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...

[Spyke]

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...Villages are very easy in the new CC3 City Designer. You lay down a road, then drag your mouse along it and a variety of houses of your chosen design appear along it, even following curves. Drag or resize a few as desired, then turn the effects on. They get shadows from the sun and the map looks great.

Spyke

[PneumaPilot]

Cool, I'll have to try that one next. I remember CC2 being fun.

[Spyke]

I've just done the attached village in a timed 10 minutes using CD3. Obviously you'd want to spend some more time softening the water's edge, adding some more features like walls, text, a compass rose and scale, but it should give you an idea of what's possible if you want to whip something up quickly for a game.

Spyke

[PneumaPilot]

Yeah, that's cool. I wonder if modern type maps are as easy to do with CC3. I see that they have a modern/sci-fi pack of artwork available, but some of the features that make the fantasy part cool (randomly rotating village buildings, etc.) might not work so good in the inner city.

[Spyke]

You can use the random street settings with modern designs as well. I had a quick play, but I think you'd need to spend a bit of time getting the mix right and laying out the roads to the right sort of scale. (You can mix up to four types of building in the random street settings, with your desired frequency.)

But as you say, there is also the modern art pack, and if you subscribe to the Annual there are additional city templates for certain styles.

Spyke

[PneumaPilot]

Cool, that may be the one for me then. I'll have to see if there's a demo.

[Carlos]

I've recently begun using Google's Sketchup
https://sketchup.google.com/product/newin7.html

to draw:

1. 3D tactical maps where height is important.

2. Fun terrain maps.

3. "sketched" dungeon maps (rendering style applied)

Examples attached. I used the "sandbox" plugin to draw the map tiles in old-school style.

The 3D warehouse contains a large list of 3D fantasy structures.

[jrawkus2]

dundjinni really excels at making grid combat maps - there are modern packs available

I recommend a mix of dundjinni and CC3/2 - with a little photoshoping you can make some nice stuff

Heres a really quick generic map i knocked up:

https://i362.photobucket.com/albums/oo67/jrawkus2/Random4SmallRoomKeepFinal.jpg

[PneumaPilot]

Aaaahh! How do I get out!?

[Sorontar]

Aaaahh! How do I get out!?

How did you get in? :D

[jrawkus2]

Tell me how you got in first

[PneumaPilot]

Touche! ;p

[binkley]

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

How would I convert a given Google Maps or Google Earth view to a Fantasy Grounds campaign?

I'd like to take the map of Cambridge University and set a campaign there.

[Trenloe]

How would I convert a given Google Maps or Google Earth view to a Fantasy Grounds campaign?

I'd like to take the map of Cambridge University and set a campaign there.
Screen grab it. Use Windows Snipping Tool (or similar). Press the Windows key and start typing s-n-i-p and you should see a shortcut to the tool appear. Info on use here: https://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/use-snipping-tool-capture-screen-shots#1TC=windows-7

Save the snip as a JPG and put it in your campaign images directory. Info here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/index.php/Images

[Hermundure]

I am using Photoshop CC 2015 for everything graphical, from items, monsters, characters down to maps.
If you get a bit experience under your belt and set up some custom brushes you get a huge amount of freedom&control over your maps.

[Ferrin]

I use GIMP, it does everything. Pretty easy to learn, and free.