Is there a good mapping program and/or a character data base?

[DM-Rocco]

I am looking for a good mapping program and something to run a campaign. I am using DM Genie now for keeping track of the campaign but would like something new and more modern. I tried Campaign Cartographer for mapping, but I fell asleep reading the massive manual.

I would like something easy to use for mapping and something that I don't have to buy 15 different add ons to do everything. It would be nice to just select a mountain icon and drop a mountain on a landscape, then select a city icon and drop a city next to it. Then click on the city and bring up the city stats and a city map. Then you could click on city stores and get game info. Is there anything like that? Campaign Cartographer might do that, but I can't figure out how, if it can.

 

[Blackrat]

Dungeoncrafter

 

[DM-Rocco]

Thanks, I'll play with that a little when I get home. Is there any other mapping software that I should look at?

What about those on-line programs that they show in the Dragon magazines?

 

[Bacris]

I use Fractal Mapper 7. I tried Campaign Cartographer, but just didn't like it. I really dig Fractal Mapper.

 

[InkwellIdeas]

I created some hex map brushes for GIMP, which is free and powerful image editing software. If you have experience with GIMP, this would be exactly what you want. If you don't, GIMP is very useful and worth spending a couple of hours to learn.

GIMP Hex Map Brushes

 

[The Lemon Merchant]

I too tried using Campaign Cartographer but just got frustrated. I now use Autorealm for all my mapping needs. It's free, relatively simple to use and you can generally get a question answered at the Yahoo group.

 

[Mean Eyed Cat]

I too tried using Campaign Cartographer but just got frustrated. I now use Autorealm for all my mapping needs. It's free, relatively simple to use and you can generally get a question answered at the Yahoo group.

I'll second this [er, third this]. I have CC2, but still haven't figured it all out. For my games, I want quick and simple maps [since I usually just draw them out on a battlemap anyway]. Autorealm works perfectly

 

[DM-Rocco]

I created some hex map brushes for GIMP, which is free and powerful image editing software. If you have experience with GIMP, this would be exactly what you want. If you don't, GIMP is very useful and worth spending a couple of hours to learn.

GIMP Hex Map Brushes

I am not too familiar with a GIMP, but I am very graphic program proficient. I know and work with programs like Photoshop, Illustrator and Signlab all day long and even have fairly good knowledge of other programs like Authorware, Director and 3D Studio Max. So I can pick up almost any graphic program in a matter of minutes because most are fundamentally the same in most features. Campaign Cartographer, hmm, something is just wrong with that. Anyway, I'll try this one out too, along with the ones suggested after your post.

Any others people like?

How about a nice substitute for DM Genie? Don't get me wrong, I like DM Genie, but I don't think a lot of stuff has been updated on that program for a while and just want to see if there is something new and improved. Although, I can live with DM Genie, it still does what I need it too, unlike my mapping programs

 

[KB9JMQ]

I created some hex map brushes for GIMP, which is free and powerful image editing software. If you have experience with GIMP, this would be exactly what you want. If you don't, GIMP is very useful and worth spending a couple of hours to learn.

GIMP Hex Map Brushes

Yoinked BTW
Thanks

 

[DM-Rocco]

I use Fractal Mapper 7. I tried Campaign Cartographer, but just didn't like it. I really dig Fractal Mapper.

Okay, I am home now and looking at options. I have to check out the free ones first because I can't afford to buy all of these and then decide, so this one will have to wait, although, I checked out the page, it does look nice