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

[Ghostman]

That's an excellent map for a first try with a raster drawing program! Says much good about the tutorial

[RobA]

OK-

Looks like you need to back up to post 4:

Now using the Magic Wand Tool, (making sure Sample Merged is Checked and the Threshold is 0) click anywhere in the dark area. This will define your coast. If you want to adjust it, just undo the selection (ctrl-Z) and change the levels of the “Land Clip” layer. I wand back and tightened the coast a bit.
Click image for larger version Name: Post4-2.png Views: 209 Size: 329.4 KB ID: 1430

Now Invert the selection (Select->Invert), create a new black layer called “Land Mask” and fill the selection with white. Now save the selection to a Channel (Select->Save to Channel) and rename the channel to “Land Mask”. This will be used a bit later.
Click image for larger version Name: Post4-3.png Views: 174 Size: 246.8 KB ID: 1431

Now clear the selection (Select->None).

That technique (the Three-Layer-Sandwich of noise, shape and threshold clip layer, or TLS for short ) will be a basic technique that will be used over and over again, using different blending modes between the noise layer (to give some variegation to the surface) and the shape definition layer. It will be used to define forests and mountains, even clouds in the sky.

-Rob A>

[Full_Moon_Draw]

RobA,

Many thanks mate! I'm suffering from the perils of a badly printed PDF file - I'd assembled the pages incorrectly and managed to miss out all but the initial instructions of Stage 4! Do I feel dumb or what? Thanks for taking the time to point me at the problem!

Cheers - FMD

[kenbanistu]

I am itching to try this tut out. I've downloaded the pdf's and am ready to go. The only problem I may have is that I will be using Gimp 2.2. This old win98 'puter of mine won't run the newer versions. We'll see how it goes. I dl'ed the part 1 pdf earlier in the day and have gone through it with only a couple of small problems that I solved easily enough. And so it's on to part 2.

[Nomadic]

Use the magic wand again to select the non-mountain area (like with the land) and create
a new layer called “Mountains Mask” with a white on black. (Also the white colour
selection as a new selection mask using Select->Save to Channel).

What does that mean? I searched around and found jfrazierjr's post but I couldn't understand what they were saying.

[jfrazierjr]

What does that mean? I searched around and found jfrazierjr's post but I couldn't understand what they were saying.

Use the magic wand tool, which should be the 4th tool on the top row, with Circle, Square, and polygon selection tools in "front" of it left to right.

Since you already have your mountain rough shapes down in a previous layer, when you select outside those mountain shapes, everything else will be selected EXCEPT for those mountain shapes.

New Layer. Fill the inside with white and the outside (CNTL-I to Invert the selection) with black.

While you have the selection (remember to invert back!!) on the Select menu, there is a menu item called Save to Channel. When you do this, it should create a new channel on the Channels tab (switch to it to make sure!) When the the majority of the channel should be black and the stuff in side the selections should be white.

Note, I have no idea where you are at this point, but I am picking up from where you quoted, so this may be a bit off of the original directions, but should get you going.

[Nomadic]

Use the magic wand tool, which should be the 4th tool on the top row, with Circle, Square, and polygon selection tools in "front" of it left to right.

Since you already have your mountain rough shapes down in a previous layer, when you select outside those mountain shapes, everything else will be selected EXCEPT for those mountain shapes.

New Layer. Fill the inside with white and the outside (CNTL-I to Invert the selection) with black.

While you have the selection (remember to invert back!!) on the Select menu, there is a menu item called Save to Channel. When you do this, it should create a new channel on the Channels tab (switch to it to make sure!) When the the majority of the channel should be black and the stuff in side the selections should be white.

Note, I have no idea where you are at this point, but I am picking up from where you quoted, so this may be a bit off of the original directions, but should get you going.

Thank you. I am (as you might have noticed) a GIMP noob. This is my first time using a photomanipulation software outside photoshop.

[eoinmorgan]

Quick Question:

I have vista, and there is no c:\documents and setting folder.

I have:

acer
Elements
Nexon
Perflogs
Sierra
Users
Windows

How do i install the color pallete?

Thanks

[jfrazierjr]

Quick Question:

I have vista, and there is no c:\documents and setting folder.

I have:

acer
Elements
Nexon
Perflogs
Sierra
Users
Windows

How do i install the color pallete?

Thanks

Under Vista, MS moved that to Users\loginname\

[etriahn]

But another voice in a unanimous chorus, I nonetheless have to say that this tutorial has been a fantastic tool. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and gained a crazy amount of knowledge about GIMP, which I had never used before.

It was also a ton of fun.

Here's the result of a total newbie spending just a couple hours fiddling about:


Thanks for sharing your expertise.