Tracing an edge
moskthescribe
Newcomer
I know the landmass tool allows you to trace along edges. Is there another tool that would similarly allow you to trace along an edge without requiring a closed polygon? I don't need the interior parts. I just need a copy of different edge pieces so I can assign different colors and place on another sheet to add effects.
I'd like to mark out edges of different landmasses that were originally one piece before fracturing and shifting around (like plate tectonics).
One idea might be to trace the original landmasses (which do not have outline), set the fill to hollow, and use Split to break that into the needed fragments.
Would welcome other suggestions - was hoping the fractal line tool would let you do this, but don't see the Trace option with that.
Comments
The basic commands doesn't support tracing, but there is no rule that a drawing tool have to be a closed polygon. Make a copy of whatever drawing tool you wish to use as a base (by selecting it on the Advanced drawing tool dialog and hitting New), then just change your new tool from closed to open.
Personally, I probably woulnd't bother with trace at all though. Just make a copy of the landmass, and then as you suggest yourself, use split/break to cut out the part you need.
Got it - thank you.
And just to fix my earlier post: rather than setting landmass fill to Hollow, need to set it to Solid and assign a Line Width other than zero.
I created some borders here, but as seen in first picture, where the landmass had a sharp jag in, the border itsle f produces some bad looking artifacts. I could reduce the border problem somewhat by making the border line thinner (7 miles instead of initial 10). But to really eliminate the issue (and this may have left a slight break in the inner shading of the border), I ended up randomly clicking near the problem corner until successfully deleted a node that allowed the blue border shape to look normal (2nd picture).
Is there a better way to fix this type of problem.
I imagine the best would be to go back to original landmass and eliminate sharp jags like and then recreate borders - but that could get a little tedious if noticed late in project.
Thanks for any suggestions.
Lines can be prone to this, and so can offsets, so there's no point in me suggesting that you use offsets instead.
In this situation, where the borders don't have an edge of something to follow (like the land itself), I would probably add a temporary sheet effect or two to the land sheet to use as a guide to hand draw the border. This is a square of grass texture on the FLOORS sheet of this dungeon map I'm working on. I've added two temporary sheet effects to mark a 5 map unit distance outside and inside the perimeter of the grass square. The outer corners are rounded, but if you were measuring exactly that amount from the corner they would be rounded.
This is not the normal use for glows, so I have shown you both effects so you can see how to set them up to use them like an automatic guide.
I would delete them both when I was finished.
Hi @Loopysue - I think you may have meant to post this in answer to another thread.
No. It was meant as a solution to help you produce a shape to draw your border areas, which I noticed were lines of set width along the coast. You can't draw lines that thick and that wiggly without those artefacts you mentioned. The solution is to draw them as polygons with lines of zero width, but around the outline of the intended line. That would require a guide shape to do by eye, so the two glows act like a template - a drawing guide.
However, it is possible that I have mistaken your intent. I was working on what I could see in your shot.
Oh- I see. Thanks for clarifying. I got thrown off, because you were using a Dungeon setup and I didn't just assumed you were helping another person. Have re-read the original and your last reply and think I understand it now. Thank you.
No worries. When I'm busy making a new style I use the map I have open if I need a visual aid ;)