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

[Thanin]

First off, as everyone else has said, this guide is brilliant. I was a complete Gimp newb, and still probably am, when I started working on these. But now I at least feel comfortable with the software.

Now, Ive been living with this guide for awhile now, using it to work on my maps when Ive had the free time. And Im pretty happy with what Ive done so far. The more complete map isnt finished yet -- Im still goofing around with text, testing things out. But Id like to know what you all think, and if you have the time maybe throw out some suggestions.

The other map is me trying to use this method to produce a more tundra/snow region. So again Id like to hear any feedback, positive or negative. Two of my main concerns are to keep the snow from looking like water and if the tundra/more grassy border is too abrupt.

[jfrazierjr]

One thing that annoyed me was the pixelization when using the Noise->Spead filter on the mountains. I "just" last night found a solution that I prefer more that using this filter. Here is what I found and like: After adding the layer mask to the layers with the moutains on them, in the layers dialog box select the layer mask (right most icon) and run a G. Blur. I like somewhere around 100-200 px, but that depends quite a bit on the size/resolution of your original map. For a map with smaller height/width, smaller would probably be better, my map is like 3000x3600.

It really makes the mountain layer really blend into the underlying background (grass) much more smothly IMO and allows zooming in for more detail at a closer level before pixilization happens.

Thanin, if you have a layer mask for the tundra picture, you could try this technique to get a more natural looking blend from one layer to another, though I have no idea if it wil work or not.

[Thanin]

Thanks jfrazierjr! I agree that, once I looked at the map in the jpg format, the spread filter was way too high, so I went back and readjusted all the masks to a lower setting. I also experimented with your mountain suggestion. I think Id like it for some mountains, but this specific map isn’t built for that look, unfortunately. Although I took your advice on the tundra and I think youre right, it integrates much better. Though I’ll probably go back and keep the snow/tundra part less blurry.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

[jfrazierjr]

I have to say I really like how my suggestion turned out, even if you did not. Looking below the town of Pashvie, the blur created a nice "pass" type effect in the new copy while that area looked kind of odd in the original technique.

Also, I LOVE the mountain lake idea (and am trying to do something like that on my current map) but I can see how using my blur messed that up a bit. I am sure there is a way to fix that area a bit while keeping the rest of the blur area intact. I have been playing (though not perfected) creating multiple channels from the same selection and making each selection a bit different in size by changing the threshold and using a bit different blur for each. I am far from being artistically inclined, but I am just playing around with some ideas and trying to learn how GIMP works. The only problem with the approach of having multple maskes is that ones you merge mask and go past your undo buffer size, you can't get rid of it, so I have been playing with saving the file under multiple names to allow me to go back if needed.

Oh, and if you feel like playing with it, you could also try doing the same bluring thing on the dirt layer to make the dirt->grass transision a bit more naturual looking. Again, not sure how it would work (I have not gotten my latest map to have the dirt layer look good yet so skipped ahead) but give it a try if you like.

Over all, very nice map. The rivers look a bit blocky, but that might just be an artifact of saving to this format or the original map may not have been big enough. My only real complaint is that the city icons don't really match the map style. They are very pretty, but I would probably use overhead type views of the towns in some way as you have for the rest of the map. Not a big deal, just something to think about.

[Thanin]

Man I think youve convinced me; the super blur on the mountains just might be the way to go. And I think I can save the mountain lake. As for the towns, theyre really just straight copies from CC3, so they arent that important... but Ill probably end up keeping them cause I spent so much freaking time putting a blur and bump map behind each one.

[jfrazierjr]

The less blur you have on the mountains (perhaps 35-50 px or so) the more the details are going to stay somewhat sharp. Again, the amount of blur you use on the layer mask will go down the smaller you original map resolution is to make the same effect.


Personally (I keep finding more things that I like about it), the moutains above Mirkarna that got blured down into some nice hill things looks really cool. The blur actually made them "pop" a bit more as their own features instead of fading into the brown background as in the original.

Another thing I found was the river "peeking" through bits of Farileaf Forest. That's really a nice touch.

Joe

[su_liam]

Heheh... I thought the towns were made of love.

[l3eater]

Now the noise layer (I used detail 8 and size of and set the blend mode to multiply. Then add a third layer (remember the TLS) as a clipping layer, and use the levels dialog to bring it down to show the mountains you want Here is the screen showing the three layers

Can you tell me in more detail about this step? thank you.

[bryguy]

Can you tell me in more detail about this step? thank you.

I would like to know more about this step also. I use solid noise alot, and what your saying makes no sense. or is it since? i dont know which to use for this...

anyways, your saying to use a detail 8 and size of 8 if im correct, but i have never seen a blend mode on it. Are you just talking about the layer modes?

[jfrazierjr]

Also, check out Rob's quick tutorial about how to create variable blurs in GIMP here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=2016

I have not played with it, but I can see how this might be a way to make for some fairly precisely controled blurs for creating layer masks and blending two layers into each other.