MapScaleTool v1.01

[trevor]

I can't wait until we can do all this resizing in Maptool.

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Keep reminding me and I'll get it in for 1.3

[snikle]

[head explodes]

LOL I started reading this thread, mentally said "hell no", my brain was narrowly saved through quick use of the scroll wheel.

[dorpond]

I can't wait until we can do all this resizing in Maptool.

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Keep reminding me and I'll get it in for 1.3

*Reminder*

Even with the cool tool that Kizan made, it still took me over a half hour to put two maps in Maptool so that the grid lined up (and) I had to use Photoshop, use measuring rulers, count squares, get dimensions - definately something I would want my future GM's to have to go through when I pass the GM's hat.

*Another Reminder*

[Azhrei]

Dorpond had a great idea for the "mapper" application I was working on before I found MapTool.

Draw a resizable grid on top of the map. As the mouse is right-dragged, the grid (or the map) moves to allow positioning of the grid. If the mouse is moved without dragging, the grid is resized. (Of you could use the wheel, since that preserves the current "zoom" concept.)

I had something like this working with my map software, but I never got to Dorpond's full idea. In my solution, there were multiple discrete steps:

1. define an "anchor" or "origin" point
2. move the mouse to another position on the map (a rubberband line is drawn)
3. click the mouse to set the second point.

That part was used to rotate the map. Many of the maps I scan in already have a background grid on them, so the first step is to rotate the scanned image so that the grid lines are exactly horizontal/vertical. Then the second step was the scaling:

1. select an origin point
2. move the mouse to an intersection directly horizontal or vertical from the origin
3. click the mouse
4. enter the number of grid squares between the two

The second part scaled the image. (Actually, since I was using fractional grid sizes, I just set the grid size appropriately.)

I later realized that both steps can be combined. Since part of the second step is to choose an intersection which is horizontal or vertical from the origin, the rotation can be done at the same time.

I began work on integrating the two pieces, but that's when I found out about MapTool (also from Dorpond -- thanks, buddy!).

[trevor]

Sounds about like what we have planned, very validating !

[RPMiller]

I believe Hero uses 1 meter face-to-face.

For the record HERO uses 2 meter hexes, GURPS uses 1 yard hexes, and the Action! System uses either 1 yard or 1 meter (whichever you prefer).

[The GIT!]

Hi

I'm new to this forum and have only just downloaded MapTool. I have also tried to download the map scale tool mentioned in this topic but cannot reach the server.

Does anyone have the tool available?

Edit: Doh! - no sooner do I ask than the server becomes available again. I could've made a better first impression on this forum

[dorpond]

I can't wait until we can do all this resizing in Maptool.

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Keep reminding me and I'll get it in for 1.3

*Another Reminder*
My friend is going to DM in the next few months. He doesn't have the expertise to resize all of his scanned maps. Trevor, can you implement a MT solution before he takes the lead?

[trevor]

Thanks for the bump reminder !

[loogie]

klooge does it quite simply (but of course in a complex way), and i think thats probably the easiest, basically after acctually finding the tool, you just click on it, then measure a space in the map, and input the distance of what you just measured, (so for grids its as simple as knowing how big your grid is), but even ungrided things can be easily scaled.

after that, its as simple as setting the maptool grid to the same distance as your image grid and your good to go.. you may need to add a simple ability to "nudge" the maptool into place, by letting the user use the arrow keys or such to make sure both grids line up...

[loogie]

i guess the simplest aspect of what klooge does is that it defines the images distances, not the grid, so you could literally measure anything, a hallway, a chair, the grid width/height/diagonal and it wouldn't make a different, your still defining the same thing (a specific length on the map = a specific length in game) then the grid is simple to apply on top of that..

Personally being a geographer, its the best way to go forward, since when you correctly scale a map, everything else is simple.

[trevor]

Good info loogie, thanks !

[loogie]

no problem, but if you think about it, to me it is the easiest way. i mean its as simple as measuring a known distance on the map, from there you can get your 1pixel = X' or whatever, then, you set the grid to draw every 10' and you done, the right grid size is showing, the map is related in size

Tokens can then be easily scaled to the map size, simple enter how large you wish the bounding box of your token to be (or some other easy way to set it) and voila, auto sizing of your tokens or objects. You could easily make a 20 ft giant token, or a .5 ft chicken token, all by supplying the size.

even hex grids would work perfectly, just allow the user to set from point to point on a horiz or vert hex grid, and it will display the correct size, then simply have the same drag and drop or "nudge" patterns as you have now to place the grid directly over top of the existing grid pattern.

[Amaril]

I've actually discovered a really easy way to manage scaling maps directly within MapTool. It involves scaling both the grid and the map so that the dimensions sort of meet each other halfway. Basically, it relies on the more granular approach of scaling an image rather than the incremental approach of scaling the grid. It might not be new to others, but it is to me.

1. Select a black "quickmap"
2. Insert an existing map on top of it as a background object.
3. Set your grid to a close approximation of the grid on the image.
4. Resize the image object by hand until it's close enough.

It took far less time (less than a minute) to scale the map and grid this way than it did using the traditional method.

[Steel Rat]

Holy crap, Amaril! I wish I had found this post 2 weeks ago! Very simple yet elegant solution!