We are very happy to announce that Symbol Set 4 – Dungeons of Schley is now also available for CC3+. Mike’s gorgeous collection of dungeon, floorplan and outdoor symbols can be used with or without Dungeon Designer 3 and allows you to create wonderful maps, like the one shown here (created by community member Damon di Denti).

If you already own SS4, go to your registration page and click the download button for Symbol Set 4. Download and run the “Setup for CC3+” to install SS4 in CC3+. If you don’t own SS4 yet, you can buy it here.

Time flies and for a moment it seemed like yesterday that I posted the last collection of user maps from the forum. But then I look at all the beautiful new maps and think “No way they managed to do that overnight. It’s hard enough to believe these all appeared within a month.” Let’s take a look!

SteveTravis continues his awesome series of maps for the German rpg “Das Schwarze Auge”. Here are the town of Andergast, the map for an overland journey and a villain hideout.


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by Steve Townshend

I began using Profantasy software around 1999 when Campaign Mapper, a basic version of Campaign Cartographer, came bundled with TSR’s AD&D Core Rules 2.0 CD. That program sparked my passion for the software and I purchased virtually every release over the next decade. In 2009, changing technology and changing lifestyle changed my hardware needs, and when my last (very big) desktop PC broke down I replaced it with a (very small) Macbook Pro. While that machine was the right choice for me, I could at first only run Campaign Cartographer via a slow, quirky virtual machine, and with sadness I gave up CC3 almost entirely. Until now.

If you’re a Mac user interested in running the best fantasy mapping software in the industry, you’re in luck. The newer, faster CC3+ can now be installed and run without Windows, and aside from a few minor quirks its performance on the Mac is better than ever.

This tutorial focuses on how to install CC3+ on a Mac using the Crossover application created by Codeweavers. We’ll begin by examining a few of the other common options in brief. This installation was done on a late 2013 Macbook Pro running OS X Yosemite.

Boot Camp and Virtual Machines

In the past, a few options have existed for running CC3 on a Mac. Some users preferred to use Apple’s Boot Camp to set up their Macs with a Windows partition so that they could choose whether to load Windows or Mac OS.

Others used virtualization software like Parallels or Fusion, programs that allowed the user to load Windows on a virtual machine without the necessity of logging out of Mac OS and into Windows.

Those options may remain good choices for users that regularly work with multiple Windows applications. However, if you’re not using many Windows-specific programs on your Mac this may not be your ideal solution, as you’ll devote a large chunk of disk space for a Windows installation that you’ll rarely use. On the occasions you do use it, you’ll need to wait through the installation of multiple updates that you missed since the last time you loaded Windows. These Windows updates can take a long time to download and install. In addition, you’d have to purchase a Windows license as well as the Parallels or Fusion product.

An application called Wine circumvents Boot Camp and virtual machines altogether, placing Campaign Cartographer front and center on your machine so that it works similar to any other Mac application.

Wine

Wine is a “compatibility layer” that allows Windows applications to run in other operating systems like Mac OS without installing Windows.

Wine is open source software and free to use, and it can capably run Campaign Cartographer. Various individuals and companies have adapted their own versions of Wine, including supported, purchasable products like Crossover, which we will use to install CC3+.

If you own Campaign Cartographer and haven’t upgraded to CC3+, or you don’t wish to purchase Crossover, then the free Wineskin Winery is another option. On the Profantasy Forums my friend Ryan Sturt provides a solid walkthrough on how to install CC3 using Wine.

*Drawbacks and Limitations: Installing Campaign Cartographer through Wineskin Winery can be tricky and may necessitate a little trial and error. As usual, it’s a good idea to back up your computer using Time Machine before installing new software. In addition, running CC3 in a maximized window sometimes yields sluggish performance.

Crossover

For a smoother installation and simple interface there’s Crossover, a supported version of Wine, by Codeweavers. Use Crossover if you want the easiest and fastest Mac interface for CC3+ and you don’t mind purchasing some software in order to run it.

Crossover uses separate “bottles” to store programs. Each bottle is its own virtual Windows environment with c drive, folders, and registry, but without the Windows files that typically fill those folders.

Crossover offers a 2-week free trial with which you can install and run CC3+ on your Mac and decide whether this option will work for you. If you decide to eventually purchase the software, be sure to click the More Options button on the product page in order to see the least expensive ($40) purchasing option that includes 1 month of software support. Since Crossover doesn’t officially support Profantasy Software, paying for additional months of Crossover is not likely to be worthwhile. At your option, you can sign up for the Codeweavers mailing list; they occasionally offer promotional codes for Crossover discounts.

*Drawbacks and Limitations: While Crossover will easily install CC3+ (as well as CC2 and Fractal Terrains), it does not appear to be able to install the old CC3.

Installing CC3+ on a Mac Using Crossover

Follow these steps to install Crossover and CC3+ onto your Mac running OS X.

1. Download CC3+ onto your Mac. You can access your registered software on Profantasy’s site after you log in and click Your Registered Products. Select the Downloads & Updates tab and then download your software. You won’t install it yet, however.
2. Now download and install the free trial of Crossover.
3. Launch Crossover from the Launchpad or from your Applications folder.
4. After you open Crossover, select the Install a Windows Application button.

Alternatively you can select the Bottle menu item at the top of the screen and select New Bottle (I usually select a Windows XP bottle) or click the + sign at the bottom left side of your Crossover window and select the same option. You can name your bottle CC3+, or Campaign Cartographer, or whatever you choose. That process is a little more straightforward, but the Install a Windows Application button is more evident onscreen.

5. If you used the Install a Windows Application button Crossover will prompt you to install the application. Campaign Cartographer isn’t listed on the menu of supported applications so scroll to the bottom of the menu to Unsupported Applications > Community Supported Applications > Other Application. Then click Proceed.

6. On the next screen select Choose Installer File and navigate to the place where your Campaign Cartographer download “CC3PlusSetup.exe” is stored on your machine (by default it will be in your Downloads folder) and select the setup file.

7. Before you go farther, select the Edit button beside the next menu, “Will install into a new Windows XP bottle Campaign Cartographer 3.” This will allow you to name the program. I call it “Campaign Cartographer 3.” If you don’t name it prior to the installation, your CC3+ program will appear as its file name instead (i.e. “CC3PlusSetup”). You can select any Windows bottle you like, not just Windows XP.
If you do forget to name your program, you can rename it later.

8. If you’ve ever installed a Profantasy product, the screens that follow will look familiar. Simply follow the prompts, enter your serial number (found on Profantasy’s Registered Products page), and unless you have good reason to do so, use the default directories that the installer chooses for you.

9. Once you’ve finished the installation, the Profantasy installer will typically ask if you want to launch the program. It’s usually best to UNCHECK that box. This will let Crossover finish its work (you’ll see Crossover’s progress bars reach the end).

10. Click the CC3+ icon in your Crossover menu. Time to start making maps!

* Known Issues: Right now, text doesn’t always work quite right on any version of Wine. It’s likely that you’ll need to fix text on your old maps and experiment with text spacing when making new maps.
CC3+ usually works better in a window rather than as its own desktop. For instance, if you click the green maximize circle and allow CC3+ to be its own separate desktop window, you may experience slower performance. If you instead drag the corners of the CC3+ window so that it occupies the majority of the screen, you’ll have approximately the same workspace but without the performance issues.

Installing Add-ons

Installing add-ons like Dungeon Designer and City Designer into your CC3+ program is simple once you know where to start.

– As usual, begin by downloading your software from the Profantasy site.
– Open Crossover and select the bottle where you have Campaign Cartographer Plus installed. Select the Run Command icon (or select it from the menu under Bottle > Run Command). Then, Browse for the file you’ve downloaded and open it.
– The Profantasy installer will begin. Follow the prompts to enter your serial numbers and complete the installation.

Not all of Campaign Cartographer’s add-ons are currently available for CC3+ but as the Annuals and other add-ons are updated you can continue to follow this process to add them via Run Command in your Campaign Cartographer Plus bottle.

Tips and Tricks

Locating CC3+ Files in Crossover

Finding the CC3+ files in your Finder can be tricky, and at first finding your designs can be frustrating if you don’t know where to look.

To find your files in Crossover:
– Open Finder and go to the View menu at the top of your screen. Select the Show View Options menu item. Make sure to check the Show Library Folder check box.
– Under your user folder, select Library > Application Support > Crossover > Bottles > CC3Plus > drive c > users > Public > Application Data > Profantasy > CC3Plus. Notice the files appear in that folder.

Moving the CC3Plus Folder for Easy Access

– After you’ve located your CC3Plus folder I suggest dragging it into your Favorites menu on the left side of the Finder. That way the CC3Plus folder will always be accessible with a single click.

I also keep a My Designs folder under Documents. I save my maps to this folder rather than the CC3Plus folder within Crossover, just so I have easier access to my maps—especially the ones I save as JPG or PNG files and wish to share or upload.

In the Dock

You can add CC3+ to your dock like other Mac applications by simply dragging its icon down into the dock.

Renaming the Program

If you install Campaign Cartographer and forget to rename it, you can fix this by selecting the gear icon at the bottom of the Crossover screen and clicking the Rename menu option. You’ll notice that your program icons suddenly vanish. To restore them, select the Configure menu option at the top of your screen and select Clear and Rebuild Programs and choose the option to rebuild them. The icons should reappear in your menu.

Thanks

Special thanks to Ryan Sturt, Rob Heath, and Ralf Schemmann—the true pioneers—for advice, education, and input on how to successfully run Campaign Cartographer on the Mac.

Bio
Steve Townshend is a freelance writer who has worked for several game companies including Wizards of the Coast, Paizo, Pelgrane, and Sasquatch. Recent design work includes Dungeons & Dragons 5e (Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide), and Princes of the Apocalypse for Sasquatch Studios. Here are a few of my maps.

I’m usually quite impressed with myself whenever I finish making a map in the program.

Matt Carlson gives a short review of CC3+ (together with other software resources for RPGs) on GamerDad.

The May Annual issue goes back to the roots of fantasy mapping both in terms of CC3 and the maps we’ll create. Many of us fantasy mappers have originally been inspired by the maps we found in fantasy novels, from the Lord of the Rings to the Wheel of Time, A Song of Ice and Fire and so many others.

The Classic Fantasy style gives you the opportunity to draw maps those yourself, on a beautiful parchment background, so they will also make great handouts for your players. As always you can download the style from your registration page.

If you haven’t subscribed to the Annual 2015 yet, you can do so here.

We’ve good news for the owners of CC3+ and City Designer, our most comprehensive add-on (CD3) is now available for CC3+ users.

News

• CC3+ Update: The compatibility update for City Designer 3 is here!
• The next Annual issue is available: April.

Resources

• User maps of March
• Multipolys by Joachim de Ravenbel

Articles

• Simon celebrates the release of City Designer for CC3+ with a collection of support material for CD3.
• The second part of the CC3+ user tutorial by R A Jacob.

City Designer 3 now works with CC3+. It has shiney new icons, and you can make use of the lighting speed and new effects of CC3+ to create your city maps.

So, if you own CC3+ and City Designer 3, head over to your registration page and download the free compatibilty update – CD3 Setup for CC3+. You’ll find the link among the City Designer 3 files on the Downloads & Updates tab.

It took a few weeks to create this update, because we had to polish up the House and Street tools, as their code wasn’t working properly with the updated CC3+ programming. The House is some of the earliest we wrote – it goes all the back to the tools we used to create the Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas.

The good news is that most of the upcoming compatibility updates don’t need much additional programming. Updating their templates, symbols and drawing tools will be a more straightforward process. Next up is Character Artist 3.

If you are a subscriber to the current Cartographer’s Annual, the April issue (Black and White Towns), which makes use of the City Designer tools, is now also available for CC3+.

Have you ever wondered how to create a cut-out in a CC3 polygon (a hole that allows you to see the entities underneath)? Ever struggled with using that most arcane type of entities: Multipolies?

Wonder and struggle no longer, Master Mapper Joachim de Ravenbel has written a new tutorial on the topic, which will teach you anything you need to know. On 15 pages he shows you the basics about the Multipoly entity, as well as full bag of tricks to make the most use of them. Thanks, for another great resource!

It’s time for another look at last month’s maps on the community forum. Let’s see what the CC3 users have come up!

Look at these beautiful floorplans created with Symbol Set 4 (Mike Schley Dungeons) by SlaveOne. Check out the forum thread for even more of them. I’m especially in love with the “Lucky Hobitz Futs” tavern.

Suntzu is using CC3+ to draw maps of Harn, look at his beautiful versions of the whole of Harn and the Melderyn isle.


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The Annual’s April issue is here on time (and totally without a prank), with another beautiful black and white drawing style by Pär Lindström. This time he gives us the tools and artwork to draw town and village maps in a beautiful, but still easy style. As always you can download the “Black and White Towns” style from your registration page.

If you haven’t subscribed to the Annual 2015 yet, you can do so here.