Miscellaneous Quick Tutorials

[Tulgurth]

I went the brush route and when I tried to use the mini-tut my lack of patience about killed me. However the first atempt did not turn out so well. I did the mini-tut before turning into a brush and it made the brush application of the symbol semi-transparent and it was hard to see. But I do have another question for you and hopefully you can point me in the right direction.

I am using the map for a RPG, and because of where it is being placed I am restricted to file size. TO help combat this I am re-scaling to the map to 1/3 its original size, 2k x 1k scaled. However when I zoom into the map it gets distorted. Is there a way to combat this so the map maintains its lack of distortion when I zoom in? Man I hope that made sense.

[Jacktannery]

I am using the map for a RPG, and because of where it is being placed I am restricted to file size. TO help combat this I am re-scaling to the map to 1/3 its original size, 2k x 1k scaled. However when I zoom into the map it gets distorted. Is there a way to combat this so the map maintains its lack of distortion when I zoom in? Man I hope that made sense.

There are a number of ways to measure file size Tulgurth, and to have file-size limits. For example, you might mean (a) a limit in pixel dimensions (X pixels wide by Y pixels tall) or you might mean (b) a limit in terms of KB/MB of data for the map as a whole. They are not the same thing. Using GIMP, when you EXPORT a map or other image you have many choices to reduce file size.

1. The best way for (b) is to export in a highly compressed LOSSY format. I recommend exporting the image as a .JPG at 80%-90% quality (using the slider). You can aim for a specific file size (b) by ticking the preview box in the gimp export dialogue. Export as an 80% jp, then as a 90% jpg (with diff name - doh), then open both the jpgs side by side and see if you can tell the difference. Often you can reduce as image size (b) by about a tenth or more with no visible loss of quality in this way. Note that because your jpg is lossy you should not depend on it for long-term storage as it will degrade when manipulated (&saved) so make sure to keep your original gimp files safe and make new .jpgs as required rather than amending your existing jpgs.

2. The other way is to scale the image in terms of pixel size, reducing the amount of pixels across and tall. You of course want to make sure to keep them in proportion. Reducing the pixel size (a) will inevitably lead to a reduction in file size (b).

Hope that helps.

[arsheesh]

I am using the map for a RPG, and because of where it is being placed I am restricted to file size. TO help combat this I am re-scaling to the map to 1/3 its original size, 2k x 1k scaled. However when I zoom into the map it gets distorted. Is there a way to combat this so the map maintains its lack of distortion when I zoom in? Man I hope that made sense.

I think I understand and unfortunately there isn't really anything you can do about this. You see GIMP is a raster-based program, meaning that it renders images through the use of pixels. So when you zoom in beyond 100% the image starts to become grainy or "pixelized". There really isn't anything one can do about this except to render the image at the appropriate size to begin with. On the other hand, if scale-ability is a big factor then you could try using a vector based program such as Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape to render the map. Vector programs, unlike bitmap (raster) programs, do allow for scale-ability, since the information for the image is not stored in pixels but rather in the mathematical structure (e.g. lines, points, curves, shapes etc) of the image.

EDIT: Just saw Jack's post. This is good info if you are trying to decrease the data size of the file while maintaining the original dimensions of the image. This may offer a solution (or at least a partial solution) to your problem. However the issue with scale-ability will always remain whenever you use a raster program.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Tulgurth]

Actually you both got it. As Jack mentioned of re-scaling the map while saving as a .jpg I did this already while saving to this format. My original map size is 6000 pixels x 3000 pixels. When I save into .jpg I use the default 85% that comes up for it and go from there. So that did help some as far as his explanation went, but what i was referring to was what Arsheesh was referring to in his post. Do you know of any tutorials here on the guild website that could step me through this process?

Thanks again guys, I apprecaite it

EDIT: I just reread what you said Arsheesh and that sounds like you are talking about doing it all from the very start of the map creation process. UGH !!!!

[arsheesh]

Hi all. So this will be old hat to more experienced members, but for those just starting out, below is a quick walk-through of how to make curved labels using Inkscape. Though there is a way to accomplish this in GIMP, there are a few advantage of using Inkscape. First as a vector program you are capable of non-destructive editing. If you later want to go back and change any of the label names you can easily do so while preserving the original paths. Second, I've found that Inkscape produces a cleaner looking result than GIMP, which tends to cause text to become pixalated after any transformations are made to it. Third, you have more control over path placement in Inkscape than GIMP. One thing to note however is that if you intend to export the labels to over to another program (such as GIMP or PS) you must first hide all layers in Inkscape except the one your labels are on and export only that layer.

Also, I'm just starting up a blog about fantasy cartography and game design and I'll be including this and related tutorials in it. So if you like what you've seen so far, come check out what I'm doing over at ars phantasia.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[arsheesh]

Hi all, been a while since I've done one of these mini-tutorials but I was asked by Deviant Art member how I drew the snow covered evergreen forests in my latest village map in my Mythic Maps line, so I thought I'd write up a short walkthrough on the process. There may be better or simpler methods out there, but this is how I did it anyway.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Vhey]

Loving these tutorial. Thanks for posting them.

(typo in "guild" in the winter forest, btw)

[ChickPea]

Thanks for this, Arsheesh. Those snowy trees are really well done.

[Souricette]

Can't say better : Go on with those mini-tutos !
They're wonderfull ! And so usefull ...
Thanks a lot !