Wednesday, June 23, 2010

10 Second Map Creation with the GIMP

Here's something a lazy or pressed for time DM might find useful - using the free image editing software GIMP, you can make a fairly decent world map in seconds. I discovered this by accident today while working up a logo from the Create submenu...

Step 1: Create the land.


Change the size and experiment with the random seed and elevations.

Done!

Optional Step 2: Add a square or hex grid overlay. GIMP comes with the square grid pattern already installed.



If you'd like to use a hex grid, you'll first have to install an additional script. An example of finished output is below, an example with square grid rendering is here.

10 comments:

kesher said...

Wow---great find!

Man, I woulda KILLED for this capability back in 1985...

Anonymous said...

Holy crap, that's awesome! Thanks for sharing this!

Joachim von Kieselhorst said...

Is there a script which numbers the hexes?

Don Snabulus said...

That is pretty cool. Take that Photoshop!

Marcelo Paschoalin said...

@Khouni: there is, but I've never managed to make it work--anyway, my GIMP-fu is weak.
Just don't ask me where to find it now as I'm at work and I don't have anything handy here.

Lord Kilgore said...

Wow. Very cool. Will have to give that a try.

Aaron E. Steele said...

DId someone say Futurama?

Anonymous said...

That is simply amazing. Thanks!

Dr Rotwang said...

AAAAH MUST DO AS SOON AS I GET HOOOOOME!

Jay said...

Very cool! I've got Gimp too and never even thought of this!! Way to go!!

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