tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283938885302784821.post5249436131103618234..comments2024-03-28T00:42:25.420-07:00Comments on Grognardling: Frustrations in Map-MakingChristopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16988517412357391012noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283938885302784821.post-76101286205884921582012-02-20T11:27:13.896-08:002012-02-20T11:27:13.896-08:00A few more ideas here:
http://untimately.blogspot...A few more ideas here:<br /><br /><a href="http://untimately.blogspot.com/2012/02/acks-setting-part-1.html" rel="nofollow">http://untimately.blogspot.com/2012/02/acks-setting-part-1.html</a>Necropraxishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12716340801054739658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283938885302784821.post-47967907046124983732012-02-14T18:11:03.415-08:002012-02-14T18:11:03.415-08:00I've been away from blogging for a few days. T...I've been away from blogging for a few days. Thanks, everyone, for the responses, links and advice. With all the recommendations, I'll probably check out Gimp or Inkscape at some point in the near future, but I'm going to finish this project all analog, I think.<br /><br />Brendan: Yeah, your map does look much better than mine did! If I ever use that method again, I'll spiral out like you did.<br /><br />Talysman: When I say I have zero experience with Photoshop or Gimp, I mean that all I have ever done with either is install Gimp on my sister's computer for her because, after graduating from high school, where she edited the yearbook, she wasn't going to have access to Photoshop anymore. ^__^<br /><br />More seriously, I very much appreciate the mini-tutorial. I will use it when I do get around to using Gimp.<br /><br />Sir Larkins: I feel like I'd seen that before but had forgotten all about it; thanks for bringing that to my attention again.<br /><br />1: Thank you, as well, for the mini-tutorial!Christopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988517412357391012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283938885302784821.post-49795014209010569152012-02-13T00:17:00.598-08:002012-02-13T00:17:00.598-08:00Here's my take on how to do it all in GIMP - h...Here's my take on how to do it all in GIMP - hotkeys will be in parenthesis.<br /><br />1. Open GIMP<br />2. Open the big ACKS Hexomancy PDF. GIMP ought to be able to import it on its own, just use the default settings.<br />3. Using the rectangle select tool (r), select the entire hex grid. Don't select the 1 2 3 4/A B C D grid labels along the side.<br />4. Copy (CTRL+C)<br />5. File>Create>From Clipboard (CTRL+SHIFT+V).<br />6. Layer>New Layer (SHIFT+CTRL+N). Make sure it's filled with transparency.<br />6. Open the Free Map Monday map in GIMP.<br />7. Image>Scale Image. Make the image small enough to fit into your hex grid image you just created.<br />8. Select>All (CTRL+A) and Copy (CTRL+C)<br />9. Click back to your new hex grid image. Click on the top, blank layer in the Layer Dialog so it's selected.<br />10. Paste (CTRL+V)<br />11. In the layer dialog, drag the new layer (with the map on it) under the layer with the grid.<br />12. Select the grid layer in the layer dialog.<br />13. Take the Select By Color tool (CTRL+O) and click on a white area.<br />14. Delete. Now you should have a map with a giant hex grid on it. If you want the ACKS 1 2 3 4/A B C D grid, follow further.<br />15. Layers>Merge Down<br />16. Select all (CTRL>A), Copy (CTRL+C)<br />17. Click on your original ACKS hexmap with the 1 2 3 4 grid on it.<br />18. Paste (CTRL V), and align your new hexmap with the ACKS one.<br /><br />I'm sure there's an easier way to do this, but fuck it, it's 3 AM and I'm drunk.TheJollyLlama875https://www.blogger.com/profile/08870737754643067461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283938885302784821.post-59739918581425876862012-02-12T01:03:57.949-08:002012-02-12T01:03:57.949-08:00Use a window! Tape the hex grid over the map on th...Use a window! Tape the hex grid over the map on the window glass, daytime. Light will do the transparency trick for you :)Il Male™https://www.blogger.com/profile/02699384706214815033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283938885302784821.post-66347718528688549592012-02-11T19:36:04.017-08:002012-02-11T19:36:04.017-08:00I cannot recommend GIMP enough. I'm with Taly...I cannot recommend GIMP enough. I'm with Talysman -- getcha some and goof about with it. It's fun and rewarding and IT'S FREE.Dr Rotwanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16750632906878388570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283938885302784821.post-24220090655209053692012-02-11T19:33:26.651-08:002012-02-11T19:33:26.651-08:00@Christopher,
so glad it worked for you. It is th...@Christopher,<br /><br />so glad it worked for you. It is the same idea as printing letterhead, then printing your letter on that same paper.<br /><br />Many ways to skin a cat. Give GIMP a try, as well as another free one, Inkscape. (sort of the Adobe Illustrator of open source)Niccodaemushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12969643475763823901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283938885302784821.post-84783344435360850632012-02-11T18:46:42.706-08:002012-02-11T18:46:42.706-08:00The Welsh Piper has an excellent system for genera...The Welsh Piper has <a href="http://www.welshpiper.com/hex-based-campaign-design-part-1/" rel="nofollow">an excellent system</a> for generating hex maps that produces believable groups of terrain. I know Evan of In Places Deep uses that system for all his hex maps.David Larkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04133630988557116729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283938885302784821.post-32845193980667632992012-02-11T17:54:38.210-08:002012-02-11T17:54:38.210-08:00When you say you have zero experience with the GIM...When you say you have zero experience with the GIMP or Photoshop, I assume you have at least tried one or the other at one time, but gave up because of the huge amount you have to learn to use it?<br /><br />If you install the GIMP and start it, you can do the following:<br />1. Click "File" and select "Open", then find and open the map of the coastline you want to use.<br />2. Click "File", select "Open", then fine and open the hex map. Don't close the coastline image, though.<br />3. In the hex map window, Click "Select" and select "All".<br />4. Click "Edit" and select "Copy".<br />5. Switch to the coastline, Click "Edit", and select "Paste As...", then select "New Layer". This pastes a hex-map layer on top of the coastline layer.<br />6. Click "Tools" and select "Toolbox". It should switch to a floating palette of buttons, a pair of colored squares, and a row of tabs below this. One tab is the Layers tab; it's labeled with what looks like a stack of papers. Click on it.<br />7. You should see two layers, one labeled "Background" and one labeled "New Layer". The new layer should already be selected. Above it is a slider for opacity, and above that is a line labeled "Mode", with a drop-down menu to the right. Click on this and change the mode to "Darken Only".<br />Ta da! You now have hexes layered over your coastline. This assumes that the hex map and the coastline map are the same proportions; if they aren't, you'd have to scale one of the layers down to the other, and I'm not sure I have the energy for that right now.Talysmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02162328521343832412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283938885302784821.post-32738811990862419112012-02-11T16:41:02.023-08:002012-02-11T16:41:02.023-08:00Thanks for the links to the ACKS hex paper sheets....Thanks for the links to the ACKS hex paper sheets. I didn't know about those.<br /><br />The Fight On! article you mentioned is Victor Raymond's Wilderness Architect? I believe it is intended to be used in a spiral out from an origin hex in the center of the paper. At least that is how I used it and this was the result I got:<br /><br /><a href="http://i42.tinypic.com/25z5gg3.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://i42.tinypic.com/25z5gg3.jpg</a><br /><br />I think hex 12.14 was the origin.<br /><br />I probably need to ban myself from working with colored pencils though. That took forever. I also think I need to limit myself to a much smaller number of hexes to begin with. The idea of populating this map is just sort of overwhelming.Necropraxishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12716340801054739658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283938885302784821.post-25094711807112628472012-02-11T15:07:17.023-08:002012-02-11T15:07:17.023-08:00Just tried printing the hex-map and the map onto t...Just tried printing the hex-map and the map onto the same piece of paper and it came out wonderfully. Thanks very much for the idea!Christopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988517412357391012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283938885302784821.post-30292105590350009202012-02-11T14:56:09.844-08:002012-02-11T14:56:09.844-08:00How about printing your hex map, then putting the ...How about printing your hex map, then putting the paper back in the printer and printing your map contours over it?<br /><br />If you are going the tracing route, tape it to a window during the day, so that it is backlit and you can see the lines better.Niccodaemushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12969643475763823901noreply@blogger.com