City Designer 3 - Introduction

[@robbabcock_]

CC3 & the add-ons are immensely powerful! The problem is learning how to use it all. I really appreciate these tutorials, Josh! Thanks you.

[@KevenPirritano]

Yeah, not to mention it is outdated (in terms of ease of usability, UI, etc.). I used it 10 years ago and they still haven't created a CC4 to challenge more modern map software that simplifies many aspects.

[@diggeroldmate8122]

@@KevenPirritano yeah but those new programs still don't close to what you can do with CC3+.

[@KevenPirritano]

@@diggeroldmate8122 Which has nothing to do with what I said.

[@chrissalmassy1407]

After watching your video, I an excited to jump in. I will find a way to make this part of my "MAPVEMBER challenge" - 30 maps in 30 days. Cheers, Josh.

[@HoboNoah]

I'm trying to figure this out, every building I place "angle snaps" to road, other buildings, walls, even terrain. It's maddening and I've failed so far to find where to disable this.

[@JoshPlunkett]

I'd ask this in the Facebook group. Lots of people in there able to help including profantasy employees.

[@noahzorbaugh1438]

I'm running into a bit of an issue with the Random Street function. The buildings it creates are massive when compared to the road. I've recreated the tutorial map (same size, same roads, etc) within CC3 and where you get three buildings the first time you demonstrate the function, I get one big one. I've tried creating a properly scaled building first, then using the function, but I get the same results. Any suggestions?

[@timothyevans1613]

Josh, I just recently got started with CD3 (in fact I just got started with CC3+). When I try to use the random street tool as you do in the video above, my houses just get laid out in straight lines and don't follow the curvature of the street. What am I doing wrong?

[@JoshPlunkett]

Sounds like you are drawing a new line not connecting the existing street.

[@Spacecookie-]

When setting up a map, what are the units it uses? I can't seem to find that simple info. You set up your map at 500x500, but it's 500x500 what? Miles, kilometres, pixels?

[@JoshPlunkett]

Pretty sure it's pixels. Worth noting though that the map doesnt technically have a border. All that 500x500 does is create the rectangles that look like a border around your map. You can build outside of those borders with a bit of finesse.

[@davidgipe997]

I usually want my players to move around a city or town. This, is it possible to have the interior building view to be on the city map so the players can navigate into buildings vs just roof view? If so that would be magnificent! Thanks for the tutorial.

[@JoshPlunkett]

If you have the dungeon designer 3 add on also there's actually a floor plan button. You can use it to click a building within your city and it will generate a floor plan map for that building. You can then modify it. Add furniture etc. The maps will the link together also adding a button on the building you can click to zoom into the floor plan map.

[@MrJBARRON]

Nice tutorial. Can I use this program to make a convincing city in the Underdark for a D&D campaign?

[@JoshPlunkett]

They have a style available in the annuals specifically for mapping Underdark maps. I've created this one with it. i.imgur.com/XCDJ7uM.jpg

[@MrJBARRON]

Very nice looking. Thanks for the reply

[@abstractbybrian]

Can’t you add people to each building. I thought this program will automatically assign names to the people?

[@JoshPlunkett]

I think you're thinking of something else. To my knowledge this just makes the map.

[@lemonZzzzs]

Is there a forum or something for questions? This tool is rather arcane and randomly appears to break a lot. For example, I started playing with City Designer 3 and after a while, the "Insert Building" window (which is what the "House" button brings up) suddenly lost the ability to create textured houses, instead creating them as flat blocks of solid color (matching the selected color). Edit: I figured that one out... in case the non-gurus didn't guess... I had a "MERGE" layer selected instead of, say a "BUILDINGS" layer... The sheet ws ROADS in both cases (although I should probably switch to BUILDINGS)...

[@JoshPlunkett]

The best place IMO is the Facebook group but there is also people in the profantasy. Com forums.

[@lemonZzzzs]

@@JoshPlunkett I'll check the profantasy forums out, thanks! :)

[@BacklashMac]

I have most of what you do, as far as add ons, and am following the tutorial exactly, but when I try to add symbols (from DungeonDesigner) to a floorplan, switching to DD3 and clicking any of the symbol icons presents a blank window. I don't get the same behavior you do. It's like it doesn't know how access the symbols from the DD3 while on a map setup as a CD3 map.

[@JoshPlunkett]

To use a new style.in an existing map you need to import an existing map that uses that style. All on the annuals come with an example map. So if you do an import of that map and then immediately undo what you did you will notice everything starts to work.

[@argentum746]

Only top down? No isometric assets?

[@JoshPlunkett]

There's quite a few isometric assets. 8f you check the annuals they are available you can also use the assets from core cc3+ or perspectives 3. However most people map cities and towns in top down as it's the more useful style of map.

[@argentum746]

@@JoshPlunkett Thanks for the reply. Yeah the issue is, that using the assets of CC3 for mapmaking creates a isometric point of view and a top down perspective on a city doesnt work then. Which means i had to make use of the isometric city assets. I might have found a compromise using default housestyles (Euro, Roman etc) for the map but sticking with the annual Herwin Wielink Style for environmental graphics. A similar issue is to be found with animals. Some styles just dont have them at all apart from a whale. There are symbols with animals, but overall there quite a lack in that regard. Especially since i think that making a map having bird formations, deer or cows is a nice touch. Some of the better styles of CC3 are outright missing them though. I'll see what i can do with the content i have at hand. But if i were to recommend improvements on the tool, it would be the avilability of assets like animals, trees (stumps etc), isometric houses and potentially more options for rivers and roads. Rockformations/Mountains seem to be the thing covered the best in the tool. So many assets and options, let some of the other areas look rather blant.

[@JoshPlunkett]

@@argentum746 ProFantasy are always looking for feedback. They are working on CC4 currently. You can contact them through their website or they also float around the Facebook group quite a bit.

[@JoshPlunkett]

@@argentum746 Do you have City Designer 3 as that includes everything you need to make top down cities. It's much better suited to the job.

[@argentum746]

@@JoshPlunkett Yeah i have. I guess you mean isometric cities. As the top down cities are exactly what i dont need.

[@byronfoodjikla]

Does this include any assets that could be used for modern cities and towns?

[@JoshPlunkett]

No I've not seen anything specific for modern towns. It does let you make custom house shapes so technically you could probably make something that works but it's designed for fantasy.

[@byronfoodjikla]

@@JoshPlunkett thanks for the reply! Would you happen to know of any software that allows for modern city and map creation? Im planning an rpg thats set in the near future, so Im looking to draw modern world and city maps, building interiors, blueprints, etc. I cant seem to find any software that offers this.

[@JoshPlunkett]

@@byronfoodjikla No i don't sorry. Modern maps are a much smaller % of the market I'm afraid.

[@HexKitty]

Good tutorial but Mr. Plunkett moves a little quick, so be ready to pause the video if you're trying these techniques as you follow along.

[@tokagekobushi]

The mouth noise in this video is nearly unbearable.

[@Girlhead]

This program is very clunky- I don't think I like it at all. I appreciate the video but I hope they will give me a refund. For example- if I move something- it leaves a huge hole in the map which I don't get.

[@Bladirus]

You need to press the refresh button (The two circling arrows on the right) so CC3+ will update your input. Same goes with erasing things it will leave white space until you update then it refreshes to normal. CC3+ does that to save memory (Like Josh mentioned in many of his videos)