I was wondering if there was an Inkscape filter to make cartographic maps, or can there be an easy way make one.
The idea is that I want to draw the map's general shape and I want the filter to create
- eroded edges
- Random terrain level
- Random Terrain (Optional)
Maybe another filter could be used to create terrain like forest, desert, mountains, etc.
Do you know any filter that could do that, or do you have a quick idea on how I could create a filter that can does that?
Filter for making cartographic maps
Re: Filter for making cartographic maps
You can roughen edges with the fractalize path extension.
The other things don;t exist now, and might be easier with a raster program.
If interested in map-making using any variety of software, including Inkscape, check out www.cartographersguild.com (disclaimer - i am a co-admin there) the number 1 place on the web for fantasy cartography enthusiasts.
-Rob A>
The other things don;t exist now, and might be easier with a raster program.
If interested in map-making using any variety of software, including Inkscape, check out www.cartographersguild.com (disclaimer - i am a co-admin there) the number 1 place on the web for fantasy cartography enthusiasts.
-Rob A>
Re: Filter for making cartographic maps
I checked the cartographer's guild
I found an interesting video here
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid= ... 091812167#
It uses:
Fractalise
Inset
Outset
Simplify
Nice tutorial for map outlines.
It does not show how to place a texture on the map. I am not sure it you can actually put a texture in a shape in inkscape. Else, I could simply use a texture fill and feather the edges. Else there might be a filter that creates the texture I need.
Else I thought that the terrain elevations could be some with some sort of bump map.
I found an interesting video here
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid= ... 091812167#
It uses:
Fractalise
Inset
Outset
Simplify
Nice tutorial for map outlines.
It does not show how to place a texture on the map. I am not sure it you can actually put a texture in a shape in inkscape. Else, I could simply use a texture fill and feather the edges. Else there might be a filter that creates the texture I need.
Else I thought that the terrain elevations could be some with some sort of bump map.
Re: Filter for making cartographic maps
I managed to do the picture below relatively easily. I placed a copy of the texture.
This is pretty easy to do.
Grass
[*]Draw a shape
[*]Fractalize
[*]Remove stroke
[*]Feather
Sand
[*]Duplicate the grass shape
[*]Outset the grass shape multiple times
[*]Set a different color, remove stokes
[*]Simplify
[*]Feather
(I had a bug where too much nodes made some display bug when duplicating and it crashed when blurring. So I simplified before duplicating).
Water
[*]Simple blue rectangle placed at the bottom of the picture
Forest
[*]Import a texture I made in gimp
[*]Change it as a pattern
[*]Draw a shape
[*]Fractalize
[*]Apply a pattern fill
[*]Feather ( change level to 10)
So like forests, I could use any texture and place it also on the grass, sand and water. I think it could be the best way to make texture terrain. Feathering makes the edges of the map less fractalized, so I might keep a stroke around the map for clearer definition.
What do you think?
This is pretty easy to do.
Grass
[*]Draw a shape
[*]Fractalize
[*]Remove stroke
[*]Feather
Sand
[*]Duplicate the grass shape
[*]Outset the grass shape multiple times
[*]Set a different color, remove stokes
[*]Simplify
[*]Feather
(I had a bug where too much nodes made some display bug when duplicating and it crashed when blurring. So I simplified before duplicating).
Water
[*]Simple blue rectangle placed at the bottom of the picture
Forest
[*]Import a texture I made in gimp
[*]Change it as a pattern
[*]Draw a shape
[*]Fractalize
[*]Apply a pattern fill
[*]Feather ( change level to 10)
So like forests, I could use any texture and place it also on the grass, sand and water. I think it could be the best way to make texture terrain. Feathering makes the edges of the map less fractalized, so I might keep a stroke around the map for clearer definition.
What do you think?
Re: Filter for making cartographic maps
and if you want more photographic like realism/render....then something like povray would be good, as it has height fields and textures apply in 3d fashion. but that's a whole different ballgame if you're interested.
Re: Filter for making cartographic maps
I think I have seen something similar, but sometimes the results are not as good as I would like. I did it once with a software that allowed you to move on your map in 3D and take a shot. Still for the purpose I need, I must define my own shapes and place them in specific location in my document. (It's for a board game). So I prefer using a technique similar to the above. But if there could be a filter that would fill-up my landscape with a realistic landscape texture, I would not say no.