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Thread: Hills and waterfalls in CD3?

  1. #1

    Help Hills and waterfalls in CD3?

    Hello! Am building a city where I was planning to have one part of the town elevated by a hill (Sort of like the town of Fallcrest from the DnD 4th ed DM guide book) and then have a river run through it. I've been fiddling with different layers and effects but I really don't seem to be able to get it right. Any tip or tutorial available on how to make a hill/make the ground look elevated an then a waterfall down that hill?

  2. #2

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    Not a user of CD3, but I know Gandwarf is and when he was trying to do this he could not do it within CD3 either, he ended up exporting the file to a JPG, then using Photoshop or GIMP to create the "elevated" look to achieve hills - I'm sure it could be just as easily done to create cliffs with waterfalls as well. I forget the name of the term, "bump map" maybe, create a copy of the map as a separate layer, done in grey scale then painting hills and valleys using the dodge and burn tool (white is high elevation and black is low elevation.)

    I am sure that CD3 is not capable of doing that alone. You have to combine using multiple apps to achieve this.

    Some one may be able to give you a more precise answer. I don't use GIMP or PS much beyond tweaking images, I use Xara Xtreme for all my mapping and can achieve what I need in there.

    Final answer, you need to create the elevated illusion using an image editing program - you can't do this in CD3.

    Hope that helps.

    GP

    Edit: here is a link to Gandwarf's city maps, to see it done effectively to CD3 maps. http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...warf+City+maps

    Here is one tutorial on doing this in GIMP:
    http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...ght=dodge+burn
    Last edited by Gamerprinter; 04-07-2010 at 12:11 PM.
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  3. #3
    Guild Artisan Katto's Avatar
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    I agree with GP and I also remember the "Oakvale" map from mox404. It was a mix of CD3 and PS. Perhaps it inspires you.

  4. #4

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    Holy... I just saw Oakvale and it looks amazing! Now I gotta find photoshop tutorials for making hills and waterfalls >_>

  5. #5
    Community Leader Gandwarf's Avatar
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    I never used other software to create the hills or waterfalls in my maps. However, I agree with Gamerprinter that it's difficult to create satisfactory hills or waterfalls in CD3. The only waterfall I did was in the Ziadon map:
    http://www.cartographersguild.com/at...7&d=1229640809

    I think I could do a much better waterfall with CC3/CD3 now. I have picked up some experience since that map. I think it's even possible to mimick the Oakvale cliffs and waterfalls with CC3/CD3, using imported textures. Photoshop really is the better software though if you want complete freedom. CC3/CD3 lets you import textures, but you are limited in the effects you can apply.

    Now, if I could only find the energy to map again... looking back at that Ziadon map I know I could do so much better now
    Last edited by Gandwarf; 04-07-2010 at 04:00 PM.
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  6. #6

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    I think you should find some energy to map again indeed! I've seen many of them and they look really great! It's thanks to your tutorial that I learnt CD3!

  7. #7
    Community Leader NeonKnight's Avatar
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    I am certain that almost everything can be achieved within CC3/CD3 if one experiments. Note I say almost everything.

    I would be willing to try and experiment to do what you are looking for if you can show an example.
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  8. #8

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    This is what got me wanting to make a hill and waterfall. Something sorta similar to that =/ Maybe not as detail but at least that sort of effect.


  9. #9
    Community Leader Facebook Connected Ascension's Avatar
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    Snug, that's a Mike Schley (member name Schley) map and he hand-draws his stuff so getting something similar from CC3 or CD3 will be pretty hard. If I remember correctly, though, there might be something similar in one of their annuals.
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  10. #10

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    Yes of course, I'm not after the detail, only a way of getting an acceptable look of hills and a waterfall. Could also say I'm after somewhat of the look of the Oakvale map which is made by mox404, and I know the hills and waterfall there is made in photoshop so I won't achieve the same detail and effect. Nevertheless, it's only a simulation of that effect I'm after.

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