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Thread: First map, using Visio

  1. #1

    Default First map, using Visio

    With this map some explanation is needed. Precipice is a home campaign set in a crapsack world- the world is going through an ice age, humanity has moved underground, everywhere is Mos Eisley, and Lovecraftian horrors abound.
    So, a normal map won't do, because there is no way I am going to map the Underdark. As such locations are given with general directions and how long it takes to get there.
    And as for the quality of it, this is my first attempt at creating digital media, and I only have MS Paint and Visio to use. I did all of the shapes and 90% of the coloring with Visio, and then opened the file in MS Paint to do some weathering on the lines and see what I could do with the spray tool (which, admittedly isn't much).

    So, thoughts? Even if it is just "L2P noob." I'm considering going back and taking the circles off of the place names, so that everything is loose like the lake names. And I'm not a fan of all the empty space, but there isn't much to put there.
    On a lark I inverted the colors, looking for a way to make the thing grayscale (which I couldn't find). I kind of like the inverted map because it is set in the Underdark.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	precipice.bmp 
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Name:	precipice inverted.bmp 
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Size:	2.36 MB 
ID:	38736  

  2. #2
    Guild Journeyer Facebook Connected
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    looks like a wonderful map, but you may want to try out some other software... MS paint is really annoying to use.

    here is a list, many of which are free... List of Mapping Software
    This cavern is below all, and is the foe of all. It is hatred, without exception. This cavern knows no philosophers; its dagger has never cut a pen. Its blackness has no connection with the sublime blackness of the inkstand. Never have the fingers of night which contract beneath this stifling ceiling, turned the leaves of a book nor unfolded a newspaper.

  3. #3
    Administrator Redrobes's Avatar
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    Gotta say, your a brave guy to use Visio for a map... but for the style your mapping where the exact directions are irrelevant and the linkage to more caves are the issue then it should be fine. Try out inkscape if you want a vector style program which is free.

  4. #4

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    Thanks for that link with the programs.
    Vector style- does that mean a program like Illustrator?

  5. #5

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    Yep, Inkscape is a free open source replacement for Illustrator. It's not nearly so powerful, but it's got most of the features that 90% of users need. On the raster (Photoshop-like) side, there is the Gimp, which is quite powerful and even has a few features that Photoshop lacks.

    Also, when saving out a version to post here on the forums, I recommend you use a more advanced file type than bmp. For vectory images with lots of flat colors, PNG is a good choice. For anything with texturing, use Jpeg. Bmp cannot be viewed in many browsers (including mine), so all I can see are the thumbnails. Plus, it's uncompressed, so the files are much larger than they need to be.
    Bryan Ray, visual effects artist
    http://www.bryanray.name

  6. #6
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    Looks good

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