Map Extensions

FarsightX3 · December 2009

I have no idea how I did this.. I got an IM from a friend and I hit a series of buttons I believe and somehow it copied the current map and extended it to make it longer. However, the current canvas size does not support the rest of the copied map. I actually like this new messed up version a lot better. I have no idea how to extend the canvas to support the new copied map, but I will post the file here if anyone could help...

Monsen · December 2009

CC3 doesn't really have a fixed canvas size, you have close to unlimited space available. Normally, you would only draw inside the graphical map border, but this is really an artifical limit.
To get more space, the simplest option is basically to just resize the map border itself, or erase it, and draw a new border further out. Just resize/erase everything on the "MAP BORDER" layer to accomplish this.
Note that if you have a background fill in your map, you will need to resize that too.

FarsightX3 · December 2009

Ah, maybe I didn't explain it well enough. Basically what I need is simply to extend the X axis of the map boarder further out to compensate the rest of the map. I believe the dimensions are 8.5k by 7k on the x and y axis. Is there any way to manipulate just the X axis to extend the map border? IF so, can you list the procedure ?

jaerdaph · December 2009

I'm going to assume you are making a standard CC3 Overland Map, and the map border is not just a simple black line but the fancier brown shaded border that comes with that by default.

This is probably the easiest way: First off, create a new CC3 Overland Map (with a new file name) with the new map dimensions you want (8500 x 7000 if those are your new dimensions). Then go into your original map, hide the MAP BORDER Sheet and the MAP BORDER Layer, select Copy to Clipboard (*right* click on the Copy button and you will see a pull down list of the various copy commands and Copy to Clipboard will be on that list) and select the entire map that isn't hidden, set the origin point as where to copy from (0,0), open the new map you just made with the new dimensions, and Paste what you just copied at the origin (0,0) of the new map. Everything from the old map should now be in the new map on the right sheets and layers.

FarsightX3 · December 2009

By doing this.. will this extend the canvas with the map boarder around it? The problem is.. 1/4th of the map is off the canvas and therefor won't let me retrace with the terrain textures.. will this help by dong so by making everything into one canvas? I am just really dumb and can't explain this for some reason.. is there anyway I can get the file to you..for some reason I can't post the fcw. file here.

jaerdaph · December 2009

I think I get what you're trying to say. Unfortunately there isn't an easy way. You would have to redraw your land masses etc. to "fill up" the new, larger space (but if you are using the default sea background, that will be okay in the new map if you use the method I described above). I know the best ways and practices on how to do this have been discussed before (you're certainly not the first person who needed to do this

) - let me look for some links where this has been discussed and report back...

jaerdaph · December 2009

Actually, most of what has been discussed before that I was remembering was going in the other direction - creating a smaller area map from a larger one. For example: http://forum.profantasy.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=310 and http://forum.profantasy.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=195 The Map Makers Chest tutorial mentioned in your Registered Users area is interesting reading nonetheless and might give you some ideas. What I would do is move the existing land mass I need to expand to another temporary layer and then redraw it by tracing over it, then go back and delete the old land mass from the temporary layer. I'd do this individually for anything I needed to expand. You could also export a PNG or BMP of the original map, insert it into the new map and trace over it (after you get the map lined up with the existing entities and delete them). Other folks might have better suggestions for you.

sdavies2720 · December 2009

As Jaerdaph said, the canvas is essentially unlimited. What you need to do is expand the background so it covers everything you have on your map, and you need to move/redraw the frame so it's at the right place.

The easiest way to do this is to select the items you need to change (background and map frame are the two that come to mind) and do a Scale XY -- that lets you scale the x-axis (width) differently from the y-axis. So essentially this stretches the frame and background.

Now, I said it's easy, but aesthetically it might no be what you're looking for (the side frames will also be bigger)

Steve

FarsightX3 · December 2009

It's not like the land is off into white space.. there is still ocean. Just that I can't draw on some of the map because it's off the dimensions I used. I don't think I am communicating my problem correctly here. I wish I could just send the file to someone...because it's very frustrating to try and fix it.

Monsen · December 2009

The reason you can't use the drawing tools outside of the original map size is because of the entities on the MAP BORDER layer. Most drawing tools are set up to stop at the map border, and the map border is defined by the elements on this particular layer. If you erase ALL entities residing on the map border, you would be able to draw everywhere, including outside your original dimensions. Make sure you delete all items on that layer however, there is usually a tiny black or white (practically invisible) rectangle there, for the exact purpose of defining the border the tools will snap to.

As for sending your map to someone, why don't you just attach it to a post in the forum, then anyone who wants can look at it for you.

FarsightX3 · December 2009

Well here is the map..

Last night it kept on giving me an error and that's why I didn't post it..

It's sloppy right now but I can clean it up easy. If anyone could fix this problem I would be much appreciated.

jaerdaph · December 2009

Hmmm. That is a bit messed up.

I'll take a crack at fixing this. Currently, your original map border is 8500 wide x 5600 high. How wide do you want your map to extend on the X axis (currently 8500)? There's a block of something you drew past the right border, but I can't see what it is (the image won't show up and I get a big red "x"). Was it a square of land? If that's the case, it looks like the X extends out to about 12,200.

Let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Monsen · December 2009

Here is a fixed version. All I did was delete everything on your map border layer, then created a new map at the dimensions of the current map and copied over the map border from that one to your map (to replace the map border I deleted)

Edit: @jaerdaph: Seems like you managed to post right before I committed mine....

jaerdaph · December 2009

Doh!

I just created a new map at 12200 x 5600 and Copy to Clipboarded everything over to that after hiding a few sheets like MAP BORDER and the GRID. Here it is anyway for kicks and giggles.

FarsightX3 · December 2009

Jaerdaph and Monsen, I really appreciate you helping me fix this map. Thank you guys so much for your help and I shall learn from my mistakes. Thanks again!

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Map Extensions

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