Map-Making Q&A

Koronna · Post by **Koronna** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:25 pm

Hey, I've made draft of a periodic Table Map using MS paint. I was wondering if anyoen could suggest a free graphic program that I could possiblely use to make my map? Some program you can download off the internet and is user friendly? thanks a lot guys i'm new to map making and I need your help to make this map come true. Again, any program that you suggest?

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 6:59 pm

Koronna wrote:Hey, I've made draft of a periodic Table Map using MS paint. I was wondering if anyoen could suggest a free graphic program that I could possiblely use to make my map? Some program you can download off the internet and is user friendly? thanks a lot guys i'm new to map making and I need your help to make this map come true. Again, any program that you suggest?

gimp and inkscape are free

fireworks and photoshop each have 30 day trial periods.

i personally recommend fireworks 8 or photoshop cs3.

lt_oddball · Post by **lt_oddball** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 7:06 am

Past days were busy..but now I have more free time at hand , and I want to give another shot into mapmaking.

I need your advice on tackling the following problems:

1) I want to create a new Pattern (grassfield landscape from a photo but coulered a bit) which I must import in a drawing program so that after I have drawn the boundary of an area , I am able to fill it up (you know the tilted paint can) with this self created pattern.

I'd prefer to work with Inkscape (so easy & straightforward) ... but I can't seem to change the standard fill colours...and there are no patterns (like in photoshop).
EDIT: FOUND THE TOOL IN INKSCAPE ITSELF: SOLVED

2) I want to take/select an object from a photo (a bridge). Isolate it and be able to edit it (add colour or lines, turn , twist, stretch it). and then be able to place it in a map (in Inkscape).
The magic Wand of photoshop is erratic as it never gets the precise bridge (with all the pilons).
EDIT: ALSO FOUND OUT ABOUT IT

3) I want to use different Fonts than standard. I have found a website with lovely fonts. How do I import a *.ttf file in Inkscape ?

Ok.. so much for now.

PS I have the ancient photoshop 7...

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:53 am

lt_oddball wrote: 3) I want to use different Fonts than standard. I have found a website with lovely fonts. How do I import a *.ttf file in Inkscape ?

just copy the ttf file in c:/windows/fonts

lt_oddball · Post by **lt_oddball** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 8:31 am

DiM wrote:
lt_oddball wrote: 3) I want to use different Fonts than standard. I have found a website with lovely fonts. How do I import a *.ttf file in Inkscape ?

just copy the ttf file in c:/windows/fonts

that's what I thought, but I get this strange windows error message like "font already in use..cannot paste here".
And I have closed the Word application..so I have no idea what is troubling it.
Will try again at new PC start up.

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:05 am

lt_oddball wrote:
DiM wrote:
lt_oddball wrote: 3) I want to use different Fonts than standard. I have found a website with lovely fonts. How do I import a *.ttf file in Inkscape ?

just copy the ttf file in c:/windows/fonts
that's what I thought, but I get this strange windows error message like "font already in use..cannot paste here".
And I have closed the Word application..so I have no idea what is troubling it.
Will try again at new PC start up.

strange. try closing any open applications and then copy it.
or better yet. close all applications restart then copy to avoid the font remaining hanged on an app.

Koronna · Post by **Koronna** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 4:27 pm

hey, I'm right now using a combination of GIMP and Inkscape for my map, bascially INkscape for the text and GIMP for graphics. However, I find a problem with converting files smoothly from one to the other. I use Inkscape for text only for it's capbility to allow me to edit the fonts, colours, and sizes of the text, and yet that only works for INkscape's .svg files I think. I'll need to do some editing on GIMP with my map soon (which is currently in Inkscape) and I'm afraid that once I export the file I can't go back to edit the text in Inkscape later. How can I solve this problem? And how do you other map makers edit your text without having to rewrite them?

Koronna · Post by **Koronna** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 4:29 pm

hey, I'm right now using a combination of GIMP and Inkscape for my map, bascially INkscape for the text and GIMP for graphics. However, I find a problem with converting files smoothly from one to the other. I use Inkscape for text only for it's capbility to allow me to edit the fonts, colours, and sizes of the text, and yet that only works for INkscape's .svg files I think. I'll need to do some editing on GIMP with my map soon (which is currently in Inkscape) and I'm afraid that once I export the file I can't go back to edit the text in Inkscape later. How can I solve this problem? And how do you other map makers edit your text without having to rewrite them?

gimil · Post by **gimil** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 10:30 pm

save the file as a layered document, or a large file document i think its also called. This keeps the layer setting but without the need to open it wih only one graphic software

P.S. this should be moved to maps TTT

reverend_kyle · Post by **reverend_kyle** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 10:32 pm

Get adobe creative suite, it has illustrator and photoshop. and photoshop is keen on doing everything you need for maps.

lt_oddball · Post by **lt_oddball** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 9:10 am

DiM wrote:
lt_oddball wrote:
DiM wrote:
lt_oddball wrote: 3) I want to use different Fonts than standard. I have found a website with lovely fonts. How do I import a *.ttf file in Inkscape ?

just copy the ttf file in c:/windows/fonts
that's what I thought, but I get this strange windows error message like "font already in use..cannot paste here".
And I have closed the Word application..so I have no idea what is troubling it.
Will try again at new PC start up.
strange. try closing any open applications and then copy it.
or better yet. close all applications restart then copy to avoid the font remaining hanged on an app.

I did a different thing: immediately unzip the zipped font into target c:/windows/fonts.
That placed the fantasy.ttf there, but still upon opening Inkscape I can't find /select it from the inkscape fonts selector.
As a matter of fact, there are much more fonts in windows/fonts than in the Inkscape collection. So I guess Inkscape is not picking them from there.
Or maybe it does but only for a prespecified selected few... so I need to break that open, i guess.

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 9:16 am

do something else. open the fonts folder and inkscape.

now drag and drop the font file from the folder to inkscape. that should do the trick. it works in photoshop

lt_oddball · Post by **lt_oddball** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 4:24 pm

DiM wrote:do something else. open the fonts folder and inkscape.

now drag and drop the font file from the folder to inkscape. that should do the trick. it works in photoshop

YESS! that did the trick!
Thanx.

By the way, I noticed that this fantasy font is labelled as a True Type Font icon "TT" whereas many standard others in windows/fonts are "open type font" with icon "O".
Maybe that explains the difference of being automatically noticed or not ?

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 4:29 pm

lt_oddball wrote:
DiM wrote:do something else. open the fonts folder and inkscape.

now drag and drop the font file from the folder to inkscape. that should do the trick. it works in photoshop
YESS! that did the trick!
Thanx.

By the way, I noticed that this fantasy font is labelled as a True Type Font icon "TT" whereas many standard others in windows/fonts are "open type font" with icon "O".
Maybe that explains the difference of being automatically noticed or not ?

you're welcome. and yes that could be it.

Koronna · Post by **Koronna** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 5:59 pm

gimil wrote:save the file as a layered document, or a large file document i think its also called. This keeps the layer setting but without the need to open it wih only one graphic software

P.S. this should be moved to maps TTT

hm...what would be the suffix for the large file or layer document?

gimil · Post by **gimil** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 6:41 pm

filename.PSB

Koronna · Post by **Koronna** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 6:51 pm

gimil wrote:filename.PSB

doesn't seem to work on Inkscape. Either saves it as filename.PSB.svg or cannot save file...and the file name extension list doesn't include layer or large file...

gimil · Post by **gimil** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 7:20 pm

Koronna wrote:
gimil wrote:filename.PSB
doesn't seem to work on Inkscape. Either saves it as filename.PSB.svg or cannot save file...and the file name extension list doesn't include layer or large file...

for photoshop its called a large document format

Koronna · Post by **Koronna** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 8:51 pm

gimil wrote:
Koronna wrote:
gimil wrote:filename.PSB
doesn't seem to work on Inkscape. Either saves it as filename.PSB.svg or cannot save file...and the file name extension list doesn't include layer or large file...
for photoshop its called a large document format

alright...anyone have any idea how is it done one Inkscape?

Wisse · Post by **Wisse** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:24 am

sorry if sayed before, but open it in photoshop and then press save as

FirefoxRocks · Post by **FirefoxRocks** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:16 pm

Sorry if this isn't the correct subforum to post this in

On the US Senate map, any idea how to make the area of Democrats/Republicans where there is a semi-circle of sub-divided sections? I have a map drawn on paper that has something similar, but instead it is an entire circle and sections are divided evenly.

I tried using the GIMP to draw circles, but GIMP doesn't even have a shape-drawing tool. I do not have Adobe Photoshop, although my school has Photoshop and I could ask if I could use it for "extra-curricular" projects.

I downloaded Inkscape but I have to spend some time learning that.

Is there a premade image of circles placed inside of circles (not a spiral). It would make the job a whole lot easier. Even if I can make a circle, I need circles inside of circles inside of circles (a total of 5 or 6 circles).

Can anyone tell me how to get started on this?

insomniacdude · Post by **insomniacdude** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:47 pm

Honestly, I have no idea. I just wanted to say that I highly approve of your screen name. It rocks power hard.

Elijah S · Post by **Elijah S** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 11:09 pm

Photoshop offers a free version online... try using the pen tool.

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 3:44 am

FirefoxRocks wrote:Sorry if this isn't the correct subforum to post this in

On the US Senate map, any idea how to make the area of Democrats/Republicans where there is a semi-circle of sub-divided sections? I have a map drawn on paper that has something similar, but instead it is an entire circle and sections are divided evenly.

I tried using the GIMP to draw circles, but GIMP doesn't even have a shape-drawing tool. I do not have Adobe Photoshop, although my school has Photoshop and I could ask if I could use it for "extra-curricular" projects.

I downloaded Inkscape but I have to spend some time learning that.

Is there a premade image of circles placed inside of circles (not a spiral). It would make the job a whole lot easier. Even if I can make a circle, I need circles inside of circles inside of circles (a total of 5 or 6 circles).

Can anyone tell me how to get started on this?

Use the ellipse select tool, and press Shift while clicking and dragging the mouse. Pressing Shift constrains the selection to be circular. Once you've selected a circular area, you can either stroke the selection with the current brush (Under "Edit->Stroke"), change the selection to a path, or fill the selection. It all depends on what you want to do with the circle.

also check the first post in this thread. you'll find there the help files for GIMP. download them and read.

FirefoxRocks · Post by **FirefoxRocks** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 8:01 am

Yes, that would be extremely helpful if I knew how to get the selection to be selected after I release the mouse button.

I already tried using that, but it won't stay selected.

Map-Making Q&A

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