Best mapping program?

[Sir]

Hey! One little question. Sorry if this has been posted, the search function keeps giving me error messages. Here it goes:

I am wanting to DM a PbP game some time, and I was wondering; what mapping software is the best? I mean for dungeon grid maps and such. Excel would be pretty hard for me to get, but I can get it. I also have access to anything free, Photo shop, and corel painter. I also know decent amounts about inkscape, but I can't even make a grid :smallbiggrin:. So if anyone has an idea, please tell me. I'll give you a cookie! :smallwink:



- Wanna Be Mapper

[Blayze]

I use the ProFantasy stuff.

[Savannah]

I use Photoshop Elements quite a bit. Here's an example (it's big, sorry!):
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/6920/adventure1house.png
I made a grid on the bottom layer (by zooming in and counting pixels to get an even spacing for the lines :smallyuk:), then drew the walls with a pencil on a layer above it. Then I drew all the furnishings on a higher level and set them to be transparent (can't remember what level of transparency I used).

That map was for me, in a real-life game. If I were to use it in a pbp, I'd work out a way to show the players one room at a time (probably by chopping the map into a series of smaller, one-room maps.

If you want, I can upload my blank grid, so that you don't have to wast a couple of hours making your own!

I also really like maptools, which is a free program. However, I find it's much more time-consuming than Photoshop, because I always have to go and look for the top-down view of whatever I'm wanting to put on my map. Here are a couple of examples:
http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/5056/exitcavernsmall.png
http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/4431/alterroom.png
These are for my current pbp game, and as you can see, they are each one room big, although I've got the complete with my notes. (I had to take a screen shot of the map, then use Photoshop to remove the parts that I didn't want to show. I also added the number and letter labels in Photoshop.)

[Maximum Zersk]

I am wanting to DM a PbP game some time, and I was wondering; what mapping software is the best? I mean for dungeon grid maps and such. Excel would be pretty hard for me to get, but I can get it. I also have access to anything free, Photo shop, and corel painter. I also know decent amounts about inkscape, but I can't even make a grid :smallbiggrin:. So if anyone has an idea, please tell me. I'll give you a cookie! :smallwink:


You do know that Inkscape has a grid built into it, right?

Although it's not very consistent....

[Dallas-Dakota]

Look here.:smallwink: (http://www.cartographersguild.com/forumdisplay.php?46-Software-Discussion)

[Sir]

I use Photoshop Elements quite a bit. Here's an example (it's big, sorry!):
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/6920/adventure1house.png
I made a grid on the bottom layer (by zooming in and counting pixels to get an even spacing for the lines :smallyuk:), then drew the walls with a pencil on a layer above it. Then I drew all the furnishings on a higher level and set them to be transparent (can't remember what level of transparency I used).

That map was for me, in a real-life game. If I were to use it in a pbp, I'd work out a way to show the players one room at a time (probably by chopping the map into a series of smaller, one-room maps.

If you want, I can upload my blank grid, so that you don't have to wast a couple of hours making your own!

I also really like maptools, which is a free program. However, I find it's much more time-consuming than Photoshop, because I always have to go and look for the top-down view of whatever I'm wanting to put on my map. Here are a couple of examples:
http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/5056/exitcavernsmall.png
http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/4431/alterroom.png
These are for my current pbp game, and as you can see, they are each one room big, although I've got the complete with my notes. (I had to take a screen shot of the map, then use Photoshop to remove the parts that I didn't want to show. I also added the number and letter labels in Photoshop.)

Thanks! I'll look into those. I found out that you can import a grid from somewhere else into inkscape, and make pretty nice maps. Still, those look a lot better.



Look here.:smallwink: (http://www.cartographersguild.com/forumdisplay.php?46-Software-Discussion)

Oooo. Shiiiiiiny.

[Savannah]

Thanks! I'll look into those. I found out that you can import a grid from somewhere else into inkscape, and make pretty nice maps. Still, those look a lot better.

Only 'cause I spend way too much time on my maps!

[Blayze]

On the details or on the shiny?