Graphics templates

[Uxbridge]

This is a thing that has rolled around in my mind for some time. When modding things on the very modest level I'm in, it is sometimes very difficult to draw things while having the actual game files as blueprints. Do you, for instance, have any background templates that you (or your dear wife) use when drawing terrain and stuff? If so, could these be made available?

The hardest thing is to do weather, roads/rails and such things, since there's no way of telling where the hexes are in-game.

[AlvaroSousa]

Let me see what I can create. Gimme a day

[Uxbridge]

Splendid! [:)]

[AlvaroSousa]

Ok I updated the images zip with an extra one that has the template. It will be slightly off but the shaded portion is what the graphics engine sees on the map. Use that to overlay in a layer what you are working on to see where the edges are. Anything that goes over that edge will not show.

[Uxbridge]

Just marvellous. It's go-to-work-time here in Sweden now, but as soon as I get home tonight, I will have a look at it. Best support of a game ever.

[Uxbridge]

I have now looked at it. Nice, and I may have use for it, but it wasn't really what I meant.

When I change any of the files, I put the original in an empty Illustrator "work". Illustrator then "feels" the original, and it's proportion will be set. Then I create a new layer over the original where I draw, for instance, a road. When ready I turn off the original, that it will not be visible in the new png I export out of Illustrator. The proportion will be correct, however, since the application can still feel it underneath.

My hope was that you used some sort of template for drawing each graphics file for the game; a template where all the hexes for the particular file was visible beneath what you created, and that had the same proportion as the final png file. If I import the hex file you gave me, I still wouldn't know where to place it, since I'm still blind to where the hexes are.

Unless, of course, these four hexes start in any corner and can then be copied and pasted all over the original.

Hope this make sense. [8|]

[Magpius]

Interesting that you use illustrator, keeping it vector for as long as possible is cool.
I use gimp, with masking and multiplying layers with the original at back as a guide, but will take another look via illustrator.
I get what you mean re basic template, for warplan europe I numbered each hex to see where they fell on the game map.

[Uxbridge]

You gave me an idea. I have tried with numbers also, but mostly to identify convoys and such. But if one place a pattern of crossing lines over one image, and add numbers here and there in the boxes formed by those lines, it would be possible to find some "hooking points" to place the hex template. Once one of them is placed correctly, it should be possible to multiply them side by side.

Roads and weather, that's the two files I'm not fully happy with. The former I hade to keep rather fat, to mask the fact that I, in my semi-blindness, were unable to align the roads properly. The latter creates annoying patterns all over the map; an effect caused by my not knowing the hex edges.

But I will place Alvaros four-hex template there to see what comes out of it. Must chose some day with an abundance of free hours, though.

[Magpius]

Yes; an image where all connecting boundaries were contiguous, would make the lining up of rivers, roads and land forms much easier to mod.
Resource and terrain tiles are not such an issue.

[Uxbridge]

I tried to do something about my roads using the template, but haven't got much luck yet. I think stitching the hexes will be easy, but I still don't know exactly where the end of the roads and railways will fall. Will try again in some days time.

[Uxbridge]

Alvaro; I had a new spell with the darkened hexes you gave us, and finally came up with a way to use them. Once I understood them, the reason for the graphics files dimensions and other stuff made sense as well. I'm now going to mod the template to kind of a ruler with markings so that I can calculate where the roads meet, and better place text and other some such in it's proper places.

Thanks a lot for making this available. [:)]

[Uxbridge]

Double post. See above:

[AlvaroSousa]

Each hex is 90x76.

The darkened hexes are the outline the map uses of the image on the map. So anything in the corners of the squares are not seen.

[Uxbridge]

I gathered that much, but I can't figure out where the roads leaves the hex. I drew a line from north to south. Then copied that and turned it 60 degrees, aligning it through the center of the hex, with another mirrored and crossing it, thinking the deparure pixel of those lines would be were the road ends met. But they don't stitch.

Will test more later.