Create Your Own Map in Crusader Kings 3! - Custom Map Tutorial

Feel free to subscribe and leave your tutorial ideas in the comments below!

This is how to create your own custom map in Crusader Kings 3:

2. Change the path in the descriptor file
5. Open the mapeditor, using -mapeditor as your launch option in the steam game settings
6. Repack your heightmap in the map editor for it to be shown
7. Keep on editing your heightmap/edit the visual terrain in the map editor until you are happy with it, then save it and close the editor
10. Make it one color by adding a color overlay
11. Remove all the transparent pixels, tutorial here:
• In the Layers panel, Ctrl+click (or, if on mac Cmd+click) the layer thumbnail to turn its transparency into a selection.
• Use Select Edit in Quick Mask Mode to enter Quick Mask Mode.
• Use Image Adjustments Threshold and set the Threshold to 255, to remove all transparent pixels.
• Push Ctrl+i (or if on mac Cmd + i) to inverse the mask.
• Exit Quick Mask Mode with Select Edit in Quick Mask Mode.
• Make sure the layer is selected and press Delete to remove the transparent pixels.

12. Start painting your provinces, each with an individual RGB-color and no half transparent pixels
14. Now edit the definition file (map_data) to add your provinces, using the following pattern and the RGB-colors of your provinces:
id;R;G;B;name;x;
15. Check if your provinces were added in the map editor

e_empire_tier = {
color = { 0 0 0 }
color2 = { 255 255 255 }
capital = c_county_tier

k_kingdom_tier = {
color = { 0 0 0 }
color2 = { 255 255 255 }
capital = c_county_tier

d_duchy_tier = {
color = { 0 0 0 }
color2 = { 255 255 255 }
capital = c_county_tier

c_county_tier = {
color = { 227 115 149 }
color2 = { 255 255 255 }

b_test1 = {
province = 1
}
b_test2 = {
province = 3
}
}
}
}
}

17. Create the province locators (building, player stack, combat, siege), duplicating the existing entries to add your number of provinces
Edit the map objects in the map editor using the auto-nudging tool, remember to save the game after

[NerdSquadGaming]

For those who are wondering, using 2 as province ID doesn't work because its already set as a sea zone province in the "default . map" file (spaced because YT thinks its a link), which can be found in map data. You can remove it from the brackets in "sea_zones = LIST { 2 }" and then use it in landed titles. It bothered me so much that I had to skip the number two in my defines, so I spent waaay too long searching for this in the files lmao, hope this helps someone!

[Nerdlore.]

Custom culture tutorials would be awesome. Great video, worked perfectly.

[Rayblov]

If anyone's having an issue with "Failed to set up terrain for map editor". from the experiences I've seen, it come about from people who aren't using photoshop not following/missing the instructions from 3:40 to 3:50, on GIMP this can be achieved when you export the image. at the last step of the export, one of the default options is "automatic pixelformat" and this needs to be switched to "16bpc gray". Hope this helps anyone struggling!

[eskija]

This is absolutely, positively, awesome! Not to mention wildly helpful. Seeing how to create custom characters for any given start date would be wonderful :)

[yewty]

after a couple thousand hours, the old map has started to become boring. would love to see a new map mod.

[nathanielhm]

Just wanted to say that your original series from two years ago remains the most useful single resource for ck3 modding out there. I would not have been able to enter the modding scene at all if not for you, so just, thanks!

[Lightclaw]

Honestly, please do another one. Super helpful; Especially since they're long and basically unedited- better honestly.

[davidrittle]

I don't have photoshop, I use gimp, and i'm not used to image editing but eventually I got the 16-bit grayscale stuff to work! Thank you for your extremely helpful tutorial videos, I'll be keeping an eye on your channel!

[WmJared]

Aw yeah time to merge this and artifexian and biblioridian theorycraftin and see if I can actually crank out a mod now
thank you for this
definitely will watch whatever create custom stuff videos you put out!

[_Sakamichi_]

There is an old map generator for Hoi 4, I guess ck3 uses almost identical system. This map generator creates everything for you, so only need to edit it to be suitable for ck3. It's better than doing this all by hand yourself. It is also possible to implement inside your own map template and it will generate all the provinces for you. You just draw your regions and it automatically generates provinces inside it. It does also a lot of the hard work for you.

[FieryDawn]

Thank you so much for this! I finally got started on building my own mod for my own fantasy world. I would love to have you explain start dates and character placements if you could.

[spacedragon]

Having problems turning on black water in azgaar's map?

Style ---> select element ---> ocean ---> ocean layers ---> No Outline + Color

[barbariancataphract]

Also there is a nice way of getting sensible heightmaps onto custom coastlines - there are Earth's satelitary heightmaps available online, where you can render needed parts and then you can copy it into the heightmap and play with it until you get the desired shape!

[mariusmuhle]

This is exactly what I needed. Good video!

[evan_iz_navarry]

Nice video)
Is it possible to make a guide to supplement the standard map? For example, there is an empty area or an island in vanilla. Yes, the algorithm will be similar. But still...

[Sire]

Hey man can show us how to make custom cultures and faiths if you know how? thanks.

[musculusmaximus]

Besten Dank nochmals für deine Hilfe, jetzt funktioniert es bei mir auch 😁

[jayhop]

i love your videos, but could you please use gimp for this for those who dont have photoshop there are some steps that are quite difficult to replicate on gimp

[jayoxman]

These tutorials are very helpful- do you have a discord server?

[mehwhatever]

Would very much like to know how to create non-human races, modify in-game sliders etc.