CC3 Continental Map: The Northlands

[pyrandon]

Coming along nicely! Keep it up!

[Midgardsormr]

I haven't had much time to work on this lately, but here's the most recent rendition. I've been working on a new border, but it's slow-going. I'm afraid I have a long way to go before I am competent with CAD. I also intend to add at least one more line drawing in the space above Jurel.

edit: hmmm... Pretend the extra scale bar isn't there and the rose is up the corner. I hadn't meant to export the entire map.

[terrainmonkey]

this looks good so far, you're doing great. i'm not sure the drop shadow around the continent is necessary. it looks as though the continent is floating over the water, instead of being part of it, if you see what i'm saying. perhaps just putting a border on the land would be better and make it more "Realistic". just a thought. but as a whole, this is good!

[Midgardsormr]

I tried playing with the coastline glow--you're right, it does make it look like the continent is floating. Turning it off causes the water texture to overpower the land, even if I outline it. I tried changing the color, but that altered the mood too much--I rather like the dark, gloomy feel it has right now.

I'll keep fiddling with it, but if anyone has any suggestions, I'd welcome them.

I wanted to make some comments on how I arrived at the water texture. Originally, I was using one of the water bitmap tiles that came with CC3. When I saw those lovely sea textures in the Mapping Elements forum, I snatched them and applied one. They were too stark, though, and the oil-painting look did not match the rest of the map. So I put the original ocean texture back in underneath the new texture, reduced the new texture's opacity to about 40%, and desaturated it a little bit. I then used the Texturize effect on the upper texture with the same parchment bitmap I used on the land.

The end result was a marked softening of the new texture and the disguising of the old one's obvious tiling. There may yet be some tweaking to do with it, but I think I am mostly satisfied with the water.

I might take a break from this for a while and try my hand at the new challenge. Perhaps a new project with a deadline will give me some inertia.

[RobA]

I tried playing with the coastline glow--you're right, it does make it look like the continent is floating. Turning it off causes the water texture to overpower the land, even if I outline it. I tried changing the color, but that altered the mood too much--I rather like the dark, gloomy feel it has right now.

Other than trying a light colour (which would be consistent with a "shallower is lighter idea") I'm not sure what else to suggest that would keep it dark....other than darkening all the water.

-Rob A>

[ravells]

I don't know either...maybe a very slight bevel / emboss on the coastline?

Do have a go at the monthly challenge, Bryan. The deadline really helps to concentrate the mind into producing a finished result and to cut down on 'fiddling around' time wastage (something I'm very guilty of).

[Midgardsormr]

Alright, I've outlined the coast, changed the glow to a light blue, and darkened the water. Here it is. I think I should give myself a little while to grow accustomed to the new look before I decide whether or not I like it.

Hmmm... Now it's a radioactive power-mad chicken...

[Airith]

Are those mountains from CC2/3? Or can I get them somewhere? I want to use them in one of my maps

[Midgardsormr]

They're from CC2. I'm at work right now, though, so I can't check the path.

I think the relevant directory is called "Line," though.

[Midgardsormr]

Well, after my embarrassing failure to work my challenge entry through completion, I have done some more work here. I think this shows some progress on the coastlines issue, I fiddled with the labels a bit, and I started working on the new neatline. Comments, of course, are welcome.

The coastline solution is as follows: a fractalized contour filled with a light blue, opacity reduced to 25%, a 30 px blur, and a light blue glow. Below that, I placed another, wider fractalized contour filled with the same light blue, opacity at 15%, 30 px blur, and the same color glow. I then placed a dark grey interior glow on the land.