Create map fro boardgame

[mattias]

Hi
I will try to create my own boardgame and the background shall be a map. I would like it to look interesting and playful, something similair to the attached image. 
Does anyone have an idea of how i can turn a real map, eg Google maps, into this? It doesnt have to look exactly as the image but something that is suitable for a boardgame.

Maybe is possible to create a "stroke pattern" as the coastline or what do you suggest is the best approach? 

[rich2005]

Maybe like this: https://youtu.be/fmwhf0i84g4  duration 4 minutes.

There is a very long tutorial about making game maps, fortunately the basics have been scripted. Attached, unzip put render-map-2-no-snow.py in your Gimp User plugins folder. ( I have just seen you are using Gimp 2.8) C:\Users\"yourname"\.gimp-2.8\plug-ins

The video is Gimp 2.10, it is the same for Gimp 2.8

The main thing is the starting layer names. They are fixed in the script. Base layer Land Start layer above Mountains Start

...not what you want.. Looking at google maps, these are very plain you could probably take one and clone out place etc. Satellite view is better, although same thing, clone out names.

[mattias]

Thank you very much for the reply. That is surely some technique I can use to create cool looking landscape. But I think the biggest challenge is to create a sharp and nice looking coast line that looks good in print.

[rich2005]

Quote:...snip..how i can turn a real map, eg Google maps, into this?

Can you post a screenshot of the sort of (Google) map you want to use .

Are you really using Gimp 2.8 ?  (splash tells you when you start Gimp}

Have you used Gimp before ?

At basics it is using layers / selections / blurs / opacity.


   

[mattias]

Hi, I am using GIMP 2.10.12. I am more used to Photoshop but can do the most basic stuff in Gimp. I will elaborate with the tools you mentioned, thx! I also find the filter Cartoon that I think I can use.

I am starting from a clean map without roads or labels. Just land and water.

[rich2005]

Try this:  https://youtu.be/oAJATFSESdU  duration 4 minutes

Nothing complicated, reall all about keeping parts separate. 
Making selection from map
Layer groups for land and sea Layer -> New Layer Group
New layers for sea / land and sea-edge / land-edge Layer -> New Layer
Stroking the selection  Edit -> Stroke selection
..and various selection inverts and tidy-ups.

   

[mholder]

Rich's suggestion is simple and effective, but I would (as usual) suggest using masks for almost everything.  I am a mask zealot.

With masks you can dilate, erode, blur, mean curvature blur (to fix the squareness of dilating and eroding), offset, and more!

It is a good idea to make a selection of the initial mask white area and save it as a channel.