So, what do you use to make maps?

[Seraphim]

I was searching around for a long time for a good map making tool. I tried photoshop (Sloppy and pixelated), and even campaign cartographer (Which.. isn't so great in my opinion).

When it all comes down to it, I actually prefer adobe illustrator. Nice clean vector lines, and smooth control. I can re-size the dungeon without losing quality, and I can easily layer previous floors to make it simple in keeping a consistent design.

I've made some real awesome dungeons. Check this 4E one out (:D

What do you prefer as your map making tool?

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v662/Ivno/temple1.jpg

[Xorn]

Those a very nice. I've used DJ, PSP, and even Dungeon Tiles Mapper for making VTT maps before, but I eventually settled on CC3/DD3. It felt really daunting at first to learn CC3, then after doing some tutorials it all just "clicked". The biggest issue is you need to do everything backwards. Most programs you select then choose the effect to apply. In CC3 you choose the effect then select.

This is the map in the back of the 4E DMG; the only post processing was dropping the color depth to 256 colors (halved the file size and at 50 px/sq you can't really see much difference).

Original
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w/o Grid
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[MisterBlaze]

I use Dundjinni. It's quick, simple and easy. Perhaps because I was a little bit intimidated by CC3. It looks so much more robust, but after playing around with it I felt like a monkey pope-poke-poking and hoping for a treat to drop out. It was a little disheartening :)

That being said, Xorn's maps look awesome. Maybe I just have a pea for a brain :)

[Xorn]

I used Dundjunni before CC3 MisterBlaze, and I felt the same way. If you haven't done the John Sweeney video tutorials they are very helpful, but DJ is pretty powerful itself. CC3 really unlocks when you figure out the basics like how to select what you want and how to manipulate sheets and layers. Once you figure that part out, the rest kind of falls into place.

[Zeus]

Seraphim: Nice floorplan map style you have there. Do you color and texture them or use as is in your games?

Xorn: Nice battlemap style. Were those done with the DD3 component or pure CC3 only?

As for me I pretty much work exclusively in Photoshop so can't offer input on the Dundjunni vs CC3/DD3 discussion. I do sometimes use Illustrator for fine detailed objects but generally prefer a hand drawn style for my maps so stick with Photoshop and rasterized graphics layers. Either way I usually post process my finalized maps in Photoshop.

[Xorn]

Yeah, that's DD3. You could do it with just CC3, although I'm not sure if the lighting effects are in there. Everything is done in CC3/DD3 though, no post processing (unless I use PSP to drop color depth of the final image, etc).

If I want to move a light source, I just move it. All the shadows and such are adjusted based on what shadow length I specified for each sheet. I made a pillar room once when I was learning lighting effects, a big octagon with like a dozen pillars in it. Then I put torches around the edges of the room and added lighting effects. It was pretty trippy looking. :P

[Leonal]

I use CC3 with addons, but I don't make many battle maps as the ones I get from Paizo Pathfinder pdfs are very good quality. I'm using it now to make maps for the Kingmaker Adventure Path as the group explores and builds their city.

I made a very quick test of their first city with one building using the John Speed style found in one of Profantasy's Annuals. It's made to show where things are on the city grid and not meant to be very realistic.

Btw, dig the lighting on your map Xorn. :)

I also have a project going on recreating the map of Golarion. Though as it rather accurately shows the cartography, I can't upload it. :/

[terrell]

I use the CC3 suite of products as well. I use some of the symbols from Dunjini and will often use PSP to re-size the maps and decrease the color depth as Xorne mentions above. With the CSUAC stuff and a firm understanding of the "Sheets" effects, you can create some stunning maps.

[Xorn]

I love the ISO style maps for cities, that just show where stuff is, but not to scale. If we need to get down to tactical level I'll either have a battlemap for that, or be frantically typing "random street battlemap" into Cartographer's Guild on my other monitor. :)

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I couldn't find the old one so I made a new lighting demo map. I couldn't imagine trying to do this in anything but CC3/DD3.

EDIT - That's a hi-res (200 px/sq) version there, didn't want to lose anything reducing the size.

[Zeus]

Wow I see what you mean. Trippy indeed.

You could do that in Photoshop CS4/5 but you would need to render the scene in 3D to re-create the multiple light source effect you have going. So its an expensive alternative approach.

The only thing I would perhaps suggest doing in addition to compressing color levels and size in PSP is to also perhaps de-saturate the colors a little. For me both Dundjinni and CC3/DD3 uses very stark color palettes which result in very bold and contrasting results.

I did a quick de-saturation of Xorn's battlemap as an example (Xorn - I hope you don't mind):

[mcwright]

Hehehe..

In the vain of "i'm using this to recreate table top" my guys are getting a slightly more mood setting of what they are used to quickly sketched out maps on looseleaf :D but since I'm a Photoshop junkie I am putting some effort behind having things stylized and as I said mood setting (ie: giving it a dirty sketched out on parchment with a crude piece of charcoal kinda look.)

The plus side for me is it only takes me 10 minutes more to scan and pretty/ulgy it up after I finish sketching out by hand.

[Seraphim]

I did use Dungeon Designer for a bit, but DD lags alot when I turn sheets on. I didn't mind it though, but I always wanted my sheets on when I was building (They look awesome). I also couldn't figure out how to make a sky backing for when my towers went outside. I'll probably fiddle with it more as time goes by. I will say, my maps didn't look close to as awesome as yours do Xorn. : )

However, I realized it was taking me about a week to be satisfied with one map in DD, but I could whip up one in illustrator in less than an hour. I think it's really just because I'm used to illustrator and developed a preference towards it. I actually would probably do what you do doc. and use photoshop, but I'm just not good at using it.

As for shading and texturing... I usually don't get that extreme into it. My players are pretty simple and didn't mind it back when my drawings looked like they were made in MS Paint.

I like to design my campaigns by tier though, so I have alot of maps and dungeons to plot out and design. Alot of my maps go unused and I just save them for future adventures.