"campaign cartographer from profantasy?" Topic

I'm about to the point where I want to construct a map of my world. This will be in support of my PRIDE OF LIONS rules (fantasy mass battles)and the Splintered Light Miniatures fantasy races and armies. I'm a map guy, and an old-time board gamer, but I'm not really much of a computer graphics guy. I am capable of sitting down with a big posterboard and a hex grid and a handful of magic markers and doing a map. Is this software easier than that? harder? steep learning curve or friendly to a beginner?

I do obviously intend to have this map available online with the rules when done, so at some point will need to convert anything i do into a computer format. I can afford the $50 USD or so the basic package costs, even at Christmas time, but I don't want to throw it away, and I have had several disappointments over the years with software like AIDE DE CAMP that was just more trouble than it was worth.

Has anyone had enough experience with this product to advise me?

I've been using Campaign Cartographer since it was a DOS application. I love it and the current version is a fantastic upgrade. The learning curve is fairly steep, though. Much more difficult than sitting down with a bunch of markers and posterboard, at first. Once you get used to the interface and the HUGE library of drawing tools and icons, it's possible to produce attractive maps quite quickly. If you're interested in doing a single map and putting the software away I wouldn't go the Campaign Cartographer route. You might be able to find someone to do the map for you for less than the cost of the software.

Thanks, sloth. I am interested mainly in one map, although it is to be of an entire world.

I read a review on rpg net that was very like yours, positive but warning of a steep learning curve.

I've got a copy languishing in a drawer for those reasons. I have zero artistic or computer skills and the whole layer/texture thing was incomprehensible. Only after I had dropped the cash did I see some mention of familiarity with CAD as helpful and since I hate anything involving computers that I can't turn on and figure out in one hour or less, that was a bad choice for me.

I just wanted something that throws a hex grid on the screen and lets me fill in what is in each hex. Campaign Cartographer isn't that.

I just wanted something that throws a hex grid on the screen and lets me fill in what is in each hex. Campaign Cartographer isn't that.

Is there something out there that IS that?

Dave

"I just wanted something that throws a hex grid on the screen and lets me fill in what is in each hex."

Me too.

So Dave's question is also mine: is there something that IS that simple?

Yes there is. Autocad, Microstation ….. just any CAD-program let's you do that.

Gamemapper is a nice simple tool for making tabletop maps. This would not work for someone wanting to create interiors of buildings, or rpg villages, but its excellent for those of us trying to create maps that show roads, fences, buildings, woods, units, etc. You can turn on or off the opposing sides unit counters, which allows you to print off a copy for each side. Kind of nifty.

Fractal Mapper from nbos has a free trial version that will let you see if it meets your needs. So does profantasy, or at least they used to.

Try Hexmapper (google it, im at work and can't get to the yahoo group to give you the link) Its FREE and allows you to put up a hex grid and drag and drop onto it.

Ken

AutoREALM is a similar mapping tool, and free.

gryc.ws/autorealm.htm

Some of you might find AKS Hexmapper useful. It's great for simple "boardgame" type hex maps. I wasn't sure if it was still available (free or otherwise) but I dug up an old link and it's still there. Runs on widoze 95 or XP just fine. Allows you design your own hexes as well as having free hand capabilities

link

Paul

You can also check out FlexMap from Racingspider Games. Its free and its format is used in a few other programs.
racingspidergames.com
Simple vector drawing with an online tutorial. There will also be a new "open" format coming which will be xml based (so you can use the map data in your own programming).

Anyway, its free and that's the biggest thing. Oh, there is also a "texture" available for hexes, so you can easily make "hex based" if you wish.

Oh, there is also a "texture" available for hexes, so you can easily make "hex based" if you wish.

I bought that also and therein lies the problem. What the heck is a texture? Is there a single button I push that puts a hex grid up that I can then populate? If there is, I haven't found it.

Let me suggest this: there are several websites where hexpaper can be produced in .pdf format – nothing complext, just fill out the parameters and push the "go" button. One of them is this one: incompetech.com/graphpaper . Second, find a freeware painting program or use the Paint program that comes with some versions of the Windows OS. I have been using "Upaint" for several years now. Here's the url for Upaint: link .

Method: use one of those hexpaper sites to produce via your printer the hexmap you desire, both in terms of size and hexsize. Keep in mind, you'll have to do a bit of cut and paste – well, scotch tape really – to get a hexmap larger than 8" by 10.5". Once you have the hexmap, open it in the Upaint program and play with colors and "spray" and like that to find colors you like for terrain representation. Or, use simple "brush strokes" to make "hash mark" hill and elevations in various colors. I recommend Upaint because, like you, I have utter no comprehension of layers, textures, and all that other blather. I don't want to learn how to be a computer graphics guru and make an online MMORPG; just enough to make maps for my 18th Century campaigns. Well, follow the method. I only recommend those sites because I found they work for me. Google or "Ask Jeeves" for one you may like better.

Try it; they're free and relatively free of frustration. Upaint has a useful but not complete help file; read it carefully but only on each topic; trying to use a help file as documenation leads quickly to insanity of the "Call of Cluthu" sort; I know!

Thank you LTC Frasier

Was not Heavy Metal software going to come out with a piece of hex map software?
You know the folks who do the BattleTech software, Heavy Metal Pro.
It was to be called Heavy Metal Map and was going to be ~$30.
Did it come out?
This is the link I have bookmarked:
link
Maybe one of you can check it out; I am in a bit of a rush today – it's Monday!

It has a "Buy Now" button ($29), so it looks like they're taking orders. Seems to have a "pro" version for something else, plus add on programs. The manual is downloadable.

Russ