# Mapmaking Discussion & Philosophy (WIP/Critique) > Software Discussion >  Other World Mapper

## Kyete

Other World Mapper is a new program in development by Three Minds Software, LLC and the Kickstarter for it will be starting soon. It is designed so that detailed maps can be made quickly and easily.

*Map Elements*
All map elements are created on their own separate layer, so they are easy to move and manipulate.

There are 5 drawing tools:
LandsRiversBodies of WaterRegionsRoads
These tools are vector based so that the map elements can be rotated and scaled without losing resolution, and all of them have their own customizable settings and options (pen type, amplitude, line thickness, opacity, color, texture, etc.). Lands, rivers and bodies of water can automatically generate shorelines, and regions can "follow" the outline of any drawn element.

Art for features, such as mountains and castles, can be imported to create a specific look to the map.


Here is an example map created entirely in Other World Mapper (alpha version) in less than 30 minutes.


Here are the links to the official website, Facebook and Kickstarter.
Official Site
Facebook
Kickstarter

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## Chick

It looks in concept a lot like ProFantasy's system.  How does it improve on that?

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## Mark Oliva

Your sample map and your web site plus the following quote from your web site:

_Vector based tools for all map elements so that they can be scaled, rotated and modified without losing resolution._ 

Lead me to conclude - perhaps wrongly - that you plan to introduce a new mapping software product that will generate about the same output as Fractal Mapper 7, Campaign Cartographer 2 and Campaign Cartographer 2 Plus once did ... in other words, a program that generates 20th Century maps in the 21st Century.

If that was my marketing concept, I'd be worried.  If you look around the guild entries here or in current RPG products, I think you might find that the great majority of maps being made today are raster graphics, not vector graphics.

So ... good luck.

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## Kyete

What ProFantasy did is really cool, we wanted to add our approach as another option. Here are some of the points we think we approached differently:

GUI
Modern GUI for easy access to tools and object options. What you see is what you get; select objects to change properties, and see map change real time. Properties and objects are map centric (i.e. selecting a region will bring up properties of a region). All object properties can be modified (nothing is permanent).

Technical
Anti-aliasing for all generated objects (landmasses, regions, etc.).Separate layer and opacity controls for each individual item. This and the anti-aliasing allow for smooth blending of objects in the map.Because each object is kept in a different layer, every object can be selected, moved and modified at any time (landmass, rivers, regions, water bodies, etc).Buffering is also map-centric. For example, a landmass is rasterized once properties for it are set (or an object that interacts with it is added), and won't be rasterized again until it needs to. This allows for map changes to be shown real time.

Auto-generated
Regions can follow natural borders as you draw them (i.e. edge of land, rivers, other regions).Physical regions (terrains) like grasslands, deserts, etc smoothly transition at the edges.Rivers can automatically link and blend with existing rivers, and can link with border of landmasses.Other auto-generated tools.

We are working on a demo video right now with what we have so far for alpha. We are also working to include this information in our website and sample pictures.

Thank you for the feedback!! It will help us improve the wording on our website. 

Our intent is to say that the shape outlines are stored as vector objects, yet rasterized on the screen (and for printing) real time. That's to say, if you decide to change the size of an object, you can do so without pixelation by modifying the underlying vector object. For instance, after changing the size of a landmass, it will be rasterized again at the new size, applying all effects stacked on the object (transparency, anti-aliasing of borders, smooth edges, shadows, etc). Rasterizing is seamless and happens real-time as the object properties' are modified.

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## Kyete

Thank you for the feedback!! It will help us improve the wording on our website. 

Our intent is to say that the shape outlines are stored as vector objects, yet rasterized on the screen (and for printing) real time. That's to say, if you decide to change the size of an object, you can do so without pixelation by modifying the underlying vector object. For instance, after changing the size of a landmass, it will be rasterized again at the new size, applying all effects stacked on the object (transparency, anti-aliasing of borders, smooth edges, shadows, etc). Rasterizing is seamless and happens real-time as the object properties' are modified.

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## Kyete

The kickstarter is now up! Here's the link; Other World Mapper Kickstarter .

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## Johnny Au

Looks very interesting.

One day, it would be a viable competitor to Campaign Cartographer, because your software (even in alpha) looks much better than CC3.

I am curious to know if there will be a Mac version of Other World Mapper.

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## Kyete

Thanks!

The first release of Other World Mapper will only have native Windows support. A Mac release is something we have considered for the future, but we cannot promise anything yet.

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## Johnny Au

> Thanks!
> 
> The first release of Other World Mapper will only have native Windows support. A Mac release is something we have considered for the future, but we cannot promise anything yet.


That is what stretch goals are for.

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## Kyete

Thank you for taking the time to look at our project. We're just past 30% of our funding goal!
The first two stretch goals have been revealed. We really hope to get to the awesome stuff in these.

*First Stretch Goal: $10000*
Option for labels to auto-center on objectsOption to populate regions with features (i.e. fill a region with trees).


*Second Stretch Goal: $12000*
Tools and artwork for creating Dungeon Maps


Here's a preview of some of the early artwork for the science fiction set which will be part of the art expansion.

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## Johnny Au

Kyete, it would be interesting if it would be possible to import maps made using your software into Worldspinner.

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## waldronate

> Kyete, it would be interesting if it would be possible to import maps made using your software into Worldspinner.


Does that mean that Worldspinner can import existing maps? Cool!

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## Johnny Au

> Does that mean that Worldspinner can import existing maps? Cool!


That needs to be confirmed by both Darren (of Worldspinner) and Kyete.

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## Kyete

I didn't see anything about what you can import on the Worldspinner kickstarter, but I only skimmed over the page. We allow our maps to be exported in a variety of formats, including PNG, JPG, PDF, raw data-SVG, and others. At that point, they are royalty free, so you can do with them whatever you want.

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## Kyete

We're at almost 70% of our goal! Thank you everyone for your support!

We've had a lot of great feedback and have decided to add two new functions to our first stretch goal.
Location notes for any map item.SVG support for map feature artwork and the inclusion of a small set of SVG symbols.


We also have a video sneak peek of an early test for the dungeon tools of our second stretch goal.



Here's another early alpha test, this one of a cave style map.

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## SJS

Very interesting!

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## Gold

It's all very exciting.  I will be following this thread and the progress on the new software offerings for fantasy map creation.  Thanks for the work and updates on the product so far, and to SJS for bringing this to my attention through the old-school D&D community.

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## Slylok

Does this have the capability to import your own mountains, trees, symbols etc.?

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## SJS

> Does this have the capability to import your own mountains, trees, symbols etc.?


Watch the video here.  Looks like you can, not sure about formats.

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## Kyete

> Does this have the capability to import your own mountains, trees, symbols etc.?


Yes, you can import any of your own art. Other World Mapper will support the importing of PNG, JPG, BMP, and GIF files. Also, our first stretch goal, which we've almost reached, includes support for SVG files.

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## Big Mac

> Thank you for taking the time to look at our project. We're just past 30% of our funding goal!
> The first two stretch goals have been revealed. We really hope to get to the awesome stuff in these.
> 
> *First Stretch Goal: $10000*
> Option for labels to auto-center on objectsOption to populate regions with features (i.e. fill a region with trees).


The Kickstarter just went over $10,000, so the first goal has been made. However, the above list is incomplete. There is also:
Location Notes andSVG Support for Map Features




> *Second Stretch Goal: $12000*
> Tools and artwork for creating Dungeon Maps


There is also a third stretch goal (at $14,000):
City Map Tools,Parallels and Meridians for Map Projections andImporting SVG Files for Landmass Data

I'm a bit confused about the difference between SVG support for the first stretch goal and SVG input for this third one.  :Question: 

Anna Mayer (who did the Flanaess map and is doing cartography for The Southlands Kickstarter) has signed up to be an Alpha Tester. She has also been asking (on the comments page of their Kickstarter) about supplying them with "map art submissions" and has been talking about how she could work in Other World Mapper, export a map to create a 3D version and then re-import the map at the end of that process:



> Congratulations on reading the funding goal!
> 
> City mapping and SVG import wonderful. With that I can design a city layout in Other World Mapper, export it to my 3D software for professional rendering, and then import results back into OWM again. That way end users of my maps can alter and customize my maps to their special needs.
> 
> Now we need to reach those stretch goals!


I find it really interesting that Anna Meyer is thinking of using this _alongside_ 3D software.

*EDIT:* I have also asked (probably in the wrong place) if Other World Mapper might be able to help with the difficulty of getting the polar areas of planets right. That is something I've struggled with for many years and if they can make that easier, it would be awesome.

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## Kyete

> I'm a bit confused about the difference between SVG support for the first stretch goal and SVG input for this third one.


The SVG support of the first stretch goal is for feature art only (mountains, trees, castles, etc.). The third stretch goal will add the ability to import “maps layers” (i.e. landmasses) that you may have made with another program (i.e. Inkscape) and saved in SVG format.

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## Kyete

As Big Mac said, we're funded, reached our first stretch goal and are almost to the second! 

To celebrate being funded, we're adding a Railroad tool and a Lovecraft inspired mini-artset to all backer levels that include a copy of Other World Mapper!

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## Bagliun Edar

What about tectonics maps? And what about making maps based on tectonics? Mapping the mountains based on tectonics? As long as I know, no software have ever done this.

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## Kyete

> What about tectonics maps? And what about making maps based on tectonics? Mapping the mountains based on tectonics? As long as I know, no software have ever done this.


You can use our tools to make simple tectonic plate overlays. Mapping the mountains based on tectonics would be a great way to go for world generation, but the first release concentrates on world and map design.

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## Kyete

Last 4 days!

We've reached our fourth stretch goal, which includes multiple views in the same map project, map item links and border tools!

Our last three stretch goals have been revealed.

*Fifth Stretch Goal: $19000*
Dungeon Master ModeDungeon Master Tools


*Sixth Stretch Goal: $22000*
River and Road Contour Label ToolConfigurable Light SourcesCloud Tool


*Final Stretch Goal: $25000*
Mac OS X BetaLinux Beta

Thank you so much everyone for your support!

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## Kyete

Less than 36 hours to go!

We've achieved the fifth stretch goal, DM tools, and we're closing in on the sixth!

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## Big Mac

> Less than 36 hours to go!
> 
> We've achieved the fifth stretch goal, DM tools, and we're closing in on the sixth!


The Kickstarter is now on $23,923, with just $1,077 needed to fund the Mac OS and Linux versions. The Kickstarter ends in 9 hours, so anyone who has been waiting for the Mac OS or Linux version to be funded should back now...or at least camp on the page for the next eight and a half hours.

There is an interview, with the Other World Mapper team, on Tabletop Terrors, if you want to know more about the software.

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## Deadshade

Does your mapper generate fractals ? At least for the coast lines ?

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## Big Mac

They have gone past $25,000 so anyone waiting for Mac OS and Linux should jump onboard before the Kickstarter ends in a few hours.




> Does your mapper generate fractals ? At least for the coast lines ?


If you have not backed yet, you only have 5 hours left to make your decision. I'll see if I can ping one of the staff at Other World Mapper for you.

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## Big Mac

> Does your mapper generate fractals ? At least for the coast lines ?


I got an answer from the Other World Mapper team on their Kickstarter comment page:



> @David All the tools have options for a fractal pen, with configurable options.


I hope that helps, Deadshade. You only have four hours left to make your purchasing decision.

(I'm probably going to be going to bed soon, so if you have more questions, you might want to drop $1, so that you can ask them over on their comments page. That is what I did before I was sure that the Mac OS goal was going to get funded.)

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## Deadshade

Thanks for the answer.
I was tempted for a moment but couldn't see where was the difference to Campaign Cartographer or even Autorealm (which is free).
It will probably be easier to use but the speed is not something that motivates me.

Anyway congrats to reaching your targets - it is always great when somebody can realize his project.

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## Johnny Au

> Thanks for the answer.
> I was tempted for a moment but couldn't see where was the difference to Campaign Cartographer or even Autorealm (which is free).
> It will probably be easier to use but the speed is not something that motivates me.
> 
> Anyway congrats to reaching your targets - it is always great when somebody can realize his project.


One major difference is that Other World Mapper will be available on Mac and Linux, unlike the other major cartography software.

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## TheRed

Glad to see that you guys reached over 3 times what you where asking for the program it's self looks interesting.

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