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Thread: Maptool (or any other VTT) map objects

  1. #1
    Guild Adept loogie's Avatar
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    Wip Maptool (or any other VTT) map objects

    Now that I am back in Canada, and getting comfortable and ready to do some work again, I've been looking into Maptool for my campaigning needs. Maptool has come a LONG way since I picked it up last, and now with the art packs that come with it, I've been thinking of contributing my own. I've been trying to think up a style that would allow me to create objects fairly quickly, but also allow them to look fairly realistic.

    I've attached some examples of what I think will be the general style. I'll be posting some more as I get them done, but I was hoping to be able to put it to a jury when I run into issues with how i might go about a certain aspect or something...

    These first drawings were done in Photoshop, but I have since decided that since these objects are very vectoresque that I would like to do away with any size issues, and just make them vector based and therefore scaleable. So now I am in unfirmiliar territory, using Inkscape. I chose inkscape over the more firmiliar Illustrator because I found the processes I've been using much easier to accomplish in it, mainly creating a layer that is set to multiply instead of normal (which i found in illustrator was very confusing)... As I play around with inkscape I am finding I like it more and more, which I know a few of your here would like to hear.

    Anyways... I'll post the pics now, as well as a general description of how I go about making them, and open it up for ideas...
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    Photoshop, CC3, ArcGIS, Bryce, Illustrator, Maptool

  2. #2
    Guild Adept loogie's Avatar
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    Post How its done

    I came up with this general process after fiddling around with things in photoshop for a couple of hours, (the main thing was that for some reason my tablet was not working correctly on my pc). Basically I use exclusively the pen tool. I start with the basic shape of the object, usually curving even straight lights slightly to give it the hand drawn feel. with the background or "fill" done i then work on the shadows and highlights. On a new layer set to multiply I put in the detail, in the case of the samples the wood grains, let marks, knots, etc... sometimes adding a highlight layer as well (usually white, set to transparency), and also any other layers to create detail. I then create a new top layer, and hand draw a fairly thick outline to the entire object. The thick hand drawn outline is fairly important, since it gives it that whole cell shadey, comicbook feel to it...

    So. Thats my proceedure. In photoshop and illustrator I can also add the outline glow, which doesn't seem to be possible in inkscape (or i haven't found it yet)... I'm also having trouble going about making custom palettes in inkscape... seems to be much more complicated then it should be...

    if theres any ideas anyone has about speeding my process up, making it better, or some tips on using inkscape, please share! otherwise, tell me what you think of this style!
    Photoshop, CC3, ArcGIS, Bryce, Illustrator, Maptool

  3. #3
    Guild Adept loogie's Avatar
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    haha, as I continue to find out... tricks like a "outer glow" in inkscape are simply so easily found that I just overlook them! (i found the blur option for stroke will create a nice outer glow)
    Photoshop, CC3, ArcGIS, Bryce, Illustrator, Maptool

  4. #4
    Administrator Redrobes's Avatar
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    These look good. Nice work.

  5. #5

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    i was wondering, where i can go to find more weapon type objects and stuff like tower walls, to be used for maptool?

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