Using an images as drawing aid

Arvodan · September 2013

Hello,

I try to create a bitmap deckplan of an emperess marava class ship for traveller with cosmographer 3 (like the example: http://www.profantasy.com/images/cos3/gallery/thumb01.jpg). However I already lost on start, as I'm not able to get a drawing canvas with the right dimensions (50m wide, 40 m high) and the corresponding grid (squares, with 1.5m size).
Also, is there a way of using the image of a deckplan, e.g. the one from profantasy itself, and putting it in the background/a lower layer so I can easily copy the hull by redrawing it?

Best regards

Henrie61 · September 2013

Best advice I can give is to watch the tutorials on youtube made by Joe Sweeney
Joe Sweeney tutorials on spaceships

And besides that.
You can import an image into any map you are making to use as a guideline.
This here explains how to do it: Import a map

And the image is put on a sheet, not a layer, took me a while to get the difference between those two.

JimP · September 2013

You can set your own template size using the wizard.

Arvodan · September 2013

Thanks for the tips so far. The tutorial has a couple of nice ideas, but is based on a template/map which is not publicly available, I think.

Using the image as an drawing aid is very helpful, but I'm still struggling with scale. (But this is for an other thread.)

JimP · September 2013

Select the drawing wizard, the piece of paper just to the left of the manila, beige, envelope upper left in CC3.

Select 'decide settings myself'.

That will allow you to type in the left-right and up-down dimensions of your starship.

If you have a scan of the deckplan, insert it on the map, on its own layer. I use bmp for the layer name. Also one of the tutorials on my site.

jigsawman · September 2013

Jim P - Sheet, not Layer. It's the synonymous use of words here at times that confuse the heck out of people and set them down the wrong path

If there is a convention at use, please refer to it by the correct name. I am also guilty of this at times and with a program as vast as CC3, I think it is important to make sure that the correct lingo is used so other do not get lost easily. Not calling you out on that Jim, just pointing it out.
JSM

Eugee · September 2013

I just finished mapping The Caves of Chaos (Module B2 D&D) using this method, which would have been a nightmare without being able to trace over my DM map.

I started with a template map sized to fit the DM map (old-school blue style) which was 740'x500', then created a new SHEET called "TRACE". I moved it below the SHEET: FLOORS and scaled it to fit to the edges of the map. It wasn't PERFECTLY lined up, but it was so close that I was then able to quickly and easily draw the floors on the FLOORS sheet with ease, stick on walls and doors, and then finally go through filling the whole complex up with symbols.

JimP · September 2013

I always thought the 'set my own dimensions' was done on the layer map border.

Maybe it is done on both sheet map border and layer map border ? Anyone ?

Dogtag · September 2013

Well, one thing about using a unique layer is that you can select by layer but you can't select by sheet. So you can easily select all entities on a given layer, but if entities on a sheet are on different layers (entirely possible) then it' can be tricky to select everything on the sheet.

~Dogtag

JimP · September 2013

I was referring to the map border size, not symbols, roads, etc.

Joachim de Ravenbel · September 2013

To add to the discussion, the map border layer is recognized by CC3 when using Restrict to Map Border drawing tools.
Usually you draw a rectangle or lines defining a rectangle on this layer so these tools can determine where the border is.
If you draw a nice map border on another layer, the tool won't take it as the limiting map border.
A sheet named Map Border has no incidence regarding drawing tools.

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Using an images as drawing aid

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