Thomas Shey
Legend
So, in my infinite wisdom, in my current campaign (Eclipse Phase)) I decided to go with hex grids on the battlemaps I'm using with Maptool.
This isn't a problem with regular, imported complete maps. But because of the nature of hex grids, snap-to-grid usage with tiles (normally a fairly easy way to use them with square grids, though that's not unlimited depending on the tile maker) doesn't work well. Quirks of Maptool mean that even placing them with a square grid on, turning off snap-to-grid, then turning on the hex grid doesn't work, at least if you're resizing the tiles in use (the change of grid resizes them back to native size).
Now, there's two solutions to this I can currently use:
1, I turn off the snap to grid when placing the tiles on Maptool and just assemble them manually. This can work but its fussy and when zoomed in tends to show artifacts of having done that.
2. I assumble them in Fractal Mapper, then output the map it produces and import that image. This also works but Fractal Mapper is overkill for the job and getting the tiles to the right relative sizes can be fussy.
So what I'm wondering is if someone knows of a mapmaking program that can use external tiles/geomorphs to assumble maps, makes resizing the tiles for use straightforward, and then export it as an image? (If anyone is prone to suggesting GIMP, it and I don't get along).
This isn't a problem with regular, imported complete maps. But because of the nature of hex grids, snap-to-grid usage with tiles (normally a fairly easy way to use them with square grids, though that's not unlimited depending on the tile maker) doesn't work well. Quirks of Maptool mean that even placing them with a square grid on, turning off snap-to-grid, then turning on the hex grid doesn't work, at least if you're resizing the tiles in use (the change of grid resizes them back to native size).
Now, there's two solutions to this I can currently use:
1, I turn off the snap to grid when placing the tiles on Maptool and just assemble them manually. This can work but its fussy and when zoomed in tends to show artifacts of having done that.
2. I assumble them in Fractal Mapper, then output the map it produces and import that image. This also works but Fractal Mapper is overkill for the job and getting the tiles to the right relative sizes can be fussy.
So what I'm wondering is if someone knows of a mapmaking program that can use external tiles/geomorphs to assumble maps, makes resizing the tiles for use straightforward, and then export it as an image? (If anyone is prone to suggesting GIMP, it and I don't get along).
