| Welcome! This page details my mapping systems and can provide you with all the necessary files for you to make your own maps.
First, you should know that there are two systems. The project was actually started and abandoned 5 years ago in Illustrator 8.0, and it was 8.0 that I used when I started it up again in January 2005. However, there were various problems with the system I came up with in 8.0. Some of these problems were solved with the second incarnation of my mapping system, but some remained.
At the beginning of February, with the advice of Katana One of the Mystara Message Board, I was able to once again redesign the system, this time to work in Illustrator CS. I actually had Illustrator CS on my system for a few weeks before that, but I couldn't work out how to convert the system across. In any case, this third version of the system resolved the previous problems, and added some nice new features. At the same time, it radically changed the way the mapping is done.
Following is a table presenting the two most recent methods. Sections which apply to both systems cover both columns. You'll find links to the appropriate files at the end. I advise you to use the CS files if you possibly can, but the earlier files do yield pretty good results too.
| Illustrator 8.0 Mapping System (version 2)
| Illustrator CS Mapping System (version 3)
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The basic mapping file consists of a page with seven layers, listed here from bottom to top.
- Guide - Put anything you want to trace over on this layer, and resize it to the same proportions as the hex grid.
- Map - This layer is for all the basic hexes.
- Coasts - Draw all the coasts and lakes on this layer. Also masking map tiles can be placed here when drawing plateaus.
- Roads, Rivers and Islands - This layer holds all these things, in addition to settlements, battlefields, etc., which are placed here to preven them from being obscured by rivers.
- Hex Grid - The home of the grid which forms the basis of your map.
- Borders - Draw country and dominin borders on this layer, so that they overlay the hex grid.
- Labels - Lastly, all text and map labels go on this layer, on top of everything else.
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The basic mapping technique goes as follows:
- Copy and paste the hex grid, slotting it into place precisely using the smart guides, until it's the size you want it.
- Paste in your guide, if you're using one, and after turning off the smart guides resize it to match the hex grid. You may need to adjust the angle of the guide by rotating it in tenths of a degree until it's straight.
- The first step, if using a guide, is to copy all the labels. It's easiest to do this now when the whole map is visible, but you can do it later just as easily simply by turning off the other layers in between. If you are copying visually or designing from scratch, you can do this last.
- Trace the coasts and lakes onto the coasts layer. Zooming in allows you to put more detail in the coasts, because the auto line smoothing works on a smaller scale when you are zoomed in. Use the shape you draw for the coast to cover the whole sea area of your map.
- Draw on the rivers, making sure they link in with coasts and lakes and adjusting as necessary. I advise you to use simple lines for the majority of the river, with a freehand shape at the end where it tapers out.
- Draw on the roads and trails, turning off the coasts layer when necessary to allow you to see your guide.
- Draw in any islands. This is also a good point to add reefs to the coast layer, using freehand shapes and the reef pattern swatch.
- Using the smart guides for precise positioning on hex anchors, draw in any borders.
- Your map should now be complete except for the actual terrain types on the map hex layer. Now is the time to start adding those hexes. Turn other layers on and off and lock them as necessary to allow you access to the map. It sometimes helps to leave the hex grid unlocked - the smart guides seem to work better then. Simply copy and paste the appropriate patterned hexes into your map, locking them in with smart guides. Note that you must use the hexes from the Legend, because patterning hexes as you go will not allow their patterns to tile properly.
- Add a title, scale, credits, etc., and check your map one last time for consistency.
| The basic mapping technique goes as follows:
- Copy and paste the hex grid, including the symbols, slotting it into place precisely using the smart guides, until it's the size you want it.
- Paste in your guide, if you're using one, and change the transparency of the Map layer to allow you to see the guide through the map symbols. Now resize the guide to match the hex grid. You may need to adjust the angle of the guide by rotating it in tenths of a degree until it's straight.
- The first step, if using a guide, is to copy all the labels. It's easiest to do this now when the whole map is visible, but you can do it later just as easily simply by turning off the other layers in between. If you are copying visually or designing from scratch, you can do this last.
- Trace the coasts and lakes onto the coasts layer. Zooming in allows you to put more detail in the coasts, because the auto line smoothing works on a smaller scale when you are zoomed in. Use the shape you draw for the coast to cover the whole sea area of your map.
- Draw on the rivers, making sure they link in with coasts and lakes and adjusting as necessary. I advise you to use simple lines for the majority of the river, with a freehand shape at the end where it tapers out.
- Draw on the roads and trails, turning off the coasts layer when necessary to allow you to see your guide.
- Draw in any islands. This is also a good point to add reefs to the coast layer, using freehand shapes and the reef pattern swatch.
- Using the smart guides for precise positioning on hex anchors, draw in any borders.
- Your map should now be complete except for the actual terrain types on the map hex layer. Now is the time to start setting those hexes. Turn other layers on and off and lock them as necessary to allow you access to the map. Select all the hexes of each terrain type in turn and change their map symbol to the appropriate type. Note that the symbols are actually rectangular, not hexes - that's why they have to be placed in the grid from the start. This means that selecting them is sometimes problematic, especially while zoomed out. For this reason, it's advisable to lock the hexes as you work through them. My current favourite method is to work through the terrain types until the only one left is the most commonly used hex, usually mountains, plains or desert. This can then be selected en masse, because all the other hexes should be locked at this point.
- Add a title, scale, credits, etc., and check your map one last time for consistency.
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Illustrator 8.0 Files
Basic Mapping File Version 2
| Illustrator CS Files
Basic Mapping File Version 3
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