Adaptability and Portability of Maps

[dormouse]

In the March Mapping Challenge there started a discussion about the usability of maps entered in the challenge. But not the right place for a continued discussion.

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I was torn between humor, usefulness and technicality.
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I decide to turn and go for the one I will definitely use in an upcoming stand alone gaming session.

One of the things that strikes me about using someone else's map is that usually we would want to adapt it in some way or add to it. To be able to do that depends on the format it is in and the software that we have available and whether the images in the map are accessible and changeable within the file format and/or are available separately. Some maps look very good, but I know I will never use them because I don't have, and can't access, the means to adapt them.

One of the nice things about being able to interact with the mappers on a site like this is that, if you see a map you'd like to use, and possibly modify, there's a possibility the original cartographer might provide source files which would make it easier to alter. I know that I'd be happy to turn over a CC3 or Photoshop file if someone wanted to use one of my maps for an adventure.

This is a nice offer, and one I would hope that most of the cartographers here would make.

But being able to take advantage of it depends on the software used and whether you have or can get it.

Most Image/Photo Editing software (Photoshop, GIMP, Paint.net, etc) will have all the images in the map, but the degree to which it can be edited will depend on how much of the process has been left available by the originator. Ditto (I think) for programs like Inkscape.

Dundjinni maps don't contain their images. To reproduce or edit them you will need a copy of Dundjinni and copies of all the artwork used in the same file structure as the map's originator.

I don't know about CC2 or CC3.

DungeonForge contains all its artwork and is freely available, so no problems editing there.

When posting maps, it would be nice if people could say whether they would make source files available and what format they were in.