Errispa

[Mouse]

I'm afraid I couldn't get the gold texture right in GIMP. I'll put that down to lack of experience with what all the effects can do. I gave it a really good try, though, so I'm getting more and more familiar with the software all the time, even when I fail to achieve the desired outcome.

Instead I used Genetica to blend a couple of free gold foil textures together to create one, and I've used it as a CC3 fill. This has made the drawing of the compass considerably easier than it would have been in GIMP - dozens of rotated precision vector shapes, and one rather complicated folded poly.

I'm hoping its not too much with all this gold on it now. The only other place I'm thinking of using it is around the edge as part of the frame.

[kacey]

Loving the gold, I don't think it's too much at all, and it would even look nice with some gold in a border around the whole image. And on a side note, using photo's is another way to add textures in gimp you can find loads of really nice metal textures online, put them on a layer, and mask out the areas you don't want showing, or mask the whole layer, and paint it in, I always have fun doing that, playing around with metal is one of my favourite things to do plus it looks pretty too. The map looks great so far, keep doing what you're doing, you seem to be picking up gimp pretty fast.

[Mouse]

Thanks Kacey

I'm going to use a bit more gold, but I won't overdo it, or it will detract from the centrepiece too much. Maybe a bit of filigree work in the border.

Apart from the relief texture and projection of the landmasses this is still very much a CC3 map. Even in CC3 it was pretty difficult working out all the inputs given in degrees to 3 decimal places for the several circular arrays I used to arrange all the outer parts of the compass, including the text. I can't even imagine drawing something like that in GIMP. I don't even know if GIMP has a facility for drawing regular polygons (that is to say I couldn't find one when I looked for it), never mind setting up all the circular arrays of the parts.

LOL! I've just noticed a far more human error in the text of the compass! Apparently we have two separate directions that can be described as 'North West by West'! I'll put it right before the next version.

[jfrazierjr]

Thanks Kacey

I'm going to use a bit more gold, but I won't overdo it, or it will detract from the centrepiece too much. Maybe a bit of filigree work in the border.

Apart from the relief texture and projection of the landmasses this is still very much a CC3 map. Even in CC3 it was pretty difficult working out all the inputs given in degrees to 3 decimal places for the several circular arrays I used to arrange all the outer parts of the compass, including the text. I can't even imagine drawing something like that in GIMP. I don't even know if GIMP has a facility for drawing regular polygons (that is to say I couldn't find one when I looked for it), never mind setting up all the circular arrays of the parts.

LOL! I've just noticed a far more human error in the text of the compass! Apparently we have two separate directions that can be described as 'North West by West'! I'll put it right before the next version.

Well...GIMP could do it but it would be a bit of a pain. Since it's entirely symmetrical, creating a single spoke is the start, duplicate the layer, rotate, repeat.

[Mouse]

You can do all the duplicating and rotating automatically at the click of a button in CC3+. I drew a single horizontal segment (1 'abc' text, 1 gold leaf patch etc) and multiplied it and rotated it to form the entire compass in just three clicks by using the Circular Array tool. It was the designing of the thing that took the time, and then the editing of each of the 'abc' labels to say the right thing

My next trick, however, is easier done in GIMP than CC3. I have made some highly amusing attempts to draw a title banner across the top, and its not going very well right now. GIMPS box deformation tool is pretty tricky to master on a slow machine. It takes a long time to move things around, but it does something I would find very difficult to achieve in CC3.

This is a screen shot of where I am at with it right now:



Yes, I know. Laughable really, but this is the first time I've ever tried anything like a banner! LOL!

[DanielHasenbos]

Your threads always pile up with comments that I can hardly keep track of what is going on, but it's looking good! The map itself is looking great and I'm sure you'll nail the banners too! May I ask why you don't handdraw them? You've proven that you've got the skill with your Road to Tiamis map.

Btw, I don't know if you had seen my post in my thread, but the font I used was IM FELL Dw Pica (: Just search it on Google and you'll find a link to download it.

[ChickPea]

About your text, I would always use Inkscape for something like this. I know you're still getting to grips with Gimp and maybe don't want to have to learn something else, but it's quite easy to do. I found a simple tutorial that explains it quite well...

http://goinkscape.com/how-to-curve-text-in-inkscape/

When you've got your text as you want it, you can export a PNG file & open this file in Gimp, then copy it & paste as a new layer into your main image. I do this all the time & it works quite well. Oh, and I usually import a jpg of my main map into Inkscape before I start, then lock that layer & create the text on a layer above. This lets you mess about with sizing and positioning against the base map, so you've got it just right for when you export the PNG. Hide the map layer before you export, so you get a transparent image. (I should probably put up a disclaimer that I'm a huge fan of Inkscape & can't see past it sometimes! )

Now, having said all that, what you've made so far really doesn't look that bad. Not quite sure about the white background though. Is that just temporary?

[Mouse]

About your text, I would always use Inkscape for something like this. I know you're still getting to grips with Gimp and maybe don't want to have to learn something else, but it's quite easy to do. I found a simple tutorial that explains it quite well...

http://goinkscape.com/how-to-curve-text-in-inkscape/

When you've got your text as you want it, you can export a PNG file & open this file in Gimp, then copy it & paste as a new layer into your main image. I do this all the time & it works quite well. Oh, and I usually import a jpg of my main map into Inkscape before I start, then lock that layer & create the text on a layer above. This lets you mess about with sizing and positioning against the base map, so you've got it just right for when you export the PNG. Hide the map layer before you export, so you get a transparent image. (I should probably put up a disclaimer that I'm a huge fan of Inkscape & can't see past it sometimes! )

Now, having said all that, what you've made so far really doesn't look that bad. Not quite sure about the white background though. Is that just temporary?

Thanks for the tips ChickPea

I'm willing to try anything to get this text right. I was even considering doing a banner in Blender with the text as the 'texture' on the banner - just to get it perfect, but I think that may be a tad too far, since I'd only be able to use it as a design to trace in the actual map. (The chances of getting the setup in Blender spot on in tune with the map colour scheme is about a million to one against).

And yes - the white background is just a guide to help me figure out the shape of the banner

[Mouse]

Thank you Daniel

I've really no idea why they get so long! Sorry

I'm going to hand draw the banner eventually. I was just trying to get the text into the right shape ready to go on it - a visual aid for myself. I tried this without the white background to start with and had such a job of trying to work out where the edge of the banner would be that I had to start all over again. If anyone else does this, then don't forget to draw the banner behind the text before you start to do the deform. It cuts out a lot of headaches later, and you can always get rid of it once you start drawing.

Thanks for the font name, Daniel. I may yet change this one I'm using right now out for that one. I'll have a play around and see what I think.

I'd like to clarify a point I made last time: You can draw curved text in CC3. In fact is very much easier drawing curved text in CC3 than in any other app I've ever tried. You just can't deform the letters all that easily so that they tilt in and out as if they were lying on the surface of a three dimensionally curved banner

EDIT: ninja'd by ChickPea!

[ChickPea]

Well download Inkscape (it's free) and give it a bash. If you get stuck, just holler and I can probably talk you through it.

I kinda shudder every time I see the Blender interface and have to back away slowly! Compared to that, Inkscape could be used by a five year old.