What not-obvious features would you want in an easy to use map making program that uses/manages your own assets?
I already plan on making it infinitely sizeable, printer friendly, infinite layers, and have a basic dungeon generator that uses your own tile/floor/wall/etc assets that allows you to edit the map afterward just as if you'd made it from scratch.
Pic taken from cartographersguild
>>43808716
whats on the other side of that bridge?
>>43808786
No clue, I just googled "D&D map" and picked an image
>>43808961
Well, find out.
>>43808786
It's the bridge over the Selintan River between Greyhawk and Dyvers, from "Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk".
In this particular encounter, there's orcs on the other side.
>>43809640
cool, thanks.
>>43808716
Anyways, I would like a clean interface above all. I want to know how to select what I'm trying to select, Where every piece is at a given moment [with some searching through tables if need be] and a relatively simple 'grouping' tool, So I can Ctrl-click objects and then move them as one, for example.
>>43808716
>not-obvious
Don't know how obvious these are, but...
Hex support, even if it just plasters the hex grid over a square map.
Though allowing importing of hex resources would be cool.
Additionally, saving the map with no grid apparent, for importing to an online gaming platform (like say Roll20).
If you're planning to have default assets, a low ink asset set, maybe one with and one without color, would be amazing for collage student budgets (back when you used a favorite die as your miniature).
The option for a reference print...
Something like having it print a playable sized map then a shrunken one that has image layers with a "gm only" tag also printed on.
A locking grid system, so you can drag and drop shapes into place and have them line up nicely. One that can be turned off and on at flip of a setting would be grate!
Any plans for side view maps? Like a cross section of a Hive spire or something simmilar?
>>43809841
Great ideas here
You hire Mike Schley to create said assets.
I think he did some stuff for another mapping program, but they didn't look that good put together.
He also had a deal with the Codename Morningstar team, but then that project died.
What I'd want is some kind of magic algorithm that makes every 5x5 tree not look identical, without needing lots of separate assets. Look at computer game software like SpeedTree, which creates lots of random trees. You could probably do that with 2D graphics using Perlin noise (procedural generation) or something.
The ability to lay down walls just by dragging a line (or curve) and paint terrains would be good. I came across map makers where wall blocks were individual assets that needed to be plopped down one by one, which is annoying.
Same thing with dungeons, you should be able to just drag your cursor to make a square room, like drawing a rectangle in Paint.
>>43809931
mike, Buddy. You have to either be more subtle with your fishing, Or be more blunt and attach a resume.
That said, Cool ass map and Interesting idea,
I would like color assets to be easily changeable if possible.
Also, take a gander at this. It could at least be interesting for you OP. http://nepeta.mozai.com/downloads/mapgen2.swf
>>43809743
100% aiming for a clean and intuitive interface.
And I'll try to figure something out for finding any asset that's on the map. Some way to group them intelligently in a popup window or something and doubleclicking can scroll to it. Something like that.
Grouping is also a major planned feature.
>>43809841
I hadn't even thought about hex support. Thanks. I'll release it in major versions, so the first version might not have fancy stuff like snapping to grid with hex, but it'll at least have viewing a hex grid just like a square grid. Later on once I get some more features done working with square, i'll add in hex support for all of those too.
Saving player-/GM-version maps (as dictated by the user, marking layers as GM only/default/Player only) is a major planned feature, also being able to mix & match layers for printing regardless of how they're marked..
I might do some default assets to boot, but that will come later on if so.
The shrunken 'reference' version is a good idea, thanks.
>>43809925
Will definitely have a locking grid.
Sure, I can add support for side-views.
>>43810026
I forgot to include those in the OP but I do plan on having the ability to draw walls in any shape of line and just pick a texture/style/other fancy settings for them, as well as easy room-making via dragging rectangles that get walls placed around them and floor beneath then editing from there.
>>43810113
do you have any examples of past work or experience? You sound like you know your shit.
>>43810139
Nothing publicly available, I'm afraid. I've been working as a developer for the past 6 years, been doing hobby programming for the past 10.
>>43810170
well darn.. I look forward to seeing your progress. Any plans on how you're going to distribute your product? Free to 'play' or will we have to buy it? Make a quality program and I would not mind dropping 5-10$ on it.
>People willing to pay money for a shitty amateur map program
>Not willing to just download Photoshop and spend 5 minutes learning how to make their own shit.
I guess why put in effort when you could just wait for someone to do it for you?
>>43808716
Maptools is an amazing map making program that has every obvious feature I want in addition to be interactive.
Printer friendly? I wish.
Make it happen OP, and god speed.
>>43810032
Could you explain what you mean by color assets being easily changeable?
>>43810289
Glad you're interested. It'll be free, but I'll put a button hidden in a menu somewhere to donate if the user wants.
>>43810321
pretty much exactly this in my case. Yeah I could make my maps from scratch each time, But a useful, well made program could be fun to fuck around with as well. I would be more prone to experimentation and fucking around for shits and giggles. I make enough of my own maps already.
>>43808716
>What not-obvious features
hability to select square grid, triangular ones (yes triangular) or hex ones
>>43810360
'cleaned up' version.
>>43810349
I mean that any object you provide as a basic 'asset' like generic shapes, walls and flora can have a little color-wheels pop up so I can change it up. Maybe even save that newly re-colored object to streamline making future maps for the same game.
So an example would be Taking a tile-able cobble wall you give us and turning it from grey to green because the fortress I'm making is made out of magic green booger rocks, not boring grey rocks.
>>43810398
>'cleaned up' version.
I pity your players so much.
>>43810408
I have never used it for games. It's practice, but an example why I like programs more.
Any suggestions to make it better?
Oh, A system to Easily organize assets would be cool. Like minecraft's Creative menu but user-organized. Having folders that we can name, manipulate and fill with the objects we want to have would be nifty.
>>43810455
>Any suggestions to make it better?
Maybe try not scribbling in MSPaint?
>>43810331
Thanks, anon.
>>43810455
Oh yeah, I'll have color-tinting for every asset. So the basic assets, if any, will also have a b&w version so that the color-tinting changes it to exactly what you select
And I do plan on it being able to help with organizing/managing assets like that.
>>43808716
That map is aweful. How wide are those roads. I'd suggest something stupid being used on these roads, but nothing exists that could possibly hope utilise these massive areas. Also everything else.
>>43812799
40ft across? This is absolutely fine as a road ina a market town lacking a square - which is not a rare thing in historical European towns. So you would get one long main road that was really wide, and stalls would set up along it.
The stupid part is the stone bridge that is 30ft wide. That would be insanely costly and unnecessary.
>>43813348
No, see. Since this area is super close to a really important crossroad, as indicated by the massive stone bridge, it's the worst place to set up a bazaar. You'd want military posts there, Inns maybe. Sure, the evolving city would have a massive bazaar, but not the road itself. In middle-aged cities, space is the premium. Because you have to surround the important bits with walls. Wasting that much on a road is insanity.
>>43813439
Almost no medieval settlements had walls. Main fortified cities did. But most people did not live in cities.
If this map is of city streets, it is ridiculous. But there is no clear indicator that it is. If it is of a dispersed, semi-rural settlement, then only the size of the stone bridge is incongruous.
>>43813913
I'm telling you that there is no way that a stone bridge like this would be without a city to benefit from the large amount of traders that would use such a high importance trade route.
The only alternative that makes sense is that the city is on the other end of the bridge.
>>43814178
or that a wizard did it.
