What about Corel draw 12

[Chaplaindm]

Gamerprinter- I looked at the program you mentioned and it really looks great! But I just don't want to get into another software. I got the entire Corel suite (CorelDraw, PhotoPaint, Corel trace (Paint Shop Pro - I purchased seperately) and Rave 3) so I could learn ONE software that works well with each other. It seemed to be able to do everything from Web Pages to artwork to book covers... Then I started using a lot of other software and did a big circle right back to it

So as far as I am concerned I would rather be a master of one then a jack of all trades and master of none!!! ha ha ha...

But really, I am really enjoyint the Corel stuff and do not want the learning curve again.

Thanks though! your maps look awesome and lets me know that you can do a lot with Vector programs... especially since I can do some swapping between the vector Corel draw and paint shop pro.

Rythal- I have the CorelDraw 12 but am thinking about upgrading to the latest corelX3 (or is it 4?).

I love your signature by the way!

[Gamerprinter]

I wasn't trying to push you towards Xara, so much as to show you what's possible within one program - in this case a vector program. Having the entire Corel Suite, gives you all the variety of tools necessary to do whatever you need, including maps.

Lots of people who use an image editor alone, has a slanted view at what a vector app can do - I just wanted to reveal the truth about vector apps and to show what one might normally conceive as being image-editing can actually be from a vector app - my examples were only to prove that point.

I too dabble with GIMP and Photoshop, really only to tweak a fill texture, cleanup a 3D image, perform light duty image editing/alteration.

Many people here map exclusively from a Paint app, and nothing wrong with that, however, I do notice that when using lots of layers, Paint programs tend to chew up lots of memory, making redraw or zooming in, exceeding taxing to one's patience.

I have little patience and a great desire to get as much done in a short a period as possible. To me, only a vector app will let you do that, with a minimal amount of dedicated resources.

You've already got the tools, now learn to use it specifically for mapping.

Good luck in your endeavors!

Edit: the other advantage of vector apps, is that a given map design is not resolution dependant as it is with an Image Editor. Any map I design can be exported to any pixel dimension. So I can make a map that is only 800 x 600 pixels intended for online use, or export the same design as 300 ppi 36" x 48". Using GIMP or other image editor, you set the pixel size at the start of the design and then you are stuck with that limitation. Not so with a vector app.

GP

[Chaplaindm]

Thanks for the encourageing words!

I too was wondering if a vector app was a second rate way to creating a map. Good to know someone is creating great stuff with it.

[viswa]

hi for creating vector based maps coreldraw is suitable,
i have drawn many topo maps, some city maps using corel draw.
with some hours of work you can create maps in coreldraw
but for maps which require frequent correction or modification, corel based vector map is tedious
i had spend more than 100 hours in map making in corel draw

[Midgardsormr]

What specifically do you find tedious about making revisions in CorelDRAW? I haven't used it in some time, but I don't recall it being any more of a pain to change something there than in any other vector app that I have used.

[Chaplaindm]

Update on this:

I have been going through one of Ascensions tutorials using Paint Shop Pro (the antique map) and will try it next in Corel Photo Paint and in Corel Draw. Anyway, I am finding it doable in Paint Shop Pro so far.

I am a little stuck though. Does anyone know where the "filter/ render/ clouds Photoshop Equivalent is in Paint Shop Pro? I am thinking I may have to get an "effects" plug in. Does anyone have one?

I will keep you updated but I really should be writing!!!

[Rythal]

I seem to recall trying to follow his tut in photo paint and getting stuck on that part. The best solution I found was taking a cloud texture fill and putting it onto a new layer, then playing around with the merges. But I'm not familiar with paint shop pro, so I dont know anything about how it works. If you have any questions about photo-paint though, I'll be happy to oblige you.

Edit: just as a side note, I came out with a tut for corel Photo paint, linked in my sig