Sup

[Jaymes]

Hey, I'm Jaymes. Mostly I've done maps by hand with pencils and paper but wanted to try and do something with the comp and didn't know how. Saw a link to this place and hope to get some tutorials and check out some of the maps here. Mostly I'm into RPGing, hench the need for maps. Sometimes it's just plain first person RPG's where you got one character but lately I've been interested in the few like nations RPG's that I've stumbled upon. Very interesting and unique and I am hoping to make something simlar to those RPG's but need to get a map together for that hench my interest in making my own. Could just search the web but rather not do that cuz if I can learn how to do it myself.

Any suggestions or pointers would be greatly appreciated.

[njordys]

Hi Jaymes. I don't know how experienced you are with computer tools like GIMP or Photoshop or so, but there should be a lot of good tutorials in the mapping resource section. Although to be honest most of them where a bit too advanced for me when I first stumbled upon this site.

If your completely new to using computers to draw, then my first tip would be to learn how to handle layers. God, all the useless extra work I have done just because I didn't know what layers where :p

[Jaymes]

Kool, yea I don't have Gimp or PS cuz never had use for them before. Which ones easier to learn and use, I'm sure the map would come out pretty decent too as long as I knew what I was doing from those tutorials that is.

[jtougas]

Welcome !! As far as GIMP or Photoshop they are very similar. Photoshop has more features although GIMP is free. I use GIMP for most of my mapping and like you I was a rookie digital cartographer a few months ago. The learning curve is a little steep but worth the effort. I look forward to seeing your work.

[Korash]

I think both are as hard or easy (depending on you affinity for programs) as the other, and they are similar progs with their own strengths and weaknesses. Gimp's main advantage IMOHO is that it is FREE!! Yes, 0 (zero) dollars. As can be seen by the number/quality of maps done in either program, the results are quite similar, and equally awesome.

And yes, layers ARE your best friend in mapping

Welcome to the Guild, The Mappiest Place on the Web.

EDIT: like JT said.......

[Jaymes]

Thanks I'll have to check out Gimp then.

[Steel General]

Welcome Aboard!

[tilt]

welcome to the guild... and I agree with the above statements about layers... and I'm old enough to remember using photoshop before layers were invented... damn you saved a lot in those days

[Jaxilon]

When I joined I had never done any art on a Computer either. I had never used Photoshop or anything like it. Since my budget was zero dollars I also downloaded Gimp. I then tried a couple tutorials but found that I fell off the wagon somewhere along the way just due to my lack of understanding of the program and overall dislike of tutorials for how to do art. So I beat on it sort of like in Zoolander when they were trying to get the files out of the computer The important thing is if you keep at it, this place will help you and you will be able to make some nice looking maps fairly soon. Like you I could draw pretty much whatever I wanted on paper and possibly like me you will find it frustrating at first to not be able to do the same on your PC. Hang in there, it's gonna be fun

[NeonKnight]

Welcome to the Guild!