SW Map Mask Question

[andro1d]

I've been making some maps for an upcoming module using the Savage World ruleset. I've noticed there is no option to add a mask for fog-of-war to the maps.
Was this deliberately left out of the Savage World rulesets? If so, why?
Ando1d

[Kalan]

Hmmm...

I just tried to access it this way:

Right click on image, select layers, select enable mask.

As far as I can remember - we didn't touch any of the image functions at all. Have you done any custom work on things? As it is, using the default SW ruleset install - it is there by following the Layers sub-menu when right-clicking on Images windows.

[Thore_Ironrock]

I've been making some maps for an upcoming module using the Savage World ruleset. I've noticed there is no option to add a mask for fog-of-war to the maps.
Was this deliberately left out of the Savage World rulesets? If so, why?
Ando1d

Umm ... map mask is there, works fine.

Screen shot:

https://www.digitaladventures.net/SW_MapMask.png

Perhaps if you have a screenshot of what you're trying to do?

[Griogre]

Also, just in case, you know you can't mask a map that you draw from scratch in FG with the pen tool? That's an FG design decision.

[andro1d]

OK. Griogre just cleared the air. I was using the built in map editor to make the maps. That simply makes no sense to me why this option was left out.

And another issue I just found out after drawing three rather large maps-it automatically overwrite any pre-existing maps I've drawn. So I now have three separately named maps that all come up exactly the same map when I click on them-the last map I drew.

Grrrrrr.

Andro1d

[Griogre]

I think they expected you to use the drawing tools to make maps on the fly or have the players map like they do in a face to face game. Since the maps are being drawn on the fly I guess they didn't think masking was necessary. I would like to see masking of drawings also.

On the lost maps. They may not be lost. It sounds like you using / making maps on an open adventure module? Do you crash FG on exiting? There is a bug with module drawings and masks. The bug is that the drawing and mask file names become scrambled in the XML of the campaign the module is open into so what happens is the sometimes the wrong map will be pointed at. Joshua reported this sometime ago. This also affects masks being associated with a map correctly, so you need to redo the mask every time you use a mask on a map imported from a module.

I would check to see if your maps still exist. Go to the FG data application folder and open the campaign folder of the campaign you were running. You should see a drawings folder. This is where maps created by the drawing tool go as well as masks. Go through each file here and see if you can find your drawings. If you do then I would drag them into the images folder. See below though for making the images black on white instead of white on black.

Given you want to mask the maps this will stop the maps from being accidently overwritten by the bug and allow you to mask them.

What can you do to work around this until they fix the bug? Images, Drawings and masking work seem to work fine *if* they are in the main campaign. Put all your maps in the image folder of the main campaign and not on any module tabs. If necessary make a tab for the main campaign.

With a little work is is possible to make a map with the drawing tool and put it in the image folder so you can mask it. Its a two step process, first making the map and then "negativing" it and moving it into the image folder of the campaign.

1) Make the map in FG with the drawing tool.

2) If you look at the drawings and masks in the drawing folder you will see they are draw so the background is black and the lines (or unmasked areas) are white.

Most drawing programs have an Invert Colors or Negative settings in their image menu. I used IrfanView to load the drawing in and just pull down the image menu and select negative. In MS Paint, which is normally on all Windows computers it is called Invert Colors. This inverts the colors such that white becomes black and vice versa. After you Invert the Colors save it into the images folder of the campaign.

Edit - Oops I oringinally said the Paint command was Invert Images - changed that to Invert Colors.

[andro1d]

Great info Griogre. I wasn't making maps in an open module in this case though. But I think you just figured out my problem in my D20 game with it crashing everytime I closed it!

I checked my drawing's folder for the SW game I was initially talking about and only one drawing shows up-the last one I did. It appears it will just overwrite the last drawing you did. I had hoped once you named it you could save multiple maps (though I bet if I closed out and went in and manually renamed it it would probably work that way...)

Thanks again for the info!

Andro1d