Best Mapping Software?

[PneumaPilot]

Hey guys, what - in your opinion - is the very best mapping software to use in conjuction with Fantasy Grounds?

The last time I looked for such things, Campaign Cartographer was a good choice, but that has been many years.

I am especially looking for a modern-style mapper since I'm running games in the new World of Darkness.

Of course, if there's a good free one, that would be awesome, but I know you get what you pay for.

[unerwünscht]

LOL.... well, my answer to your question is not the same I would give to 99% of the users of this forum. For the most part I would suggest using something like Dundjini.

However for you specifically with a modern setting I would suggest "Google Maps" best damn modern map generator you will ever find. :-)

[Oberoten]

Preach it brother. Preach it!

I agree on the Google maps thing in other words.

- Obe

[Xorn]

This is a goofy one, and if you don't play the game not really an option, but I've seen some pretty nice top-down maps made from City of Heroes/Villains. :P

Dundjinni's user art forums have a pretty nice selection of Modern/Sci-Fi artwork, but I agree that Google Maps can get you some surprisingly kick-*** modern maps.

[Spyke]

Yup, you can't compete with Google Maps for speed and the real world!

However, if you're looking for more control, I'd still recommend Campaign Cartographer. It has improved dramatically over the years, benefiting from the competition particularly with Dundjinni, and if you haven't seen its ouput for a while you're in for a treat.

Version 3 of the City Designer expansion to Campaign Cartographer has just been released, and can produce stunning results - and a lot more quickly than with earlier versions.

Campaign Cartographer still has the same caveat: great results, steep learning curve, but it is getting easier to use with every release.

Spyke

[PneumaPilot]

Hey guys, thanks for the input. I would never have even considered using Google maps! I am now, though!

I looked around at CC3 and Dundjinni, and it seems like they could make some good stuff, but I left their sites thinking that I could just make my own maps in Inkscape or something and save all that money for buying new WoD books!

So I think Google + Inkscape it is. Thanks fellas.

[Xorn]

I've heard a lot of good things about Inkscape, too. Never tried it, but heard it's very powerful.

[Sorontar]

I used images from google maps (&earth) for a modern espionage game, giving the group the whole Enemy of the State zoom in mularky. Worked out quite well.

[PneumaPilot]

Yeah, I used a Google map satellite image last night for my group for a desert region (sat photo taken from just outside Baghdad). It worked absolutely awesomely. Thanks for the idea. I am still cooking up a way to make good looking interior maps. I think I'm going to try dundjinni for that, at least at first.

[PneumaPilot]

I tried Dundjinni today to see if it might help us out for some maps. Man, this thing is irritating. I think I'd rather draw everything by hand than use software like this. Of course, I don't know what I was expecting, but it seems like when I tried out Campaign Cartographer a few years ago that it was much more intuitive, and I could actually create things like villages with very little effort. Of course, I gave Dundjinni a grand total of 43 seconds worth of trial, so maybe I am quick to judge...