateful to Arsheesh for all the help and encouragement he offered. If I could rep him a again, I would
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