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Map Maker Software in Humble Bundle

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
This is a cornucopia! An extravaganza! A bonanza, even.

I had to restrain myself. I don't *need* any of this, and were I to acquire it, all writing and revising would come full stop. Adrift in a Sargasso Sea of distraction. It's bad enough I'm getting a new keyboard. I don't need this! I want this!

But all the rest of you, by all means go get this if you have the slightest interest in making maps. Set aside... oh, I dunno ... a year or so.
 

Slartibartfast

Minstrel
Great find! I also don't *need* it, but lack the self-restraint.

The last bundle they did was fantastic value for someone new to CC3 who had nothing but was mostly made up of add-ons that I already had. This one's got Fractal Terrains and Cosmographer which I've almost bought several times before. Sold!

Fingers crossed for a Cartographer's Annual bundle in the future.
 

A. E. Lowan

Forum Mom
Leadership
Holy cannoli, guys! I just got all of this downloaded, and it's insanely cool. The other programs are mostly all expansions of some sort for the main program, and with all the manuals and just sheer awesomeness, my next book may also be late. :D
 

Slartibartfast

Minstrel
Holy cannoli, guys! I just got all of this downloaded, and it's insanely cool. The other programs are mostly all expansions of some sort for the main program...

Can confirm coolness.

I was a little unsure what was actually being offered with the expansions. The six items labelled 'Cartographer's Collection' aren't regular products and seem to have been invented for the HB. I installed them last night too and it turns out they're remixes from their Cartographer's Annual products. There's some great stuff in there. I'm particularly happy with the Tolkienesque map style. I've been looking at it for a while and I previously almost bought the Cartographer's Annual that it came in - very pleased I waited.

Worth noting that for anyone who has already got CC3+, Profantasy will trade your serial key from the bundle for a $20US voucher. Worked out at £16. No minimum spend and can be spread across more than one purchase if you don't use the full amount.

Book? What book? I do maps now.
 

Demesnedenoir

Myth Weaver
An excellent collection. Think i have most of these already, but looks like a couple of add-ons I’m missing. Excellent.
 
I will say, after downloading the main CC+ program and toying with it—yep, there's a steep and ragged learning curve. The UI is not as intuitive as other graphics programs I've used, nor as clear. I suspect the program overall won't be "hard" to use, just that I'll need time to learn how to use it. I've seen many examples of the results of using it, so I'm still happy that I've leapt off that cliff and made that purchase. (Although, for world or land mass maps, I might stick with Inkarnate.)
 

Slartibartfast

Minstrel
I will say, after downloading the main CC+ program and toying with it—yep, there's a steep and ragged learning curve.

It's CAD based so it is entirely logical and well thought out... it's just a different logic to that which powers virtually every other family of software you're likely to come across. Once you get over the initial hump of reflexively expecting it to work in a photoshopesque manner, it's very powerful and usable.

There are some great tutorials out there. When I started out with CC I found it easiest to make a few example maps following tutorials first, and then dive into making my own stuff. I did try setting out on my own project and then looking things up every time I got stuck, but it seemed to take way longer to get the basics nailed down that way.
 
It's CAD based so it is entirely logical and well thought out... it's just a different logic to that which powers virtually every other family of software you're likely to come across

Right. I've read that before. I actually did use CAD once upon a time, briefly—in the '90's, heh! Forgotten most of it.

But a for-instance: Darn, I wish there was a menu option or button for choosing various ways to "select" items. (Admittedly, I haven't studied every button on the UI, looking for this option. There are so many buttons, and most look quite different than anything I've used before.)
 

Slartibartfast

Minstrel
But a for-instance: Darn, I wish there was a menu option or button for choosing various ways to "select" items...

Yeah, it's all backwards. You need to choose your tool first (like the eraser). Then you can choose whether you're adding or subtracting from a selection (or just selecting a single object) by right-clicking, going to 'combine' and choosing between 'and', 'or', or 'not'. Then you select (or deselect) your objects. Then you apply the tool to the objects you've selected by right-clicking and selecting 'do it'.

Clear as mud :D
(but entirely sensible once you're used to the idea)
 

A. E. Lowan

Forum Mom
Leadership
Don't forget, there are six manuals in pdf in the full package. I just threw mine at my Kindle. They all say something like "essentials" and are saved as "Microsoft PDF Document" or something like that.
 
I'll definitely be looking at the manuals, YT videos, and wherever else I need to study, when I have the time. I'd've loved just a single button that could turn my cursor to a "select" arrow, for selecting items I've already placed, heh. Alas. I know the final results could be wonderful, so I'm looking forward to using this software. Heck, a lot of the assets are already enough (for using in other programs), so that's definitely a positive sign as well.

Edit: I did want to post my concerns here in case others were debating whether to get CC+. Consistently, for years it's been one of the go-to selections for map making. It still appears on "Best in 2021" lists, heh. But there is this complexity factor to consider.
 

Demesnedenoir

Myth Weaver
My favorite is fractal terrains. However, the street creator for cities and towns is also slick, so you don’t have to lay down every single building.

and yes, the CAD is a learning curve. I use stuff just often enough to learn and forget and learn and forget etc etc. Heh heh.
 

ThinkerX

Myth Weaver
something for me to avoid, as it gets in the way of the writing.

on the other hand, my maps do need updated badly. 'World 2's' geography though, is so odd that even this won't help.
 
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