Converting objects into pixels

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Kjertvald
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Converting objects into pixels

Post by Kjertvald »

Hello!
I am not an artis and like taking shortcuts by inserting image-objects into my maps. But if I put too many objects into my map, it starts getting memory-errors. an Example would be a forest of 200 trees.

Is there a way to convert objects on the map into dumb pixels on the same layer?

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jfrazierjr
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Re: Converting objects into pixels

Post by jfrazierjr »

Kjertvald wrote:Hello!
I am not an artis and like taking shortcuts by inserting image-objects into my maps. But if I put too many objects into my map, it starts getting memory-errors. an Example would be a forest of 200 trees.

Is there a way to convert objects on the map into dumb pixels on the same layer?
No. Don't use 200 different trees.. use 10-15 trees duplicated 20 times each. This saves a drastic amount of memory vs 200 DISTINCT trees. Your other option is to put the tress into an image application such as Photoshop or GIMP and export that entire thing as a singular "map" for importing into Maptool via JPEG or whatever. Or get more RAM.
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taustinoc
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Re: Converting objects into pixels

Post by taustinoc »

wolph42 wrote:If you like you can use the forest builder in my bot
Which takes a little tinkering to figure out, but works very well. Provided one is patient (because it does a lot of crunching if you want a forest of any size).

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Full Bleed
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Re: Converting objects into pixels

Post by Full Bleed »

Kjertvald wrote:But if I put too many objects into my map, it starts getting memory-errors.
First, please goto to Help>Gather Debug Information and post what your memory settings are.
jfrazierjr wrote:No. Don't use 200 different trees.. use 10-15 trees duplicated 20 times each. This saves a drastic amount of memory vs 200 DISTINCT trees.
And the way to do this is to put about 5-10 trees on the object layer. Then copy and paste them around your map changing their orientation and size.
Maptool is the Millennium Falcon of VTT's -- "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts."

Kjertvald
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Re: Converting objects into pixels

Post by Kjertvald »

Thanks for quick replies.

The things is, i have a map 3 000 000 squares by 2 400 000 squares in which i draw the surface of my campaign as my players get to new places.

No matten how i bundle the trees, there would still be milions of objects for my computer to handle after a year of play.
That's why I wish i could change the image objects into pixels on the drawing layer.

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aliasmask
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Re: Converting objects into pixels

Post by aliasmask »

For very large areas with trees I use a large pattern of trees as a base and paint it an area. I delete spots to put in features. Very doable. For example:
Light Oak Pattern
Light Tree Texture Oak.png
Light Tree Texture Oak.png (1.15 MiB) Viewed 1105 times

Kjertvald
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Re: Converting objects into pixels

Post by Kjertvald »

wolph42 wrote:If you like you can use the forest builder in my bot
Sure, Ill have a look. :)
what does it do exactly and where do I find it?

Kjertvald
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Re: Converting objects into pixels

Post by Kjertvald »

[quote="aliasmask"]For very large areas with trees I use a large pattern of trees as a base and paint it an area. I delete spots to put in features. Very doable. For example:

Yes, this is the kind of thing I'm aiming for, and I've used it a little.

But this doesn't let me draw trees exactly where I want them in places where it is important, such as a glade or whatever where the players go. The texture is locked to the grid I guess. or can I change the positioning of the texture somehow?

I guess I could use this to draw most forest features.

Kjertvald
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Re: Converting objects into pixels

Post by Kjertvald »

I feel like people aren't seeing the forest for all the trees :P

the trees was just an example.

Yesterday I drew a graveyard with some 40 toomb-stones, which i then copied into another place. This alone puts 80 objects on the map, which drains my memory, because every tombstone has its own notes and whatever unnessecary information in it.

I would like to draw/insert immages of whatever and then just remove all information about it, except its projection on the map.

Is there any way of reducing the information stored in an object?

Is this something anyone else than me would like implemented?

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JamzTheMan
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Re: Converting objects into pixels

Post by JamzTheMan »

Is there a reason these graveyards, glades, towns, etc have to be detailed on the main map? Can you just put a map symbol for a town/temple/site/whatever on the main map and anytime you need to "zoom in" for details put that in it's own map?

Also, are you setting your max memory settings via the launcher? What are your system specs? With 48gb of ram, I can create a pretty complicated map, with 1gb, not so much.
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Full Bleed
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Re: Converting objects into pixels

Post by Full Bleed »

Kjertvald wrote:I feel like people aren't seeing the forest for all the trees :P

the trees was just an example.

Yesterday I drew a graveyard with some 40 toomb-stones, which i then copied into another place. This alone puts 80 objects on the map, which drains my memory, because every tombstone has its own notes and whatever unnessecary information in it.

I would like to draw/insert immages of whatever and then just remove all information about it, except its projection on the map.
What do you mean? What you're asking really kind of sounds a little nonsensical? Like me saying, is there anyway I can eat and entire pizza and not consume any calories.

Walk us through this.

You want to put an image on a map and then be able to see it but not have it count against your memory usage?
Is there any way of reducing the information stored in an object?
Again... what does this mean? If you "put information" on an object and you want to reduce it... remove the information.
Is this something anyone else than me would like implemented?
You're going to need to explain what you want implemented more clearly.

Your title of this thread says "convert objects into pixels"... but objects *are* pixels. What would they be converted into?
Maptool is the Millennium Falcon of VTT's -- "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts."

Kjertvald
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Re: Converting objects into pixels

Post by Kjertvald »

Full Bleed wrote:
Kjertvald wrote:I feel like people aren't seeing the forest for all the trees :P

the trees was just an example.

Yesterday I drew a graveyard with some 40 toomb-stones, which i then copied into another place. This alone puts 80 objects on the map, which drains my memory, because every tombstone has its own notes and whatever unnessecary information in it.

I would like to draw/insert immages of whatever and then just remove all information about it, except its projection on the map.
What do you mean? What you're asking really kind of sounds a little nonsensical? Like me saying, is there anyway I can eat and entire pizza and not consume any calories.

Walk us through this.

You want to put an image on a map and then be able to see it but not have it count against your memory usage?
Is there any way of reducing the information stored in an object?
Again... what does this mean? If you "put information" on an object and you want to reduce it... remove the information.
Is this something anyone else than me would like implemented?
You're going to need to explain what you want implemented more clearly.

Your title of this thread says "convert objects into pixels"... but objects *are* pixels. What would they be converted into?



Sure, I'll explain it to you.

Lets say I have a plain map with some random texture covering the entire background and that my computer has no memory problems with this map.
If I was a very good artist with alot of patience, I could use the drawing-tool to draw all the things I want onto the map.
The only thing I would do to the map is change what color each pixel on the map has. I would not add any information to the map, because the pixels where there to begin with and the computer doesn't demand more memory for certain types of colour or whatever. with this method, my computer would thus be able to handle the map however I drew it.
The things I drew on the map are not objects. they are only the projections of objects. only what you could see of this immaginary object.

If on the other hand, I am a lazy artist and I drag immages onto the map, it is a different thing entirely.
By dragging an immage onto the map, I create an object in the software for each immage i put into the map. because of the way the software is programmed, each object automatically gets alot of information attached to it. Simply put, the information is things like:
coordinates on the map
if you click it, it will be selected.
if you drag it, it will change coordinates.
if you right click it, you will be given a list of options ,which in turn are all new pieces of information
The note boxes
the text writen in the note boxes
the status of his object in terms of DnD rules
who controlls this object
does it have vision
etc
etc
etc

All these things are made with lines of code. This code is what drains the memory usage when drawing these maps.

these things are awesome to have for specific things you wish to interact with.

But if every single tree, tombstone, rock or chair has this information, you will quickly run into overusage of memory if you have a large map, like mine.



I want the best of these two worlds.
I am a lazy, and crapy artis. I want to be able to drag immages onto the map and position them where I like. Then I want the pixels of the background layer beneath the immages to change colour to match the immages and then remove the objects entirely, leaving only the visual projection of the immage on the map. It would be just as if i drew it with the drawing-tool. I could erase it with the eraser, I could paint things over it. But most important of all, I would not have a bunch of information stored in it.
If my computer could handle the map when it was blank, it could handle it after this process as well. the only thing different would be the colors of the pixels.

If this is not possible, I ask if there is any other way of reducing the information stored in the objects. By this I mean, can you remove the most unnecessary pieces of code attached to the objects, like note boxes, vision, rule-related things, etc., essentially leaving only the projection of the object and its positioning on the map?

Kjertvald
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Re: Converting objects into pixels

Post by Kjertvald »

JamzTheMan wrote:Is there a reason these graveyards, glades, towns, etc have to be detailed on the main map? Can you just put a map symbol for a town/temple/site/whatever on the main map and anytime you need to "zoom in" for details put that in it's own map?

Also, are you setting your max memory settings via the launcher? What are your system specs? With 48gb of ram, I can create a pretty complicated map, with 1gb, not so much.


I want them detailed because I want everything to be on the same map. I don't want to have a bunch of maps to search through if the players get t somewhere unexpected. I want it because if the players leave the map, I will still know exactly where thay are. I want it because if there would ever be an army marching upon this town, there would be tomb-stones to hide behind when trying to sneak up on the enemy siege weapons or whatever unforeseen circumstances there might be because of mundane objects in the surroundings
I might be crazy to even consider this task, but to me as a Game master, unforeseen things make the world more real.

I'm starting it from the launcher set to 700-1000 MB.I think my computer has 16 GB RAM or something. I did a lazy google of how to use it and my impression is that you shoulldn't overdo it. Besides, if 150 objects are too many for 1 GB, I guess I could only put some 7000 objects on the map with 48 GB RAM. And the way I'm doing it Im closing in on those kinds of numbers within a year. I would hate to not be able to go on after puting that much effort into the map because the RAM won't allow it.

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