"Handpainted" Aran

[Leif_-]

I played around a bit with Gimp, to see if I could add a more hand-painted look to the maps enclosed with Domininons, using Aran as a starting point. I'm not entirely happy, but I do believe it looks better than the original:

http://dominions.dimnakorr.com/downloads/maps/aran_preview.jpg

[Tortanick]

That is an imrpovement but can't you just copy the map pics from Dom2?

[Leif_-]

I don't quite understand your question. I didn't think there was any difference between the aran.tga files included with Dom2 and Dom3?

[Tortanick]

Oh right, I thoguht you said you were trying to mimic the dominions 2 look. Never mind

[Gandalf Parker]

Its excellent. It creates a map feel, is informative, and yet its subtle enough that the game plays on top of it without distraction. It will make a great example when Im trying to explain why a beautiful map can be too "foreground" to easily play a game on it.

Maybe we can get someone to script what you did in gimp. I wouldnt mind offering it as an option to run it on maps generated by other programs.

Gandalf Parker

[Leif_-]

Well, the basic technique is simple enough.

Put down a base layer with a beige or yellowish "parchment colour".

Next, render a texture layer with Filters -> Render -> Clouds -> Plasma, turn it into grayscale with Filters -> Colors -> Colorify and put the layer modus as "Grain Extract."

Ontop of this, put a may layer set to "Screen"

Next, create a new map layer, give it a layer mask, and generate a noisy layer with Filters -> Render -> Clouds -> Plasma.

Make two copies of the resulting layer, and set the layer modus, from bottom to top, to Colour, Burn and Multiply. Adjust the opacity sliders to taste.

Finally, you need to add a layer with the original "city dots".

http://dominions.dimnakorr.com/pictures/MapMagic.png

The fading and crumpling of the edges were done manually and uses the age-old "unsteady human hand" for the effect, so I don't think there's any quick way to automate that.

[Grallon]

That's all very well but when you're not a graphic artist it's another story to transform the drab looking maps provided into something more lively.


I've been scouring the Net trying to find good map to adapt but they're few and far between.



G.