Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > The Fantasy Trip

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 11-16-2018, 01:11 AM   #101
bill_seney
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Canada
Default Re: TFT Map Maker

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadekeep View Post
I've considered adding an annotation tool along these lines, but it's a bit tricky, especially with font scaling. If I can get it into this release I will, though. Thanks!
Neat!

Or I suppose as a work around I could do all the drawing in your program, export to a graphic file then use another program to add annotations, once I have the size I like.
bill_seney is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2018, 06:10 AM   #102
Shadekeep
 
Shadekeep's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Aerlith
Default Re: TFT Map Maker

Quote:
Originally Posted by bill_seney View Post
Or I suppose as a work around I could do all the drawing in your program, export to a graphic file then use another program to add annotations, once I have the size I like.
Yes, that's probably the best way to get fine-grained control over the process. It also makes it easier to add things like place names and special notes. But if I can get at least the basic annotation function in I'll do it. It would be nice to have basic stuff like door information as part of the map file, instead of spread over two or more different files.
Shadekeep is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2018, 09:56 AM   #103
platimus
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: behind you
Default Re: TFT Map Maker

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadekeep View Post
I've considered adding an annotation tool along these lines, but it's a bit tricky, especially with font scaling. If I can get it into this release I will, though. Thanks!



I can make it work vertically, sure. However, in the scenario you describe, a regular vertical line with Apex components makes a nice wall for me. Is there a different idea you have, such as a wall with openings every other hex?

EDIT: Or are you asking for a version of the tool that does the alternating automatically? That's another one I worked on for a bit but which seemed to add a lot of complexity for very little returned value. I can revisit the idea again however, thanks!
Eureka! LOL
I had been wondering how to easily draw a horizontal wall and what use the skip-line might have. This discussion killed 2 birds with 1 stone!

My request: Allow some "free-hand" drawing of lines and shapes that don't snap to the hex-grid. Let the width of the lines be variable/configurable. Also, a "fill" function would be nice in conjunction with this. The "fill" would fill an area bordered by these "free-hand" lines and the hex-grid lines and/or the area between just "free-hand" lines.
__________________
Miranda Warning: Anything you say can and will be used against you in a forum of rules-lawyers.
platimus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2018, 06:12 PM   #104
bill_seney
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Canada
Default Re: TFT Map Maker

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadekeep View Post
Yes, that's probably the best way to get fine-grained control over the process. It also makes it easier to add things like place names and special notes. But if I can get at least the basic annotation function in I'll do it. It would be nice to have basic stuff like door information as part of the map file, instead of spread over two or more different files.
Tried it. Default Windows paint program seems to do an adequate job.
bill_seney is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2018, 07:23 PM   #105
Shadekeep
 
Shadekeep's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Aerlith
Default Re: TFT Map Maker

Quote:
Originally Posted by bill_seney View Post
Tried it. Default Windows paint program seems to do an adequate job.
Good deal. There are some nice free paint programs for Windows if you want to get fancier too, such as Paint.NET, GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program), and Krita.
Shadekeep is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-18-2018, 08:43 AM   #106
Shadekeep
 
Shadekeep's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Aerlith
Default Re: TFT Map Maker

Quote:
Originally Posted by platimus View Post
My request: Allow some "free-hand" drawing of lines and shapes that don't snap to the hex-grid. Let the width of the lines be variable/configurable. Also, a "fill" function would be nice in conjunction with this. The "fill" would fill an area bordered by these "free-hand" lines and the hex-grid lines and/or the area between just "free-hand" lines.
I agree that would be very useful, but it would also be a nightmare to implement from a code perspective in this particular program. Everything in Shamat is predicated on hex positions, and adding arbitrary pixel positions would play havoc with that system. It would also be a real pain to select something you had already drawn freehand and then modify/delete/clone it. I really would have needed to start from a pixel-based perspective instead of grid-based one in order to implement such a thing. Sorry, and I'd love to include it myself, but it's just too different from the rest of the code.
Shadekeep is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-18-2018, 09:19 AM   #107
tomc
 
tomc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Carrboro, NC
Default Re: TFT Map Maker

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadekeep View Post
Sorry, and I'd love to include it myself, but it's just too different from the rest of the code.
I ran into the same situation with my ogre map making software. It's better to put your time into unique features that generic drawing programs don't have, than to add marginal convenience by shoehorning in things users can do with a generic tool.

For me, it's sufficient to have a base map file, save it as an image, then use another drawing program to add labels, a compass rose, lines and arrows, etc.

Thanks again for making your program available to all of us!
__________________
OgreMap2

Freedom of Speech is not Freedom of Podium
tomc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-18-2018, 01:35 PM   #108
Shadekeep
 
Shadekeep's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Aerlith
Default Re: TFT Map Maker

Quote:
Originally Posted by tomc View Post
I ran into the same situation with my ogre map making software. It's better to put your time into unique features that generic drawing programs don't have, than to add marginal convenience by shoehorning in things users can do with a generic tool.

For me, it's sufficient to have a base map file, save it as an image, then use another drawing program to add labels, a compass rose, lines and arrows, etc.

Thanks again for making your program available to all of us!
I agree. I do want people to be able to make as much of their map as possible with the program, and to avoid spreading map data over several different formats, but ultimately there has to be a point where the program feature set stops.

Thanks for the kind words, glad you enjoy the program!
Shadekeep is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-18-2018, 04:04 PM   #109
platimus
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: behind you
Default Re: TFT Map Maker

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadekeep View Post
I agree that would be very useful, but it would also be a nightmare to implement from a code perspective in this particular program. Everything in Shamat is predicated on hex positions, and adding arbitrary pixel positions would play havoc with that system. It would also be a real pain to select something you had already drawn freehand and then modify/delete/clone it. I really would have needed to start from a pixel-based perspective instead of grid-based one in order to implement such a thing. Sorry, and I'd love to include it myself, but it's just too different from the rest of the code.
Understandable. I figured as much but thought I'd throw it out there anyway. In regards to selecting, modifying, moving, etc. something that was free-hand drawn, I had no expectations to be able to do those things as I knew implementation of those things would be horrendous. 'Erase' is the only thing I expected to be able to do with "free-hand" stuff. It seems like you could have 2 layers on the mapping area: one for stuff that snaps to the hex-grid and one for free-hand stuff. The 'erase' function could be toggled for either layer by the user. Just some ideas. I definitely don't expect "free-hand" to be there in v1.0 but keep it in mind down the road. Often things look impossible or too hard to achieve because of the way we approach the problem. After some time, a new approach might dawn that makes it more doable.

Thanks for the reply!
__________________
Miranda Warning: Anything you say can and will be used against you in a forum of rules-lawyers.
platimus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-18-2018, 04:51 PM   #110
Shadekeep
 
Shadekeep's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Aerlith
Default Re: TFT Map Maker

Quote:
Originally Posted by platimus View Post
Thanks for the reply!
Certainly, and thanks for the suggestion! Again, if I find a way of doing it, I'm happy to implement it. And I was thinking that it would have to be another draw layer, as you point out. Who knows, inspiration may indeed strike!
Shadekeep is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:42 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.