What I've Learned: Map Making is Hard!

[Murcu]

Thanks guys! I'll try Inkscape. When I was reading about it I just assumed it wouldn't be available for stupid mac machines like this one, but now I see that it is. Thanks again!

EDIT: Sorry to be so stupid! I can't find a inkscape tut for map making anywhere, including the tutorials forum. Any link or pointed finger would be appreciated.

[Hai-Etlik]

Thanks guys! I'll try Inkscape. When I was reading about it I just assumed it wouldn't be available for stupid mac machines like this one, but now I see that it is. Thanks again!

EDIT: Sorry to be so stupid! I can't find a inkscape tut for map making anywhere, including the tutorials forum. Any link or pointed finger would be appreciated.

Well, start by doing the general tutorials that come with it under the help menu. Then play with it a bit and explore some of the other options and you should start getting ideas for how to put a map together. Tools you'll particularly want to look at after the basics are:

Tweak (Looks like a wave on the toolbar) This gives you a somewhat 'physical' way to shape and manipulate things.
Spray (Looks like a spray can) This lets you quickly spread out a large number of symbols. To make a forest, make some tree symbols select them all, then 'spray' (I'd recommend you use the 'clone' mode for this)
The Arrange and Distribute dialogue (Under the Object menu)
The Restack Extension (Extensions -> Arrange -> Restack) This (written by a Cartography Guild member) takes a bunch of objects and 'stacks' them based on their position.
The Fractalize Extension (Extensions -> Modify Path -> Fractalize) This lets you make nice crinkly looking rivers and coastlines really easily.

If you want to get really fancy, try playing with Path Effects, Filter Effects, and the XML editor.

Also, there is at least one Inkscape tutorial out there, I know as I wrote it: http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...inkscape+river

[Murcu]

Thank you SOOOOOO much!!