How do I set the background

I used CC2 a long while back but never got into it, I've recently got CC3+ but don't seem to get the hang of layers and such, so any advice as to what I am doing wrong would be appreciated.

I selected a Blank Overland Catalog in the new map wizard and selected a solid grey background, but the map appears as a sickly orange colour.

I can't seem to set the background and there is no background layer, using the Edit -> Change Background Color gives the error "There is no layer with this name: BACKGROUND" three times and then prompts to "select new background color (dialog)", if I click anywhere on the blank map it gives the error "There is no layer with this name: FREEZE BACKGROUND", manually creating a layer called BACKGROUND prevents the first error, also creating a layer called FREEZE BACKGROUND prevents the second, but it just ends up with the prompt "select new background color (dialog)" swapping with Command [CHANGEBC], there is no indication what I need to do and any help or forum searches doesn't bring up a solution.

All I want is a simple map with a grey background with one sheet and a few layers, can anyone suggest how I can do this?

Comments

  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    The window background you see where nothing is drawn is white. It simply 'is' white. That's just the way it is.

    If you want a background for your map (and its odd that you don't seem to have one since most of the templates have some kind of background polygon) you need to actually draw a rectangle of solid colour or texture fill the size of your map on the BACKGROUND sheet.

    It's the sheets that are important. CC3 sheets are equivalent to PS or GIMP layers. Layers in CC3 are completely different to layers in PS or GIMP. Its the thing that confuses most new users.

    Its confusing, I know, but the white expanse you want to get rid of is just the window background and not even part of the map.
  • The blank fcw files are for creating new templates and new symbols, at least that is what I use them for.

    I just start a new map.

    As an example, I'll start a new overland map. The same process works on all maps in CC3+.

    1) load/start CC3Plus

    2) top row of icons, click on the icon for New Map.

    3) I'm selecting Overland Maps. I decide settings myself. Then click next.

    4) I select CC3 standard overland from the list. Click next.

    5) now you see a standard map size 1000 x 800 and a background. I click next.

    6) I'm not sure what you have besides CC3+, so I'll just select any of my possible background bitmap fills. And click Finish.

    7) I'm promted to save the file.

    So, I'll call it sample01 the .fcw gets added by the software.

    So I decide I want to change it to something else.

    I click on the S: sheet dialog, and pops up a requestor.

    I scroll up and select background so there is a check in the left column. I thne click the Hide All button. That hides everything but the background.

    I then type, Changefs to change the fill style. I click on the background. Then right click and select Do It.

    Now it wants to know what I want to do. I type Solid.

    Mine came up a light blue. I want to change it to brown color.

    I look at the top of the program and click on the color square. A 256 color requestor pops up. I select a brown, number 40. In the bottom right corner of the pop up, you will see the number.

    Click okay to exit.

    Type Changec to change the color. Click on the background and right click to being up the menu, then select Do It.

    type the number 40. The background is now a brown color.

    Go back to the Sheet dialog and Show All. Click okay.

    Now the map border and the background shows up.

    Sounds long, but it took me less than 30 seconds to do this. Note I have made several thousand maps in the past 10 or so years.
  • You said you started a new "Blank Overland Catalog". Catalogs are not maps. Catalogs are collections of symbols.

    I strongly suggest you start by doing the tutorial maps found in the documentation for the products you have. Even if you don't want to build a cottage or a coastal region etc, still do it. And don't worry about doing things that you might want to add or change (such as a specific background color). I know it might mean that you don't get yur first intentional map done as quickly as you spend a few hours doing the tutorials, but it will mean that your third or fourth map are done much quicker than if you don't do the tutorials. And every map after those will be quicker and better.
  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 46 images Cartographer
    Note that the orange color you got is set intentional to let you know you are working with a symbol catalog instead of a regular map. This color can easily be changed via View -> View Window Color.
    Note that this color is really a workspace background, as opposed to the map background, which lives on the BACKGROUND sheet and layer (and which is what you change through the Edit -> Change background color, but as pointet out earlier, you started a new symbol catalog and not a mp, and symbol catalogs don't have a background defined because they don't need one)
  • Many thanks for replies.

    I kind of had the idea I would define my own backgrounds instead of using an existing template and changing that.

    The new map wizard has the option to define a background but this doesn't seem to do it. I'd assume templates had predefined sheets and layers that meet the "background" object requirement, and this is not available in the catalog set templates, even so, there does not seem to be any information on creating this.

    Being an IT person the fact it comes up with an error instead of a nice friendly "you have to define a background first" kind of message irks me.
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    The lack of error message may have something to do with the fact that you are skiing so far off-piste, that no one else has ever gone that way before you.

    Most of us are quite happy using and modifying the existing templates and creating our own based on them, you see. Its easier when all the objects are already there, rather than having to completely recreate them from the ground up. And a template is by no means a limiting or restricting thing to use. All the settings, sheets, layers, drawing tools - everything, can be modified. The only thing I ever bear in mind is the relative scales (overland is 1 mile per map unit, city and dungeon are 1 foot per map unit), and that if I want a metric map at the end of it all I start with one of the metric templates, or if I want an imperial map I start with one of the imperial templates. Absolutely everything else is completely modifiable - the way it was designed to be :)
  • I'm an IT guy to, over 30 years experience.

    This software uses a CAD based engine. It does take some getting used to. The blank templates are stripped down so they can have added just what you want. They are very bare bones.
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