Gimp question

[Big Thuga]

I have a dm map that i want to make into a player map. What I want to do is either remove an object and copy some surrounding terrain over the hole, or just copy over it. I have just started using gimp and I am having trouble finding the right way to do this. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Thuga

[Redrobes]

I am no Gimp expert but normally with paint apps you select a region, copy it to clipboard and then paste that section over the bit you want to hide. To improve that a bit you can start a new layer and paste into that so that you can switch the layer on and off for DM / Player map. If you dont use a layer then whats been pasted over gets lost - so save plenty of copies incase you break it.

[Big Thuga]

thanks for the help

[jfrazierjr]

I have a dm map that i want to make into a player map. What I want to do is either remove an object and copy some surrounding terrain over the hole, or just copy over it. I have just started using gimp and I am having trouble finding the right way to do this. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Thuga

It really depends on how "random" the image is. If you are trying to cut out a solid shape of a color which is different than the colors around it, then it's really easy. It gets progressively more difficult as you add more color variations or if the edge of the object you want to remove is similar to the colors next too it that do not belong to the object.

Is the image a copyright image?

[Big Thuga]

yes its from a published adventure. I'm trying to remove icons for enemy locations so the players have a general overview map. I tried the the suggestion from Redrobes, but i am running into the problem you mentioned about matching various terrain colors.

[Redrobes]

Best you post a little snippet of the map up and show what you want to hide.

[Big Thuga]

here is a snippet. I want to remove the circled letters.

[Redrobes]

Yup, get the section tool and set it so that there is a bit of feather to it. This is PSP so a Gimp user will have to detail exactly the steps and button pushes to use. Anyway with a slight feathered rectangle, select one unused square with roughly equivalent texture to the background and copy it to clipboard, then paste a new selection down and move that over the circled letter aligning up the grid so you cant see the join easily.

Basically, just much about with cutting and pasting with a new temp image and you'll see what I mean. A feathered edge is one that the selection fades out so the selection border is bigger than the area you drag out but the area you drag out is fully opaque and gets transparent outwards by the amount set in the feather tool. You have to play to see that its easier than how I explain it.

Its a pain that the mags don't print maps for players as well as DMs. The DMs are so spoilt compared to players in this respect.

[Big Thuga]

ok, I think I understand. Thanks so much for the help.

[Redrobes]

To be honest now I know what your wanting theres a completely different approach if you have a PC at the gaming table. You create a new layer and flood it with black then put the PC map under that black and show it to them - i.e. all black. Then with the eraser tool just start erasing the black from where they can see revealing the DMs map underneath. I.e. reveal what they can know about at the time.

You can use a VTT for stuff like this where one like MapTool and I think BattlegroundsRPG will reveal it automatically based on character vision capabilities etc. If you have a PC around when you play you will find using a VTT better in many respects. Although the V in vtt is for virtual table top - a lot of people use them in live play too to speed things up.