How To Make Maps From Screenshots

[Egon the Monkey]

Experimenting with quick methods for adding some fantasy/antique feel to a screeny. I came up with a way that takes a couple of minutes, requires no artistic talent, and makes a screenshot of the map look a lot more like a had drawn chart.

You'll need GIMP for this, which is a free image editor you can get for Windows here:
http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/

If you want a hand doing this, ask me to walk you through the menus for GIMP if I'm on IRC or bored IG.

Method:[LIST=1]

• Enlarge map IG to biggest.
• Take screenshot.
• Open screenshot in GIMP, cut out map.
• Change map to black and white. (colours->desaturate)
• Paste it into a new layer (Edit->paste as->new layer) over a parchment pic. You can get a ton by just typing "parchment" into Google Image Search. For the lazy cartographer, I used this one.
  
• Set transparency of the new layer to 70% (layers window), colourize it to a yellow. (Colours->Colourize)
• Add words, in black, transparency of layer 70-80%.
• Save the lot as a .jpeg. (save as)
• Optional: cover the map pins with drawn Xs or something, add a North Arrow off another image search to cover over the "player location arrow".

Result:

[Zazzap]

I was looking for a way to make authentic scrolls up, too!  Very cool. Now, if you can only capture the ripped/burned bit with maybe a seal on the top, we'll be cooking with gasoline...

[DangerousDan]

Nice.

[Letsplayforfun]

Now, if you can only capture the ripped/burned bit with maybe a seal on the top, we'll be cooking with gasoline...

Print on yellow paper. Print what you want. solution1: Iron it with an old iron thingy (you know, to iron shirts). solution 2: washing machine (best avoided though, you'll find out why...) Then: burn the sides with a candle, and pass the flamme beneath the paper without burning it (that's the tough part). Seal with red candle wax. You got yourself a brand new old scroll.

[Egon the Monkey]

Seals are an easy cut and paste job from an image search. If you want to try making them look old physically, print them with a laser printer, then make some tea (yes, Tea Solves EVERYTHING), put the printout in a tray, and pour tea on it until covered. leave it for a while, take it out and let it dry. Or use an iron or an oven.

if you want to do the lot on the PC, use a different background, you can get a lot from searching DeviantArt, stock photo sites, Google Image Search etc. Or slice off part of the picture in an editor, paste a burned edge from another pic over the top and blend it in using a soft eraser, layer transparency, etc.

There's probably better ways, and you can likely dig up a tutorial. I've got no real graphics training, I just tinker about til I find something that does the job.

[Garem]

Could this be added to the Info for New Players?

Furthermore, there has been a lot of cool stuff like this recently, Clucky's overrides coming to mind, but others too. A megathread for "Additional Useful NWN Tools" may be appropriate, if a forum admin has the time and desire to do so.