Migrating from CC3. OWM or dungeondraft?

Questions and comments about Other World Mapper.

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kinwolf
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Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2021 1:00 pm

Migrating from CC3. OWM or dungeondraft?

Post by kinwolf » Wed Sep 22, 2021 8:02 am

Greetings!

With 2 young boys, my TTRPG and map making personal time went to zero in recent years. I am now getting back into it. Historically, I have used CC3+, but the problem with it is always the same, re-learning it's quirks takes time. So I am looking to migrate to either OWM(which I bought back in 2019 but never had time to dive in) or dungeondraft, which is said to be very easy to get into.(but there is no trial/demo it seems, so I cannot verify without buying)

I mostly do battlemaps for the adventures I prepare.

Can anyone give a quick comparison btw OWM and dungeondraft for creating battlemaps?
- Speed of creation vs the quality that comes out of it.(I am really not a pro, and only do basic stuff. But as a reference, I like what comes out of CC3)
- How easy it is to import the tons of asset I accumulated in CC3(I actually tried the Art Manager to import some Mike Schley assets and it was relatively fast. Is it the same with Dungeondraft?)
- How easy is it to get back into the software after taking long months of hiatus.(that's the main reason I am navigating away from CC3)
- Quality of the tools included, and ease of use.

Thanks for any feedback!

P.S. I did see the OWM vs Wonderdraft thread and was intrigued by Evildmguy comment
The tougher comparison is OWM v DungeonDraft.

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Kanchou
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Re: Migrating from CC3. OWM or dungeondraft?

Post by Kanchou » Wed Sep 22, 2021 10:14 am

Thank you for the questions!

I'll leave others to make more comments since I'm biased ( :D ), but from talking to users in person at conventions it seems CC3 users tend to really like OWM because CC3 is CAD based software and OWM is more technical than artistic.

I normally tell people to try the demo and spend a few days playing with it before buying.. but it looks like you already did! :)

Thank you!

- Alejandro
Alejandro S. Canosa
Three Minds Software

kinwolf
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Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2021 1:00 pm

Re: Migrating from CC3. OWM or dungeondraft?

Post by kinwolf » Wed Sep 22, 2021 1:29 pm

Great to know!

Yeah, I know I'll probably get bias answers since I'm posting on a specific product forum, but I saw many informative post in the wonderdraft thread so I decided to give it a try :)

Uldar
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Re: Migrating from CC3. OWM or dungeondraft?

Post by Uldar » Fri Sep 24, 2021 2:42 am

I looked at every mapping tool out there before I began my current production. I wanted something with...
  • Outputs that had a professional appearance - The art style of OWM did it for me.
  • The possibility to get pro level results with no skillset - I tried the demo, and it felt easy and versatile enough to get sharp results.
  • A local install - I was not impressed with online tools and had no confidence they could keep up with the complexity I had planned.
  • A buy forever purchase model - I know how much OWM costs me forever. There are no monthly fees.
  • Active development and support - The OWM team is continuing to develop functionality and art packs. The last one had impactful new features that were a big help.
What were my results? I'm not ready to publish yet, but comparing my work to top fantasy TTRPG publications of the past year, I am extremely satisfied and feel like I place better or on par with the best that's out there. My (level 0) graphic design skills have incidentally rocketed since buying OWM, and I ended up doing tons of my own illustrations with OWM + Gimp. I also did all my layout art. Satisfied and recommend.

kinwolf
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Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2021 1:00 pm

Re: Migrating from CC3. OWM or dungeondraft?

Post by kinwolf » Fri Sep 24, 2021 12:32 pm

I appreciate the feedback. Especially the comment about the level 0 design skill, which is the same for me every time I restart making maps after a hiatus :lol: And that is one main reason I am migrating away from CC3; it makes great maps, but it always takes alot of time to get back to the skill level I had before taking time off, and time is something I have a complete lack off with the young boys 8-)

ORtrail
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Joined: Fri May 01, 2020 1:01 am

Re: Migrating from CC3. OWM or dungeondraft?

Post by ORtrail » Sat Sep 25, 2021 1:53 am

I'll just second what Uldar had to say. The demo download was a HUGE factor for me in buying OWM.

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evildmguy
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Re: Migrating from CC3. OWM or dungeondraft?

Post by evildmguy » Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:34 pm

The forums ate my first longer response. :( :cry:

Sorry I'm late to the reply.

1 - DD is slightly faster when you want to play around or don't know what you want.
1a - If you know what you want to create and have a general idea of layout OWM is no slower.
1b - Editing anything except the objects is much easier in OWM later.
2 - It is MUCH easier getting assets into OWM than DD.
3 - I think it's pretty easy but YMMV.
4 - Great quality of tools to do what exactly what you want them to do.

I would add.

5 - great devs who are involved and listen to feedback.

To be clear, anything DD can do, OWM can do. It takes a bit more work at times for OWM to do it but that extra work is worth it. I have nothing but positive thoughts and feelings on OWM and what it does as a mapping program.

Take care!

edg

kinwolf
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Re: Migrating from CC3. OWM or dungeondraft?

Post by kinwolf » Mon Feb 14, 2022 9:22 am

Thanks for the reply. I indeed decided to invest my time in OWM. :)

ORtrail
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Re: Migrating from CC3. OWM or dungeondraft?

Post by ORtrail » Wed Feb 16, 2022 12:38 am

I've had a copy of Dungeondraft for a couple months now, and I like it for creating a more focused, smaller scale map. Which makes sense, as it's designed for dungeons, caverns, and buildings. At $20 it was easy to take a chance on trying it, even without a demo version.

There are extra asset packs that include a number of modern era items. I love being able to put a bulldozer or city bus on a map for example. It's good for making the floor plan of a larger vehicle like a submersible for example just as easily as an old West fort. For a map covering more than a 100 meters/yds I'd use OWM though.

I think the GUI for DD is simpler to learn, as it presents the user with fewer and more focused mapping options. OWM has a steeper learning curve but you can do more with it in return for the time invested in learning to use it.

I feel like I get the best of both worlds by using a combination of both these mapping programs. IF I had to use just one, it would be OWM because it has more options when it comes to map scale.

Also, note that the asset/icon packs are NOT usable between these programs. OWM is PNG friendly which means I've used assets from other mapping programs with no issue, but DD is essentially proprietary with assets.

Jimsocks
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Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2017 12:57 am

Re: Migrating from CC3. OWM or dungeondraft?

Post by Jimsocks » Tue Mar 15, 2022 12:21 am

I agree with ORtrail’s prior post here.

DD is my go-to for city and smaller maps.
OWM is a clear winner in larger scale maps.

DD has a slick and easy user interface with fewer features and simpler use of them.
OWM has a CAD-like learning curve with all kinds of features and it takes a bit to get re-acquainted with them (for me sometimes, anyway)

I make custom assets for DD for profit, so I think DD asset creation is trivial, but that’s perspective for you, right!? I’ve never yet made assets for OWM, but that seems easier from the surface, FWIW. Just know that DD has marketing power and a Reddit/Cartography Assets/Patreon presence with tons of content creators adding value each day, and OWM is still relatively in the shadows on that front (for now!)

DD (and it’s avalanche of add-on content out there) make small maps just gorgeous. But nobody makes a continent map like you can in OWM (I’m supremely sold on the archipelago tool I mean FFS that’s a godsend when you need it!)

So in the end, I use both.

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