Tile set creation Manual / Dungeon Builder support

These are tools and utilities that make it easier to run games. This includes Lib: macro tokens dropped into MapTool to manage the game, a conversion file for CharacterTool to allow use in MapTool, or just about anything else you can think of -- except graphics with macros and anything specific to a particular campaign framework. Those are already covered by the Tilesets subforum and the Links and External Resources forum.

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wolph42
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Tile set creation Manual / Dungeon Builder support

Post by wolph42 »

I Just found out that the support post for the Dungeon Builder 2 was not on this forum, but only on dunjinni. So I've copied (and rewrote) it here.
This post is mainly meant for artists (or anyone else dabbling with tile creation) who want to make either use of the DBII with their tiles OR just want to know whether they have a complete set to create a consistent dungeon/maze/road-environment. A 'tile set' in this case is a set of square cards/images/tiles that have 'exits'.

Their are two types of sets:
  • The "cardinal or base set" with 4 exits (N/E/S/W), and
  • The "cardinal-corner or full set" with 8 exits (cardinal + corners:NE/NW/ SE/SW).
ONLY when your set is complete (so you either have ALL base or ALL full tiles) you can create a dungeon or 'path way system' where EVERY CONCEIVABLE DUNGEON IS POSSIBLE (as far as the set goes, so cardinal or cardinal-corner).

The Cardinal or Base set
This set only requires 6 different tiles:
  • t0 = no exits
  • t1 = one exit
  • t12 = two corner exits
  • t13 = two exits on straight corridor
  • t123 = T junction
  • t1234 = crossing
The numbers correspond with the cardinal exits: 1=EAST, 2=NORTH, 3=WEST and 4=SOUTH.
Here's the graphical representation (images created by Probono):
Keep in mind that these representations can be a rotated version, for maptool this makes no difference so
  • tile t1 is the same as t2, t3 and t4
  • tile t12 is the same as t23,34 and 41
  • tile t13 is the same as t24
  • tile t123 is the same as t234, t341 and t412
  • tile t0 and t1234 always are the same no matter how you rotate them.
t0
Image
t1
Image
t12
Image
t13
Image
t123
Image
t1234
Image
Obviously you can make variants on these like, water, sewer, stairs, rails, cave etc., however you always need at least these 6 tiles to make a full set.


The Cardinal-Corner or Full set
This set requires a total of 71 different tiles, a couple of them can be created by flipping others, so in terms of 'creation' its 51 *really* different tiles.
Here's the schematic representation :
Explanation:
  • The tiles with a blue border are a-symmetrical meaning that after creation you'll need to flip them once (this can be done in MT) to create the other needed tile (and hence reach the 71 total tiles). The symmetrical tiles don't need to be flipped as their 'mirror image' can be created by simple rotation of the tile (which is easily done in MT and/or can be handled by the DB builder macros.).
  • The 3x3 cells in the tiles correspond with 9 regions which need to be a multiple of the grid in maptool. Hence the schematic is a representation of AT LEAST grid 3x3 tiles but it can also be 6x6, 9x9, 12x12, etc. grid tiles. As you might notice, the example tiles below are size 6x6 grid cells.
  • These cells are coloured either yellow or red.
    • Yellow means: NO EXIT,
    • Red means: EXIT.
    • The centre cell is ambiguous (can be either wall or path)Note that the centre cell contains the tile reference number, which is useful for communication
    • The numbers in the outer (red) cells are always the same and are the exit reference numbers:
      • 1 = E(ast)
      • 2 = NE
      • 3 = N(orth)
      • 4 = NW
      • 5 = W(est)
      • 6 = SW
      • 7 = S(outh)
      • 8 = SE
    • note that each tile can be rotated, but effectively it remains the same. E.g. Tile 14 in the schematics has exits: 1,2,3, while in the example below 7,8,1. Both are 'tile 14'. Same for tile 35 in the example.
    • note that these 'exit references' differ from the 'cardinal/base' set (since that set only has 4 exits and this one 8 ).
  • At the bottom of the image you see an example of how the schematics translate to tiles.
Image
If anyone wants their tiles added to the dungeon builder, let me know. Surest way is posting that request here

If anyone wishes to create their own tiles, I've created a template in Photoshop
Here's explained how to use it
First off, its a pretty big template, weighing roughly 1.5 Gb. It already contains example layers which have also already been added to the latest version of the Dungeon builder.
If you want you can remove these layers:
(due to the large size of the file its advised to do so, you can however have a look at them to see the example)
+ Layer - Finished Tile Sheets:
- concrete tiles CC
- concrete tiles OC
+ Layer - Textures:
- Pavement
- Asphalt
1. In the 'textures' layers you can put the background (bg) texture layer (in the example the asphalt)
2. In the 'finished tile sheets' you can place two copies of the foreground (fg) texture layer (which is on top of the bg layer and from which you will cut out the hallways).
--> Note that you need to use 'seamless texture' and that the texture needs to cover the entire layer.
3. Call one of these two copies CC and the other OC. This refers to 'Open Centre' and 'Closed Centre'.
4. Make sure that the corresponding OC/CC 'bevel effect' layer is above the the fg layer
5. Make the CC layer visible (if it isn't)
6. Open the 'masks layers' ctrl+left mouse click on the IMAGE of the 'CC Macro Tiles CUT' layer. You now should see a selection pattern
7. Select the CC texture layer (you just put in) and hit ctrl+X (=cut)
8. (optional) If you want you can turn on (make visible): the 'CC bevel effect layer'
9. (optional) If you want you can add a shadow effect as well:
- open the layer effect
- right mouse click on the 'shadow effect' layer and 'copy layer style'
- right mouse click on the CC texture layer and 'paste layer style'
repeat steps 5 to 9 for the OC layer.
DONE

Now to export these tiles:
1. make the correct layers visible (so bg, fg, bevel)
2.click: file > save for web > (you probly get a warning, ignore it) wait a few minutes for the preview to load > save >
- filename: make sure the file name contains no spaces and no funny characters and let it end on _CC or _OC e.g. myTiles_CC
- format: images only
- settings: default
- slices: all user slices
> save (this might take quite some time).
Rinse and repeat for the other (CC or OC) set.
All the tiles are now in one directory. If you would have called your save e.g. myTiles_OC than if all went fine you would now have: myTiles_OC_01, myTiles_OC_02, etc.
Note that they are size 900 pixels and thus usable for a 150px grid. You can size the tiles down to 600 or 300 using automated batch (google it).
Import PS tiles into MT
Finally you need to get these tiles into the dungeon builder
1. Select BACKGROUND layer
2. DRAG all the tiles and DROP them on the 'dungeon tiles' map (this toomight take a while). My preference is to drag and drop the OC and CC tiles in two separate piles (roughly 70 squares apart)
3. SELECT all tiles and go through the 'New Tile Set Menu':
a. '1. Renumber PS Tokens'
Note:there appears to be a bug in MT all tiles *should* have two digit numbers but some (tiles 5,6,7,8 and 9) have single digits. Again select all the tiles and click '1a. Fix 0 bug' macro.
b. '2. Spread Tiles' (Note that if you created two piles you need to run the macro for the two piles separately, if you select both piles and run the macro they are all mixed up).
c. '3. Copy Assym.' BEFORE you run this macro, make sure that roughly 60 squares on the RIGHT side of the tiles is empty space! (the copies of the asymmetrical tiles will placed there).
Any questions concerning this topic (tile creation) you can ask those in this thread.

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