looking for photoshop tutorials on dungeon mapping

[dcook22]

Hi all,

I am looking for good PS tutorials on mapping dungeons. I have been to cartographer's guild and found MANY maps on creating continents, towns, and coastlines in photoshop, but I couldn't find anything on how to design a great classic dungeon like the great one Zeph is making. I'd like to learn the steps to doing something like that as well as how to create cavern-type dungeons.

The outdoor tutorials are great and the folks who make them are obviously masters, but I want indoor stuff, as well as encounter-level maps like the ones you see in a Dungeon Magazine.

I guess I'd need palettes of images for doors and traps and furniture as well.

Who can point me to these things?

Has anyone used dundjinni? Is it any good?

Thanks.

Dan

[Leonal]

I don't know about tutorials, but if I know TFWoods3 (check one of his maps here https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...ad.php?t=10547) here makes some great dungeon maps for Keep on the Shadowfell. Maybe you could ask him for help.
If not I'm sure if you ask at the Cartographer's Guild there are plenty who could help you out.

As I use Campaign Cartographer 3 for my dungeons I can't really help you out.:/

[Zoso]

Head over to https://forum.cartographersguild.com/ for some tutorials. There's tutorials for PS there as well as many for GIMP that can be applied to PS as well.

For my dungeon mapping in PS, I use layers with layer masks for everything. That way the map is completely non-destructive and can be modified with ease. If you are unfamiliar with layer masks, there's lots of good examples at the cartographers guild on how they work and how to use them. Here's an example of a PS map I've done using the technique I just mentioned at 1/3 the size I use in my game.

[dcook22]

Hey Zoso,

Great reply, thanks. I'll head to the forums at CG again. The only problem I've found over there, though, is that pretty much all the PS stuff is for overland/continent maps. I couldn't find anything on making a great map like yours. I have a very rudimentary understanding of masks and layers. I know I need to learn that stuff, and I'll put in the time on that.

My problem is I kind of need the basics down. Just a simple: OK, make a rectangle, connect it with a longer rectangle (corridor) to a square. How do I get the grid on the floor? Where do I get items that look like doors or pits or statues or tables and chairs? Where are those graphics to be found? Where do I find the different textures for a stone floor or a wood floor? Is that in PS, or do I need to import it or create it?

That stuff. The basics to get me started. Then I'll go till I get stuck and ask more questions. That's the kind of introductory dungeon/cavern tutorial I need.

Thanks.

Dan

[Zeus]

Hey Zoso,

Great reply, thanks. I'll head to the forums at CG again. The only problem I've found over there, though, is that pretty much all the PS stuff is for overland/continent maps. I couldn't find anything on making a great map like yours. I have a very rudimentary understanding of masks and layers. I know I need to learn that stuff, and I'll put in the time on that.

My problem is I kind of need the basics down. Just a simple: OK, make a rectangle, connect it with a longer rectangle (corridor) to a square. How do I get the grid on the floor? Where do I get items that look like doors or pits or statues or tables and chairs? Where are those graphics to be found? Where do I find the different textures for a stone floor or a wood floor? Is that in PS, or do I need to import it or create it?

That stuff. The basics to get me started. Then I'll go till I get stuck and ask more questions. That's the kind of introductory dungeon/cavern tutorial I need.

Thanks.

Dan

OK a quick example of layer masks in Photoshop for a dungeon map.

Start with the lowest level layers for your map. For a Dungeon map I would suggest the Grid and/or Water as the lowest layer.

In Photoshop, create a new image (size 100pixels x 100 pixels RGB).
Using the approach I covered in my post in your other thread, make a pattern for the grid (10x10) and save it.

1. Create a new image (1000x1000) RGB mode
2. Create a new Pattern Layer by clicking on the Fill Adjustment Layer button (lower right at the bottom of the Layers Tab, looks like a circle, half black/half white) and selecting Pattern from the menu. - see screenshot 1 and 2
3. Select the pattern you created earlier and set the scale at 10%. You should end up with a grid spanning the entire image. see screenshot 3
4. Create Solid Colour layer by clicking on the Fill Adjustment Layer button and selecting Solid Colour from the menu. This layer will become one of our solid wall layers but for now we will use it to simply mask the areas of the map that we want the grid hidden from. Choose a colour, in my example I use red. see screenshot 4. Notice the new layer much like the first in the layers tab contains two boxes the first Red box defines our colour and the second white box defines a default layer mask set to White.
5. Click on the layer mask box of the Colour layer (activating it) and then select the Paint Bucket tool (on the left button strip) and fill the mask with a solid black color. see screenshot 5.
If all has gone correctly you should now see the Grid again but no Red showing whatsever (its now masked).
6. Now here's how to hide/reveal portions of the image. Making sure you have the layer mask of the colour fill activated, select the Paintbrush tool (Square Brush 100pixels, 100% opacity and 100% flow), select White as the colour and start painting in the walls. see screenshot 6. You can also use shapes like a circle (set to fill) to create quick shaped rooms.

From here its a case of repeating the process with textures, fills and patterns to create the other elements.

Hope this helps as a starter.

[TFWoods3]

Thanks Leonal for the plug. Just to add to zephp's great info:

I first spend about 30 minutes to an hour finding image and photo reference and from those build a basic set of elements (floor tiles, crates, dirt,) Once you have these in place you can easily repeat them everywhere. I use 2 separate layers for the negative space and the wall trim or border.

Once all the basics are in place I then break up the repetitiveness with overlays of blood, color, cracks, water stains, etc.

[dcook22]

Thanks for the reply TF. I'll be bugging you for "monotony-breaking" advice once I get the basics down.

One thing that has dawned on me the past couple of days is how it seems that drawing rooms is really subtracting parts of an image to reveal the grid layer below. (I hope that's a correct realization)

So you all see how completely in the dark I am. But I'm going to teach myself how to do this if it kills me. OK, well not to that extent. But I'm going to teach myself this...until it becomes so frustrating that I cave-in and buy Dundjinni or something like that.

Thanks again to all who are replying, and please continue to do so. it's all helpful.

Dan

[Zeus]

Thats correct when your drawing maps using a multi layered and masking approach.

Its fair to say that some commercial cartography tools like Dundjinni take a line approach to drawing rooms, walls.

With Photoshop you can do both, however as TFWoods correctly points out the intention is to create what we call non-destructive map layers meaning any adjustments (wherever possible) are made to a mask and not the original layer. Thus changes (e.g room layout) can be made very quickly without having to redraw your original layers. Does that make sense?

[dcook22]

as TFWoods correctly points out the intention is to create what we call non-destructive map layers meaning any adjustments (wherever possible) are made to a mask and not the original layer. Thus changes (e.g room layout) can be made very quickly without having to redraw your original layers. Does that make sense?

It does now. I've seen tutorials like that on CG forums. It's like when the artist makes a layer looked like aged paper, then he places the color of that paper on another layer, then the torn edges on a third layer. he can go back and change the color of the paper without having to re-do the "newer" layers. That's cool. I'll be using that.

Thanks for your help.

Dan