Printable View
OK, so you want to make a good looking map very quickly – this is the guide for you.
There is some preparation time to initially setup the system, but once this has been done you can easily reuse the work.
Attached below is a map that took less than 5 minutes to create.
There are several downloads that are required – all are “Freeware”:
(1) XnConvert - https://www.xnview.com/en/xnconvert/ - Allows you to resize objects. Download and install.
(2) Tiled - https://rpgmapshare.com/direct/2012_...et_001-276.zip - There are plenty of map tiles that can be found around the web, but I will be using this tile set as an example.
Create a folder on your desktop called “NewTiles”. Download and unzip the archive into this folder.
(3) Tiled Map Editor - https://www.mapeditor.org/ - This will allow you to build the map. Download and install.
(4) Paint.net - https://www.getpaint.net/index.html - Free drawing/paint program. I know some of you prefer other applications, that’s fine. Download and install. Used to tweak the map afterwards.
Once you have downloaded the above 4 items and installed you can proceed to the next part.
Tile Set Creation
The tiles you have downloaded should be converted to a standard size – I use several size, but for the purpose of this guide we will use 100px = 5ft (or 1 square). This means each square = 5ft and will be 100 pixels by 100 pixels.
The tile set you downloaded in (2) above is set where each tile is made up of 6 squares by 6 squares and has an image size of 1200 pixels (px) by 1200 pixels (px) per tile. Therefore each square on each tile has an area of 1200/6 = 200px. Therefore each square on the tile sets represent 5ft we have a scale of 5ft = 200px.
A scale of 200px=5ft would be usable, but I prefer to resize these to a scale of 100px=5ft or on a large map 50px=5ft. This will keep the physical file size of the final map to a useable size for upload/downloading in game.
To resize the tiles:
(1) Launch XnConvert
(2) Click the Action tab.
(3) Add an Action:
a. Resize
b. Mode = Fit
c. Width & Height = 600 pixels (as we want 6 squares at 100px per square).
(4) Click the Output tab
a. Output = Folder
b. Select Output = Source Folder
c. Filename = {Flename}
d. Format = As original
e. When output files already exist = Replace
f. Clear the “Input” file(s) = Ticked
The above selection will take any files and resize them to be 600px by 600px.
Look in the “NewTiles” folder on your desktop from (2) and you will see a list of folders. Highlight all of the folders but Overlays – you will have to resize the files in Overlays one by one as they are at different sizes/scales.
Once you have Highlighted all of the folders in “NewTiles”, drag and drop these on the Input folder of XnConvert. This will add all of the images to the convert rules. Thin in XnConvert click on Convert button. The convert process will take a few minutes.
If you make a mistake – you will need to delete the files in the “NewTiles” folders and re-extract from the downloaded tile set as in (2) above.
At the end of this process all tiles (except Overlays) in the “NewTiles” folder will now be resized to 100px and are ready for use.
To create a new Map:
(1) Start the installed Tiled application from (3) above.
(2) File -> New
(3) Create a New Map with the following parameters:
a. Orientation = Orthogonal
b. Map Size Width = 60 tiles, Height = 60 tiles.
c. Tile size Width = 100px. Height = 100px
d. Click OK
(4) Layers
a. Click New Layer = Add Object Layer
b. Double click the “Object Layer 1” and rename it to “Dungeon Tiles 1”.
c. Ensure “Dungeon Tiles 1” is the selected layer.
(5) Tilesets
a. Add New Tile Set
b. Name = Basic Tiles
c. Type = Collection of Images
d. Click the big “+” in the Tilesets
e. Navigate to the ““NewTiles” folder and then to the sub folder “6x6 Basic Tiles (Cover)”
f. You can either select each tile you wish to add to the tileset, or click the first tile and then press Control+A to select all tiles.
g. Click Open
All tiles will now be added to the set. I would suggest you change the 100% to be a usable size – maybe 25%.
You can add multiple tilesets if you wish to organise your images/tiles better – just repeat stage (5) for each tileset.
I would also suggest you resize the map from 100% to 25% otherwise it will be very hard to see the entire map and stitch the images together.
Click on View, Ensure:
Snap to Grid is ticked,
Snap to Fine Grid is unticked.
To add a tile object to the map, click on the tile and then press T. Click on the map to place the tile.
To select objects press S, you will then be able to select the object and manipulate it (move/resize/rotate/flip/…etc)
Shortcut keys:
T = Insert Object
S = Select Object
Z = Rotate clockwise (shirt to rotate anticlockwise)
X = Flip horizontally
Y = Flip vertically
DEL = Delete
You should now build your map as you require.
When you have finished remember to save your Map as a TMX file. This will save the map linking back to the image library – so if you delete or move your library it will break the map. I would suggest creating a special place just for all of you images rather than leave them on your desk top.
To create a useable map/image file, click on:
(1) File
(2) Export Image
(3) Change the following as required:
a. Name = Location to save the image
b. Only include visible layers (Untick to show all layers.
c. Use current Zoom level = Untick (if the image is too large, you could select a map zoom level of 50% and then tick this to save an image at 50% of the original).
(4) Click Export to generate the map Image.
I tend to tweak the final maps slightly to best fit for speed and performance.
Using Paint.Net, I load the image in and maybe add a background on a different layer below the map.
Also, depending upon the quality I need/size of the file for performance of sharingthe map, I tend to resize the map to 50% (that would be a 50px=5ft) save the map as a JPG file file with a 70% compression.
Using the above, reduced the file from 15mb down to less than 400kb - the map should now be fast to share with all ofthe players.
I have used the above guide with the free map tiles from: https://www.dundjinni.com/forums/for...sp?FID=23&PN=0
I have also used the professional Heroic Maps VTT images available from: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/...71/Heroic-Maps
If some tiles do not fit your requirements you can merge two (or more) tiles together using Paint.net. i use the transition functionality between two layers to achieve this. You can also create tile blends as well to simulate the transition between two different tile formats. e.g. Rocks and Grassland.
You can also have individual overlays such as mushrooms/trees/buildings/creates/dead bodies...etc and insert them on a second layer.
A good source for objects : https://rpgmapshare.com/
If the objects do not fit exactly - either resize them permenatly (XnConvert/Paint.net) or resize them in the Tiled program.
Remember - if you want an Overlay to work correcty, ensure the "invisible" bit is marked as transparent and saved as a PNG file format (JPG do not support transparant overlays).
Great post ColinBuckler. I love tiled. I use it often as I have some great tile sets from Wyldfurr and RPG Art Kits.
it wont add all the pictures as a tileset - when i try I dont get to pick a folder.
What version of Tiled are you using?
Hi McDerf,
I'll try and help you the best I can, but a while a go I migrated away from TileEd to Dungeon Painter Studio (its on Steam around £10.99 - very good application similar to the defunct Dundjinni).
It could be related to TileEd version (my original post is 2 years old so there is likely to be a new version), but if you can try and explain how far you got and the steps you have taken so far it might help me to identify the cause of the issue.
This doesn't directly bear on this discussion, but I think it deserves to be in a sticky and not fade into history. It is a pdf extractor that seems pretty useful!
I Use GIMP for the paint versions it is free ware and works well for this. However I am having issues working with Campaign Cartographer I think it is too much a basic CAD. Can you recommend something else that would work and do the job in the simplest way possible. I know the thread is old but I really want to design a full space station and I want to do it in Tiles (Geomorphs).
Also I have some interest in creating some brushes for this purpose as well any recommendations?
Can you use the new Unity Mapping tools to create tile sets, is there a special way to do this and create modules?