Lining up grids with downloaded maps

Actually, you are using the grid correctly but the map you are using doesn't fit nicely with X pixels per square. d20pro doesn't do fractions of pixels per square, so you will have some issues there. Here are your options:

• Edit the map file in something like Paint.net (free) or Photoshop so that it is X pixels per square
• Get a friend to edit the file
• Post the image file to this thread using the attachment tab below the posting text box and I will personally resize the image for you and post it back!

If the file it too big, you can email it to me at dan (at) mindgene (dot) com

 

Necromancing this old thread as I'm having the exact same issue as the above poster, I'm testing D20Pro out on a trial and would love to bring my gaming group into using it. But the issues with the maps from outside programs is a bit of a game killer for us. I have Adobe Photoshop (just starting to learn how to use it), how do I go about resizing maps based upon pixels? I'm currently using the Kingmaker campaign and would love to upload the various maps from each book. I don't want to rely upon people here to re-size and change these things for me. Is there a step by step walk through yet on how to go about modifying these maps so the grids match up?

 

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=895&p=4355#p4355

That basic run-down should get you started... Dan and I both chimed in on this topic starting there.

 

Looking over that link I don't see how that's going to help me I tried following it to the letter and the issue persists, I don't think I was clear when I explained that I have zero experience with graphic manipulation. Sorry about that.

Example is the attached map, no matter what I do I can't get the grid in d20Pro to match up with the grid that already exists within the map. I'm not looking for someone to do the work for me, just explain if this is even possible and how to do this. My wife who has -some- Photoshop experience doesn't see this being possible as the grid is already drawn on the map.

 

I have done this exact same map (running Kingmaker, I see). I use GIMP, the free, open-source version of Photoshop. Warning: this program has the worst documentation of anything I have used in years, and it took me two solid weeks of farting around with it before I figured out how to do a lot of things, but this bit is actually not terribly difficult.

First, determine the existing scale. I did this by carefully selecting a rectangular shape that encompassed as many squares in a row as possible (the more squares, the more accurate, in my opinion). This is an oddly shaped map, and there aren't a lot of straight sitelines, but I took the large chamber on the right, and selected 6 squares, and zoomed in tight to make certain I was selecting the actual divifint lines. I got 6 squares = 270 pixels, for an existing scale of 45 pixels per square.

I wanted mine to be 50 pixels per square, because that's the way I am, and 45 pixels is 90% of that, so I need to increase the scale by 1/0.90, or 111.111%

I measured my squares vertically, so if I increase the overall vertical size of the image by a factor of 1.1111, that shold do the trick. My image is currently 1363 pixels high, so I need to scale the whole thing so that the scale is 1514 pixels high.

Boom! done. Now, the image is a size that means the squares don't actually line up with the edge of the map, but they are the correct size. If I want to pull this in to d20Pro without having to make a minor adjustment, I need to actually trim off a bit of the map edges. Fortunately, there is a lot of map edge to work with here. First, I turn on my 50 pixel grid, so that it is the size I need, then I use the move tool to slide the image around on the screen a little bit so that the squares line up with the grid. no, I use the snap to grid function, and the cropping tool to just slice off the edges into an image that is actually an even number of squares across. In may case, I slid the image up and to the left just a bit, then (using snap to grid, so I know I get it just right) clipped the outside off of the picture. I now have an image that is 1150 pixels wide by 1500 pixels high, and the grid lines up perfectly.

Save the resulting picture as jpg or png, and pull it into d20Pro. Should work like a charm.

Note: edited because I earlier said left when I meant right. Hey, just because I can figure this out doesn't mean I know which way I am facing!

 

I've seen this question many times in the past few months here on the forums. Sounds like it might be time for someone to create a video and put the matter to rest. Text explanations are hard to follow even at the best of times when you're dealing with a complicated issue like this.

 

Daeruin has a great point. A walk through video of this would be amazing. It took me a long while to figure out how to do this even with the great examples that have been given by this incredibly helpful community. Of course it doesn't help that I'm a math idiot.

 

I made one with CamStudio. I did not do any post editing and I do not talk. You can follow along, but there may be some areas I glossed over as I am so used to doing it. Here is the location of the file: GIMP Map Making.

 

Sweet. Now somebody needs to make that vid more visible. Create a stickied thread, or link to it from the help desk or something.

 

Thanks for that video Neofax, that will come in very helpful to future users running into the same problems I did.

 

No problem. If you need any other help for stuff like this, let me know. I am not a d20Pro l337 yet, but I do use other VTT's and can help with that.