Trouble with edit mode from TUOM pg. 240

I am trying to connect these caves using the edit mode as described in the TOUM on page 240 and it is not working. I can activate the edit but when I right click and expect the prompt that asks me to pick the connecting end node it just finishes the polygon. I have tried this in new maps and it works fine. There is something about this map that is not allowing me to do it and I have no idea what it is. I have uploaded the FCW file if anyone wants to look at the map. Thanks in advance to anyone helping out.

Comments

  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    Hi Kev,

    Are you trying to connect the two gray caverns to each other? Unfortunately, the Edit command lets you edit a single entity but it does not help you to connect two distinct entities.

    I hope that answers your question.

    ~Dogtag

    (Here's an attempt to explain what we see in the Tome example.)
    In the Tome, this example works because the example is editing the cavern (light gray) that was initially drawn on the background (dark gray). The example is not connecting two distinct. entities. The first part of the example opens a "cave tunnel" in the lower part of the original cavern intity, draws down near the map border, takes a left, follows the map border clockwise to the bottom, then draws up to near where it was drawn near the bottom, and then it makes a sharp right back up to the original cavern. This gives the illusion of a large cavern in the bottom left with a connecting tunnel up to the original cavern. The second part of the example opens a "tunnel" in the right-hand side and draws another, attached, cavern. Unfortunately, the edits are all being done to the cavern entity drawn in step 6 of the Tome example.
  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    edited October 2016
    That said, you could try to fake it. You can Edit one of the caves so that it has a "tunnel" that overlaps into one of the other caverns. This has its own downsides though. For example, any glow our shadow effects may betray the illusion. Also, the cave fill may not match between the "tunnel"and the cavern it connects to.

    ~Dogtag
  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
    As Dogtag said, you cannot use the edit feature to connect two separate polygons, for that you need to break them open, use combine paths on them, and recombine them into a polygon instead.

    I did notice that the edit command didn't work properly at all on your polygons however. To fix this, you can use Change like Draw tool on them (Found by right clicking the change properties button) and change them into the cave, default drawing tool (Which it looks like they are already)
  • This was my compromise. I ditched the mask and simply boosted the transparency on the global sun shadows. I changed the background as well but I am not sure about it. I think it looks good this way and you can tell the caves are under ground so that is cool to in my opinion. I will go back and try to make this work at some point but for now I think this map is ready for the finishing touches. Thanks for your help!
  • The map looks better than this, I just had to save it small enough to post here. :)
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 40 images Cartographer
    If you use Save as... Rectangular png or jpg, you can click the options button and set the proportions of the exported rectangle to match the proportions of your map, and do away with the wasted grey space :)

    For example, if my map is 1000 units wide and 500 units tall I could set the number of width and height pixels to 1000 and 500, or I could multiply both by a factor of 2 and put 2000 and 1000 in the width and height pixel boxes... or 8000 and 4000... etc. You can precisely choose the rectangle of the map then, by entering the coordinates 0,0, for the bottom left hand corner, and 1000,500 for the top right hand corner when prompted for these two things by the command line at the bottom of the screen.

    Since you clearly have the facility to reduce the image once you have exported it, you could export it at about twice the required size and then reduce it by 50%, which is a commonly used factor in the graphics community. I use it all the time with mine. Render up, scale down.

    That should help in producing the best possible image within the confines of the forum :)
  • Thank you Loopysue, I will try this next time I save. :)
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 40 images Cartographer
    That's just to render out - not to save the fcw file btw, so don't go and shut down without saving the fcw!
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