There are many things that sets CC3+ apart from other graphics and mapping programs. One of these differences is the size of the mapping area. In most programs, when you start a new file, you specify a size, and you get a canvas exactly that size. If you try putting something halfway outside the edge, like a symbol or equivalent, the spillover is simply lost. In CC3+ however, this is completely different.
CC3+ doesn’t operate with a fixed sized canvas, for most practical considerations it is infinite. There’s nothing preventing you from placing a symbol entirely outside the map area if you so wish, simply because your map only occupies a small spot on that almost infinite canvas. But if the drawing area is of infinite space, how do we determine the actual size of the map? And why do our drawing tools seem to only draw within the map area?
To understand this, we need to look at the map border. When we talk about map borders in CC3+, there are actually two different things we may be talking about. We might be talking about that nice decorative frame around your map. This is known as the decorative map border, and it is just that, decorative. Some map styles have a very elaborate decorative map border, while others have a much more spartan one, sometimes even just a simple line. It doesn’t have any functionality, it is just there to give your map a visual frame. Then we have the technical map border. This is what actually defines your map’s size on the canvas, and all tools that have a restrict to map border option, like drawing tools and bitmap exports work with this one. Usually, it will overlap in location with the decorative map border, but it is the technical map border that provides the functionality.
The February issue of the Cartographer’s Annual 2023 is available, providing a new parchment-look overland style.
Resources
The latest free monthly symbols by Mike Schley add glaciers, frozen lakes, caves and icy fortresses to your overland maps.
Watch or re-watch the recent live mapping videos from our playlist on YouTube.
Check out the community’s Maps of the Month for January, providing more ideas and inspiration for your own mapping projects.
Articles
Remy teaches us how to create a variety of shortcut keys within Campaign Cartographer 3 Plus.
Christina showcases the October issue of the Cartographer’s Annual 2016 with the “Horror House” style by Pär Lindström in her latest iteration of the All the Annuals series.
Reminders
CC3+’s current version is 3.98. Check in Help > About and if your version is older, run Update 28 for CC3+ available from your registration page.
Fractal Terrains 3+ has been released and is available from among your FT3 downloads on your registration page.
This black and white style is perfect for your spooky season one-shot this year! Planning a Cthulhu themed game? This style easily puts together a quick, clean, modern floorplan for your gaming needs. As per my usual, I did a search for an olde tyme floor plan from days of yore on the internet and dropped a png image onto my map for me to easily trace. After tracing the basic plan, I deleted my pic and just filled in the rooms with some of Pär’s assets, such as the broken furniture for any murder mystery you might be planning for your gaming party!
About the author: Lorelei was my very first D&D character I created more years back than i’d like to remember. When I decided to venture into creating maps for my and others rpgs, I thought I owed it to her to name myself Lorelei Cartography, since it was her that led me to the wonderful world of tabletop gaming in the first place. Since then I have been honored to have worked with companies such as WizKids, Pelgrane Press, and ProFantasy.
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And here we go with our first set of Maps of the Month for 2024 (January). Let’s see what beauties the community shared!
Lorelei (Christina Trani) created a whole set of maps for Tegel Manor and environs, another amazing recreation of that classic adventure location. Continue reading »
Where it was all lava, fire and heat last month, we get all cold and icy this February with the next set of free symbols by the magnificent Mike Schley! 20 more symbols show various glaces, lakes and caverns as well as a splendid tower of ice.
To download the free content go to your registration page and on the Downloads tab, click the download button for Campaign Cartographer 3 Plus. Mike’s new symbols are the last link in the list. All the content of the current year (only January 2024 so far) is included in the one download.
You can always check the available monthly content on our dedicated page.
Do you have a favorite command in Campaign Cartographer that you use often? One that you wished hat a convenient keyboard shortcut to launch easily?
CC3+ may not have an easy-to use shortcut editor built in, but it still allow you to define shortcut keys for any command you want. All that is required is that the command is defined in the CC3+ menu, but even if it isn’t already defined there, it is easy enough to add it yourself. So if you’re like me and use the List command a lot, why not make it easy to access by adding Ctrl+L as a shortcut key for it?
Hello mappers! Another month, another annual. This monthly installment of the 2016 Annual is Alyssa Faden’s City Streets. This annual is perfect for mapping a section of a city in your world, for some zoomed in, regional maps your players can use in planning their way through city streets and shops.
For this map, I decided to map out a small district in a large town in my homebrew world. In this area, there are shops galore for my players to enjoy – know your players – mine love a shopping session. I just love the color scheme this annual affords. It’s bright, vibrant and by adding a tiny little Multiply 5% in Blend Mode, the map pops perfectly. I also darkened the buildings and the cobblestone background, as I prefer a darker map with more contrast, personally. This map took no time to put together and any mapper, from novice to master can easily put together a quick map for their gaming needs.
About the author: Lorelei was my very first D&D character I created more years back than i’d like to remember. When I decided to venture into creating maps for my and others rpgs, I thought I owed it to her to name myself Lorelei Cartography, since it was her that led me to the wonderful world of tabletop gaming in the first place. Since then I have been honored to have worked with companies such as WizKids, Pelgrane Press, and ProFantasy.
Comments Off on All the Annuals: City Streets (September 2016)
Before we fully commit to the New Year (yes, yes, January is almost over, I know), let’s take a last look back at the wonderful mapping work of 2023, with the maps of the month of December.
Dak has mapped part of Krynn, the world of Dragonlance with the a recreation of this awesome map. This really takes me back, “Dragons of Hope” was one of the first D&D adventures I ever owned! Continue reading »
There are many things that sets CC3+ apart from other graphics and mapping programs. One of these differences is the size of the mapping area. In most programs, when you start a new file, you specify a size, and you get a canvas exactly that size. If you try putting something halfway outside the edge, like a symbol or equivalent, the spillover is simply lost. In CC3+ however, this is completely different.
Do you have a favorite command in Campaign Cartographer that you use often? One that you wished hat a convenient keyboard shortcut to launch easily?
