Fantasy maps created using Xara Xtreme

[Gamerprinter]

@Big Frank - there are a couple philosophies about the use of shadows in maps. While the majority of the time, I try to keep a consistency of the shadow - usually as a drop shadow dropping down and to the right. However, its a common practice that when deliniating walls (like the walls of the cave in the area you point out) to use a halo shadow to distinctualize the difference between floor and wall. Game-wise its important to determine the floor space where combats occur. Using a drop shadow means that on the opposite side of an object with shadow features, has no shadow. So it can be difficult to acertain where the floor ends and the wall begins. For combat situations in-game, having no shadow to determine where the floorspace ends can be problematic.

So artistically, as a rendition of a given mapped area, the lack of consistency in the depiction of shadows might diminish the aesthetic results. However, my maps are specifically designed for use in game, rather than as an art piece. So I use consistent halo shadows on all wall structures (only), as a mechanical structure useful for game play. If I were only trying to create an art piece of a photorealistic top down view of a given piece of ground (and not as a map for game play) I would certainly keep the shadow consist throughout the entire map. Because my maps are purposely designed for game play as a priority goal, meeting the needs of gamers are more important than doing art.

For example, here is my final design of a 2-masted sailing sloop as the final step in my last map tutorial for the first guide book. Note that consistent use of drop shadows (dropping down and to the right) is used throughout, especially consistently in the top deckplan - what can be seen from above. However, in the second map that depicts the chambers under the rear poop deck, with surgeon's chamber, 1st officer and navigator quarters, galley, stairs down to the underdeck, and the captain's quarters, notice that the walls have a halo shadow - again the consistency of halo shadows on walls for the purposes of game play only.

[Big Frank]

it was the arist in me that objected
as a gamer i understand
keep em coming

[Gamerprinter]

So I'm setting up the page numbers on the tutorial pages, when I get to Tutorial #16, and I realize, that though I planned to do it, even naming the file, I didn't actually make this one. So I created a tutorial for that spot, last night - waterfalls and rapids. Here's the final illustrative step for that tutorial... I hope to get this to release before the weekend, but realistically it will be a Monday release.

@Big Frank - no walls, so all the shadows are the same on this one (drop shadows.)

Michael

[Gamerprinter]

It seems I might be getting a cartography gig as the secondary illustrator for Activision Call of Duty game line and training manuals. I've never done video game cartography, though it can't be much different than the maps I do now for tabletop game publishers. I look forward to seeing how this all pans out! Interestingly, I didn't inquire about a job, rather their art director found some of my maps on G+ community, and they contacted me about this.

[Big Frank]

love the way you did them rapids

[KIR23]

Those things like such maps would be so much easier to do if Xara would be a kind of depth aware program. Not 3d really, just allow to keep depth info in a hidden 16 bit depth maps and allow to do blend them together interactively. That way all the "3d" elements would not look so fake and with a possibility to export into normal maps for in-game lighting. It's quite possible to do in Photoshop currently but with a huge ugly mess of layers and groups.

I mean we could make/sculpt all that small 3d things in Zbrush or Blender, render into color and depth images, and then compose them quickly and easily as 2d in Xara. Only features Xara actually need for that are 16bit support and "lighter color" + "difference" blending modes

Would be so huge time saver because currently I have to do almost everything within 3d soft , render and re-render again and again.. I know there are Nuke and Fusion for real 2d composing , both over $2000. But they are so complicated , it's like using space shuttle for hitting a nail. Why not Xara, She is only couple steps away and would make live copies somehow useful for me with those extra 3 features: 16 bit, lighter color and difference

[Gamerprinter]

@Big Frank - thanks, I think it still needs some work, I need to get a little reflective or 'shinier' for it to work, but its not bad!

@KIR23 - you'll notice I do 3D (sometimes) as well, though I use Nendo, a subdivisional surface modeler that creates some realistic smooth natural shapes and is easy to use (and cheap), then I use Raydream Studio for quick renderings, with only a light gray surface color. I import that to Xara, clip the image to the object's edges, then copy, paste in place, change the fill to solid, then I slice the image to color/texture, differentiating areas of the model and apply photorealistic textures in place of each area, then apply a stain-glass transparency. If done right, the results beat most 3D texturing software which tends to be very complex.

In a same way, I create 3D landscapes with hills and valleys in gray only, then apply the same techniques to achieve 3D photorealistic results.

I also have Cinema 4D for 3D, but its too complicated to create the kind of simple 3D I use in my maps.

While it would be nice to get more 3D features in Xara, and a channel for 16 bit bitmaps, I can live with Xara being primarily a drawing app and just apply certain techniques that I use to achieve decent results.

[KIR23]

What I offered is not 3d features. They are 100% 2d, just making some extra possibilities to compose images produced/rendered in 3d soft. Depth Z blending ( again 100% in 2d, just blending one depth texture over another one with a special math - "lighter color" in terms of Photoshop)

[Egg Bramhill]

Hi Gameprinter, all the best with the Activision gig

[Gamerprinter]

Hi Gameprinter, all the best with the Activision gig

Thanks, Egg. I'll post an update, once I know more. Even though the job is freelance, I would be expected to fly out to LA and speak with the authors and developers before the start of any project, then do the work at home. So this opportunity should be more lucrative than my own personal projects, which still earn me income.