Messing around with that new software, and — damn — talk about a learning curve. I’ve pretty much determined that the world generator is all but useless as far as importing the actual fractal world files it generates. When you do that, you can’t access most of the more useful and pretty features of the mapmaking program.
Looks like the key is going to be saving the fractal world as a BMP, then adding it in as a layer, tracing the landmass with the tools ( so I have all the pretty functions ) then deleting the BMP layer and working from the traced landmasses.
Either that, or just draw the world from scratch using the generated world as a general guide. I’m actually leaning that way, because I’ll have a lot more control to fix some irksome spots in the generated world.
Finally managed to at least make a resonable test map of the world tonight. I’ve got a bit of a bad habit about obsessing on something I can’t get to work right *laugh* Once I have some sort of small victory that points me in the direction I need to go, I can put it aside for a while. That’s where I am now.
In the end, the downtime from writing will be worth it, I believe. Not only will I have useful, pretty maps for my own reference, they’ll be available here for you to visualize the world as well. Once I get the basics down, I should be able to crank out maps in fairly short order.
Then I’ve got to learn the next two scales of map making — towns and structures *laugh* It looks to me like the overworld is going to be the hardest to learn, though. As they all function off the same core, everything I learn as I go should apply to the next level down.
May have to get some additional symbol packs ( or find some made by other people, as you can import/create your own symbol catalogs ) in order to do some maps. I’d really like to do the area around Xantina’s woods to have a good reference for that, but it looks like I’m going to need additional tools to have modern roads on an overland map, which is what I really need to properly visualize for those stories.
Anyway, the young one is wound up tighter than a frikkin’ spring tonight, and that’s going to limit writing opportunity. If he winds down before I shut down, I’ll give it a shot. I’d really like to get something wrapped up this weekend.
