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RE: [CC-L] stopping redraws
Date: 1/18/99 5:54:09 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: Linda Kekumu
Redraw tips:
1. Trees and Mountains are by far the most numerous and slowest symbols. Draw polygons to mark the forest and mountain areas and add these symbols to your map last.
2. Use larger symbols. It sounds simple, but if you use symbols that are twice as big, the redraw speed will be four times quicker. You can always paste maps together later.
3. Hide the Vegetation & the Minerals/Mountains layers when you are not working on them.
Stopping redraws:
1. Resize the screen so that the task bar, when it pop ups only goes over the prompt area. This means you can raise the prompt bar to look at the time (etc.) without causing a redraw. CC2 remembers the window shape and size between setting. All you lose is a few pixels at the bottom of the screen.
2. A more powerful display card (lots of memory) eliminates almost all non-zooming redraws.
3. If Tooltips cause redraws, turn them off. Options>Preferences> unselect Tooltips.
Reducing the number of redraws:
1. Minimize the use of scroll bars. Scroll bars are useful in navigating painted images and documents. They are not usually the best way of getting around a CAD map. Use zooms instead. In many cases a zoom extents, zoom window is much quicker than using the scroll bars.
2. Don't create any more multipolies than you need to - sometimes a green polygon with a blue polygon in it is better than a green multipoly consisting of two multipolies.
3. Type RDOFF at the command line. This will minimize redraws, however you may need to do a redraw yourself occasionally (Edit>Redraw). RDON turns redraws back on again.
Increasing redraw speed:
1. Hide layers which contain entities that you don't need to see while working (e.g. Mountains, vegetation layer)
2. Many people have their display settings set wrongly. Your card may have Hardware acceleration and you may not even know it. Select Task Bar > Control Panel> Display >Settings > Advanced > Performance. Set Hardware Acceleration on full. If you don't get any problems then use this setting. (In particular the Hercules Stingray & STB Systems doesn't work on full acceleration)
3. Your display cards manufacturer may have an improved driver at their web site.
4. Don't use the highest resolution your card will allow.
5. Don't pack so much detail into one map - chop them up.
6. If you are going to be swapping between CC2 and other apps, zoom to an area with nothing in it, do all the swapping you like, then Zoom Last when you return to CM.
[CC-L] City Designer 2 Symbols
Date: 1/22/99 6:23:57 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: Simon Rogers
If you would like to make your city symbols future-compatible with CD2, please use the following rules:
Draw a solid filled area which is a silhouette of the building on the COLOR 31 layer (it should be COLOR 31). Draw the solid filled areas on the SHADING layer. Draw the outlines (the black hollow lines) on FRAME layer. These layers need to be added to your drawings
Finally, define them on the SYMBOL DEFINITION layer.
Re: [CC-L] help? The way I do area maps.
Date: 1/22/99 7:42:41 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: John Csaky
Actually you can. Use Write Part, and Insert Part to create area maps. I do it all the time. You might have to clean up the part after you place it. If you do not want to mess with write part and all that, just use save as. Draw a box to define the extents of the new map and erase everything outside the box. This is beneficial, in that you do not have to figure out what template to use. When you are cleaning up and replacing the mis-scaled symbols, Zoom Extents and TADA, an area map. I use this, then create a link to the new map from the old map.
>Well right now I'm just trying to use portions of the Swordcoast map, zoomed-in on, for an RPG. It really seems odd that you can zoom in on sections of the map, but cannot save or export that exact view. What are you expected to do? Use a screen-capture app to catch a snapshot of your desktop, then crop off the edges around the CC2 map you've zoomed-in on? If that's the only way to achieve that...well, that's quite a disappointment. Thanks for responding.>
Re: [CC-L] help?
Date: 1/22/99 8:18:44 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: Mike Schmitz
>Well right now I'm just trying to use portions of the Swordcoast map, zoomed-in on, for an RPG. It really seems odd that you can zoom in on sections of the map, but cannot save or export that exact view. What are you expected to do?
Try this: Go to Edit->Clipboard->Options.
Specify how big you want the bitmap to be.
That done, go to Edit->Clipboard->Copy Click once in the upper left hand corner of the area you want, then again in the lower right hand corner. If you're doing this on the Sword Coast map, note that it may take a while to process, as the map is quite large. Some entities should become selected. Now right-click and select "do it", or click "do it" on the popup menu if that's the interface you're using.
Next choose and origin. Just click any point in your window.
Then open Paint and "Paste" the image that's on your clipboard!
RE: [CC-L] question about hexes
Date: 1/23/99 1:59:38 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: Linda Kekumu
You can edit the properties for the how the hex symbols displays by clicking on "Edit Line Styles" & scrolling down until you fine the HEX/SQUARE line style. To make it a solid line delete the part about skipping.
To change the color - choose a new color prior to selecting the fill style. The HEX/Square fill is done in color 31 - so it will pick up whatever color is selected prior to choosing the fill style.
There are several predefined Hex sizes under Fill styles - if you do not see one you like, try opening a smaller template & take a look. The 63 x 50 template has a 1 mile hex grid.
> From: Charles Sprock
> Is it possible to change the size of the hex overlay (re: make them smaller)? What about changing their color?>
[CC-L] Feeback on feedback
Date: 1/25/99 2:49:18 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: Simon Rogers
1) Left-clicking on status bar indicators changes settings.
2) Right clicking on Grid and Attach calls up the grid DB.
Re: [CC-L] Matching Angles
Date: 1/25/99 6:34:38 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: Simon Rogers
How about trying a Perpendicular Line command? Add perpendicular lines at the point that you want the symbols to be. Add perp lines to those perp lines. Use lockang on the second line.
Wire, William wrote:
>I place the symbol I want at the "top" of the circle. I then used the "circular array" copy to make a bunch of them around the tower in a circle. I'd then erase any that I didn't want. This works great for arrowslits.>
>Another way to do it for ONE symbol at a time, is to place it at the top of the circle. (It's easy to line up a straight horizontal) Once placed, DRAG or COPY it. When it ask you where from, select modifier->Center and click on the circle. Using the Control key? or was it Shift? to dynamically rotate the thing, and place it using modifier->Center on the circle again to ensure proper placement right on the circle.>
> It was this procedure & others like it that convinced me that "Center", "%", "Perpendicular", "Tangent", etc belong on icons...>
> > From: Eric J.
> > I am working on a map with round towers. I want to place windows and doors in the tower walls but I'm having a minor problem. Its taking forever to enter the symbol's rotation by hand then checking against the curve and then adjusting. Is there a quick way to match the angle on a circle (I think the term I want is tangent) and then apply it to a symbol?> >
Re: [CC-L] CC2 confusion
Date: 1/25/99 4:09:23 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: Stuart Hunter
David Anderson wrote -
> I want to create a filled object (circle, square) with a border. I'd like to be able to specify the border thickness and color. Yet I am totally baffled by CC2. What I've been doing is making two objects: one filled and the other the border. 'Course, when I place the border on the filled object, I can't select them separately and sometimes the filled object ends up on top.
Yes, you do have to make 2 separate objects. If you put them on different layers - use COPY TO LAYER to make the second object - then it is easy to select just one of them 'by Layer'. Use FRONT to place whichever of the 2 objects you want in front - unless you have an old version of CC2 they will stay in this order unless you use the FRONT or BACK commands on one of the objects; if they appear to have changed positions, you can check it by doing a REDRAW . If you decide that the 2 objects are finished, you can turn them into a single object using GROUP, but then you need to do an UNGROUP first if you decide to edit them later.
Re: [CC-L] What about rounded corners?
Date: 1/26/99 2:49:56 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: Simon Rogers
David L Anderson wrote:
> And how can I go about creating a square/rectangle with rounded corners?>
1) Draw the rectangle using the BOX command.
2) Edit > Explode it
3) Select Edit > Fillets/Chamfers > Fillet and trim
5) Select the first two edges.
4) Give the rounded edge a radius - you can either type a value or select two points the correct distance apart. I usually select a point inside the corner and then one near the corner.
6) Click the right button to start the command again.
7) Click two more edges, then press the right button to accept the default radius (same as last time)
After the first corner this process is quick. You can add solid fill to the shape by setting the fill style to solid then making the shape into a multipoly.
Re: [CC-L] Yet another question: symbols
Date: 1/26/99 6:50:05 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: L. Lee Saunders
> For example, I have a simple symbol of a desk with a piece of paper on it. When I try to place the symbol, I can see some blinking of parts of the outline but not enough to accurately place the desk.>
Ok, first what I want you to do is draw a circle in CC2 and drag it around the screen.
Looks Ok during the drag, right?
Copy the circle and place the copy directly on the top of the first circle and drag both of them around.
Cannot see them at all can you!
Place another copy of the circle directly on the top of the first two, so that there are three stacked up, and drag them all around.
Looks Ok again! So whats up? CC2, to correctly see a dragging (or placing symbol) entities must have an odd number of edges to show during the drag.
So the easiest way to see your symbol is to use the outline macro to give the design another edge.
Re: [CC-L] CC2 confusion
Date: 1/26/99 6:51:43 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: Ken Snellings
Andersdl writes:
> I want to create a filled object (circle, square) with a border. I'd like to be able to specify the border thickness and color. Yet I am totally baffled by CC2. What I've been doing is making two objects: one filled and the other the border. 'Course, when I place the border on the filled object, I can't select them separately and sometimes the filled object ends up on top.
I find that I like to keep objects on just one layer. If I want to bring an outline to the front after it has managed to bury itself in my map, I will select the object (getting both the interior and the outline), then select the AND operator, then select the COLOR attribute, and choose Black (or whatever the color of my outline is), then DOIT. I personally don't like having to worry about my objects being scattered over several layers. As you have probably noticed already there are hundreds of ways to do just about any task with CC2, I hope you find yours soon.
RE: [CC-L] Symbol fill help bug
Date: 1/26/99 1:06:35 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: Linda Kekumu
Bug number one
This bug is not caused by DD2, nor was it introduced by DD2 or by Patch 3. It has always been present in CC2. There is a stability bug in CC2 which affects certain systems. This Stability bug affects the use of Geomorph Symbols in DD2. If you perform the series of commands that cause the bug lots of times, it will happen lots of times. It is the only stability bug that occurs regularly. It is not an operation that will be frequently performed by most users. . We have fixed it in version 6.00 and we will see if we can retro-fit the fix to 5.21
This is caused on some systems by doing the following:
1) Starting a map based on a geomorph template
2) Inserting a Geomorph
3) Selecting Geomorph Fill Style
4) Changing the symbol name
Note that if you redefine the Geomorph fill style on the template before inserting a geomorph symbol, it is unlikely to happen.
The bug can also be activated by inserting a geomorph symbol into a non-geomorph template. This is easily cured by using Add Dungeon Definitions.
Finally, I would recommend that if you wish to change the appearance of Geomorph tiles, that you re-define the Geomorph fill style in the templates.
If you still cannot change the symbol name without causing a crash, then do The following:
1) Place a copy of the Jigsaw Tiles symbol in the map.
2) Explode it
3) Delete the Jigsaw Tiles symbol definition
4) Place the symbol you want for your geomorphs on a snap point
5) Set the layer to Symbol Definition
6) Explode the symbol
7) Define this symbol as Jigsaw Tiles with the snap point as the origin.
Bug number two
The print dialog box does not contain Print Scaling or Print view any more (we accidentally copied over the Campaign Mapper print DB in the resource file) Now available for download at the web site in the Tech Support section.
Re: [CC-L] Need help with abutting 2 different background colors
Date: 1/28/99 5:36:16 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: Mike Schmitz
> I'm having a problem using background colors, (a must have as far as I'm concerned ). I have a large area of Mountians / Foot hills and I want to >have a Desert on the leeward side of the mountins. Now Ive laid down a lage area of color #158 (Smooth Poly, should I use regular poly?) and I want to have an area of desert / sand color right up against it. How can I do this?
Erik here's what I would do:
1. use a regular poly. The method I'll outline will only work that way. Click the EDIT icon and select your poly, then choose "no smoothing" in the dialogue box that pops up.
2. Under the Copy menu, choose Copy to Layer Select the colour 158 poly that you spoke of and Do It.
3. Choose a layer that's DIFFERENT from the selected poly. TEMPORARY will do fine.
4. Make the new layer active (temporary layer in my example above) and HIDE ALL others.
5. Okay, now you're dealing with the copy. Change it to the colour that you want the desert to be. Select the Node Edit button (or type dynedit on the command line, this ends up being faster) and move the nodes around to where you want the new poly to be. The trick here, however, is to NOT move the nodes along the side that you wish to have adjacent to the original poly. Does this make sense? Essentially, if the desert is going to be on the east of the mountain area, then move all the nodes on the north, west and south, but leave the ones on the east. Then, when you turn the other layer back on, the two polys share one side, matching perfectly!
6. Change the new polygon's layer to whatever you want it to be.
Note: It would certainly be faster to just make the desert slightly larger than you need it, and put the mountain-coloured area on top of it, but I agree with you that it's inelegant, and also a pain, because later on you'll try to select something and suddenly that whole poly will become highlighted because you clicked on the hidden edge of it.
Speaking of which, would the proposed "layer lock" command allow us to SEE entities but make them UN-selectable? That would be fantastic!
>I thought offset copy a section with an of set of 0 but I just can't seem to utilize it in that manner!
Offset copy will take a line and make a copy of it a certain distance away. It's not useful in what you're trying to do with your polygons. In fact, it would just make a scaled copy of your polygon.
Re: [CC-L] a function request
Date: 6/17/99 3:11:07 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Simon Rogers
This process is actually very simple.
1) Draw a line.
2) Select split, select the poly select intersection, select a point where the line crosses the poly.
3) Repeat the command, select the (now) path, select intersection, select the other point where the line crosses the path.
4) Erase the line.
5) EDIT each path in turn selecting "Closed"
From: Mike Schmitz
> If there is one thing that I'd like to see added to CC2's functionality, it's an ability to trim polygons to an intersecting line. By this, I mean that it would be nice to take a contour polygon, draw a straight line through it, and have it divided into two polygons along the line.>
Re: [CC-L] Map Scale
Date: 6/23/99 3:18:10 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Simon Rogers
Start a map based on the nearest sized template you can. Each template has different symbol fill scales, different hex and square grids and different grid sizes. Thaw the map border. Place a hollow box on the MAP BORDER layer, starting at 0,0 and finishing at x,y where x is the width and y the height of the template. Explode this (This makes trimming to the border easier) Place a scale bar, a label and any other features you want on every map. Freeze the MAP BORDER. Save As a template.
From: Ian R Malcomson
> >How does one set the size of the map you are working on? There are templates for sizes like 1000x800 miles, but I want to make a specific one.> >
Re: [CC-L] Map Scale
Date: 6/25/99 2:25:34 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Simon Rogers
We have given a wide enough range of template sizes that if you choose a similar sized template, you shouldn't have to do this. However, if you want to the easiest way is to:
1) Look at the scale of the template you orginally used.
2) Work out a scale factor between that template and the original. Lets say that the new template is twice the width of the old one)
3) Select the symbol fill styles tab of the Fill Style dialog box.
4) Ignore any styles that are a specific size (e.g. Hex 20') Don't get confused between the Fill Style Name and the the Symbol Name.
5) Get to the first one (say Deciduous Symbol) Type (in this case) *2 after the X spacing. Select the *2 and press CTRL-C (copy)
6) Select just after the Y Spacing. Press CTRL-V. Same after X Scale and Y Scale.
7) Pull down the next symbol fill. Select after each setting (other than rotation) and press CTRL V.
8) Repeat this for each symbol fill.
The whole process takes about 3 minutes. When you have finished you can delete any inappropriate square or hex fill styles and add new ones (using the multiply size device used above)
While I am here, here's another symbol fill style tip for copying symbol fill styles between templates.
In the drawing you want to copy from, place a symbol of each kind that is used in a symbol fill style. Before placing this symbol, set the symbol fill style to the style which uses this symbol. For example, set the fill style to Deciduous Symbol then place a Deciduous Fill symbol.
Save the drawing. Paste it into the other drawing. Undo. The symbol fills have been added.
From: Morgan Rodwell
> How do I set the fill scale for symbols so they match a specific template
> size I want to define?>
Re: [CC-L] Symbol Query
Date: 7/7/99 10:12:25 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Simon Rogers
Have you right clicked to finish the command? Have you tried Attach mode ON ?(more useful for rivers)
From: Kurt Weihs
> This is what I am doing and it is not working properly. I draw the river and when I am near the coast I move the mouse over to the toolbar and the ON command...left click on the button then move the mouse back to the coast and click on a portion of the coast then right click. The river is done but in the zoom views you can see that the river does not end exactly on the coast...it is either short or long. Is this supposed to happen? The manual says that it should be connected to the coast no matter how far you zoom in.>
> From: Linda Kekumu
> >Draw the river - when you get near the coast - don't right or left click the river - just click the "ON" modifier, now left click on the coastline & then right click to end this sequence.> >
> >> From: Kurt Weihs
> >> I have just sat down and tried going through the tutorial and am already stumped on rivers. I follow the directions as precisely as possible... selected the RIVER icon and am on the water/rivers layer. The prompt first point comes up fine and I am able to draw a lovely winding river until I get near the coast where I move my mouse over to the right bar and select the ON button (slanted line with the box on the bottom). I then left click on the coastline and right click on the river. The river promptly ends right where it is at, unconnected to the coastline (i.e. I zoom in and can see a sizeable gap between the end point and the coastline). What am I doing wrong?> >>
Re: [CC-L] Symbol Query
Date: 7/7/99 11:17:50 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Ian R Malcomson
>This is what I am doing and it is not working properly. I draw the river and when I am near the coast I move the mouse over to the toolbar and the ON command...left click on the button then move the mouse back to the coast and click on a portion of the coast then right click. The river is done but in the zoom views you can see that the river does not end exactly on the coast...it is either short or long. Is this supposed to happen? The manual says that it should be connected to the coast no matter how far you zoom in.>
I bet both the coastline and the river line are curved/splines. I've had this problem when using modifiers to connect a spline to another spline. To get around it, zoom in so you can see the gap, then use the Node Edit function - pick up the end point of the river, then use the "On" modifier again at this closer zoom level. Alternatively, use the "Trim to Entity" function: select the coastline, then the river. Whether the river is short or long, the Trim... should move the endpoint of the river to meet the coastline. Actually, this latter option is probably the easier of the two.
From: Linda Kekumu
Turn Snap & Csr Snap off - it is also possible that the Origin is just too far away from your map. Click on View>Change Origin & click near where you are working. You can change the origin as many times as you need to while working on maps. When you are all done, most people set the origin to the lower left hand corner of the map.
From: Breeze
The reason this is happening is that there is a problem with your coastline. Most likely your coastline is a multipoly and not all the endpoints match up exactly, in which case you will not be able to use modifiers on it. The best way around this is to copy your multipoly to a temporary layer and explode it. You can erase any sections that you won't need (you can try to find the problem point, explode, fix it (if possible) and multipoly, but this is not always possible). If it is not a multipoly, then you have an errant point on your poly. Sometimes you can find this using the EDIT button and looking at the points. A couple of ways to try to track down your problem is to change the line thickness or set the fill to hollow. One or the other will sometimes make the problem quite apparent. Maybe nothing will work except redrawing your whole coastline (fixing a poly is at times impossible), although if your coastline is large and no problem is apparent at any zoom, you are better off using a workaround. Zooming in and connecting by eye will work to.
RE: [CC-L] Another Newbie With Old Questions
Date: 2/28/99 1:04:24 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: Linda Kekumu
Sorry - CC2 has a new, improved selection method. You are ready to select by "Each" straight away. Press the right button to get a context menu with the other options.
If you want CC2 to work in the way described in the manual or Demo, then select Options > Preferences > Disable - Selection Right Button menus. You can switch back to the other method after you complete the tutorials or leave it as is if you prefer.
To get a different background - File>Open choose template from the pull down list & navigate to your templates folder, then pick one & click on OK. Now - save.
CC2 bases new maps on the last map you had loaded - the DD2 introductory screen is a "map" so, until you save something else, that is what you are going to see.
Rick Sealey Writes:
>I've just started the tutorial for CC2, but I'm having trouble with some of the selection/edit commands. Dialogue boxes that are supposed to let me choose entities (for example, Not, Each) aren't popping up. I've tried using the Select By options from the toolbar, but it still doesn't seem to be working properly. Could I have changed a setting inadvertently, or does the addition of DD2 cause changes in the way the interface works?<
Re: [CC-L] Another Newbie With Old Questions
Date: 3/1/99 7:02:58 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: Simon Rogers
David Boucherie wrote:
> While you are on the subject... it seems to me that the shortcuts for the context menu are incomplete. "Or" and "Not" works, but not "And". Is that because the &A shortcut would conflict with "All", the &N with "Not" and the &D with "Do it" and you had no characters left? (To anticipate on part of your answer: yes, I'm too lazy to right-click and choose from the context menu itself.)>
Yes, this is due to naming conflict. This problem will be solved with the introduction of B as a hotkey for And (Both properties) We want users to be as lazy as possible!
[CC-L] Bitmap fills tile in print-out
Date: 3/2/99 1:23:38 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: David Boucherie
Keith wrote:
> My problem is the that my bitmap is the background and prints in a tiled format too. And yes the print preview looks perfectly normal. I have resorted to screen capturing the print preview to print through PaintShopPro so that everything comes out right. If anyone can fix this...
As a work-around, I copied the CC2 map to the clipboard ([Ctrl-C] + "A" + "D" + "0,0" + [Enter]) and pasted it in another graphics program (I used MS Photo Editor, but it should work with anything), and printed from there. That works fine too. The only instance I noticed the bitmap to be tiled is when directly printing from CC2. All other functions seem to work just fine.
Linda Kekumu wrote:
> When you define the bitmap fill make sure you select Expand to Fill Extends (not the tile option)
> If you share the symbol with anyone, they must also have the bitmap & have it in the same folder that you did.
Simon Rogers wrote:
>CC2 interrogates the Windows driver for your printer; print preview shows you what the driver is telling CC2 what will happen if data is sent to the preview. If the preview and the output differ, there is a problem that occurs somewhere between CC2 and the printed image. This could be a incorrect driver, or insufficient memory. That said, there are a number of "cheats" built into CC2 to allow for incorrect drivers.<
[CC-L] RE: What happened to my selection box?
Date: 3/7/99 1:12:14 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: Linda Kekumu
Options>Select BY - pick dialog or pop-up
> From: Behalf Of Cook,Jason
> I have DD2 installed at home and at work. I came into work today to get my FR maps done (as this is the best environment that I have to work in) and found that something has happened to the selection method when I attempt to use any of the commands from the middle section of the left two tool bars. Change layer, change fill style, change line style, etc., etc., all ask me for a 'color#' when I press the icon (same deal with the pull-down menus). I don't want to choose by color! My question: why is this happening, and what can I do to change it back to the way it was? I don't have the enable right-button selection picked. Any info is appreciated.>
[CC-L] Print Dialog Problem
Date: 3/7/99 9:27:23 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: Bruce Gulke
Two questions:
1 - I'm sure this has been asked before, so I apologize for the redundancy (probably a good addition to the FAQ on the Web site). How do I export a bitmap from CC2 at a particular scale? Say I want to take a typical map and export it as 8.5x11 at 300dpi. What are the steps for that? The docs don't seem to cover this clearly.
2 - In the DD2 manual, the "Print Drawing" dialog (p. 77+) is quite a bit different from what I see. In particular, I don't have a "Scaling" frame as is shown. My CC2 version displays as 5.21 and DD2 as 1.0
Re: [CC-L] Probs Pict & Bitmap Fills
Date: 3/8/99 8:09:00 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: Simon Rogers
Breeze wrote:
> Here's the problem I'm having. I can't put a BMP into the Decorative/1000x800(Sea Background).FCT template. I can add any of the BMP's that I am trying to use into a different template, but can't add any BMP to the Decorative/1000x800(Sea Background).FCT template. I have tried different resolutions, both for the BMP and my monitor. I have placed the BMP in the CC2 parent directory. Nothing has worked.>
If you are working with templates, put the bitmap in your CC2 directory, insert it into the template then restore the template.
RE: [CC-L] Probs Pict & Bitmap Fills
Date: 3/9/99 3:30:21 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: Michel Vaillancourt
Linda wrote:
>Your original post stated that you had scanned the map in at 256K – try converting your bitmap to 24 bit color & see if that works. I regularly trace scans WAY bigger than 8MB. Quite often, depending on the video driver you have, you need to match your screen resolution with the bitmap's resolution.
Yep that was it. I scaled the image *down* to 72dpi and left it at 24-bit color, set my screen to 32-bit color and was able to PICT the entire map in.
Re: [CC-L] Print Dialog Problem
Date: 3/9/99 9:57:46 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: David Boucherie
Bruce Gulke wrote:
> How do I export a bitmap from CC2 at a particular scale? Say I want to take a typical map > and export it as 8.5x11 at 300dpi.
1. First you set the size of your bitmap. As far as I know, you can only set the pixels in X and Y direction, not the size in inches at a certain resolution (dots per inch).
Edit > Clipboard > Options
2. You can now save your map as a bitmap (File > Save As). Since CC2 saves bitmaps as 8-bit color bitmaps (256 colors), you may have different colors in your bitmap as you did on your actual CC2 map when you work at a higher color resolution. The best thing to do is to copy the whole map to the Clipboard (Ctrl-C > A > D > 0,0) and paste it in a graphical program, and use that program to save your bitmap. (That's how I do it, anyway.)
> 2 - In the DD2 manual, the "Print Drawing" dialog (p. 77+) is quite a bit different from what I see. In particular, I don't have a "Scaling" frame as is shown.
True. You can solve that by copying the file "fcwlang.dll" from the zip-file on the ProFantasy web-site to your CC2 directory. You can replace the existing one (or rename it first, so you can put it back if things go wrong).
RE: [CC-L] Re: Campaign Cartographer and Heraldry
Date: 3/19/99 11:54:04 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: Linda Kekumu
CC2 comes with 3 blank symbol catalogs - city, dungeon & map & are located in the appropriate Symbol folders. To get a drawing into the catalog you must define it as a Symbol Insert>Symbol>Define Symbol. You must save your catalog as a catalog File>Save AS
Your symbol should not include wide lines & if you have used color 31 it needs to be at the back of the symbol (Front All>NOT>color 31). All parts of the symbol should be on the Symbol Definition layer & ungrouped - if you have any multipolies in your symbol all of their parts should be on the Symbol Definition layer. The symbol needs to have a unique name – different from the names in the ProFantasy catalogs. You should not use bitmaps, symbol fills, or halftones in symbols that you would be sharing with anyone else.
Re: [CC-L] Help with Wilbur/CC2 conversion?
Date: 3/22/99 11:15:50 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: Joe Slayton
JugglerVR wrote:
> I generated a section of planet with Wilbur. Now I want to make CC2 maps of that section. The problem is that Wilbur makes a nice square projection of my map, which is 75 degrees wide by 75 degrees high. I have an image which is 2400 pixels square. it represents an area which is 4,000 miles high and 4,000 miles wide at the base, but the problem is, the image claims that the area is 4,000 miles wide at the top, when in actuality, it should be only about 1,000 miles (620 pixels) wide. I have tried to use the Skew and Perspective commands in Photoshop to no avail. They seem to distort the vertical aspect of the image as well, resulting in a very bizarre image. As far as I can tell, all i need to do is to resize each row of pixels, gradually at the bottom, and more severely near the top, until I have resized each row. However, this would require 2400 calculations, and I have 2 images to distort. is there any faster way to do this? Please let me know.
Method 1 (creating map wholly in Wilbur):
1. Make map in Wilbur using standard projection.
2. Use the Misc->Map Projection dialog to output in the desired map projection. Which map projection will depend on exactly what you want. Read the docs, especially regarding a problem with top/bottom reversal (bottom needs to be -top; top needs to be -bottom or some such).
Method 2 (modifying a map from elsewhere):
1. Load a BMP image into Wilbur as a texture (standard projection).
2. Set the map edges to the desired values.
3. Follow step 2, above.
These techniques won't work for outputting grids or CC2 vector things; for that, you'll have to cough up the bucks for Fractal Terrains when it becomes available. But think of it: grids output in arbitrary map projections (as well as reprojections for your favorite maps).
[CC-L] RE:
Date: 3/23/99 11:30:22 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: Linda Kekumu
The manual refers to a template that didn't get the grids added to it!
To add a grid - Right click on the Grid button & choose New>2d Rectangular - now you need to give the grid a name. Let's make a 1 mile grid but we want the cursor to snap every half mile - so we name this 1 mile, 2 snap
Normally you will want a square grid, so click on the little box that says square grid. Now in the space where it says Snap divisions enter 2 (because we want it to snap every half mile on a 1 mile grid) & in the spacing enter 1 (1 mile) & take a look at the grid center - it should be 0,0.
Ok let's make one more - name it 5 mile, 5 snap. This will make a grid line every 5 mile, but the cursor will snap every mile. Our snap divisions on this one will be 5, our spacing is 5 (5 miles) & the grid center is still 0,0.
Hex grids are a whole different creature - the best way to add Hex grids is to open a map that has one in the size you want & then write down the information.
> From: Cook,Jason
> I was working through another tutorial, which says to "Right-click over the Grid button. Select "1 mile grid, 2 snap". Depress the Grid and Snap and CrsSnap switches (if they aren't already depressed)." However, when I try this, I only get "Standard Rectangular" or "Standard Circular" to choose from when I right-click on Grid, Ortho, CrsSnap or Snap. I tried the Grid icon, as well, but I get the same thing. I tried loading up another map…same thing. I know that I have seen "1 mile grid, 2 snap" when right-clicking on Grid before, so what am I doing wrong now? I'm running CC2 with DD2 and have turned off "Enable Selection Right-button Menus", although I don't think this has anything to do with it.>
[CC-L] RE:
Date: 3/23/99 11:39:56 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: Linda Kekumu
First, move related lines to separate layers - anything you want to make into a single entity put on it's own layer & use lots of different colors - a different color for each layer.
Once you have separated out what you want, change to a layer & Hide All. Now you should have a land mass (or island, continent, county or whatever). Right click on the Attach button (it's down there by the Grid button) & choose Nearest endpoint. Turn CsrSnap & Snap off. Select path (or poly) & pick a different color than what is already showing. Now start "tracing" over the line that is there - because you have Attach mode set to the Nearest endpoint the path will attach itself to your lines at the endpoints & you should get an identical trace. When you are all finished you can erase the lines by color :)
Because your continents are quite large I would implore you to not use splines - splines & large maps do not mix very well - you are much better off to go with paths/polys.
> From: Cook,Jason
> I have a simple question, involving multipolies. I have to redraw my entire campaign map as everything is drawn in regular old lines. It's an old map that I have been working on for the past 5 years or so (from CC-DOS). I simply want to know if anyone has any tips on doing this. I imagine I will have to make several polygons, as the map is far too large to try to make it all one or two big shapes (there are two continents), and then combine them. So, what should I consider when doing this? How do I best break the map down? I finally understand the concept of leaving holes for the bodies of water, etc., but don't want to make another large mistake, causing me to start the project over another time.>
RE: [CC-L] MultiPoly doesn't create an entity?
Date: 3/24/99 2:03:48 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: Linda Kekumu
You are doing it exactly right - to edit a multipoly, though, you have to explode it, edit it & then multipoly it again. Multipolies are not directly editable.
From: Steve DeLong
>I'm working on a map with different terrain types that butt up against the edge of the landmass (a polar region, mountains, and a desert/jungle area, all run out to the coast) -- I haven't been able to figure out a nice way to simple make a poly follow a coastline for a while, so what I've been doing is copying my landmass to another layer, and using split to chop it up where I want it to. Then, I draw a simple path from one endpoint to the other, and multipoly them together to have a nice filled shape. Or so I thought -- apparently, things created with this method aren't fully considered entities by CC2. You can delete / rotate / copy them just fine, but they cannot be split, broken, or edited (using the Edit Entities command).
What is the preferred way around this, rather than using multipoly? (Or, if there isn't, is there a way to tell something that it's an entity that can be broken / split?)<
Re: [CC-L] Simple question
Date: 4/2/99 12:17:52 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Ken Snellings
Karl Foelsch writes:
> What's a good way to copy a single layer between files?
Write Part, Select By Layer.
Insert Part, select file name.
RE: [CC-L] Simple question
Date: 4/2/99 4:35:26 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Linda Kekumu
Set the layer you want to copy as the current layer & Hide all. Edit>Clipboard>Copy>All & paste into your new map.
> From: The Internet Surfur
> What's a good way to copy a single layer between files?>
Re: [CC-L] old question for new hand
Date: 4/20/99 5:04:39 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Ian R Malcomson
>1. Scan image and save as a bitmap.
>2. Open CC2.
>3. Change layers or create one (call it background or scan or whatever).
Even easier alternative of 4-11:
4. "Insert -> Picture"
5. Find the BMP file you want.
6. Type "0,0" as an origin at the command line. Press Enter.
7. Type "@x,y" at the command line, where x is the width of the image in pixels, and y is it's height.
8. If your image has a scale:
8a. "Info -> Distance"
8b. Measure a distance you know (e.g., the length of a scalebar, the width of a grid square, etc.)
8c. Make a note of what CC2 thinks the distance is.
8d. Grab a calculator, and divide the real distance by CC2's distance.
8e. "Scale", select the inserted bitmap.
8f. Type the result from 8d. at the command prompt. Press Enter.
>12. Viola, your scanned image is now in CC2.
And correctly scaled, if 8a-8f is followed!
>13. Change layers and start tracing.
From: Linda Kekumu
You don't even need the calculator - just enter the equation at CC2 command prompt & it will calculate it for you :)
RE: Stability Problems (Was: RE: [CC-L] Re: [cc-l-digest] V1 #169)
Date: 4/29/99 12:54:07 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Linda Kekumu
When editing large, smooth polys - View>Origin & reset the origin close to where you are editing. This will help considerably with the crashes. Do this as often as you need to - as you move around your map.
I've never had CC2 lock up or crash scrolling the catalogs (never received a Tech Support report) Is it one catalog in particular or several? How much video memory do you have?
> From: ajm
> I can crash CC2 in two ways:>
> 1.) When I use Node Edit on a complex poly (one with a lot of nodes) I can only edit about 3 nodes before CC2 crashes on the next node edit. I get around this by saving after every 2 node edits or so.>
> 2.) When I am scrolling a catalog with complex symbols that require some time to redraw, if I scroll too fast (I am scrolling by clicking in the scroll bar to scroll a page) and don't let the redraws finish, I can crash CC2 (usually takes a couple of rapid scrolls before the first has a chance to finish the redraw). Obviously, the workaround here is to scroll slower.>
CC2 can't deal with filenames or directory names that have apostrophes in them (')
[CC-L] Symbol Tip
Date: 7/15/99 5:05:25 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Simon Rogers
I was asked how to mirror a symbol on insertion.
Select the symbol.
Right click - type a minus in front of the X scale.
Delete the minus that now appears after the Y scale.
Select more
Could be useful for shaded symbols or to add variety.
Re: [CC-L] Copying entities
Date: 7/18/99 5:15:57 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Ian R Malcomson
>I am designing a castle and I would like to do each floor as a separate file, rather than one long file. How do I copy the walls layer from one file to another? >
Start a new map, then use "Insert->Insert Part" to insert the old map into this new one. You could even delete all the stuff you don't want from the original map, then "Save As" some other name, then insert this "new name" map as a part into the new map.
After inserting it, you'll need to ungroup it (Insert->Ungroup, select the inserted bits), unless you have the "Group Parts on Insertion" checkbox from the "Preferences" dialog (Options->Preferences) switched off (unchecked) prior to insertion.
The alternative method is:
1. Clipboard -> Copy -> Layer -> Walls -> Do It -> type 0,0 for clipboard origin, then
2. Use Clipboard -> Paste -> set scale to 1 and angle to 0 in the new map
Personally, I prefer the Part insertion method, because it doesn't involve messing about with the clipboard, and allows you to "copy" the drawing into other drawings again and again without fear of clipboard loss (and subsequently having to Clipboard -> Copy again).
[CC-L] How to convert a wide line to a polygon
Date: 7/20/99 7:53:24 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: L. Lee Saunders
Here is a way for everyone that has requested a way to convert a wide line to a polygon.
The process uses 4 commands: OFFSET1, EXPLODE, LINE & LTP.
Steps:
1) Determine half the width of your wide line
2) Set the lines width to 0.00
3) OFFSET1 the entity to each side the distance determined in step 1
4) Delete the original in the middle
5) Draw 2 lines connecting the two ends of entities
6) Explode the 2 entities
7) LTP the whole thing together
If you need the entity to have a solid fill, only draw a single line closing one end. Then when you use the EDIT command and choose the closed option, the open end will automatically close.
WARNING! An unclosed entity created with the LTP command will not take a fill. It is as if you drew it with the polyline command. To fill any unclosed entity, check the closed option within the EDIT command.
You also have to take one special step if the original entity has no ends, like a hollow box drawn with a wide line. Draw a single line from one point on the outside entity to the same point on the inside entity. Then when you LTP, choose the connecting line. The two ends of the resulting polygon, when filled, will but up against each other and be invisible, leaving no gap.
True, instead of Exploding and LTP, you can Multipoly the collection. The Multipoly is smaller if you explode curved polylines but is not as editable since none of the nodes are available to the node edit commands. I rarely use Multipoly anymore.