Converting old maps?

[Mouseferatu]

Got an odd question here. Way back in the day, I made frequent use of the map maker programs on the old AD&D Core Rules CD-ROM. One of the maps was basically a "sample version" of Campaign Cartographer. The other was, I think, proprietary to the program.

Do any of you know of any way to take a map file from the latter and transform it into a graphics file that other programs can read? I have some old maps that were created in that program, and since that program doesn't allow zooming on or out--and the map is multiple pages on a side --it's very difficult to use for casual perusal.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Well you could contact the CC guys direct, they are really helpful or try this forum.. the mapping software gods!

http://www.cartographersguild.com/

 

[Mouseferatu]

Well you could contact the CC guys direct, they are really helpful or try this forum.. the mapping software gods!

Unfortunately, it's the other program--the non-CC one--that I'm talking about.

 

[jaerdaph]

Unfortunately, it's the other program--the non-CC one--that I'm talking about.

I'd forgotten about that "other" one - I'd ask you to post a sample to refresh my memory, but I guess if you could do that you wouldn't be asking for help now, would you?

 

[JustKim]

The maps are saved as .dat files and all the export function does is create a copy under an .xpt extension that Core Rules can identify as something to import. No other program will be able to open either format, because they are just references to the Core Rules program. The file only tells the program what is located where.

I can definitely sympathize. There was a time I thought Core Rules 2.0 was the way of the future and where I ought to store all my maps. They took a long time to craft, too.

 

[Riley]

If you can't zoom on the thing anyway, you might as well use a screen capture program. It'll get what's there.

 

[Stoat]

If you can't zoom on the thing anyway, you might as well use a screen capture program. It'll get what's there.

That's what I'd do.

 

[Kwalish Kid]

Is it possible to print the maps from the map program? If that is the case, you could try various "print to file" options. If you can print to pdf somehow, then you should be able to recover from there.

 

[Mouseferatu]

If you can't zoom on the thing anyway, you might as well use a screen capture program. It'll get what's there.

Heh. The problem isn't that I can't zoom in, it's that I can't zoom out. The map is five pages wide, and four pages tall.

But...

Is it possible to print the maps from the map program? If that is the case, you could try various "print to file" options. If you can print to pdf somehow, then you should be able to recover from there.

*thud*

I can't believe I didn't think of that.

I've now printed to PDF, and converted the PDF to JPEG. I still have 20 different pages, but I was able to copy-paste them into a single bitmap.

Granted, that bitmap is 92 megs, given the sheer size of the graphics, but it's still useful to have. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[jaerdaph]

Granted, that bitmap is 92 megs, given the sheer size of the graphics, but it's still useful to have. Thanks for the suggestion.

You can probably downsize that in a free graphics program like GIMP.