Saving Maps JPG/BMP Yields LOW Resolution
I just got CC3, DD3, CD3 and Symbol Sets for Fantasy Floorplans and Overland.
I've made a few Maps of forests, to be used for D&D during battle. My problem is that I use online table-top programs (such as d20pro) to play with my brothers (who live in different states). Therefore, I need to save my Maps made from CC3 into a graphics file which I can then use in my online table-top programs. The problem? When I save a map in this way, the resolution is EXTREMELY poor, to the point that many elements of the map are unreadable. How do I fix this? I really hope I can, or else I wasted $180! LOL
Thanks in advance!!!
I've made a few Maps of forests, to be used for D&D during battle. My problem is that I use online table-top programs (such as d20pro) to play with my brothers (who live in different states). Therefore, I need to save my Maps made from CC3 into a graphics file which I can then use in my online table-top programs. The problem? When I save a map in this way, the resolution is EXTREMELY poor, to the point that many elements of the map are unreadable. How do I fix this? I really hope I can, or else I wasted $180! LOL
Thanks in advance!!!
Comments
Honestly - I really don't have a clue as to why jpegs became the standard "end all / be all" of image formats for so many years - since they basically suck sewage drainoff. I have nothing but bad things to say about jpegs. Jpegs are EXTREMELY difficult to edit color wise - because colors are blended so radically across the image that it's a pain to isolate single color values for editing or changing.
A single white area on a jpeg image may not be white at all - but might be instead about a hundred different colors all blended together into a general funky, chaotic mess that's like trying to untangle a plate of spaghetti to edit.
Saving in Windows bitmap is much better because it's "lossless", which means that no matter how many times that you save and resave your image - it does not lose germain image qaulity like jpegs do. There is however a drawback to using strictly Windows .bmp format images - and that is that large images can have MASSIVE file sizes. When you save in Windows bmp - it preserves the image qaulity and is "lossless", but it doesn't compress (i.e. "crunch", "smash", "wad") the file size down very much at all really.
Your best bet is to save your map as a .PNG file - which stands for "PORTABLE NETWORK GRAPHIC", because it truly is portable. You can move it around, save and resave, and everything else - and it won't lose germain image qaulity (.PNG is theoretically "Qausi-Lossless", because theoretically - it will lose "some" image qaulity - but only after you save and resave the same image file about a billion times, which for all practical purposes - simply ain't gonna happen in the real world anyhow, lol). PNGs save with MUCH BETTER file compression than .bmp, and so you get losslessness at low image file sizes - which is ideal.
.PNG files are quickly replacing Jpegs as the net standard image format for documentation, software graphics integration, and general graphics design and web use, and they are terrific at transparency and layering operations, something that's difficult if not darn near impossible to do sometimes with other formats like yucky jpegs.
The graphic below shows that you need to go to FILE > SAVE AS > PNG BITMAP to save your map file.
As far as adjusting image resolution to optimize output - Ralf, Simon, Remy Monsen, Highland Piper, and several other users I am sure will chime in on this thread - and you might try looking through some past forum threads as well because resolution issues (and questions pertaining to such) pops up here like every other day. If someone doesn't chime in on this thread and solve the issue now - then I'm sure another thread will soon pop up dealing with the same general issue eventually - because resolution is a very misunderstood monster that for anybody dealing with any software application, is - I suppose - a bicycle that takes some practice to ride well. I follow the threads myself because it's good to keep learning.
In the options box - you might also think about checking the "24 bit" instead of "8 bit" in the "BMP (Clipboard)" box, and maybe try setting the "PNG Compression" to "Default", as opposed to the "Maximum" setting.
I think it pretty much fixed the problem. I have to set the Width and Height to insanely high numbers to make it work, using a 250x200 map. Seems to work Okay, though. Some elements don't come out perfect, but I'll keep working on it.
Since you guys are so helpful, a few newbie questions from a total n00b like me:
1. Are there any video tutorials on making a forest? I found Joe Sweeney's vids, which are GREAT, but focus on Overland and a Dungeon. I'm making a forest, and some things seem to not work. For example, I'm tying to make one side all water, as if it's a coast-line, but when I try to draw a water-line, it always draws it as some kind of circle that fills in, and I can never make one end 100% water with a jagged coast-line.
2. The Symbol Sets are a little difficult to find. I have to search through the computer to find them. Any advice on where to get cool-looking trees and outside looking areas? Also need some good graphics for ruins.
As a reference for what I'm trying to build, what I have in my mind is the area of ruins near the river from the end of Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring ("Amon Hen"). It's the end fight where the orcs ambush them, Boromir is killed, etc. I'm trying to make a map of that (something similar to it, not an exact replica).
Thanks!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/user/joesweeney88
You can also get more great tutorials here at the PF pages:
http://www.profantasy.com/community/user_tutorials.asp
You can also get several good ideas from the MapMaker's Chest - accessable through this page:
http://forum.profantasy.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=3
As far as symbols, several users here on the forums have either done symbol sets - or are doing them (your's truly included). In the mean time - a good source for looking for new symbols would be a clipart site - specifically (and more legally safe) PUBLIC DOMAIN clip art sites (TRUE public domain - as opposed to folks claiming that they are - but are actually harvested copyrighted art from all over the web, you have to be careful). Here's some good PD clipart sites to poke around in:
http://www.clker.com/
http://www.pdclipart.org/
http://wpclipart.com/
You can also find all kinds of clipart at Wikimedia Commons, but MAKE SURE THAT YOU READ THE IMAGE LICENSING RIGHTS SECTION! It has to say PUBLIC DOMAIN and have a copyright symbol that has a slash through it on the image page to really be useable. Don't buy into the Creative Commons "Copy Left" or GNU licenses that have that goofy cartoon ox character on them, because those are licenses that have a lot of rules and regulations attatched to them, many of which are aggravating, senseless, and just downright silly - and the "Copy Left" license is worse than anything because it robs you completely of the rights to your own images!!!!
In other words - if you use a "Copy Left" licensed piece of clip art as a symbol on your map - THEN YOUR ENTIRE MAP BELONGS TO EVERYBODY ON THE PLANET, AND YOU NO LONGER OWN EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO YOUR OWN MAP!!! I hate Copy Left. It's like a computer virus - only instead of infecting your computer - it corrupts your rights as a content creator.
It wasn't made to help designers and artists - it was made as merely a marxist political device to "stick it to people" as a form of protest - like when over the top, overly zealous animal rights protestors throw pieces of fried chicken at people and scream "murderers" at them - as they exit the local Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant with their twenty one piece buckets, pitifully shielding themselves from high velocity drumsticks, lol.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Remember that on any of these pages - look for TRANSPARENT PNGs, and if the image isn't transparent - then you'll have to make them transparent in a good image editor. One image editor that is superb, and FREE, is the GIMP. It's just as good as the older PHOTOSHOP 7 or 8, and you can get it here:
http://www.gimp.org/windows/
If you need any more help - just holler, lol
Here's a problem I have... Sometimes, when I'm working on a map, it will suddenly turn all white. I can't find a way to make it come back, so I have to close it (and lose all my work if I didn't save it). It seems to happen mostly when I'm zooming or moving around the map. Anyone know why this happens?
I've downloaded the lasted update (v3.42).
( http://www.profantasy.com/service/technical.asp ).
I can tell you this - FREQUENTLY SAVE YOUR MAPS! It's a life saver. My general rule of thumb is that after I make at least three minor, or one major change to any project that I'm working on - I immediately save it - finished or not. That way - if something kooky happens - your not out hours of work, and you won't experience the urge to throw your monitor out of the window and stomp on your keyboard, lol.
As an update: I was able to save the Map into a PNG of good quality. The problem? It's 56 megs!!! hahaha. Any way to cut this file size down?
56 megs is a bit steep - but it all depends upon the image size and resolution. If it's a map that's really big - and has good resolution - then 56 megs (depending upon the image size), although kinda hefty for an image, might be a pretty reasonable price to pay for great image qaulity at larger image size. There are some things that you can do though.
First - go back and change the PNG compression from default BACK to maximum, which should trim quite a bit off of it (if my hunch is correct) - but I don't know how that may effect your image qaulity.
If that doesn't shrink it down enough - then let me check the net and get back to you with some links to some compression apps. I wanna check for those sites first so that if I pick up a bug somewhere - then I'm the only one feeling the pinch. Since I know my machine - and I know my way pretty well around Vista - that's a manageable risk for me. I know what to look for.
Before I do that though - go ahead and set your PNG compression (in your "Options" box) back to maximum and see how that works for you.
One of the ways I got the resolution to be good was by making the Height and Width ridiculously big. 5,000x10,000 or something like that. Unless I do that, the resolution is pretty crappy. Even now, the resolution isn't as good as it is in CC3 -- I have a little campfire and camp, and the pots/pans/food/quiver are a tad bit blurred, even with those insanely high HxW measurements.
While I'm posting, random question: Do you know where I can find bedrolls (for a camp-site)? All I can find are beds like you'd find in an inn. Also looking for row-boats/canoes.
Thanks again for all your help! Please don't go looking for apps for me that might give you a bug -- you've helped me tremendously as it is, I don't want you getting a bug for helping me more!
I suspect that all that you really have to do at this point is to just tweak some graphics settings somewhere in CC3, but I'm not sure. I've seen Posters printed using CC3 and they look pro qaulity, outstanding actually, so it can't have anything to do with a program glitch I'm guessing.
Could it be your monitor settings?
ANYWAY - the symbols that you want, are you talking perspective view, or a top down view (like your looking straight down on them from a height) - like a dungeon map? Can you post an image of your map scene that you are referring to so that I can see the image qaulity of the symbols that you've already used (your camp stuff)?
How much ram do you have ? And what operating system ?
If Windows 7, 2 gigs is not enough.
I find that if I reduce the color depth to 202, in Irfanview Decrease Color Depth custom, and save it. The file size generally goes down.
I'll try messing with the color settings as JimP suggested
Terraformer: Yes, it's a top-down view. I'll try getting the map smaller, so I can get it to a manageable size so I can put up a screenshot to it here.