Grids

Ldavis · June 2008

Hey everyone,
I am trying to get grids with solid lines to fill my maps in DD3 like that of "Dungeon Blueprints" but I cannot get it done. I am a new user and am trying to follow the Tome of Design, but not getting very far..please help me out.

Kind Regards,
Levi

Latharion · June 2008

The tool you want to use is "Hex or Square overlay" and is located under the "Draw" menu. Just ensure that the resultant grid is located on a separate sheet to make it easy to move the grid to the top of the map (so that it will show over everything else).

Ldavis · June 2008

Latharion,
Thanks for the input. Yet, I am not sure this is the right technique. I have used this before and thought that it was the right one. I have even looked at as a fill, but this isnt right either. I am trying to figure out how Ralf did the following drawing.

Ldavis · June 2008

The above map does not look like it has an overlay grid, rather the grid looks to be a fill. When I edit properties of a room, etc., I get a grid, but the grid is dotted and is not editable.

Monsen · June 2008

Actually, it is a standard overlay grid. The trick here is that it is the same colour as the surrounding background, and low enough in the sheet order so that most symbols gets drawn on top of it. It is placed on a frozen layer, so it isn't editable unless you unfreeze it.

Complete details for making this kind of map is in the December 2007 Annual.

gregwr · June 2008

Boy that style takes me back. Reminds me of the thrill of cracking open the wrap on a brand new AD&D module and the first thing I see is the blue and white of a map printed on the inside of its card cover. Good times; good times.

Ldavis · June 2008

Hey thanks for the help. I am going through that Annual now, after having downloaded.

Ldavis · June 2008

Okay so I am confused. I made a list of the things the tutorial stated to do:
1) Start New Map based on a Dungeon Style (Check)
2) Erase everything on the map (Check)
3) Create a Blue Rectangle of 1000,800 (Check)
4) Create Subfolder named Annual Blue Dungeon (Check)
5) Copy Two Tools in to new folder (Check)
6) Under Drawing Properties Select Annual Dungeon Blue, Set Text Sheet, Save (Check)
7) Under Cutoms Drawing Tools Click Advanced; Create Simple White Polygon in tool called Floor, Default ( I think I did this right, so Check)
8) Create tools for Cave, Default and Floor, 10' Corridor (Again I think I did this right, so Check)

Here is where it gets confusing: add a 10’ Square Grid with the Hex or Square Overlay… command and we’ve got the basic
look of the map down. Draw a few rooms, corridors, caves, etc. to get an example map.

I do this on Grid Layer/Sheet but the grid is Black (I know I can change the properties, but this isn't working); When I Draw a few rooms....I am not sure what tool to use...the Add Room and Add Corridor Tools do not seem to be using the custom drawing tools...so I go to Custom Drawing Tools and select Floor, 10' Corridor and that does not seem to be using the Properties that I set. No matter what tool use I get a blank, hollow object that has black lines, the grid is still all over and it looks nothing like the following.

So I have know idea what I am doing wrong or not doing. Please lend me your experience to get past this.

Levi

Monsen · June 2008

The grid is drawn in the current colour, so as long as you change the active colour to the correct color before executing the grid command, it will get the desired colour. To change the colour of an existing grid, make sure the "HEX/SQUARE GRID" layer is not frozen before editing it, and make sure you use the "Change Properties" button instead of the "Edit properties" one, as the latter will only change the colour of a single grid line.

The rooms are supposed to be blank hollow objects. I am unsure what you mean by black lines here though? Are you talking about borders around the object, or the grid? If you get borders around the, make sure that the draw tools are set to not have an outline, or as an alternative, an outline in the desired colour (Same as the background colour). If you set the outline to use "current colour", it will use the currently selected colour

Ldavis · June 2008

Wow..Do I feel like a Stoopid Monkey... ;) I started playing more and as Monsen has pointed out...I figured out (it finally clicked) on the HEx Grid Being the same color and have the rooms drawn on a different layer the blue shows on top of the white as in the example....

Monsen...The black lines I was referring to were the Hex/Grid being originally in black...but with the obvious changes in the color and the layering WHAM it works now....or rather I get it.

Thanks for all your help...I hope that you all are ready for more questions....

Ldavis · June 2008

Okay, so I have been playing with this more and am getting better at it,....Unfortunately I have a small problem....actually 2.

1) I select a Symbol of a Stair case, and place it on my map. Once it is there I see the Grid either behind or in front of the symbol itself.
2) when I go to use my tools for drawing rooms or corridors, etc. the Insertion Point is always in the middle...How do I adjust this. I cannot find this in the tutorial, the Tome of Design o rinthe Help File....

JimP · July 2008

Hmmm. Do you have snap on when you draw the rooms ?

Ldavis · July 2008

Yes I have snap on. BUt I think the issue revolves around the origin point. It is in the middle of the Drawing tool, I want to place it on one of the outer edges. soo....crudely i have the following:
------------------------
. (Current Insertion Point in a 10' Wide Corridor)
-----------------------
I want:

-----------------------

.--------------------- (Ideal location of Insertion Point of a 10' Corridor)

sdavies2720 · July 2008

As in most things CC2/3, there are several ways to handle this:
1) Edit the symbol (if this is a problem most of time). Do it in the map itself if it's a recurring problem only in this map, or edit it in the symbol catalog itself if it's a recurring problem on all your maps.

2) Turn off snaps and place this symbol, then turn them on

3) Place the symbol using snaps, but then move it. If you use relative coordinates, you can easily move it to exactly where you want it.

I'm sure other users can suggest additional options.

Steve

Ldavis · July 2008

Steve,
Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately this is not a symbol, wish it was (though I suppose I could create a Symbol Library)...But this is a Cutsom Drawing Tool (I wasnt very clear about that).

Monsen · July 2008

As far as I know, this is not configurable. The draw tool is based on a standard PATH command, which always uses your points as the centre of the line.

As long as your snaps is set to half the width of your regular corridors, you should be able to easily place the corridors at any position though.

Ldavis · July 2008

Monsen,
Good Point...I hadnt thought about it in that way. Thanks :)

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Grids

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