Making Maps with Campaign Cartographer 2

The other day, as I was planning one of my upcoming miniatures projects, I realized that what I needed was a particular type of software: not a photo retouching program, not an art program, but something that worked more like a traditional CAD (computer-aided drafting) program.

Why a CAD program? Without going into the details of my (future) project, what I wanted to be able to do was to create a graphic (picture, map, etc.) and still be able to manipulate the components. If I got it "done" but realized I wanted to move a symbol to the left, or make a line longer or thicker, I needed that kind of access.

So I searched the Web looking for a good CAD package, but failed to find anything in my price range and with the features I wanted.

And then someone told me about Campaign Cartographer 2. It's software optimized for making maps, with a strong focus on fantasy maps, but it's built on the heart of the FastCAD engine.

So I arranged for a review copy. What follows is the story of how I learned to use the software, by way of making my first fantasy map...