How can I share my Dungeon Tile Mapper?

Actually,

Can I even Share it?

WotC has a Free Java-Explorer Utility that allows you to play aroud with the Dungeon Tiles.

A primative Mapper if you will. (It's what inspired me to buy 2 of each set).

After using it for a few days, I became way too frustrated.

The "Save" feature was insane (Saving a huge text string to an extrenal file). The lack of a zoom was going to kill my eyes.

This wasn't going to work.

So I decided to build a better one.

I used OpenOffice's Calc (A freeware version of Excel-Better for Copy/Paste intensive jobs).

I used the Image files from the Mapping Utility (Saved me the hassle of scanning it in myself).

In Short:

I have a Copy of each Tile, labeled so you know its companion side. These are sized to fit a grid. This is the "Base" Page. You then Copy-Worksheet to a new Worksheet.

You can then move & arrange the tiles as you see fit. As it's in a Spreadsheet, you can Zoom, Make Notes, Highlight other cells various colors, etc.

After working with it just a few minutes, I designed the next dungeon my players will be going through AND I was able to make notations as needed.

I've tried to include a Screenshot that shows the "Base" Set you pick from as well as a Finished Dungeon.

Is this OK to distribute, or do I have to send it to Wizards for approval/distribution?

Should I send it to Wizard's anyway & see if they want to host it?

Thanks,

Since it includes the images of the Dungeon Tiles (which are trademarked and not OGL stuff), you should probably send it to Wizards. They might just buy it from you and use it if it's really better than the one they have.

Why not privately also offer it to a few of the better known tile makers and see if they wish to create an open source set or two of tiles to go along with the free download, just something to get people started, and then let other people create other open source tiles or tile sets for it and have them hosted at the same place? I'd even be happy to create an initial set of tiles for it and host it myself as a free download (and host other sets as free downloads, as well) if you like.

You share the "string of numbers" with others who also have downloaded the Dungeon Mapper. They Load it to their copy, and the dungeon gets assembled.

I've had lots of problems with the Wotc one, hopefully they'll buy yours from you so we can all download that.

Good luck!