How to build a really basic map from scratch within maptool

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torstan
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How to build a really basic map from scratch within maptool

Post by torstan »

A friend of mine wanted to start using maptool to build campaigns so I decided to write an email with some easy step by step instructions. The email got really long so I turned it into a document instead. I'll post it here in case it is useful to others as well.

Anyway, here it is:

Basic Map Tutorial

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snikle
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Post by snikle »

Wow! Very very nice work torstan!
• snikle •
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trevor
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Post by trevor »

Saaweeeeeet ! Even has awesome screencaps !

Man, we should include that in the download !
Dreaming of a 1.3 release

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torstan
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Post by torstan »

Stop it, you'll make me blush :)

Feel free to include it. I can reduce the file-size if necessary without any difficulty (I didn't resize the screencaps before including them in the pdf so they are huge).

Some things that would have made making this simple dungeon easier and more intuitive:
1. Undo for topology.
2. A setting that clearly sets topology draw to erase rather than relying on people to remember to presh shift.
3. Same as above but for snap to grid topology.
4. Coupled topology and draw colour. Just a 'Fill with topology' button in the drawing options would be excellent. If people want to see some of the colour beneath then they could make the line width the same colour as the fill and make it wider. This would reduce the tutorial length by half.

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RPMiller
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Post by RPMiller »

Excellent!! Thank you for creating this torstan!
You're just jealous 'cause the voices only talk to me.

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Red Rook
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Re: How to build a really basic map from scratch within maptool

Post by Red Rook »

All I can say is thanks. People like you who take the time to help people like me are well liked be people...like me. 8) Cool people. :D

You rock bro Thanks again.


-Rook
Kobold...I am a KOBOLD!...darn reincarnation...I hate that spell!

Phergus
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Re: How to build a really basic map from scratch within maptool

Post by Phergus »

Just so you know...

While the basics of that tutorial are still valid the current user interface is quite a bit different from the version used to make the tutorial. Especially as regards to light & vision.

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Azhrei
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Re: How to build a really basic map from scratch within maptool

Post by Azhrei »

This qualifies for the HOWTO subforum under MapTool.

It's been moved. To be honest, I was never even aware it existed! Now I've got some "over lunch" reading material. ;)

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Stitched
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Re:

Post by Stitched »

torstan wrote:Stop it, you'll make me blush :)

Feel free to include it. I can reduce the file-size if necessary without any difficulty (I didn't resize the screencaps before including them in the pdf so they are huge).

Some things that would have made making this simple dungeon easier and more intuitive:
1. Undo for topology.
2. A setting that clearly sets topology draw to erase rather than relying on people to remember to presh shift.
3. Same as above but for snap to grid topology.
4. Coupled topology and draw colour. Just a 'Fill with topology' button in the drawing options would be excellent. If people want to see some of the colour beneath then they could make the line width the same colour as the fill and make it wider. This would reduce the tutorial length by half.
Either that or the ability to create an "alpha" layer from your dungeon/city image that you want topology for and use that as a topology layer. It would save having to draw the map twice.

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palmer
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Re: Re:

Post by palmer »

Stitched wrote:Either that or the ability to create an "alpha" layer from your dungeon/city image that you want topology for and use that as a topology layer. It would save having to draw the map twice.
That's been requested, but the biggest obstacle to this is that topology is drawn as vectors, and bitmaps (ie images) do not convert to vectors nicely or easily.

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