Map Maker Instructions:

Maps are created by selecting tiles from the left side of the screen and placing them in the map. To select a tile, left click on it. The cursor changes to reflect the selected tile. To place a tile, move the cursor over the desired location on the map and left click. The tile is placed on the map.

Views

Drawing

Other tools

Grids

Encounters

Custom tiles


Views

Views:

Maps may be created in three different scales or views. To select a map view, use the combo box near the top left of the screen. The three views are: State wide view, City view, and Building view.

State wide view is used to create maps which cover large areas. You may use the Autofill command from the Map Tools menu at the top of the screen to generate random terrain in this view. You may place building tiles over landscape tiles.

City view is used to create smaller scale maps. Its tiles include buildings, walls, and streets.

Building view is used to create maps of individual buildings and dungeons. When a map is created in Building view, you may see it with a 3D perspective by selecting the 3D View command from the View menu. While in the 3D View, you may get a printout of the screen in this view by selecting the Print command from the File menu.


Drawing

Drawing:

In addition to placing tiles, you may also draw terrain and other features on the maps. To do this, first select a drawing tool, such as a pencil, from the toolbar above the map by left clicking on an icon.

When you have selected a drawing tool, you may select the width of the line it will draw from the box on the left of the map. You may select the color it will draw from the colored boxes at the bottom of the map. To select, left click on the line width or color you want.

You may select the filled polygon icon from the tool bar and use it to draw a shape such as a circle. When you release the left mouse button, the shape will be filled with the selected color.

Other tools allow you to draw straight lines, ellipses, place a compass on the map, erase features from the map and place text on the map. When you select the text icon, a box appears. Enter the text you want to place on the map in the Enter Text box. You may change the type and color of the text font by selecting the Font button. We recommend you use white or some other light color if you are going to print the map in black and white.

You can use the text feature to create hot spots to other maps. To do this, check the Make Text a Hot Spot to Another Map box. This brings up a Browse button. Use this to select the map you want to jump to. Place the text on the map. Left clicking on this text will bring up the map you choose with the Browse button.


Other tools

Other tools:

Left clicking on the magnifying glass icon above the map allows you to zoom in and out. This feature is not available in Windows 3.1.

Left click on the book icon above the map to enter text information (such as a legend) about the map.

Left clicking on the grid icon above the map allows you to select which section of the map to edit. Maps are divided into nine sections (3x3) The top left section is the northwest section. The bottom right section is the southeast section. The center section is the center section. Select a section by left clicking on the desired button in the pop up box.

You can also choose a map section by using the Section combo box located above the map.


Grids

Grids:

The map is displayed with a square grid overlay, a hexagonal grid overlay, or no grid overlay. Grids may be selected using the Grid combo box which is located above the map.


Encounters

Encounters:

You may place encounters on the map by selecting Add Encounter from the Encounter menu at the top of the screen. A list box showing all available encounters appears. Left click on the encounter you want and then left click on the Select button.

You may choose a special font and color for the encounter letter or just click the OK button for a default font. Left click on the map where you want to place the encounter. The first encounter you place will appear as the letter A, the second as the letter B, etc. The program increments these alphabetically.

Left clicking on the encounter letter on the map will bring up a box which shows the encounter’s name and gives you the option to delete it.


Custom

Custom:

You may create your own map tiles and use them in the program. The best way to do this is to load one of our tiles into a paint program and modify it.  The Map Maker can only use tiles which are in the CusIcons folder (subdirectory), in the Map folder (subdirectory) of the CoreRule folder (directory) located in the drive where you installed the Core Rules program. Do not place these tiles anywhere else. They will not work if you do. To access the custom tiles, left click on the Custom button and then left click on the file.