J_Chemist
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- Jun 17, 2022
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Made a regional map for my book. Paid 5 dollars for Inkarnate and after fussing around for maybe two or three hours initially, tinkering and figuring it out, I ended up making something a lot better than I was in Photoshop. Along with my map, I'll provide a brief review if any of you out there also are looking to make a map for your book and are looking for a tool to use.
BLUF: I highly recommend this tool. 8/10.
For the past almost six to eight months, I've been working in Photoshop, using Youtube, and trying out a range of different techniques to get the map I felt satisfied with using. I've downloaded Map brushes, did the cloud layer technique, and tried a few other online world generation tools. Hell, I even tried a Minecraft seed. With each map I made/drafted, I put in the effort to pretty it up and put the map through extensive editing processes. I didn't want to half-ass it and give myself any excuse to say "this ain't it". Even so, none of them felt quite right. I always felt like the map looked off. That, or the level of detail wasn't what I wanted. So after making several maps, I ditched them all but kept them in my back pocket for references. I had the idea and the shape but nothing ever looked right. I tinkered with the various landmass shapes and eventually had the template of a map shape that I wanted but the tools themselves weren't what I was looking for.
Today, around 1200, I decided to busy up my day and try to make a map again. I found a lovely video from a gentleman who went over 5 map tools. Three of which I knew about already and two I quickly wrote off. Inkarnate was on my radar but I dodged it originally because I didn't actually like the interface when I'd first encountered it. I was wearing eye blinders and had thought that if I couldn't do it in Photoshop, fuck it. I wouldn't use it and it was probably shit. But jokes on me, I'm the clown here. I watched his video, saw how the interface looked from another perspective and found that I was just an idiot before and hadn't actually given the tool a proper try. Thus, I decided to do so.
I fiddled around with the free version for maybe twenty minutes. The landmass tool was smooth. It was a bit rough in terms of visual impact and I actually found it hard to visualize what I wanted when I was freehanding it. However, once I pulled up my templates and used the general shape, I found it to be significantly easier than any other technique I had utilized thus far. With a click and drag, I had my continents, islands, impact craters for one of my plot line areas, and the setup for several different regions and countries. Another ten minutes and I was able to figure out the different coloring tools for things like forests, deserts, mountains, etc. Within the two hours of my initial fiddling, I had decided to fork over the five bucks and really commit to the tool. It was far easier than anything I had ever used. It had all of the tools I needed from icons to pathings for rivers and country lines. By tapping a few buttons, I could switch up the brush and swath over land to change from forest to desert. It was so easy to do so that I ended up wasting time in the tool just to experiment with what kind of green I wanted my trees to be.
TLDR- it was easy and a brainless investment. Using the tool, I was able to turn off my brain and lean into my Creative Vision of the world for my novel. Instead of worrying about what youtube video I was going to search for next, Inkcarnate provided me with what I needed with little effort on my end. There were so many options available for me that I spent more time deciding on what I liked as if I were standing in a Lowe's trying to decide on what shade of white paint primer looked better.
But Mr. Chemist, if you liked it so much, why the 8/10 and not 10/10? Because nothing is perfect. Nor is this tool.
My only gripe is that there is no handholding in terms of creativity with this tool. The map is a clean, blue slate of water when you first open it. It doesn't give you any templates or any example landmass to work with when you generate your map. You are able to select what type of map you'll be creating at the beginning, which helps the tool adjust itself to what you're going to be making (it changes the Icon sets and a few other parameters). However, the tool does what it is made to do. It leaves the creative process entirely up to you.
For some people who struggle with that initial step and find it easier to work with an already made world/generated map, this tool may not be it for you. I was able to get the product I wanted because of the hours I put in with the other tools. The mental image I have of my world is sharp and clear. I know exactly what I want and where I want it. It takes some adjustment to put thought to paper but in the end, it comes out how I want it. If you struggle with that and everything is just a blur or not quite set right, this tool might be a bit of a double-edged knife for you. Since there's no guidance, it's easy to blank when you're staring at the blue starting map.
But, I never give problems without solutions. Doing so doesn't help. Thus, what I recommend is to simply paint. If you have an idea in your head but don't exactly know what it properly looks like, just grip the mouse and start stroking across the map. Use the tools Inkarnate gives you and just start inking out landmasses. Use the eraser/subtraction tool to adjust and you'll find yourself saying "I like that" and moving forward, or "Nah, that's not right" and making the changes. Freezing up and thinking the tool is shit because you failed on your end doesn't make the tool bad. It makes you lazy for not giving it a proper try, just like I had.
The free version of the tool has enough stuff in it to provide a "good enough" map. If you have five dollars to spare for the month, I personally don't think you will regret your purchase. But, if you're smart, I would do up your map(s) on the free version first and then make your purchase. That way you can make any and all of the maps you need rather quickly and only pay for one month.
I've talked enough. Map is attached. Be well,
-- J.C.
EDIT: File size too large? What in the--
Inkarnate Map Link
BLUF: I highly recommend this tool. 8/10.
For the past almost six to eight months, I've been working in Photoshop, using Youtube, and trying out a range of different techniques to get the map I felt satisfied with using. I've downloaded Map brushes, did the cloud layer technique, and tried a few other online world generation tools. Hell, I even tried a Minecraft seed. With each map I made/drafted, I put in the effort to pretty it up and put the map through extensive editing processes. I didn't want to half-ass it and give myself any excuse to say "this ain't it". Even so, none of them felt quite right. I always felt like the map looked off. That, or the level of detail wasn't what I wanted. So after making several maps, I ditched them all but kept them in my back pocket for references. I had the idea and the shape but nothing ever looked right. I tinkered with the various landmass shapes and eventually had the template of a map shape that I wanted but the tools themselves weren't what I was looking for.
Today, around 1200, I decided to busy up my day and try to make a map again. I found a lovely video from a gentleman who went over 5 map tools. Three of which I knew about already and two I quickly wrote off. Inkarnate was on my radar but I dodged it originally because I didn't actually like the interface when I'd first encountered it. I was wearing eye blinders and had thought that if I couldn't do it in Photoshop, fuck it. I wouldn't use it and it was probably shit. But jokes on me, I'm the clown here. I watched his video, saw how the interface looked from another perspective and found that I was just an idiot before and hadn't actually given the tool a proper try. Thus, I decided to do so.
I fiddled around with the free version for maybe twenty minutes. The landmass tool was smooth. It was a bit rough in terms of visual impact and I actually found it hard to visualize what I wanted when I was freehanding it. However, once I pulled up my templates and used the general shape, I found it to be significantly easier than any other technique I had utilized thus far. With a click and drag, I had my continents, islands, impact craters for one of my plot line areas, and the setup for several different regions and countries. Another ten minutes and I was able to figure out the different coloring tools for things like forests, deserts, mountains, etc. Within the two hours of my initial fiddling, I had decided to fork over the five bucks and really commit to the tool. It was far easier than anything I had ever used. It had all of the tools I needed from icons to pathings for rivers and country lines. By tapping a few buttons, I could switch up the brush and swath over land to change from forest to desert. It was so easy to do so that I ended up wasting time in the tool just to experiment with what kind of green I wanted my trees to be.
TLDR- it was easy and a brainless investment. Using the tool, I was able to turn off my brain and lean into my Creative Vision of the world for my novel. Instead of worrying about what youtube video I was going to search for next, Inkcarnate provided me with what I needed with little effort on my end. There were so many options available for me that I spent more time deciding on what I liked as if I were standing in a Lowe's trying to decide on what shade of white paint primer looked better.
But Mr. Chemist, if you liked it so much, why the 8/10 and not 10/10? Because nothing is perfect. Nor is this tool.
My only gripe is that there is no handholding in terms of creativity with this tool. The map is a clean, blue slate of water when you first open it. It doesn't give you any templates or any example landmass to work with when you generate your map. You are able to select what type of map you'll be creating at the beginning, which helps the tool adjust itself to what you're going to be making (it changes the Icon sets and a few other parameters). However, the tool does what it is made to do. It leaves the creative process entirely up to you.
For some people who struggle with that initial step and find it easier to work with an already made world/generated map, this tool may not be it for you. I was able to get the product I wanted because of the hours I put in with the other tools. The mental image I have of my world is sharp and clear. I know exactly what I want and where I want it. It takes some adjustment to put thought to paper but in the end, it comes out how I want it. If you struggle with that and everything is just a blur or not quite set right, this tool might be a bit of a double-edged knife for you. Since there's no guidance, it's easy to blank when you're staring at the blue starting map.
But, I never give problems without solutions. Doing so doesn't help. Thus, what I recommend is to simply paint. If you have an idea in your head but don't exactly know what it properly looks like, just grip the mouse and start stroking across the map. Use the tools Inkarnate gives you and just start inking out landmasses. Use the eraser/subtraction tool to adjust and you'll find yourself saying "I like that" and moving forward, or "Nah, that's not right" and making the changes. Freezing up and thinking the tool is shit because you failed on your end doesn't make the tool bad. It makes you lazy for not giving it a proper try, just like I had.
The free version of the tool has enough stuff in it to provide a "good enough" map. If you have five dollars to spare for the month, I personally don't think you will regret your purchase. But, if you're smart, I would do up your map(s) on the free version first and then make your purchase. That way you can make any and all of the maps you need rather quickly and only pay for one month.
I've talked enough. Map is attached. Be well,
-- J.C.
EDIT: File size too large? What in the--
Inkarnate Map Link
Last edited:
