Map Creation: Tracing?

[Uachdaran]

I'm curious if there is anyone with an idea, or perhaps a built in method I can't find, for how I can put my hand drawn map over the system in order to start creating in the program.

I like that it's fairly simple to build the map, getting more complex the more complex your ideas of course. My partner and I enjoy physical drawing and designs for our story boarding and discussions. We've come up with a wonderful map design and I'd really like to put it over the system to trace the lines accurately without attempting to recreate it using a mouse.

Not that we couldn't, just that it would be so much simpler and more efficient to transfer them in that way.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Sharm]

Um, I don't know if I understand. Are you saying you'd like to hand draw your maps, scan them, and then input them somehow into RM? If that's what you want, I think parallax mapping is want to use.

 

[Andar]

if you want to use something as a guide on how to make a tiled map, then you need to make that guide into a picture of exactly the same dimensions as the map (multiply mapsize in tiles with 48 pixel per tile).
Import that picture as a parallax, set it as the map background parallax in the map properties in the editor and then enable the "show in editor" option.
The picture will appear in the editor window and you can use it as a guide to place the map tiles.

the parallax mapping mentioned above uses a similar map picture in the game itself - you make the map as a picture in photoshop or gimp or so and then use it as a background in the game itself.

 

[Uachdaran]

multiply mapsize in tiles with 48 pixel per tile

To clarify, 100 x 100 would amount to 4800 x 4800 pixels for the image?


Also, thank you both of you as that's precisely what I was looking for.

 

[Andar]

yes
if you're interested in the parallax mapping part, 100x100 tiles should be the maximum for most full computers (Background pictures as maps requires a lot of RAM, especially for large maps)
Editorbackground can be larger if the background is removed before playtest

 

[Uachdaran]

I will definitely take that under advisement. In trying to mess around (for science of course) I've discovered a problem where at 240x240 (11520x11520) the image just doesn't render in program.

Of course I could scale it down, try to reorganize my designs and layouts to suit larger tiles on map, and I recognize that 240x240 is huge, but at least as far as functionality, is this an already known issue? Do I need a plugin for an image that size?

To clarify, it imports properly, but the program just loads it as BLACK. It's the correct fill and size but just a flat black background.

 

[Andar]

I think that you don't really understand what you're trying to do.

A parallaxed map needs several THOUSAND times the RAM that a tile-based map needs. In a tile-based map you'll need one number to adress the tile by ID. A parallaxed map needs data for every pixel, and each tile has 48x48 pixel. And that is much more than the filesize of the picture on your harddrive, because you can't work on compressed data. The pictures need to be uncompressed in RAM.
The filesize of a picture on the harddrive is the compressed size for storage, not the amount of RAM that such a picture really needs.
Please make the following test with your image program:
save the picture as BMP
BMP has no compression, that means the filesize of the BMP is the true size of the picture in RAM.
That should help you understand what you're trying to do.


That said, it depends on what limit you came up against to block loading. There are two possibilities here, but a plugin can't help with either.
If the problem is the pixi.js limit, then you would have to manually edit several numbers in the pixi files of the engine.
But those limits are there for good reasons, editing them might make the game unplayable on all but the most modern and powerfull computers.

and if it is not the pixi limit but due to RAM-limits, then you would have to upgrade your hardware to get beyond that.

 

[Uachdaran]

I am still unfamiliar with parallax and the process, and I'm learning so explanations help, but certainly as far as a RAM issue, if you're saying a BMP filesize is the amount of RAM needed for the image, it's a very slight 379MB.

Again, this map wouldn't be staying in the game, not even for playtesting, it's merely to provide a background image for which I can place tiles over our drawings. Up to about 8000x8000 Pixels, I have no issues, I've tested, adjusting the map size to match each time. However the image pixel size (11520x11520) needed for a 240x240 tile to fit properly will not load and either A: crashes the program or B: appears as just a black background.

Assuming I understand what you've taught me about RAM use, 379MB of ram is definitely not my problem, so I imagine I may be encountering a pixi limit which if that's the case, I could edit for the purpose of having the background, and then take back to standard when I remove the background once my tiles are placed.

I do appreciate your help very much, just this brief interaction has taught me a lot as I've looked further into the things you're explaining in order to better understand them, thank you so much.