How to choose a tool for mapping?

[Naima]

What is FM8?

[Mark Oliva]

Fractal Mapper 8 from NBOS Software:

http://www.nbos.com

[Mark Oliva]

When I saw your samples farther above, my first reaction was that I probably could do most of that in FM8 and maybe in CC3+ too, without Cosmographer. With CC3+, I'm not quite certain (I haven't been into the necessary mapping areas of CC3+), but with FM8, no problem, providing the following free add-ins have been installed:

CSUAC
Dundjinni Archives
Vintyri Cartographoic Collection

The sample map below uses objects from all three add-ins.

Seeing that you're looking at making your first shot with FM8 + AS, the CC3+ issue isn't pressing at the moment.

I spent about half an hour this morning seeing what the possibilities are, because I've never tried to make the kind of map you showed us before.

I started with the map of the Mos-Eisley-type settlement, duplicating the basic terrain and road layout. I didn't like the blandness of the original, so I chose more colorful sand textures. But that's not necessary:



Anyone who wants to open this map in FM8 to see how things were made can download the original file here:

https://www.vintyri.org/downloads/sample_sci_fi.zip

After that, I tried to duplicate some elements of the "Mos Eisley" map on the left hand side of the test map. The original was hand-drawn and somewhat irregular in shape, so my duplicate also is a bit irregular. If this was a serious map rather than a test map, I would not have left things that way. In the rest of the map, I tried to create things in somewhat of the style used in other samples that you showed.

Please understand that this is a quick-and-dirty test to determine what can be done with FM8 (and probably also with CC3+) rather than a demonstration of what FM8 can do. If I had been making a serious map, things would have looked much better. There would be much more detail, special effects would be applied, etc. Shadowing is the only special effect in this map.

Also ... and maybe this is a bit of advice too ... I would not make new buildings on the spot in the map but rather make them in a separate FM8 session, memorize them as symbols and then take them from the symbol catalog into the map. That would take a minute's more time than making the buildings directly in the map, and gives you the advantage of being able to use the building symbol in other maps.

A further advantage: If you switch later to CC3+, you can import all of the homemade symbols that you created with FM8 directly into CC3+.

How does one do that?

When one starts with FM8, I strongly urge new users to work their way through the two (free) FM8 PDF manuals. The first or basic manual concentrates upon vector topics. The second manual then goes on to raster (bitmap) cartography. However, the lessons learned in the first tutorial are absolutely necessary to understand the second, advanced manual.

Plan on spending about a week in your free time working your way through the two manuals. Once you've done that, you'll be an FM8 master mapper. The program has a mild and easy learning curve.

You can download the first, basic manual here:

https://www.nbos.com/nox/index.php?action=1001&id=125

The second, advanced raster mapping manual is here:

https://www.vintyri.org/downloads/pdftu01.zip

Note that new versions of both manuals will be released for the pending 64-bit version of FM9.

[nichendrix]

When I saw your samples farther above, my first reaction was that I probably could do most of that in FM8 and maybe in CC3+ too, without Cosmographer. With CC3+, I'm not quite certain (I haven't been into the necessary mapping areas of CC3+), but with FM8, no problem, providing the following free add-ins have been installed:

CSUAC
Dundjinni Archives
Vintyri Cartographoic Collection

The sample map below uses objects from all three add-ins.

I've downloaded all of these add-ins just before buying FM8+AS and installed them after I've got the programs installed, so using them should not be an issue. One thing I've noticed is that when looking into the symbols library in FM8, there's no way to know the name of the symbol, and this can sometimes be confusing if you don't know what the symbol represents.

Seeing that you're looking at making your first shot with FM8 + AS, the CC3+ issue isn't pressing at the moment.

I spent about half an hour this morning seeing what the possibilities are, because I've never tried to make the kind of map you showed us before.

I started with the map of the Mos-Eisley-type settlement, duplicating the basic terrain and road layout. I didn't like the blandness of the original, so I chose more colorful sand textures. But that's not necessary:



Anyone who wants to open this map in FM8 to see how things were made can download the original file here:

https://www.vintyri.org/downloads/sample_sci_fi.zip

After that, I tried to duplicate some elements of the "Mos Eisley" map on the left hand side of the test map. The original was hand-drawn and somewhat irregular in shape, so my duplicate also is a bit irregular. If this was a serious map rather than a test map, I would not have left things that way. In the rest of the map, I tried to create things in somewhat of the style used in other samples that you showed.

Please understand that this is a quick-and-dirty test to determine what can be done with FM8 (and probably also with CC3+) rather than a demonstration of what FM8 can do. If I had been making a serious map, things would have looked much better. There would be much more detail, special effects would be applied, etc. Shadowing is the only special effect in this map.

I've got the idea, this weekend I'll give it a try and make some attempts on map making in FM8, probably I'll try to make a starship deckplan first.
CC3+ and MapForge are my escape route if things don't work out with FM8+AS3

Also ... and maybe this is a bit of advice too ... I would not make new buildings on the spot in the map but rather make them in a separate FM8 session, memorize them as symbols and then take them from the symbol catalog into the map. That would take a minute's more time than making the buildings directly in the map, and gives you the advantage of being able to use the building symbol in other maps.

It is just like AutoCAD, you make a symbol on a file, transform and save it as block, then you either use the symbol from a directory or add it to your block library in order to pick it directly from the menu.

Plan on spending about a week in your free time working your way through the two manuals. Once you've done that, you'll be an FM8 master mapper. The program has a mild and easy learning curve.

You can download the first, basic manual here:

https://www.nbos.com/nox/index.php?action=1001&id=125

The second, advanced raster mapping manual is here:

https://www.vintyri.org/downloads/pdftu01.zip

Note that new versions of both manuals will be released for the pending 64-bit version of FM9.

I've already went through most of the first manual. In the weekend I'll pick the second manual and give it a try.

I hope that anyone that bought FM8 this year get either a free upgrade to FM9 or at least a very good discount on the upgrade's price. Also I really hope it updates abd expands its sci-fi symbols library, but this bit last nit is probably just wishful thinking. I also hope that when they release AS4, they make some good tutorial for beginners, since we have only the program's manual and a sketch of tutorial for advanced users, nothing for the novice.

By the way, thanks for your answers, you and the other folks here were very kind in sharing your thoughts on the problem I was facing.

[Mark Oliva]

One thing I've noticed is that when looking into the symbols library in FM8, there's no way to know the name of the symbol, and this can sometimes be confusing if you don't know what the symbol represents.

Unfortunately, you're right. However, I understand that this will be fixed in FM9. What I do ... and it is a nuisance but helps and speeds things up ... is open the symbols folder in the Windows Explorer, where I can see both the symbol names and an enlarged view of the symbols. But it is cumbersome. Once you have a symbol on the map, you can click it with the right mouse key, and that will show the path and file name.

I really hope it updates abd expands its sci-fi symbols library, but this bit last nit is probably just wishful thinking. I also hope that when they release AS4, they make some good tutorial for beginners, since we have only the program's manual and a sketch of tutorial for advanced users, nothing for the novice.

It would be good if you went on to the NBOS forum for FM8 and make these suggestions. Ed Diana at NBOS is a very responsive person who places a lot of value on customer thinking:

https://www.nbos.com

or send him an E-Mail at:

support2@nbos.com

[heruca]

There's a very nice sci-fi city map preview posted here. I'd love to see loads more like this, and for some artist to create stampable images to create these sorts of maps.

[nichendrix]

There's a very nice sci-fi city map preview posted here. I'd love to see loads more like this, and for some artist to create stampable images to create these sorts of maps.

This type of Map is reminiscent of the style used on a number of Shadowrun adventure maps from late 90's and early 2000's, and I liked those maps a lot.