Dungeon Mapping Software

[DungeonMonkey]

Seeing Paratime Design's beautiful dungeon maps in the Megadungeons thread makes me wonder: anyone here know of a good dungeon mapping program? (Good meaning things like: relatively easy to use, produces aesthetically pleasing maps, reasonably priced).

[JCBoney]

I use Dungeon Crafter 1.4.1 with tiles from Dragonfoot.

You can get the whole thing here: http://www.purpleworm.org/content/index ... fter-1-4-1

[fingolwyn]

I have a couple of Blue tile sets for DungeonCrafter available on Dragonsfoot. You can download them in this section:

https://www.dragonsfoot.org/maps/index.shtml

The Alphanumeric Tiles isn't terribly useful. I usually copy/paste the room numbers onto the map for better placement. However, lower in the list is the Classic Blue Cavern tiles set which contains two sets of tiles. Below that is the Classic Blue Tiles tile set created by Harmyn, which is included with the Purple Worm download.

Creating your own tiles for DungeonCrafter is easy. Make a copy of an existing 1x1 file (it's a .BMP), open it in MS Paint and edit as necessary. For larger tiles, use the 1x1 size as the standard square and add several together into 2x2, 3x3, 1x2 or whatever size you want. One thing: the tile edges are single space, not double (so that when stacked together they create a double-space line). If you double-space the edges when creating new tiles you'll end up with huge grid lines on the map.

[Kellri]

The Paratime guy uses Photoshop AFAIK.

I've tried a lot of different software for rpg mapping (NBOS' Fractal Mapper, Dungeoncrafter, Campaign Cartographer, AutoREALM). All of them I've found unsatisfactory in some way. Campaign Cartographer is just ridiculously difficult to use - you're pretty much going to need to enroll in a couple of community college AutoCAD courses to grasp the concepts as well as take out a bank loan to pay for the actual software itself. The others are cheaper (or free) but still have a steep learning curve that is specific to that particular piece of software. IMO, you're much better off just learning some general basics for all-purpose graphic software and going from there.

While not dungeons per se, the maps that I've released on my blog (Gamma World, Boot Hill, etc.) were all created using a blend of two different pieces of software, both completely free:

- Adobe Creative Suite 2 available for free from Adobe. With this you can use most of the PS filters, brushes, etc. for rpg mapping available on sites like CartographersGuild.com or DeviantArt.com.
- Paint.Net - a massively upgraded open source version of Microsoft Paint. I can't recommend it enough. You can get plugins that allow you to effortlessly create hex or square grid overlays.

[gizmomathboy]

I use inkscape, but I'm not sure it's for everyone.

[Guy Fullerton]

Just echoing Kellri's recommendation of all-purpose apps. The effort you spend learning them will serve you on other non-mapping projects.

I use Omni-Graffle (an object-based drawing app) plus Photoshop for finishing touches.

[DungeonMonkey]

Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated.

[grodog]

- Adobe Creative Suite 2 available for free from Adobe. With this you can use most of the PS filters, brushes, etc. for rpg mapping available on sites like CartographersGuild.com or DeviantArt.com.

Hmmm. I probably have an old PS 7.01 license lying around I can use. Do you happen to know if that would that be forward-compatible with CS2, Scot?

- Paint.Net - a massively upgraded open source version of Microsoft Paint. I can't recommend it enough. You can get plugins that allow you to effortlessly create hex or square grid overlays.

I was confused by the product name vs. URL; the actual URL to download paint.NET is at https://www.getpaint.net/index.html

Allan.

[EOTB]

To comment on Campaign Cartographer - it's true that it is hard to grok if unfamiliar with autocad, but once you get the hang of it (and it takes some reprogramming of the brain) it is very handy at making maps.

[garhkal]

I use Dungeon Crafter 1.4.1 with tiles from Dragonfoot.

You can get the whole thing here: http://www.purpleworm.org/content/index ... fter-1-4-1

It looks nice, but i notice there's no doors?

Creating your own tiles for DungeonCrafter is easy. Make a copy of an existing 1x1 file (it's a .BMP), open it in MS Paint and edit as necessary. For larger tiles, use the 1x1 size as the standard square and add several together into 2x2, 3x3, 1x2 or whatever size you want. One thing: the tile edges are single space, not double (so that when stacked together they create a double-space line). If you double-space the edges when creating new tiles you'll end up with huge grid lines on the map.

So i take it that's how you would create doors (whether single, double, trap, secret etc)?

[JCBoney]

The set from Dragonsfoot should have doors.

[Kellri]

Hmmm. I probably have an old PS 7.01 license lying around I can use. Do you happen to know if that would that be forward-compatible with CS2, Scot?

I'm not sure. CS2 was a legacy suite of programs (including a version of Photoshop) subsequently released for free by Adobe so no license is required. For my purposes it works just fine - all of those colorized versions of Stonegiant's maps were done with it.

It's much easier to do magic wand selections in PS vs. Paint.net and apply certain filters - mostly involving color. PS is also my go-to program if I want to use tiled textures. Paint.Net is easier for doing pixel editing and applying hex or square grid overlays. So I generally use both programs to create a nice-looking final map.

One caveat, layers are not compatible between the two so I have to finish all of one task in one before switching to the other.

[fingolwyn]

I use Dungeon Crafter 1.4.1 with tiles from Dragonfoot.

You can get the whole thing here: http://www.purpleworm.org/content/index ... fter-1-4-1

It looks nice, but i notice there's no doors?

Creating your own tiles for DungeonCrafter is easy. Make a copy of an existing 1x1 file (it's a .BMP), open it in MS Paint and edit as necessary. For larger tiles, use the 1x1 size as the standard square and add several together into 2x2, 3x3, 1x2 or whatever size you want. One thing: the tile edges are single space, not double (so that when stacked together they create a double-space line). If you double-space the edges when creating new tiles you'll end up with huge grid lines on the map.

So i take it that's how you would create doors (whether single, double, trap, secret etc)?

Doors are a bit odd in that they are placed on the edges of a 1x1 square instead of in the middle so that they occur on a grid line. As such, you can't have a whole door on a 1x1 square; you would have to put it on a 1x2 or larger tile. The Classic Blue tile set that comes with the Purple Worm download has doors; look for the door.bmp file and others.

I have found it MUCH easier to add doors after I create the map by copy/pasting in MS Paint. Just drop a door tile on the map somewhere out of the way, copy/paste the doors into place where you want them, then erase/cover the door tile as needed.

There are tiles for all kinds of doors (single, secret, trap, etc) in the Classic Blue tile set. But you may want to create some of your own, such as a heavy stone or metal door, a jail door, or a gate.

[garhkal]

THanks. Took me a little to find it, but now i have, i will have some fun playing with this!

[Stormcrow]

I've always wanted to see this mapping software. Sadly, I've never found anyone who knew anything about it.

Link to big image

Why, yes, it does say VIC-20. Why do you ask?