Map Making

Comment

Comment by Joseph Youst on October 22, 2009 at 10:03pm

Dave,

It is actually alot harder to draw on the screen instead of a tablet. I've got one of the big ones (10 x 12 drawing area) and it works great.

Comment by Mark Mahaffey on October 19, 2009 at 4:05pm

Nah, just smudges up your screen.

Comment by David Wessman on October 19, 2009 at 3:10pm

If you can afford it the Cintiq monitor (made by Wacom) might be just the thing. It's an interactive pen display that allows you to dispense with the tablet and simply use the pen right on the screen! More info at: http://www.wacom.com/cintiq/

Comment by Marc von Martial on October 19, 2009 at 10:55am

> What is the best way to do that?
Crop tool: http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/video_workshop/?id=vid0213

Comment by Kai Jensen on October 19, 2009 at 9:21am

I need to get pieces of maps that were created in Illustrator to use for another project. I don't need the whole map, just a corner or a chunk out of the middle in some cases. What is the best way to do that?

Comment by Tony on October 18, 2009 at 11:56pm

(not a group for arguments about what map style or software app is best)
There was a reason I included that line in the Groups description. :-)
This happens in almost every mapmaking forum I've ever read.
I set up a "Software" section that we can move this discussion to.
Hopefully it steers away from the same old back and forth to a more productive (for new users) discussion about how to use the tools. ;-)

I would also love you guys to start a new discussion section on tablets.
They are something us newbies know almost nothing about and for the price of these things we can sure use some advice.

Mark and Marc, thanks for joining and contributing.
Being able to talk to published artists like you was the reason I started this group!
Love your maps, very inspiring!

Comment by Tim Allen on October 18, 2009 at 4:10pm

Ah...lemmie see now. I dont have the box for this thing.

Yes, its a Wacom. Its called a Graphire2. Anyone know anything about it?

Comment by Marc von Martial on October 18, 2009 at 3:06pm

Until just a few weeks ago I used the same tablet as Mark. Highly recommended. I now use a Intuos 4 because after trying it out in a shop nearby I just found that is works more ergonomic for me (love the wheel and LED custom button labels). And it is black :D
But really, to start out you could also buy a used Intuos 2 tablet, sensitivity and feel is almost the same.

Tablets are heaven, well said Mark :)

Comment by Marc von Martial on October 18, 2009 at 3:00pm

Funny, my Google Maps is both, raster and vector, depending on the view (job) that is needed ;)
I never said Photoshop is a replacement or alternative to Illustrator (be it CS through CS4), it never will be and the other way around it will also never be. Both have their advantages and use, like I said earlier, I use both. Simply said you can't say that Illustrator is a standard. The standard tool is the tool that is needed to get the job done to satisfy the client. Sure, if you just want to trace something a vector based tool is probably the easiest way.
We might come from different perspectives as it looks. Just as Mark Mahaffey, I'm an artist that is getting paid to design custom and original maps for boardgame game designers, so I possibly think totally different about the matter of map making as you. Honestly using Jo's Hexdraw is more going into the "scenario design" corner for me. But that's just my opinion.

Comment by Mark Mahaffey on October 18, 2009 at 2:50pm

The tablet is heaven once you get used to it. Drawing coastlines is an obvious improvement, but really is better for almost everything. I too have long since put the mouse in a drawer. Here's the one I have ( a little older, but nice balance between size, quality, and price - and "widescreen")... http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Intuos3-11-Inch-Pen-Tablet/dp/B000BVB2FK/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1255895343&sr=8-15

• First
• Previous
• Next
• Last