How to edit an entity?

Hi,

I bought CC3+ today. I have a "book" in the making since a very long time and I figured that having a professionnal tool to make a map would be far better than using good old photofiltre. I already had a map and I thought the outlines were good, so I managed to port the bmp file in the program and then to draw the coastline above it. Now, the problem is that, while I was drawing my "entities", my "pen" made some mistakes. I would like to correct them without destroying the whole entity. Is that possible?

I'm not that familiar with vectorial drawing. Normally, the easiest way I can think to fix that would be to simply allow me to erase the parts I don't like, but it seems impossible. I must be missing something.

Also, I downloaded the Update 9, which apparently disabled some options, like the tool to make a landmass by default, which I thought was the most basic one (It says "No matching draw tool"). Is that normal?

Thank you for your help. I'm really lost.

Comments

  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    Hello Arizal - welcome to the Profantasy forum :D

    When you say entities are you talking about lines or polygons? It might help if you could show us a picture of what you are talking about.

    You can erase entities by picking the eraser tool in the left hand tool bars, selecting the entity, right clicking the mouse, and then choosing the 'do it' option. You may then need to tell the map to redraw itself to remove the white trace of the deleted entity, though zooming or moving around the map does the same thing

    I'm sorry - my technical understanding of the way the software works isn't very good, so I can't help you with your last question.
  • edited December 2016
    Hi Loopysue,

    I'm currently reinstalling the software to try to fix the absence of response I get when I try some options. I'll see what results it brings. Maybe (it's even likely) I did something I shouldn't have done in my map file.

    About your question, I'm trying to edit polygons. I drew a (very crude) map, and there are imperfections on it. I could just draw other polygons above them, but I find such a solution inelegant and likely to backfire when I will have hundreds of those little corrections. Anyway, there is surely a more professionnal answer to my problem.
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    edited December 2016
    If there are problems after you reinstall update 9 it is more likely that you have a couple of settings a bit wrong, but you may have to wait a few hours for the people who know more than I do to be awake and ready to help you ;)

    It is easily possible to edit polygons by using the node edit tool on the left hand toolbar. With some of the drawing tools you can also use the edit command. for further details and a short video about using the edit tool please refer to the sticky thread at the top of the forum entitled Interesting, Important and Helpful topics... and click on the link to Dogtag's excellent video.

    Sometimes however, if you have already drawn several versions on top of one another, you may prefer to just delete the one that is wrong, leaving the one that is right.
  • So, I resinstalled the program, and it works.

    In fact, I messed my options so much that I had to salvage my map by manually copying some settings on a new one, but it works, now, mostly...

    The old tools work very well, now. I'm able to draw a landmass and to edit it (still I don't know how to merge those landmasses to avoid having a ton of them).

    However, my old landmasses refuse to be edited that way. I must have done something wrong by trying to edit them before. Is there a way to, maybe, convert them back to polygons? They seem to still be entities, but I am unable to select them with the tool the tutorial is talking about.

    Thank you for your help.
  • Make sure the layers are thawed, otherwise you cannot edit something on the frozen layers.
  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 46 images Cartographer
    Posted By: ArizalI'm able to draw a landmass and to edit it (still I don't know how to merge those landmasses to avoid having a ton of them).
    It is certainly possible to merge polygons, but that does generally require some manual work. I recommend always drawing a continuous landmass a single entity in the first place. Always use the edit functionality to add on to or remove from a drawn landmass instead of starting a new one if it is supposed to be a continuous piece of land.
    Posted By: ArizalIs there a way to, maybe, convert them back to polygons?
    Try using 'Change like draw tool' on them. You can access this command by right-clicking the change properties button. Keep an eye on the command line for what to do at each step. An alternate way would be to use the trace functionality of the drawing tools to quickly draw an identical landmass using the tool, then delete the old entity. Dogtag has a tracing tutorial video if you need help using this feature.
  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    edited December 2016
    Arizal wrote:However, my old landmasses refuse to be edited that way. I must have done something wrong by trying to edit them before. Is there a way to, maybe, convert them back to polygons? They seem to still be entities, but I am unable to select them with the tool the tutorial is talking about
    In my own experiments, I've found that you can use the Edit feature of a drawing tool to edit any existing poly, but the poly you want to edit must be on the same sheet and layer that the drawing tool uses. You can determine these by using the Info>List command from the menu on an entity that was drawn with the drawing tool, or by quickly drawing one, then using LIST on it, and then deleting it.

    You must use a drawing tool in order to have an option to use the Edit feature, but you can use it on any existing poly. You can even use it to edit a smooth poly! But that gets tricky because it uses the nodes you placed when drawing the smooth poly, which are not located on the actual edge of the smooth poly. So if you really want to Edit a smooth poly, press Ctrl+F to toggle frames, so you can see where the nodes of the smooth poly are.

    This bears repeating:
    You can edit just about any existing poly, even one that was not drawn with a drawing tool, or one that was drawn with a different drawing tool, so long as the poly you want to edit is on the same sheet and layer as those used by the drawing tool that you are going to use to make the edit.


    Cheers,
    ~Dogtag
  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    edited December 2016
    Also, you may notice that some styles have a drawing tool specifically for editing. For example, some styles have a drawing tool called Land, Edit. This drawing tool is typically just a straight (non-fractal, non-smooth) poly. This gives you much more control than you would have if you used a fractal drawing tool to make edits.

    If the style you're using doesn't have a drawing tool like this, or if the tool is set up for one kind of entity, such as land, and you want to edit another, such as a lake, you can easily make your own. Check out the instructions for making custom drawing tools, starting at the bottom of page 86 in the CC3+ User Manual, or the bottom of page 70 for the CC3 User Manual.

    Cheers,
    ~Dogtag
  • Sorry, I went outside for christmas and wasn't able to reach you. Thank you all for your kind answers.

    So, I started anew. It proved surprinsingly easier than the first time because I now more or less knew what to do. I used the wrong tool in the first try, but now, I am able to modify my map with the tools you gave me. It also appears as if I really edited my land whereas before it seemed like I just patched a new landmass on top of the original one. The tool "trace" will also certainly prove quite useful, though I didn't mastered it fully yet.

    I now have a question which is loosely linked to my original post. Now that I can make my continents and add geographic features, I would like to know where I could find some fonts representing mountains and forests, but in the aim of forming some kind of world map on which I could paste political borders. I will likely end up with two separate maps, but I would like it if my topological/geographic map wasn't that invasive, not as much as some of the forests I can see in the program. Do you have some tricks you could propose to me?

    Thank you!
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    Its a little difficult trying to visualise what you mean from just the description. Is there any way that you can upload an image of the situation?
  • edited December 2016
    You are right. It's difficult because I hadn't really made my mind. I just know I don't like the trees and mountain symbols of this video. I believe the further you are supposed to be from the "ground", the less this type of details (the individual tree and mountains) are good looking.,,

    I suppose that what is depicted on this map could be interesting, as mountains are far more discreet as in the pirate map. There are no forests, but actually having forests resembling mountains could do the trick. With maybe a bit more transparency for the countries, it could be interesting to look at.
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    Ah! I see now :)

    Unfortunately I don't have any of the annuals whatsoever, so I'm probably the worst person to ask where these greatly simplified symbols might be found, but I'm sure we have something like that somewhere in all the vast collections that are available.

    What we need now is for one of the users who has the whole set of everything to chip in with a few helpful suggestions :)
  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    edited December 2016
    One option is to represent forests with a simple green polygon or smooth polygon rather than using symbols at all. If you place the polygon on it's own sheet, for example a FOREST sheet, you can add an effect if you want. Perhaps something with an edge fade or a bevel.
  • I'm sorry, but I have some trouble understanding what you mean by that. I am currently battling against the "fill" command in order to have some discreet symbol, but it doesn't work at all. Not only an old image stay in the background of my poor excuse for mountains, but I am unable to make the program understand that, in my brush pattern, the white part is supposed to be transparent. This is rather frustrating.
  • So, here is the problem. Those mountains in the background (the big ones) just won't go. I think I tried to add them manually a few days ago, and I cannot remember how I did that.

    By the way, the mountains as it is are horrible, so I wouldn't say no to some sugggestions.

    Thank you for your patience.
  • If those aren't brush patterns, make sure symbol definition isn't hidden or frozen.

    But they don't look like any mountains symbols I have, and I have all symbols.


    In the FS window, right upper side of CC3Plus, what is there ?
  • I finally found the trick I used to make those big "mountains". I used texturize, in the sheet effects. Now, the only thing I need is to make this white background transparent and I will have recognizable mountains, if not beautiful ones.
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    Arizal - please could you upload the map file (the .FCW file) so that we can try and work out where things are going wrong for you?

    Thanks :)
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    The Solid White fill that you have texturized is providing the base for the texturize effect to... well... texturize. Even if you were to add a transparency effect to that sheet, the only thing that would happen is that everything would disappear, since the mountains are merely a texture imposed on the actual fill itself - the Solid White.

    I would strongly recommend removing the texturize effect and then using the paint pot button on the left to change the properties of the white polygon, which will allow you to fill that area with an actual mountain fill, instead of Solid White :)

    (I would also strongly recommend doing the First Map exercise contained in the User Manual, if you have not already done so.)
  • edited December 2016
    Well, currently it resembles this :

    I already had the layout (the "BMP" sheet is the more complete map made on photofiltre). I'm trying to make something like this, but better looking, so I will need textures for mountains, forests and deserts. At some point, I will have to add rivers and cities, as well as countries, but this will be after I handled the geography.

    As you can see, I'm french speaking.

    Thank you for trying to help me.
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    edited December 2016
    Arizal :)

    When you click the right end box at the top of the screen with "FS:" in it, a dialogue box opens. This box has got 4 tabs in it.

    I think you have been trying to use the brush patterns, which are not fills.

    Here is a screen shot of the hills fill as you will see it in this dialogue box.
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    edited December 2016
    I suspect that you are unlikely to have completed the "Our First Map" exercise in the User Manual, due to the fact that the manual is written in English. I don't know if there are any French versions of it, but even if there are not, you would do well to complete that exercise, so that you have a better understanding of the way that CC3 works.

    If you can do this it will greatly reduce any frustration you may feel.

    It did for me :)
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    If you just want to change the fill to a better one, use the Change Properties button on the left hand side of the screen (the bottom one of two paint pot symbols),

    Click the Change properties button

    Left click the polygon you want to fill with a new bitmap fill

    Right click the mouse

    Choose "do it" from the dropdown menu

    This will open a new dialogue box that will allow you to select a different fill for your polygon.
  • Well, that confirms that I wasn't using that tool correctly.

    I don't think the manual being in English is the problem, here. I was probably too lazy or too eager to start the soonest possible to bother to read it. So I should just do that and come back here if I have more questions.

    Thank you for your patience and see you soon!
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    Take heart, Arizal. Once you master the basic controls, everything will seem so very much easier.

    And don't forget that if you get stuck on something we are always here. We don't mind helping you. Its just easier if we understand what each other is saying, and knowing the right names for things and where to find them will help with a lot of that ;)
  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    edited December 2016
    Loopysue is right about following the tutorials in the documentation. I highly encourage you to follow the tutorials in the Essentials guide. The tutorials are fun and very informative. You'll find the Essentials guide on your computer, in your Documentation sub-folder. The complete CC3+ User Manual is there too. You can also download them from your account page.

    I know you are eager to begin mapping, so you may want to start with the CC3 Essentials guide because it is not very long and it will familiarize you with the software quickly. The Essentials guide was written for CC3 but everything in there applies to CC3+. Some button images might be a little different but they are similar enough that it should not be an issue. The CC3+ User Manual is written for CC3+ and it explains things in more detail. You can also open the CC3+ User Manual from the Help menu in CC3+.

    Also, if you have not already done so, you may want to check out the video tutorials on the ProFantasy website. They are another fun way to learn about the software. Again, they were originally made for CC3 but everything still applies.

    Cheers,
    ~Dogtag
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