Illustrator brushes & cartography...

Amy

New member
Okay so I just drew up my first cave map from a pit we discovered this past weekend (it was a good weekend...1 new karst feature - 30 ft isn't enough for a cave here -  and 2 new virgin caves (pits) we surveyed, and a visit to a rarely gone to cave with really awesome landowners whose house was 20 feet from the pit...they watched us and then invited us inside and wanted to hear tales of what they had!) anyway I am using Illustrator and call me DUMB but I could not figure out how to create brushes to do what I wanted them to do. I had a zig-zaggy sort of line for example I wanted to just make it like a brush so it would repeate the zigs and zags over and over as I drew. However the only thing it would ever do is stretch it to the entire length, or resize it to the whole length. I couldn't figure out how to make it *repeat*.

Also...any packages out there with premade brushes and such for cave maps? =)

I still have to draw up the karst feature (we record those same as caves) and the other map for the other virgin cave is up to one of the others to draw who went into it.

Also...I LOVE SKETCHING AND CARTOGRAPHY. Surveying is so much fun...  ;)
 

bsaden

New member
Illustrator is good, but you can do as  much (I think) and usually more easily, on Adobe Photoshop (even 'Elements').
Another indispensable is a graphics pad.
 

sluka

New member
Amy said:
I still have to draw up the karst feature (we record those same as caves) and the other map for the other virgin cave is up to one of the others to draw who went into it.
Also...I LOVE SKETCHING AND CARTOGRAPHY. Surveying is so much fun...  ;)

;) Are you sure the cave cartography is about artistic brushes? ;)
 

Subpopulus Hibernia

Active member
bsaden said:
Illustrator is good, but you can do as  much (I think) and usually more easily, on Adobe Photoshop (even 'Elements').

For cave surveys? I can only imagine photoshop being a hindrance when it comes to cartography. Vector-based programs are the only way to go IMHO.
 

Muddy Funkster

New member
The main difference obviously being the fact the Illustrator is a vector drawing application (mathematical paths, nodes and curves etc..) and PhotoShop is a Raster application (pixels). Due to the nature of how survey data is captured from a mathematical perspective a vector application does seem to lend itself better to the purpose.
Once drawn in a vector program an illustration can then be scaled up indefinately with no loss of quality. The same image created in PS will only allow for a small enlargement before your cave details start to become pixelated. Illustrator is harder to get the hang of for a beginner but for the reason mentioned above is without doubt the better application to create survey and maps in. I use the applications day in day out at work and I am only comparing these 2 against each other.
People who create surveys may know of a much better caving specific vector based program than Illustrator however.
 

Amy

New member
Mulucaver - thanks! That is helpful. I didnt think of making breakdown boulders as symbols, that's a great idea he has in his. I looked at some of the videos the bits on ideas on how to draw the maps gave me some ideas.

Off to make more symbols and brushes...now I need more caves to draw  ;) Its almost as much fun as caving itself!  :D

(ps - fwiw the way i was shown cavemappin' here was use Walls for the line plot and then export to Illustrator to fill it in with the sketches of the actual passages and details...I have the entire creative suit and do graphic design work so I dont have any issues using Illustrator and love it for drawing and artwork just struggling with making this one brush type for whatever dumb reason haha.)
 

Amy

New member
Muddy Funkster said:
Another designer / caver :) I know a few now.
Cool! Yeah none of my cavefriends can draw I guess....I'm new to surveying but I keep hearing "OH GOOD here you sketch!"

I'd love to have more design jobs but I work in science (biotech). I'm not good at marketing myself though...photography either. I guess I should make myself a website or something. I do drawing...photography...computer graphics...make cave gear/clothes...jewelry...I used to post some stuff here but I guess I'm not allowed as this is a sponsored site.
 
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