Hexographer: Free web-based hex map generator/editor gets more updates

[indyjoe]

I've updated the Hexographer with a feature to let users change the colors of symbols as they are placed. That's more important for people creating star maps who want different colored planets, starbases, etc. than for wilderness maps. But if you want different colored city/castle/mines/etc icons, you can now do that. Another recent change is to easily hide/show (using a menu item) a map that you are tracing (if you chose to import a map to trace.)

For those who haven't seen it before:
Over the past 2 months I’ve been working on a program that allows a user to create hex maps like those in Known World/Mystara/“The Voyage of the Princess Ark” Dragon magazine article series.

I had previously created hex map brushes for GIMP based on those maps, but the core architecture of this hex map tool came to me and I wanted to do it for a number of reasons.

The software is web-based at: Hexographer

Here’s a sample map snippet so you can easily see what it does:


Some key points:
-It starts as an applet in a web page so many people won’t have to install anything. (You may need to install/upgrade Java, however.)
-You can choose to start with a map of random terrain or a map of all one terrain.
-You set the map’s width and height in hexes and the size of the hexes.
-You can customize the random terrain generator to give a different mix of land.
-Then your map opens in a pop-up window.
-There you can select terrain buttons then click on the map to change a hex into that terrain. You can also drag over hexes to change all of those hexes.
-You can select generic line and text buttons to draw lines or add labels and there are also preset line a text buttons that have settings appropriate for coastlines, rivers, roads, country borders, etc.
-You can optionally turn on/off hex borders, hex numbering, terrain icons.
-Hex numbering is very customizable: font name/style/size/color; rows then columns vs. columns then rows; set the separator character; what number to use to start the rows and columns.
-If you add text and lines and note if each is a political feature, natural feature or infrastructure, you can turn each of these on and off as if they are layers. (The preset road/river/boundary line and text buttons are set up for this.)
-You can save it to a native format for later editing and export it as a regular PNG image so it can be edited in an image editor or printed.
-It also includes some planet/star/asteroid/etc icons to create a starmap. (Coming in the next couple of days is a feature to change the colors of those icons.)
-You can also import a map to trace over it if you want to use an old map or part of a map as a guide.
-And probably a whole bunch more.

Please let me know what you think, if you encounter any issues, and what you’d like to see added.

[Ebonyr]

You're doing some great work here. Keep it up.

[jgbrowning]

Looks very cool!

joe b.

[indyjoe]

Thanks everyone for the encouragement and kind words!

[indyjoe]

I've updated the Hexographer software this morning with a feature to orient the map in a "true columns" way (so the hexes form columns--the way it was before) or as "true rows." (If you have a better idea for how to name these two map orientations please let me know.)

There's an option on the initial Hexographer program window (the one that runs in the browser) to switch between these two map orientations. When maps are saved, this property is recorded so when you reload the map it will be set appropriately. You can also switch this property when you are viewing a map by going to the "Options" menu and choosing one of the "Hex Orientation" options.

I've also added a "pan" button in the bottom left corner that allows a user to easily drag the map to move it and replaced a few of the text buttons with icons.

Previously, but since I last posted here I added some features to customize hexes. Go to the "Options" menu and choose "Customize Hexes" and a window appears that lets you change the background color of each terrain icon, change the size of the terrain icon in the hex, etc.

[indyjoe]

Another update:

I've really re-worked the Hexographer's UI. I always hated having to arbitrarily divide up each tab and especially the terrain into forest/rough/other to fit in one single row of buttons for most screen sizes. I also think as things have evolved, the basic drawing tools on the bottom for lines and text should be integrated with most of the controls.

So I've created a side bar for all of those controls and grouped them a little more sanely. (IMO.) I've put them in tabs, and the tabs run along the right edge like a phone book. Originally I wanted each tab be a "drawer" (if you're familiar with that UI concept) but I had issues with the drawer objects that I was writing from scratch. So it will be tabs for now, until I find a better approach. (Or if someone suggests something that fires me up.) But love it, hate it, or like this but not that, let me know, please.

I also fixed a memory issue a couple of days ago.

I expect to add a couple of new things in the next day or two.

[Treebore]

Thanks! I'll let my fellow mapping gamer friends know you have done these updates!

[Elephant]

This is a very cool map editor. I discovered it last week and used it to create a hex map of Q'barra in Eberron:

http://home.comcast.net/~norshire/hexmap.png

I still have some tweaking to do on that map, but I'm pleased with the results so far. Nice work on the mapping software!

[indyjoe]

I've added another very cool (I think) feature to the Hexographer software.

I'm calling it the "Terrain Wizard." If you start with a blank map, you just rough in the map (draw a line of mountain hexes for a mountain range, a circle of forest hexes for a large forest, etc.) Then the Terrain wizard will fill in the remaining blank hexes based on what non-blank terrain hex is closest.

Here's a link to a fuller description, example & instructions:
Terrain Wizard for Hexographer

[Ebonyr]

@Elephant

Great map, may i suggest putting it into a graphics editor (paint, paint shop pro, etc) to finish the shoreline,etc.

[Elephant]

Ebonyr:

I actually did some additional tweaking to that map. It has a few more rounded edges on coastlines and such now

http://home.comcast.net/~norshire/qbarra_hexmap.png

[Ebonyr]

@Elephant: That map is really coming along nicely.

[Hadrian the Builder]

Indyjoe, are you familiar with the Mighty Empires game from Games Workshop? I think your hex mapper could be great for facilitating a might empires game over the web.

[indyjoe]

Originally Posted by Hadrian the Builder

Indyjoe, are you familiar with the Mighty Empires game from Games Workshop? I think your hex mapper could be great for facilitating a might empires game over the web.

I'm not... I'll have to check it out. Meanwhile is there a specific feature suggestion or two that will make it an even better tool for that game. I'm nto sure how much discussion the mods like in these posts, so feel free to answer me here, on the Hexographer's site's forum or through email. (My address is plastered all over the Hexographer site and in the help menu of the program.)