change background colour

HelenAA

I’m doing another Narnia inspired maps and I over-estimated the size I’d need - it's mainly symbols and effects which makes a change - so I changed the drawing area size. First time it didn't work so I checked for the border and the Resize macro, so I fixed that, putting a box around the Background as well as putting in the macro into the Notes. Then I resized the map and everything worked as it should. All fine and dandy.

However I now want to change the background, but the border box is in my way. So i decided to go via the Edit drop-down menu. I typed the exact name of the fill into the Command line, but nothing happened. I tried three or four times and no luck. What am I doing wrong?

Loopysue

First, check whether the layer it's on is frozen or not. You won't be able to select it (even by command) if it's on a frozen layer.

Loopysue

First, check whether the layer it's on is frozen or not. You won't be able to select it (even by command) if it's on a frozen layer.

HelenAA

nothing is frozen, I forgot to add that, Sue.

Actually, I’ve just thought of a way around the green line problem - move it to A.N.Other sheet while I change the background fill and then put it back.

Loopysue

The green line (if you mean the ones that define the extent of the map) should be on the MAP BORDER layer, and nothing else, so make sure its on the right layer and freeze it. That way you won't have to worry about it because it can't be selected.

HelenAA

I can’t separate the line from the background sheet! Could i upload the .fcw?

Loopysue

Certainly :)

HelenAA

caverns 11 shrunk B.FCW

Loopysue

I think we were talking at crossed purposes earlier. A green line of that exact colour but zero line width is usually used to denote the MAP BORDER, but this is a decorative green border?

Anyway, I've separated the two entities by adding a new layer called GREEN BORDER, and moving the green poly to that layer, then freezing it. It's still on the BACKGROUND sheet, but on its own layer. Now you can grab the background polygon to change its properties.

caverns 11 shrunk B (Sue).FCW

HelenAA

i drew the line thinking line width was zero but couldn’t grab it when I  saw it wasnt!

Loopysue

So it is meant to be the MAP BORDER?

Ok. Freeze the BACKGROUND layer so you don't grab the background poly, then unfreeze the GREEN BORDER layer and grab the line to change it's width to zero and place it on the MAP BORDER layer. Then freeze the map border layer and unfreeze the BACKGROUND layer, so you can get to your background.

HelenAA

thanks for the walk-through, Sue. Will bookmark this thread so if i hit problems i can find it quicker!

Loopysue

You're very welcome, Helen :)

HelenAA

now I can’t resize down a shade!! every time I try to, something stays at what it was - either the map border doesn't move, or the WALLS poly stays put, or alternatively the map border moves down with the background and symbols leaving the SCREEN behind. The dimensions I want will make it look a little more cramped which is how I imagine Tumnus’ home to look - and that’s not counting my add-on of a bedroom. 🐱

here’s the .fcw

caverns 11 shrunk B (Sue) newer.FCW

Loopysue

The resize controls only a limited number of layers - the BACKGROUND, SCREEN and MAP BORDER (as far as I am aware). The white polygon on the SCREEN sheet must also be on the SCREEN layer, or it won't respond to resize. It's most likely you have something on the wrong layer.

Make sure the following things are on the right layer:

• The background must be on the BACKGROUND layer.
• The screen poly must be on the SCREEN layer.
• The map border (the green one) must be on the MAP BORDER layer.

Once you have those 3 things correct, lock those 3 layers and don't unlock them unless you need to alter any of the entities on them manually.

The scale of things drawn in your map isn't affected (or shouldn't be) by resize. To scale those entities use SCA.

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The reason I haven't done anything to your map this time is because I'm not sure I understand what the huge rectangle on the WALLS sheet is all about, or what the intention is.

HelenAA

I’m going to cut through the WALLS poly to reveal the cave but because the poly is so dark in its actual finished fill I can’t see where the mouse pointer is nor the line that I have drawn, hence the temporary light colour.

Loopysue

Oh I see.

The polygon on the WALLS sheet will have to be scaled using SCA.

The reason resize is set up the way it is, is because it's intended as a way to adjust the drawing area available for you to draw on - like extending the flaps of an extending table to spread the things on the table out a bit more. It's not actually a scaling tool for the contents of the map.