Grid Resizing

[Bletchley_Geek]

Hello there,

thanks for the release, the editor looks very promising.

I am trying to make my first map and I find the grid the editor starts setup with to be inadequate for my needs. How can I reshape and resize it? I can't find any option to that effect in the UI neither on the documentation, so perhaps it is meant not to be changed for this initial release?

Thanks.

[Andy ONeill]

You mean the grid of grey lines?

Hadn't occurred to me that someone would wish to use a different size.
They're a dynamically drawn image.
I could allow a user to control the size of them.
Redraw them and recalculate the value you see which says "Grid lines are nnnn metres" under help.

What do you have in mind?

[Rob Seabrook]

Hi Andy,

Along a similar line...any thoughts for optional grid shapes that print with the map? I would like to see: (1) hexes with the ability to scale their size and (2) polygons with multiple points for topographically based area movement.

Thanks.

[Andy ONeill]

You're thinking of using the maps for a board game or campaign.
Cool !

I should mention this thing is never going to be another campaign cartographer or the like.
That would be a huge load of work and well out of scope.

Anything we can reasonably accommodate is  OK.

If I explain how producing the background to be used in the game works.
If you take a look in the "Working" folder in appdata after you save a map you'll find a png file.

Open that up and you will notice there are no places plaques, no grid and no compass.
These are all hidden and a render of the container is then used to produce that png.
The grid overlay is not used because you wouldn't then be able turn the thing off.

You could grab one of those files and manipulate a copy however you like.
As of right now you're looking at a graphics app of some sort and whack a layer on top of a copy of that picture.

Which of course is not just a click of a button but you could build a hex picture with a transparent background once.
Then re-use that as many times as you like combined with any other picture.

These requirements aren't really going to be used in the game so they are arguably out of scope.
This would have to be reasonably quick and easy to do or I can't reasonably give it a higher priority than work on the game.
In fact if it's substantial work then Ezra and I would have to discuss whether to include it at all.
We already set the stall up and sold this project so it wouldn't be fair on others if it suddenly turned into something else.
At least not at this stage.

Whatever this is it needs defining clearly so I understand it.

For either/ both we'd need a new view g to preview a map with overlay and export that.
Hexes sound reasonably do-able. They're a specific shape so I can define one and somehow tile or re-use.

Re-shapable polygons sounds pretty tricky and more substantial.
As a miniumum you'd need some way to add then select a shape, add something to grab at each corner.
Allow drag of that.
Redo where that point is located based on where it ends up.
Of itself I would guess maybe 25-35 hours work.
If I also need to consider how that polygon interacts with others when you drag then that's way more complicated.

[Rob Seabrook]

Yes! I love the simplicity and style of the map generator. Moreover, I think its utility across various media is massive. I'm sure I am not the only person so far to see it as a board game design tool if not yet as a full blown board game design app. 

I agree that variable shaped polygons would be a challenge to automate though something could be done similar to the way shapes are manipulated in Powerpoint, PS, Illustrator, etc. The ability to align and link points, then create the next polygon from there as opposed to creating the polygon and then aligning would be nice, however, lets set that aside for now.

Hexes, simple grids and brick pattern grids via vector art would be much easier as a layer overlay and again, with the ability to scale them either vertex to vertex or face to face. Example hex scale: 500 yd/hex face to face. Compass orientation of the grid would be by the vertexes.

[Andy ONeill]

OK so this is something we could potentially sell.
More money would be good.
I like eating.
It would be an interesting couple of pieces of work.
Those polygons would be a bit of a challenge and a fair chunk of work though.

I think we have to defer until the game is complete or near complete.
Our contract obligations are then fulfilled.
Then we decide exactly what to do.
Hexes are kind of easy so it's quite likely to be tagged on.
Visio style draggable linked shapes is less likely.
Maybe we should be thinking of a separate utility entirely and trying to cover rpg.

For now, I'll gather suggestions/requirements.