Mapping and Copyright

[Casimir]

I have a question for those of you who've developed licensed adventures and / or rulesets for Smiteworks / Fantasy Grounds II.

In most cases, especially with adventures, since it's licensed we can simply use the images and maps that come with the original booklet (for the most part). What I'm curious about is if you wanted to re-create the maps so that they could actually be used with tokens in a more useable format than what's typical of the drawn maps in the booklets.

I assume that it wouldn't be possible to use programs such as Dunjinni or other similar products, because that would require licensing from those products to use the maps created in the finished product, correct?

If that's the case, what do some of you generally use to create such maps for licensed products aside from Photoshop and / or hand drawn maps?

[Nestor]

hey,

I have been getting some very good results using GIMP. It is a free photoshop type program. I have rendered a few DDI adventures in FGII (for my personal use) I usually just copy the map into GIMP, re-size it to work with my tokens. Some times the resolution gets really messed up and I use the DDI map as a base layer and then drop new walls and floors on it with pretty decent results.

I am in your CoC campaign, if you need help with some maps I would be happy to help out.

[Trenloe]

I assume that it wouldn't be possible to use programs such as Dunjinni or other similar products, because that would require licensing from those products to use the maps created in the finished product, correct

I use Campaign Cartographer, which has a pretty good policy of distributing maps made with it's symbols. Details of licence here (https://www.profantasy.com/service/license.asp)

Which says:


Subject to the restrictions in section ii and iii, you may freely distribute the maps you create using OUR ARTWORK in CC3 format, but not the source image files (PNG and bitmap artwork) associated with them. You may freely distribute flat files (for example BMP and PNG) exported from CC3 containing OUR ARTWORK. You may publish such maps for commercial gain.
Sections ii and iii referenced are clauses in regards to distributing maps that are designed to effectively give the artwork away.

[peterb]

In most cases, especially with adventures, since it's licensed we can simply use the images and maps that come with the original booklet (for the most part). What I'm curious about is if you wanted to re-create the maps so that they could actually be used with tokens in a more useable format than what's typical of the drawn maps in the booklets.

Smiteworks' arrangement with a publisher does not grant you any further rights. it is the rules of fair use, fair dealing and private copying that would grant you the right to make digital copies of images and maps for your own private personal use. Note that a product licensed under the OGL often excludes artwork from the open content! Fair use is thus what you really are relying on.


I assume that it wouldn't be possible to use programs such as Dunjinni or other similar products, because that would require licensing from those products to use the maps created in the finished product, correct?

As a general rule - no. You don't need a license from Microsoft to publish a text written using MS Word or from Adobe when publishing the same text as a PDF. Trenloe has some good points in his post above. Graphics sofware can contain clipart etc. and those might have license restrictions.

Edit: Expanded on my answer to Casimirs second question.

[ddavison]

I believe most programs that allow you to "create" the content are free to distribute. If you built a map with every symbol solely for the purpose of giving away their symbol packs, then I imagine they might have a case. Otherwise, it should fall into fair use.

For our commercial products, we try to convert everything as close to the original material as possible. If it didn't include a map, we won't either. Theoretically, we could add a map as a secondary/ancillary product that is given away for free or for a nominal charge that would include maps for the product. We just like to keep a clear differentiation between what is their "original" content we are licensing and paying royalties on and any content developed by us or our developers. If there was ever an issue with the content presented, you don't want end-users thinking it was put out by the other author.

It's a conservative approach to licensing and distributing content produced by others, and is how we choose to interpret IP law.

[Casimir]

Ok - thanks for the information everyone.

[gmkieran]

as an additional fyi, I've had good luck doing such conversions (and original map building) in Google's Sketchup tool. Being freeware, it doesn't create any licensing conflicts and it has the added advantage of generating cool flavor shots that actually *match* the game map (unlike much of the art I've found included with published adventures).