I actually prefer the larger ones but that is because my eyes are very bad now and I actually kind of like scrolling down with the maps. It helps me concentrate on just what part of the map is on my screen. In the case of map number 1, I can barely see the dots that are supposed to be villages and cities on the smaller map, and I cannot read any of the text at all. If I had seen something like that when I was originally looking at the atlas I would have lost interest very quickly. But since I haven't really made many maps for the atlas I will let everyone else decide and accept the results.
Posted By: TonnichiwaIn the case of map number 1, I can barely see the dots that are supposed to be villages and cities on the smaller map, and I cannot read any of the text at all. If I had seen something like that when I was originally looking at the atlas I would have lost interest very quickly.
This is a very relevant observation, and it does indicate the advantages of the larger maps, as they are much better at showcasing the maps (people probably won't bother with hi-res if the first view didn't capture their interest). This is why I am so conflicted about this question.
I can barely see the dots that are supposed to be villages and cities on the smaller map
As a side note, this is why I prefer people don't make details on their maps too small, because I usually prefer to hit zoom extents in CC3+ and see the entire map at once, I prefer details that would turn up very small in this view to be saved for the next level of detail map. But this is just a personal preference (and applies to all maps, not just atlas maps), not an instruction for how to make atlas maps, those choices are up to the mapper. Of course, many of the ancient maps I cherish and love are so packed with details you need a magnifying glass to read them, but those are from another time made with different technology and resources.
Because of the way I have my browser menus set up (I have 4 lines of menus at the top of the screen) I also have to scroll down on the smaller maps so making the maps smaller saves me nothing. I agree with Tony. I can't see the details on the smaller maps and find them less interesting as a result. I vote for keeping it as is.
Posted By: MonsenAs a side note, this is why I prefer people don't make details on their maps too small, because I usually prefer to hit zoom extents in CC3+ and see the entire map at once.
So, another piece of "Behind the Scenes" information:
With lots of maps coming in due to the February contest (And please, keep them coming, the more people contributing to the contest [and the atlas in general], the better), and a large percentage of people failing to correctly state what products their map requires (I know this is a bit difficult, as it isn't always easy to know where everything came from once you already have it in CC3+, so this isn't me complaining about you, but this is one of my time wasters), I decided to write a small CC3+ addon to handle this, to make things easier for both me and you all.
So, with a good deal of great help from Joe to help me understand internal data structures in CC3+, I now have a command that can tell me exactly what add-ons are required to view the current map, based on the artwork actually in use. (A map usually have more fill styles imported than are actually used in the map, and some mappers seem to really enjoy having just about every fill style in existence loaded into every map just to have them at the ready, so I needed a command that would analyze what is actually used in the map, and not just list what is linked). It also tells me about missing files (If a file is reported as missing when I run the test on my atlas installation, it basically means the mapper have used something not in the allowed list of addons, so this makes it easier to identify the problem)
Of course, since there isn't some magic marker associated with each image, I need to keep a database of known image paths to figure out which add-on each image comes from, so I will need to update this list to support new add-ons as they are released.
So, I cleaned up the command a bit, and moved the list of addons and paths to an external config file for easier update.
While this command is primarily intended for my own use, if anyone wants it, I'll attach it here. To install it, just copy the .dll file to your CC3+ installation directory, and the .xml file to your CC3+ data directory. If you don't have it already, you also need to install the Visual C++ 2017 runtime.
Note that this command is kind of a specialized version of the existing LISTIMAGENAMESDWG command, so if you only wish to list the images in the map, just use that one. What my command does different is to group things by add-ons and also report only fills actually in use, and not all the fills linked into the map.
Note that it is a bad idea to go around downloading .dll files from random internet locations and putting them into your programs or Windows directory. A .dll file contains actual executable code, and you never know what it might do to your system. Only get .dll's and .exe files from trusted locations (Which a forum post isn't).
If you want to test this out, this provides the following four commands: IR - Parses all the images in the file and generates a report indicating which add-ons are in use in the map (as in the screenshot in my post above). It will not list the images it found the add-on for, but it will list that it don't know where belong, and it will also list all images not physically found on your computer. Because add-on recognition is based on folders, and not a complete list of all files provided, a missing file cannot be verified as belonging to an add-on. IRD - As IR, but shows a detailed report, listing each image below the add-on they belong to IRM - As IR, but also calculates add-ons based on missing files. Without this option, a missing file will not list the add-on it's folder belongs to, because that cannot be verified. With this option, we assume that all files in a folder actually belong to the add-on owning this folder. This option is mostly useful when you run it on a map which do not have all the correct add-ons installed, because it will help you identify missing add-ons. IRDM - Combination of both IRD and IRM.
Posted By: DogtagI have absolutely no practical use for this
Didn't really expect anyone to either, it is kind of a specialized tool. It can help people analyze their maps if they make maps for others (without all the add-ons), but that is a very niche market. But, since I did make it, I could as well release it. Did have fun making it though.
So, to compliment this, and make my work a bit easier, I added in functionality to automatically delete unneeded map notes, and add in the one used for the atlas. It also populates the Copyright and the Products Required notes automatically, since the former is a static text, and the latter can be filled with the information from my IR command as described above. I also added functionality to automatically generate the export image path, saves me some clicks in the save as dialog (Now I can export directly from a macro, so I don't even need to open the save as dialog). The end result is that a few more bits of the atlas map processing can be automated (although there are still manual work left, not everything can be easily automated).
These last two features are incredibly atlas-specific, and won't be of use to anyone else though.
So, with the 3.81 enhancements finally available, I've updated the navigation bar I put in every atlas map. Thanks to new commands, I can make hotspots that automatically open a spesific map note directly, I can more easily toggle sheet visibility, and I can open URL's directly from the map. So, the new navbar is a bit larger, and puts more information more easily available. However, for these new links to work, people will need to be using CC3+ 3.81.
I haven't updated all the old maps, that is a longer process, generally those updates are things I do when I need to edit the map anyway, for example to put in a link to a new child map.
While this has been a possibility already with the navbars I have been using, I made the various toggles their own section. I've got three default toggles there (hotspots, grid and effects), but the intention is (and had always been) that more toggles can be added, for example to show/hide kingdom borders, sjow/hide roofs, or additional information, or whatever. I therefor ask you to NOT place such link inside the map when you make it, but rather prepare your map and simply tell me what toggles you want in your map (as in, what sheets can be toggled, and what does that do), and I will put the appropriate toggle into the navbar. This helps both keeping clutter away from the map, and ensure a consistent look for the atlas.
Also, note the map links section. Most maps will only have a single link here, the parent map one. For sets of maps (such as a building/dungeon/etc) I will also list direct navigation links here. I will also add special links here that is unlinkable from the actual map, such as the link to the starmaps from the world map. Note that this is NOT a list of all the hotspots in the map though, that will just get complicated and messy.
Just type FFIX on the CC3+ command line and hit enter (note that you don't have to activate the command line. As long as you are not in the middle of another command, just start typing)
So, to give you a more visual introduction to the whole process of preparing atlas maps, I've recorded a video of myself preparing a map for the atlas. Note that there is no sound, that's intentional. This video follows the complete process starting from the zip file I received by mail, preparing and exporting the map, and making it available online, until I confirm that everything is online in the atlas and working as intended. If you do decide to watch this rather boring video, keep an eye on the command line, it reveals much of what I am doing.
Note that this was an easy map, I usually spends some more time on multi-story maps because of all the inter-map links, as well as maps with custom resources. Some maps also give me some trouble when rendering to this high of a resolution (All maps are rendered to 8192x8192 plus 25% antialiasing, so the render is about 11000 by 11000 [cropped to aspect ratio]), taking some time to get them to behave.
okay, another question here. You mentioned enabling effects on when loading. That's something I used to have, but at some point, it must have been turned off, because even though I ALWAYS save with the effects on, when I open a map back up, it always load with the effects off.
Where do I go in the program to enable 'effects on when loading'?
LadieStorm: Go to drop-down menu Tools > Options. The very last item on the control panel this brings up is "Effects on load", with the option to have Effects always on when loading.
This is also controlled on a per-map basis by going to the Display Speed settings dialog (the hourglass button in the left toolbars) and enable 'effects are on when loaded'. Of course, the setting mentioned by Wyvern above override the per-map settings.
Comments
As a side note, this is why I prefer people don't make details on their maps too small, because I usually prefer to hit zoom extents in CC3+ and see the entire map at once, I prefer details that would turn up very small in this view to be saved for the next level of detail map. But this is just a personal preference (and applies to all maps, not just atlas maps), not an instruction for how to make atlas maps, those choices are up to the mapper. Of course, many of the ancient maps I cherish and love are so packed with details you need a magnifying glass to read them, but those are from another time made with different technology and resources.
With lots of maps coming in due to the February contest (And please, keep them coming, the more people contributing to the contest [and the atlas in general], the better), and a large percentage of people failing to correctly state what products their map requires (I know this is a bit difficult, as it isn't always easy to know where everything came from once you already have it in CC3+, so this isn't me complaining about you, but this is one of my time wasters), I decided to write a small CC3+ addon to handle this, to make things easier for both me and you all.
So, with a good deal of great help from Joe to help me understand internal data structures in CC3+, I now have a command that can tell me exactly what add-ons are required to view the current map, based on the artwork actually in use. (A map usually have more fill styles imported than are actually used in the map, and some mappers seem to really enjoy having just about every fill style in existence loaded into every map just to have them at the ready, so I needed a command that would analyze what is actually used in the map, and not just list what is linked). It also tells me about missing files (If a file is reported as missing when I run the test on my atlas installation, it basically means the mapper have used something not in the allowed list of addons, so this makes it easier to identify the problem)
Of course, since there isn't some magic marker associated with each image, I need to keep a database of known image paths to figure out which add-on each image comes from, so I will need to update this list to support new add-ons as they are released.
While this command is primarily intended for my own use, if anyone wants it, I'll attach it here. To install it, just copy the .dll file to your CC3+ installation directory, and the .xml file to your CC3+ data directory. If you don't have it already, you also need to install the Visual C++ 2017 runtime.
Note that this command is kind of a specialized version of the existing LISTIMAGENAMESDWG command, so if you only wish to list the images in the map, just use that one. What my command does different is to group things by add-ons and also report only fills actually in use, and not all the fills linked into the map.
Note that it is a bad idea to go around downloading .dll files from random internet locations and putting them into your programs or Windows directory. A .dll file contains actual executable code, and you never know what it might do to your system. Only get .dll's and .exe files from trusted locations (Which a forum post isn't).
If you want to test this out, this provides the following four commands:
IR - Parses all the images in the file and generates a report indicating which add-ons are in use in the map (as in the screenshot in my post above). It will not list the images it found the add-on for, but it will list that it don't know where belong, and it will also list all images not physically found on your computer. Because add-on recognition is based on folders, and not a complete list of all files provided, a missing file cannot be verified as belonging to an add-on.
IRD - As IR, but shows a detailed report, listing each image below the add-on they belong to
IRM - As IR, but also calculates add-ons based on missing files. Without this option, a missing file will not list the add-on it's folder belongs to, because that cannot be verified. With this option, we assume that all files in a folder actually belong to the add-on owning this folder. This option is mostly useful when you run it on a map which do not have all the correct add-ons installed, because it will help you identify missing add-ons.
IRDM - Combination of both IRD and IRM.
Thanks. I have absolutely no practical use for this (yet!) but it's very neat.
I also added functionality to automatically generate the export image path, saves me some clicks in the save as dialog (Now I can export directly from a macro, so I don't even need to open the save as dialog).
The end result is that a few more bits of the atlas map processing can be automated (although there are still manual work left, not everything can be easily automated).
These last two features are incredibly atlas-specific, and won't be of use to anyone else though.
However, for these new links to work, people will need to be using CC3+ 3.81.
I haven't updated all the old maps, that is a longer process, generally those updates are things I do when I need to edit the map anyway, for example to put in a link to a new child map.
While this has been a possibility already with the navbars I have been using, I made the various toggles their own section. I've got three default toggles there (hotspots, grid and effects), but the intention is (and had always been) that more toggles can be added, for example to show/hide kingdom borders, sjow/hide roofs, or additional information, or whatever.
I therefor ask you to NOT place such link inside the map when you make it, but rather prepare your map and simply tell me what toggles you want in your map (as in, what sheets can be toggled, and what does that do), and I will put the appropriate toggle into the navbar. This helps both keeping clutter away from the map, and ensure a consistent look for the atlas.
Also, note the map links section. Most maps will only have a single link here, the parent map one. For sets of maps (such as a building/dungeon/etc) I will also list direct navigation links here. I will also add special links here that is unlinkable from the actual map, such as the link to the starmaps from the world map. Note that this is NOT a list of all the hotspots in the map though, that will just get complicated and messy.
This video follows the complete process starting from the zip file I received by mail, preparing and exporting the map, and making it available online, until I confirm that everything is online in the atlas and working as intended.
If you do decide to watch this rather boring video, keep an eye on the command line, it reveals much of what I am doing.
Note that this was an easy map, I usually spends some more time on multi-story maps because of all the inter-map links, as well as maps with custom resources. Some maps also give me some trouble when rendering to this high of a resolution (All maps are rendered to 8192x8192 plus 25% antialiasing, so the render is about 11000 by 11000 [cropped to aspect ratio]), taking some time to get them to behave.
Where do I go in the program to enable 'effects on when loading'?