[Maps] Fael & Marranarch

[Fax Celestis]

The world of Fael is coexistent with that of Marranarch (http://corporation.walagata.com/fax/wiki/index.php/Marranarch), though it is on an alternate Material plane.

(The cosmology is weird, so I won't attempt to explain it here; I'm not sure I fully understand it myself yet.)

Now, I have two maps here, one of Marranarch, and one of Fael. Fael looks like this: map (http://www.corporation.walagata.com/fax/images/Map%20Of%20Unknown%20World.JPG).

While Marranarch looks like this: map (http://www.corporation.walagata.com/fax/wiki/images/Marranarch.png).

If you have GIMP (or have another way to open .xcf files), the layered version of the Fael map is here (http://www.corporation.walagata.com/fax/images/Map%20Of%20Unknown%20World.xcf).

I need suggestions for increasing the quality of these maps; I want them to be as good as can be.

I'll warn you: these are rather large maps.

[Maldraugedhen]

I can't help but grin looking at the region names on the second map. I think you may have overloaded on weird-sounding real-world names. Between Praetoria, Einherjar, Fenris, and Phoencia, I would humbly suggest you tweak the names a bit. As to the maps themselves--I have little experience in creating maps, so I'll leave that to later posters.

[Fax Celestis]

I can't help but grin looking at the region names on the second map. I think you may have overloaded on weird-sounding real-world names. Between Praetoria, Einherjar, Fenris, and Phoencia, I would humbly suggest you tweak the names a bit. As to the maps themselves--I have little experience in creating maps, so I'll leave that to later posters.

Yeah, some of the names will probably change. I just don't know to what.

[Peregrine]

I need suggestions for increasing the quality of these maps; I want them to be as good as can be.

Well, nobody in their right mind does maps my way: draw them on graph paper, then use the grid to transfer the map into Paint or an equivalent program. Pixel by pixel. Depending on how finely you transfer the detail, this produces some outstanding maps that are also extremely versatile. But you have to be crazy to do this, really.

Here's an example, exactly as I drew it in -- blue for sea, white for land.
http://members.westnet.com.au/perey/images/maps/example.png
And here's an example of what you can do with it: run it through edge detection to convert it to an outline of the land. You can't really do the reverse, because the outlines themselves have a certain width that reduces your level of detail.
http://members.westnet.com.au/perey/images/maps/example-outline.png

Looking at yours, I think they look like fair candidates for a method I've never yet tried, but which should produce maps that can be scaled quite well to any size. Import the scans into a vector drawing program like Inkscape. Make polygons for your landmasses, tracing over the lines of the imported image. Then add labels, terrain features, and so on.

If you were looking for ways to just clean up the existing scans, sorry, I can't help.

[Fax Celestis]

Well, nobody in their right mind does maps my way: draw them on graph paper, then use the grid to transfer the map into Paint or an equivalent program. Pixel by pixel. Depending on how finely you transfer the detail, this produces some outstanding maps that are also extremely versatile. But you have to be crazy to do this, really.

Here's an example, exactly as I drew it in -- blue for sea, white for land.
http://members.westnet.com.au/perey/images/maps/example.png
And here's an example of what you can do with it: run it through edge detection to convert it to an outline of the land. You can't really do the reverse, because the outlines themselves have a certain width that reduces your level of detail.
http://members.westnet.com.au/perey/images/maps/example-outline.png

Looking at yours, I think they look like fair candidates for a method I've never yet tried, but which should produce maps that can be scaled quite well to any size. Import the scans into a vector drawing program like Inkscape. Make polygons for your landmasses, tracing over the lines of the imported image. Then add labels, terrain features, and so on.

If you were looking for ways to just clean up the existing scans, sorry, I can't help.

Sounds like a terrific idea. I'll see what I can do.

[Morgan_Scott82]

If you want clean up the existing scans you should be able to do it in photoshop through a series of level adjustments, basically sliding the levels to the left until your guidelines disappear and then back to the right to make the lines that survived stand out again. Of course before you do that I would ink the final outlines on your hard copy originals and rescan so you have a nice clean line that is darker than all the others on the map to survive the level adjusting process.

http://www.biorust.com/tutorials/detail/199/en/This is a tutorial for the process I just described. Of course none of this does you any good if you don't have access to photoshop.

[Fax Celestis]

I have GIMP, which is just as good in this regard.

[Autarch]

For tracing anything onto the computer, your best possible tool is a tablet (Wacom is a good company for these). Tablets are also rather expensive; an alternative is to learn how to make vector drawings. You can accurately trace just about anything, and easily, with vectors. And the best part about doing it on the computer? The undo button.
It can't be beat. I once spent several days making a huge, detailed map of a campaign world. Later, one of my players pointed out that after spending so much time making a perfect map, I had put in the compass rose with all the directions wrong. East and West were switched. The 'Eastern Wilds' were on the west side of the continent. One of those "Doh!" moments, it was.

[Nocte]

Now wacom tablets are not so expensive, you can buy the basic one for $100.

I made this one years ago. I made new document on photoshop then I used the render clouds filter, then I made some details with a brush, then I used the posterise tool, and finally I used the trace bitmap fillter on flash to make it vectorial.

This is the map before the "trace bitmap"
http://www.geocities.com/yocreador/alius1.jpg

And this is the map after the "trace bitmap" and with some names and a map frame.

http://www.geocities.com/yocreador/Aliusanimus1.gif

I don't like it anymore :P.

[Nocte]

I scaned this papper spilled with coffee some time ago. I made a layer with this part of your map and used multiply to blend it with the "old papper", then I used a soft brush to make the water and then I posterized the layer of the water. Then I added some shading to the mountains. This took me 15 minutes. I'm going to bed now. Bye. :P

http://www.geocities.com/yocreador/mapfax.jpg

[Zeta Kai]

Fax, what do you have to work with? Photoshop? Illustrator? Paint?

With a little time, I can do this (http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s228/zetakai/PikesPlanet.jpg) with anything. Or nothing. PM me if you'd like my help.

[Fax Celestis]

Fax, what do you have to work with? Photoshop? Illustrator? Paint?

With a little time, I can do this (http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s228/zetakai/PikesPlanet.jpg) with anything. Or nothing. PM me if you'd like my help.

I have GIMP, Paint, and MSPhoto Editor. Yee-haw.

[Zeta Kai]

Oh, geez. Why don't you just draw with blood on a rock. Seriously, get PS &/or Illustrator. They are are invaluable tools for the artistic trade. Corel products are roughly comparable, as well (in case someone were to confuse me for an Adobe-snob). I'll work on your map, & see what I can cook up. I've been busy with the Tears of Blood maps with Tantolian, but I'll do my best.