Problem with Multipoly

smhollingsworth

I am following along with the CA 155 worldbuilding tutorial and am stuck on creating the frame. Using the MultiPoly tool is kicking my butt. I have read several tutorials on using the tool and they all seem pretty straightforward, but I must be doing something wrong somewhere. After using the MultiPoly tool on the frame and background rectangles, I just get a pink rectangle. Here are the steps I am taking:

1: Hiding all sheets, except Frame
2: Click MultiPoly Tool
3: Select rectangle from Frame Sheet (Frame rectangle turns pink)
4: Hide all sheets, except Background
5: Select rectangle from Background Sheet (Background rectangle turns pink)
6: Right click and select "Do it" (The Background rectangle turns back to its normal blue color)
7: Show all sheets

At that point, the Frame Sheet turns pink again, obscuring all other sheets. If I hide the Frame Sheet, I can see my map.

Where am I going wrong?

Monsen

By hiding the frame sheet. Commands only operate on visible entities. According to your procedure, at step 6, only the background sheet is shown, so the entity you selected earlier on the frame sheet won't be part of the selection used for the command.

smhollingsworth

Thank you for the quick reply, Monsen.

The two rectangles are the same color; in the CA 155 tutorial, it had me copy the background rectangle in the frame sheet, and then offset that by 200, to make it larger. Since both the rectangles are the same color, how do I select the smaller one, if I can't see it?

If I try to use a selection window, rather then selecting the two rectangles individually, I get 4 entities selected, rather than 2. I don't know what the other two entities are. That does allow me to see my map, with a frame, but there is a second, white frame between the frame I was trying to create and outer edges of my map and the deepest parts of the ocean become white, rather than the blue of the background rectangle.

Monsen

Posted By: smhollingsworthThe two rectangles are the same color; in the CA 155 tutorial, it had me copy the background rectangle in the frame sheet, and then offset that by 200, to make it larger. Since both the rectangles are the same color, how do I select the smaller one, if I can't see it?

Easiest is probably to change the color of the outer polygon, and then use send to back on it. Then, as long as they are on the same sheet, the smaller inner polygon should be on top. You can now select this first during the multipoly process

Posted By: smhollingsworthIf I try to use a selection window, rather then selecting the two rectangles individually, I get 4 entities selected, rather than 2. I don't know what the other two entities are. That does allow me to see my map, with a frame, but there is a second, white frame between the frame I was trying to create and outer edges of my map and the deepest parts of the ocean become white, rather than the blue of the background rectangle.

Are you working on the correct entities. Based on your steps above, you are not combining it with the copy on the FRAME sheet, but with the main background poly for your map. If you multipoly with the main background polygon on your map, that one becomes the "hole" and effectively disappears, meaning your map no longer has a background.

A good way to identify the four entities you are mentioning is to use Info-> List on the same selection, and look at the output. You should only multipoly two entities which should both be on the FRAME sheet.

smhollingsworth

Posted By: MonsenAre you working on the correct entities. Based on your steps above, you are not combining it with the copy on the FRAME sheet, but with the main background poly for your map. If you multipoly with the main background polygon on your map, that one becomes the "hole" and effectively disappears, meaning your map no longer has a background.

I think this is my issue. I thought Offset just took the selected entity and changed it by the offset; I did not realize it made a copy of the selected entity. Thus, it is the original and the copy in the frame sheet I want to work with, not the the one if the background sheet. After reading the help for offset, it makes more sense.

Thanks for the help, Monsen. I think I am on the right path now.

Monsen

Great. Happy mapping.