August Entry: the Under Halls

[jfrazierjr]

I'm already working up a list of map objects I need for this challenge and without going overboard, just enough to be fully useable, I think I'll create 50 map objects - wall sections to block existing doorways, open doorways to cut through walls, doorways with doors, pits, discarded junk, bodies, traps, ladders, some critters (not monsters), etc.

Don't forget portcullis's for the hallways....

[Gamerprinter]

Instead of trying to upload 18 more gridded tiles, I figured those using them would be printing them. I packaged all 20 gridded dungeon tiles into a PDF file, that's too big to upload here. (14.9 MB)

File link below to my website:

GP's Dungeon Tiles with Grids

I'm already starting work on the map objects. And JFrazierJr - definitely got a portcullis in the set!

GP

[Lord]

I am amazed at the speed in which you crank out such quality. When is the deadline?

[Gamerprinter]

Challenge Map deadlines are supposed to be the fifth day before the end of the month, so usually on a 25 or 26th of a month. However, community leaders are responsible for announcing the official deadline. I have seen some challenge deadlines sneak in to the first 3 days of the next month - it really depends on how busy their personal schedules are to post the announcement.

Regarding speed of map production, I've got a tutorial using Xara Xtreme to create dungeons. This challenge is doing my own tutorial with my preferred software. The process is easy for me, I'm used to working in a high pace graphics environment. So I crank them out!

GP

[Gamerprinter]

After taking the weekend off from this project, I'm trying to get back into the groove again. Started creating some map objects. Currently uploading VT versions, some with necessary Alpha channels.

Walls, doors and a smashed door.

GP

[Gamerprinter]

This time its 2 each Jfrazierjr's portcullis, a square pit and one with spikes, and a column...

GP

[Gamerprinter]

I didn't think about all the directions certain objects have to be, there may be upwards towards a hundred objects before I'm through.

Stairs going up in 4 directions and a stone urn.

GP

[RPMiller]

GP, regarding your doors. When you make those can you make them so that the hinge, or pivot point, of the door is in the center of the overall graphic? What that does for us is make it extremely simple to rotate a door open using the mouse wheel, at least in MapTool.

[Gamerprinter]

GP, regarding your doors. When you make those can you make them so that the hinge, or pivot point, of the door is in the center of the overall graphic? What that does for us is make it extremely simple to rotate a door open using the mouse wheel, at least in MapTool.

So you want the door itself as a separate object. Right now I have the door as a single piece with the walls that frame around it. You'd rather have just a door, that you could show "opened".

No problem, hadn't given it that much thought, but then I mostly play tabletop and not VT, so this isn't as obvious for me!

GP

[RPMiller]

You got it. In the base map you have the opening with no door and then drop the door in as a stamp on the object layer. That way when the party gets to the door and open it, the GM switches to the Object Layer selects the door and spins the mouse wheel and the door opens before their eyes. Then a quick erase of the Vision Blocking Layer and the room comes into view. It actually goes really fast in play.

EDIT: If I remember I'll whip up a quick demo of how it looks in MapTool for you so that you can see how the graphic itself works.