Long and Narrow Maps

[geewaagh]

Hey guys,

Trying to do a modern game in narrow passages. When I make a make that is 800x200 I cannot see the whole map without panning. Meaning I cannot zoom out. I have looked thru my rule set to increase max size of my windows but cannot seem to find the right file. Can anyone tell me how to change the pixel or max size of a window in a rule set?

Thanks

[Griogre]

The problem is on a map like that FG will show a 200x200 area of the map. FG prefers square maps and should one side be more than about 50% bigger it just shows a window of "the small side" x "the small side". If you hold down Control and drag a corner you should be able to shape it closer to 800x200. Bear in mind this would be a huge map on the player side if he actually is in 800x600 or even 1024x800 - and players can't resize maps.

[Sigurd]

Try making a smaller window (control drag a window corner) that is close to the picture's length x height ratio. FG doesn't automatically create filler space or shrink the viewing window. Images will stop shrinking when a smaller image would leave part of the window not showing image.

If you start with a very long but thin window it may zoom down further.

Failing that, size the image before you put it in the image directory. That has the added affect of not making players download the bigger files.

sigurd

[Xorn]

I sometimes have some fairly off-size maps, and some of my players don't play on high enough resolution for me to make the map window huge by modifying the XML. (Sorry, don't have the thread link that covers that.)

If I have a 200 wide and 800 tall map, I'll open the map, then resize the window to be as tall as possible, and too skinny for the image. Then zoom out till the vertical is all showing. Now widen the box slowly until the whole horizontal is showing. Any bigger and the image starts to zoom in.

You can now zoom better with this image. You might find it more helpful to add white space to either side of the long, narrow maps, so you can keep the window wider and still see the whole map. As long as it's all the same color it's not going to be a massive increase in map size. (Though it will be bigger.)

I think the 4E_JPG ruleset has been modified to allow 1024x768 maps, but that's a really big map for someone using 1280x1024.

[Sigurd]

I'm a big fan of 32 colour PNGs if you can do them. I also will take a very skinny map and break it into two halves - one over the other. I know that can make the transition between pieces a little difficult.


Sigurd

[geewaagh]

Great suggestions guys. Thanks! I ended up scale the map down a bit but also found out how to change the max size of a window in the ruleset.

Another thing I did, which I am really liking, is to not use the grid. Wow, what a huge difference in map appearance. I am doing a modern firearm game, so most action takes place at range. I made a png template of a 22.5 degree cone, with range makers extending out up to 100 feet. Since I can rotate the template 45 degrees, the template can also cover targets or where you want to go. And for ranges beyond 100 feet, when you pick up the template, a ghost image is left where it originally was. So it is pretty easy to place it at the end of where it was.

Thanks again for the support!