You can size the map to whatever height and width you like, then scale it.

Essentially the map scale says how many ft per pixel size, and this lets RPM calculate distances for you.

 

The mouse can be used for things such as multi-select and single selection of map items, and then moving or resizing. There are also all the standard functions such as controlling zooming, "move to front", "move to back", "duplicate", "delete".

 

Generally, you will want to do map editing in "Full Edit" mode, using the easily accessible toolbutton, or by using a right-mouse-click on the map.

This shows a whole host of extra toolbuttons for accessing all the editing capabilities.

When you want to use the map for game play, leave "Full Edit" mode, to reclaim more screen space for the actual map.

 

The mapper uses a concept of "layers" which the map items are attached to Anytime a map item is created, its attached to the currently active layer.

The layer for an item decides the order in which things are drawn. If an imported image is used as the backdrop for a map, it goes into the bottom layer, and everything else is drawn on top of it.

RPM automatically sets the features of all map layers.The features include whether the layer can be seen, whether items on the layer can be selected, and if the items can be moved or resized. For example, there is one layer for creatures that are visible to players, and another for creatures that are invisible to players. A map in DM mode can see both layers, whereas a map in "Player View" mode will only show the layer for visible creatures.

 

Full options are available for a map grid, including whether you want one, what colour it should be.

The grid line spacing is determined by the map scale, and zooming in and out will automatically reset the grid line scale. RPM favours a 5x5 ft grid when you zoom in enough to get a decent view on creatures for in-game play.

 

The basic shapes include lines, rectangles and ellipses (circles), and text. These are quite simple, but you can achieve strking effects with things such as rectangles and ellipses, by setting the brush for special features.

 

Pictures items allow you to select any image from RPM's graphical library, and use them directly on your map.

This can be any type of image (even a full Campaign Cartographer 2 image exported as a .emf file), which can be resized, but zoomed very well.

Note that including lots of naturally large images on a map will use a lot of memory, and could slow down the mapper.

Note though, that this doesn't increase the map size, since map images are kept only in the RPM image library, and not in the maps themselves.

 

Except for pictures, map items generall have pen and brus properties. The pen properties determine the outline, and the brush determines the interior.

You can set the active pen and brush properties that will be used when you create new items. You can also change the pen and brush properties of the currently selected (or multiple selections) with a right mouse click.

 

Textures are a way of filling in graphical items with images from the RPM image library. The images are tiled, so that very large graphical items used to represent something like a lake or like grass can use small images as textures.

 

Textures are used by setting the brush property of a graphical item to a selected image. This means that ordinary graphical items such as rectangles, ellipses and polygons can all use textures.

 

Note that texture images, like pictures, are used from the RPM image library, so they don't make the maps themselves large.

 

These are primarily the polyline, and the closed polyline (otherwise known as a polygon).

When creating new polyline or polygon, you simply continue to click on the map to add more points. This continues until you left click the mouse, or you select another mouse mode (zoom, new object type etc).

 

Closed polygons have a brush, meaning that you can colour, gradient colour, or even texture them.

 

Point editing is an advanced feature that applies to editing polylines or polygons that you have created.

 

You click the "Edit Points" toolbutton to edit points. This lets you:

 

Curve segments let you create any smooth shape that you like, and you can still texture them!

When you click on a point thats in "curve mode", you'll see additional controls that you can drag around to achieve precisely the shape that you want.

 

You can multiselect several graphical items, and then group and ungroup them. All the items in a group move and size together.

 

The mouse is always in one of several modes. The mode is shown in the status panel used for the "Distance" tool.

 

The status shows you what will happen when you click on the map. If you're in one of the "Create" modes ( line, rectangle, shape etc), then a mouse click will start to create a new shape. The "Zoom" mode is ready to accept a rectangle trace to zoom to, and "Select" to simply select whatever is under the mouse.

 

At this stage you can drag and drop two kinds of things onto the map: