Creating Maps for FG2

[Xorn]

Okay, I don't have that option in PSP, that I could find. I only know enough about PSP to be dangerous to my pictures, anyway.

[Leonal]

Yeah, it's the same thing. PNG 8 can have maximum 256 colors.

[Zygon2004]

I'm not sure I'm following. When I set the image to 4000x4000 I get a several MB file. If I scale it down in Photoshop, the detail is lost as well.

What is an acceptable file-size for good load times in FGII? I saved one image that keeps okay levels of detail, but it's 4.60MB. I'd rather have much higher detail but I don't want players to nod off while the image is loading. Thoughts?

[Trenloe]

I'm not sure I'm following. When I set the image to 4000x4000 I get a several MB file. If I scale it down in Photoshop, the detail is lost as well.

What is an acceptable file-size for good load times in FGII? I saved one image that keeps okay levels of detail, but it's 4.60MB. I'd rather have much higher detail but I don't want players to nod off while the image is loading. Thoughts?

Keeping it below 1MB is a good idea - unless it is a big map you will use a lot for the players, such as a whole level of a dungeon that you zoom in as the players move around; then you don't mind a delay to load it initially.

Try opening your image in Photoshop and save as a JPEG - experiment with the compression ratio that gives a good level of detail with a reasonable file size.

[Zygon2004]

Now after a fair load time on a map like that, will be stored on their computer? What about the next session, if I share it will it have to load again?

Also, I noticed there is a "pre-load" option, on big maps would that allow me to have it loading on their machines at the start while we're involved in something else in-game, so that it's up and ready when needed?

[Trenloe]

Now after a fair load time on a map like that, will be stored on their computer? What about the next session, if I share it will it have to load again?

One it has loaded to the player's computer it will be stored in a cache so it won't have to download again in that session or future ones (unless they delete their cache).

Also, I noticed there is a "pre-load" option, on big maps would that allow me to have it loading on their machines at the start while we're involved in something else in-game, so that it's up and ready when needed?

Yes.

[damned]

yes images are cached but they are all uploaded from your computer and the upload routine is not nearly as fast/efficient as say ftp so images of that size will probably take a long time to load initially...
i personally try to keep all my images below 256kb and definitely below 500kb...
if the image/map will be used often it may be worth the load times for your campaign...

[Griogre]

I'm like damned. I keep the maps less than 600K and try for less than 300K. On the preloading if you use 4E or 3.5/Pathfinder the players can open the maps and see them. Make sure you mask them first before you preload them if you don't want the player to see what's on them. You might want to be careful about map names as spoilers as well.

Generally you want the map grid on the map to be about one half the size of your medium sized tokens. You will save yourself a lot of hassles if you keep you map sizes under a couple hundred K, especially if you have a player with a flaky Internet connection.