Folks, like many of you I am about to take the next step and go online. I don't know if my group will go with Roll20, Fantasy Grounds or another TT simulator, but thanks to a recommendation on D&D Beyond I have discovered Inkarnate to draw my campaign maps. I have figured out how to draw towns, provinces and even continents with the program since Saturday. It cost me $25 for a year, which I don't mind spending to support folks doing good work to make this a better hobby.
But I don't think I'm going to be able to draw building floor plans or dungeons with that program. So I am looking for recommendations for a program to draw building interiors. I am very familiar with CADD software and I have used MicroStation earlier in my career. I've even played around in Autocad over a decade ago.
Aside from that, it appears I may need to find a program to draw PCs and NPCs from above to facilitate the TT programs.
I don't mind spending a little money on quality, particularly when it goes to help folks that are doing something for the hobby. So please let me know what you find to be the most useful, and user friendly program for drawing dungeons and buildings. Thanks.
Since you’ve got CAD experience I’d suggest Campaign Cartographer from ProFantasy. Currently on offer because of the global situation (everyone is stuck at home, why not draw some maps?), but if you want buildings and/or dungeons then the ‘bestseller’ pack of CC3+ and the two primary expansions of Dungeon Designer and City Designer ought to be what you’re looking for.
Tough learning curve to begin with, but there’s a money back offer if you can’t get on with it, and the forum, FB group, and official tech support are very responsive and helpful for when you get stuck, often finding you a solution during the off hours of a weekend evening - practically unheard for for what’s essentially a very small team.
I’ve limited experience, mostly through lack of free time to dive into it fully, but I’ve been a customer for many years. If you do decide to give it a plunge there are loads of additional styles, content, and tutorials for using them compiled into annuals, and there are traditionally good offers on all the conten5 if you check the right places (newsletter, groups, etc).
Hi, I use Inkarnate also and you can draw dungeons (very well) and floor plans (with some work) with that. If you check their reddit page: https://www.reddit.com/r/inkarnate/ and search dungeon (show results from inkarnate) you can see some examples that should help you to figure out how to do it. Here's a few:
Those are some interesting methods of extending the capability of Inkarnate to draw dungeon maps. I'll have to play around with that a bit.
The main problem is the program is pretty near constrained to drawing maps from an isometric perspective. It isn't easy to draw other things, but if you play with it you can make it do things it isn't optimized to do.
But when it comes to drawing maps as an isometric projection it is the bomb, particularly at that price.
The top down dungeon using the grid and a black background, was an obvious trick that I didn't even consider. All you need is a black page and then you just use the patterns to wipe away the black wherever you want cave paths or caverns. I'll need to try that out to see if I can use that method of drawing the floors of my tower as I want to depict them. If I figure it out, I'll have to start a thread and show others what this neat program can do.
If anyone has other suggestions, keep 'em coming!
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Yeah, I enjoy it a lot. I find it especially useful for scene maps. I posted this one in the arts and crafts section here lest week. The burning port scene.
You should redraw that town without the fire and have the players visit it before and after. Then I believe the picture and the story would have a bigger impact. I can see how that drawing was made using Inkarnate. I'll have to post some of my maps as I get better.
Good luck and enjoy the game.
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Another free solution is MapForge. It's not finished being built and the paint/draw isn't functional yet but I've been watching them for a while and it has promise. It's a top down tile builder with a good number of free asset sets. It's still a little clunky but definitely worth a look for the price :)
I use Wonderdraft for my larger world maps, which is similar to Inkaranate. It's a one time purchase and download, $29 I think? The group that made it also just released another program called Dungeondraft for ~$19, and while I haven't gotten to try it yet myself, it looks like a really solid option for combat grids, floorplans, and town and village maps :)
Folks, like many of you I am about to take the next step and go online. I don't know if my group will go with Roll20, Fantasy Grounds or another TT simulator, but thanks to a recommendation on D&D Beyond I have discovered Inkarnate to draw my campaign maps. I have figured out how to draw towns, provinces and even continents with the program since Saturday. It cost me $25 for a year, which I don't mind spending to support folks doing good work to make this a better hobby.
But I don't think I'm going to be able to draw building floor plans or dungeons with that program. So I am looking for recommendations for a program to draw building interiors. I am very familiar with CADD software and I have used MicroStation earlier in my career. I've even played around in Autocad over a decade ago.
Aside from that, it appears I may need to find a program to draw PCs and NPCs from above to facilitate the TT programs.
I don't mind spending a little money on quality, particularly when it goes to help folks that are doing something for the hobby. So please let me know what you find to be the most useful, and user friendly program for drawing dungeons and buildings. Thanks.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
A lot of YouTube channels seem to have been pushing Dungeon Fog lately.
Since you’ve got CAD experience I’d suggest Campaign Cartographer from ProFantasy. Currently on offer because of the global situation (everyone is stuck at home, why not draw some maps?), but if you want buildings and/or dungeons then the ‘bestseller’ pack of CC3+ and the two primary expansions of Dungeon Designer and City Designer ought to be what you’re looking for.
Tough learning curve to begin with, but there’s a money back offer if you can’t get on with it, and the forum, FB group, and official tech support are very responsive and helpful for when you get stuck, often finding you a solution during the off hours of a weekend evening - practically unheard for for what’s essentially a very small team.
I’ve limited experience, mostly through lack of free time to dive into it fully, but I’ve been a customer for many years. If you do decide to give it a plunge there are loads of additional styles, content, and tutorials for using them compiled into annuals, and there are traditionally good offers on all the conten5 if you check the right places (newsletter, groups, etc).
Hope that’s of some use to you!
Hi, I use Inkarnate also and you can draw dungeons (very well) and floor plans (with some work) with that. If you check their reddit page: https://www.reddit.com/r/inkarnate/ and search dungeon (show results from inkarnate) you can see some examples that should help you to figure out how to do it. Here's a few:
https://www.reddit.com/r/inkarnate/comments/f3s3nk/an_isometric_dungeon_map_played_with_stamps_to/
https://www.reddit.com/r/inkarnate/comments/fnyf1k/first_time_building_a_dungeon_inkarnate_plus/
https://www.reddit.com/r/inkarnate/comments/fbvpvf/protagonists_lair_first_undergrounddungeon_feel/
That's what happens when you wear a helmet your whole life!
My house rules
Those are some interesting methods of extending the capability of Inkarnate to draw dungeon maps. I'll have to play around with that a bit.
The main problem is the program is pretty near constrained to drawing maps from an isometric perspective. It isn't easy to draw other things, but if you play with it you can make it do things it isn't optimized to do.
But when it comes to drawing maps as an isometric projection it is the bomb, particularly at that price.
The top down dungeon using the grid and a black background, was an obvious trick that I didn't even consider. All you need is a black page and then you just use the patterns to wipe away the black wherever you want cave paths or caverns. I'll need to try that out to see if I can use that method of drawing the floors of my tower as I want to depict them. If I figure it out, I'll have to start a thread and show others what this neat program can do.
If anyone has other suggestions, keep 'em coming!
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Yeah, I enjoy it a lot. I find it especially useful for scene maps. I posted this one in the arts and crafts section here lest week. The burning port scene.
That's what happens when you wear a helmet your whole life!
My house rules
BTI_Brian,
You should redraw that town without the fire and have the players visit it before and after. Then I believe the picture and the story would have a bigger impact. I can see how that drawing was made using Inkarnate. I'll have to post some of my maps as I get better.
Good luck and enjoy the game.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Another free solution is MapForge. It's not finished being built and the paint/draw isn't functional yet but I've been watching them for a while and it has promise. It's a top down tile builder with a good number of free asset sets. It's still a little clunky but definitely worth a look for the price :)
That's what happens when you wear a helmet your whole life!
My house rules
I use Wonderdraft for my larger world maps, which is similar to Inkaranate. It's a one time purchase and download, $29 I think? The group that made it also just released another program called Dungeondraft for ~$19, and while I haven't gotten to try it yet myself, it looks like a really solid option for combat grids, floorplans, and town and village maps :)
I've been checking out some things and I'm going to have a good look at Dungeon Fog.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt