Best map maker?

[Darrin Drader]

I use a projector for my game too. Of late, I've found all I need is Photoshop.

Nice! My Photoshop-foo clearly does not rival yours.

I really need to spend more time at the Cartographer's Guild.

 

[rounser]

For 'old school' overland hexmaps, there's really nothing better than Hex Mapper.

It's best grid equivalent seems to be Lior's Map Creator (Map Creator - Home). Bit of a memory hog but features like being able to make icons within the program help make up for it. Programmer is on these boards, iirc.

 

[Jinglehopper]

Thanks for the links guys, I'm checking them out now.

I was thinking more of overland and city maps, preferring to sketch out a map with markers and battlemap for the actual encounters.

But I have to agree that those gridded maps look awesome, Ashrem. Where did you get the source photos? And how do you best reveal them in PS, Black layer with a large erase tool?

 

[Silverblade The Ench]

you can also make maps with 3D software!

old stuff, with Bryce
dwarven fort

Gnoll mine

[Sblock="Hobgoblin fortress done in Rhino"]

[/sblock]

could do a lot better nowadays

 

[seregil]

Also, if you wish to use Photoshop. I might suggest Gimp. Gimp is essentially the Open Source equivalent of Photoshop and is free. There are both Linux and Windows versions available.

 

[Jinglehopper]

Yeesh, Bryce seems a little too heavy-duty for me, thanks though Silverblade.

CC3 definitely looks the most promising. But I'm confused by all the addons. Do you need all of them? Can you make basic cities without the City Designer for example?

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Personally, I use Inkscape. Sure, it doesn't come with lots of premade objects like dedicated map-making programs. But it's free, fast, and the maps are easily scalable.

I made this map with Inkscape, for instance.

 

[ki11erDM]

I have used just about everything the people above talk about. I gave up and starting using Illustrator. Have not looked back.


[rant]
I have no idea why the tools made for map making suck so bad, but the day someone puts out a vector graphic mapper with a UI that is not designed by morons I will pay good money for it.
[/rant]

 

[Jinglehopper]

I have used just about everything the people above talk about. I gave up and starting using Illustrator. Have not looked back.


[rant]
I have no idea why the tools made for map making suck so bad, but the day someone puts out a vector graphic mapper with a UI that is not designed by morons I will pay good money for it.
[/rant]

That is exactly the problem I was worried about. Is it really that difficult to make great looking maps with CC3?

Please keep in mind that I have next to zero visual artist ability, I've tried to make things in photoshop but it just looks awful.

 

[Hand of Evil]

You have to find the best one for you, download the demos and give all a try. Find the one that you are going to use!