[Award Winner] Using GIMP to Create an Artistic Regional RPG Map

[RobA]

I would first like to thank RobA for writing this tutorial.

It looks like a lot of time and effort was put forth here and I want to make sure they know I really appreciate it.

No problem. I went through a few iterations clarifying based on user comments. Too bad you weren't around to five some feedback much earlier

I guess the only reall comment is that this wasn't meant to be "an intro to GIMP" though I have ben told it is pretty good in that aspect. There are many of those types of tutorials on the interweb, just google for "gimp tutorial basic"...

Quick critique. For the total new Gimp user (like me) every time you put "add a new layer" please put "add a forground/background/white/transparent" (pick one) instead. I know you put in there "unless otherwise specified you should use a transparent layer", but... When you are as new to this as I am, one needs explicit instructions on evey step.

I think Joe answered this one quite well (Thanks!) If it didn't matter, I didn't say. I thought that was pretty clear. make it white, black, transparent or paisley. The next steps will destroy whatever was on the layer anyway. I just wanted to save some typing after the first dozen pages... IN the same light as that, I only explain details ONCE, then refer back if the same steps are followed later.

I have a few questions about steps in the tutorial.

My first question starts on Page one at the bottom; "Post 8:Let there be Land." I have a few questions about this post. (I had a ton of questions in post 1-7 but through trial/error and a lot of googling I muddled my way through after only 10-15 hours and 4-6 attempts)

You said "Looking better, but it could use some texture.
Create a new layer called “Grass Bump Map”. Fill it with rendered cloud noise again, this time setting the size and detail to the max, and selecting Turbulent."

(what type of layer. fore/back/white/trans)

Doesn't matter. See above Use whatever happens to be selected in the new layer dialog box.

Then you go on and say; "Hide this new layer (by clicking off the eye icon). Create a new layer called “Grass Bumps” and fill it with 50% grey. Set its layer mode to overlay. It will appear to be gone now. That is how overlay works. 50% grey doesn’t change the underlying image, while darker shades darken the image and lighter shades lighten the image.
Now apply a bump map to this “Grass Bumps” layer using Filters->Map->Bump Map."

Ok...

So you had me create the layer "Grass Bump Map" and then I hide it and never do anything with it (why did I make the layer in the 1st place?) Is it supposed to be "Normal" or "Overlay" or what? (granted, it's hidden and I can't see it and you never say what we are supposed to do with it)

You will be using it in the next step.... just not directly in the image...

I THEN create a new layer called "Grass Bumps" and fill it with 50% grey.

That can mean two things. (probably more, but i'm none too bright) Are you saying I need to create a new transparent layer and with the fill bucket I need to fill the layer with 50% grey?

OR are you saying that I need to create a new layer and set it's FILL to BACKGROUND or FORGROUND and have THAT (4 or back) color set to 50% grey.

Yes. Either. Take your pick. I'm not trying to dictate workflow. If you want to know, I create all layers transparent (like jrfrasierjr) and fill them with the colour I want later. I always have a 50% grey in my palette (that is 50% on the sliders). Since there are about 30 different ways to make a 50% grey filled layer, I left that up to the reader to choose.

(which i'm not even 100% how one figures out when the grey is 50%. I 'guessed' and went in and changed the VALUE of a grey to 50 in the FOREGROUND/BACKGROUND colors. But that was just a guess)

oops. answered above.

The whole "fill" LAYER (fore/back) vs. "fill" bucket can be confusing. I don't understand if I am supposed to create a layer that is FILLED with a FORGROUND/BACKGROUND color that I have to pre-change in gimp at the fore/back color selection thingy (color pallette? the place where you can tweak the colors) OR do I create a transparent layer and then use the BUCKET FILL to change the layers color to say, 50% grey. (or white, or black. that came up earlier in the tutorial.)

Again, personal workflow. I almost NEVER use the fill bucket tool (unless I need to modify the blending mode) . I just usually drag a colour from the palette to the layer.

You then add "Lastly, apply the “Land Mask” channel as a layer mask like before."

What before? Do you mean "Now Invert the selection (Select->Invert), create a new black layer called “Land Mask” and fill the selection with white." as you had us do in at the end of 'Post 4: I have an idea – part 2' ????? Do you mean "Again, add a layer mask using the “Land Mask” channel, and set the blend mode of the layer to overlay."??

Total confusion here on my part. Before throws me. I wish the ending was explained in a bit more detail.

"The last time you created a layer mask from a channel"

So I create a “Grass Bump Map” layer, then hide it and do nothing with it, and it apparently serves no purpose as that layer is never refrenced to again.

patience grasshopper...you will...

I then create a layer and fill it with grey somehow. I don't add any noise to this layer, and I am supposed to "bump map" it and create texture. How do I bump map texture on a layer that is 50% grey that is overlaid with no texture? "Grass Bump Map" has the texture, but we unchecked the EYE and can't see it. The layer we are adding the Bump Map to (Grass Bump) is 50% grey and has no texture.

Huh? Please enlighten me on just how one does that.

I then do something "like before". (which before?)

When I do the Bump Map, what should the Bump Map setting be? How do those settings affect the image? Should I use Linear? I saw later in the thread someone mention you used Spherical (or Sinusoidal) in the Mountain steps. How should I have the Bump Map setup for this step?

I think Joe dealt with this one too.

My suggestion (humble one I might add) would be to maybe take the time to dumb it down more than you allready have.

Pretend the reader is borderline mentally challenged and they need explicit step by step instructions. (like for example... me!)

I honestly had. twice. I redid this tutorial and wrote down the steps three times, then repeated it following them. Twice.

When I start a new layer, tell me what type of layer each time.

Sorry, no. Because if doesn't matter, IT DOESN'T MATTER! Said that at the start. Believe it! I'm not trying to trick or deceive

Possibly repeat the TLS each time it comes up as opposed to assuming I know what I am doing.

Write the extra sentence or two explaining things instead of glossing over it because it was dealt with earlier on in the tutorial. For some (like me) "earlier on" was a 1-2 days and 10 hours of "do overs" ago.

I fullly understand that would require you to type some, and spend even more time editing the posts to clear things up, but for someone like me who has never used GIMP before it would be those little touches that mean the difference between "getting it" and "brain aneurysm"

I wrote this two years ago. I'd do it completely differently today. I'm not going to invest another couple weeks of my life in changing it now, sorry

I am dreading the Mountains steps (which is the whole reason I am doing the tutorial. I like the photo realistic looking mountains that it creates) I tried to skip ahead but one can't do that w/ this tutorial (not when you have been using gimp for a couple days and have little to no other image editing experience save MS PAINT you can't)

Don't use these mountain steps as they really seem to confuse people. Use the more recent one I posted in the tutorial forum... it is a lot simpler...

If only I knew a GIMP master in real life who I could just call on the phone and have this stuff explained to me. I tried that with someone that is supposed to be "good" with Photoshop and they ended up frustrated as well.

Yeah - I wish I knew one too.....

-Rob A>

[RobA]

(edit: am I supposed to be merging layers at some point? How many layers am I supposed to have at the end of Post 8:Let there be Land.????)

I like to keep things as layers until I'm sure I don't need to go back and change masks, etc. again. It is much easier to keep layers and adjust things rather than working from a flattened image.

If the software starts getting too slow, I will:

- Save a copy with a different name.
- Flatten the image (or merge layers I feel safe to merge)
- Keep working.

If there is a change that has to be made later, I can always go back to the copy saved with a different name, modify it the, do a copy visible and paste it into my new working image....

An example of that is labeling. I usually flatten (a copy of) the image before I start labeling... but sometimes you have to go and move a land feature because of a label....

BTW - The finished tutorial file has 60 layers.

-Rob A>

[arjent]

I put my first attempt at the tutorial up on my intro post:
http://www.cartographersguild.com//a...3&d=1235591649

It's a big tutorial and I haven't finished yet, obviously. Also, I used the Inkscape river tutorial for the rivers, so this is my "RobA tutorial tribute map".

I'd love some feedback to help me keep going and give me some refinements for what I have so far.
Thanks in advance

[Greason Wolfe]

Blah! I keep trying to save the pdf versions of this tutorial and they keep timing out before they finish downloading. Any chance they could be hosted somewhere else that might not time out? Or, perhaps, served up in a zip format for smaller file sizes?

GW

[RobA]

Blah! I keep trying to save the pdf versions of this tutorial and they keep timing out before they finish downloading. Any chance they could be hosted somewhere else that might not time out? Or, perhaps, served up in a zip format for smaller file sizes?

GW

Funny - I just tried without problem (though I'm on HS cable and it only took 7 seconds to download.

Are you on dial-up?

-Rob A>

[Greason Wolfe]

Sadly, yes, I am still on dial-up. DSL is supposed to be available soon, but they haven't finished installing everything yet. Supposedly another month and they should have things ready to go. It could just have been my connection as well. Gonna try grabbing them again here in a few minutes and see what happens.

GW

P.S. I managed to snag them, just had to fool my system into thinking that I got disconnected so that the downloads would "resume." Took a few tries, but I think I got all four parts now.

[RobA]

If you had problems I can temporarily host them up on a ftp site supporting resumes.

-Rob A>

[Malygon]

Hello.

I really thank you for this tutorial it has helped me really to understand the basics of GIMP. To be accurate I never used GIMP before I've seen this tutorial.

I already did a Test map using the different techniques in this tutorial until the point where you make the forests.



Like I said it's only a testmap so don't mind things like the forest going into the water.
The problem's are:
1. I don't really like the look of my forests they don't really blend in colorwise with the surrounding land.
2. The texture of the forests strikes me still as being a little odd.
Can you give me some tips on what to do to make them look better?

My actual Map is not going to be a Island but a crater with steep mountains on the edge with one or more paths leading out. The problem is while I think the mountains in your tutorial look quite good I don't think they are suited for this kind of map dominated by mountains. Can you tell me a way to create these mountains? And how can I give the whole map a hint of descending terrain?

The Area behind the mountains has not been exlored yet.

Thanks
Maly

[Greason Wolfe]

If you had problems I can temporarily host them up on a ftp site supporting resumes.

-Rob A>

Thanks for the offer, Rob, but it looks like I'm all good now. It was a pain in the hindquarters, but I managed to snag them. I'll be so happy when they finally finish installing the DSL in my area.

GW

[emw]

Hey all! Another GIMP noob who never used anything fancier than Paint here. Thanks a ton to RobA and the rest of the community for making this work. I've spent the last few days playing with GIMP, and now I have a map I'm pretty happy with. I've also felt good about playing around with GIMP and experimenting in a few ways: moving layers around, deleting layers and redoing them, and using tools that were (gasp!) not in the tutorial. Thanks!

PS: Any tips on improving my water would be appreciated. I missed something, but I don't know what yet...