Barrowmaze Map Project Version 1 2/20/2023

Customizing the Map Set

Read this for info on both the Topside mapping and then the Dungeon
mapping strategies.

The original outdoor topside Barrow Downs map was created in the free
graphic editor Gimp, at a project size of 35000 by 35000-pixels, with an
alpha channel for laying art assets. The strategy being a full square map
sized as multiples of the base art assets tiles of Pichard purchased art
terrain assets. Thus a huge area made of smaller tile sections of 3500 by
3500 each. 10 by 10 sections of art terrain.

I made the map in 2 sections to keep it manageable; a top and bottom 35K
wide and half as much deep. Gimp allows one to set up grids and thus usage
of tiling, which was set to the 3500 by 3500 Pichard art asset tile
sizing, and arranged as appropriately. Some of Pichard’s tiles were 4200
square so I rescaled them to 3500 pixels.

To ensure the artwork maintained it’s best aesthetic resolution with

standard token sizes, I kept the project’s visual scale to the standard 10
pixels = 1 foot on the map, thus the 5' square battle map scaling. This
brings the functional outdoor map size to a whopping continuous 3500 sq
ft. I included a high-res PNGs of the project, that you can use to further
customize as you see fit using Gimp, or a graphic editor of your choice.

--Adding more custom artwork features--

Get your artwork From Pichard off of Drive thru or other sources, and
learn to use layers with alpha channels, dodge tools to customize and keep
only what you want to place onto the main layer... Hell you can grab
aspects off of the map provided, via cropping, and rework it back into the
map project as appropriate.

However To DIRECTLY support the creative spirit of this project, head over
to RPG Drive thru and purchase several of Gabriel Pickard’s art pack
assets, regardless if you will ever use them,(they are only $5 each but so
worth it and support him). Thanks for this..

This custom map was made by simply adding artwork to a base layer map.
Simple when you get that hang of it, with the endless options available
using Pichard’s art assets. You could even extract parts of the map via
cropping and use this to then place back onto your version of the map, to
say get rid of the skeletal dragon, ect…

There are lots of YouTube videos on how to use Gimp and Dungeon Draft.

Jump in and experiment. Have fun.

BUT watch this video by Josh to understand the process.

Josh of the Copper Dragon Games was the key to unlock this whole project.
I watched his video and was blown away with what was possible. Here is a
video tutorial that the author found that inspired and unlocked this whole
mapping project:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mSsU5aJ5rY

GIMP Graphic Editor

Free Open-source Graphic editor

https://www.gimp.org/downloads/

Online GIMP User manual

https://docs.gimp.org/2.10/en/

--Working with a Huge Map--

Gimp was used to make this map, and thus can easily section, crop,
rescale, and transform as a GM requires.

All projects should use the High Resolution, Top Middle or Bottom
sectioned PNG File, as a base resource from which to section, crop or
rescale the map as appropriate. With the end results exported out with a
unique name as a compressed JPEG File. This way you are starting with a
high-res source file for a project.

Note: initially make a copy of the Base Map sections in a separate folder,
such that you don't save over it accidentally.

You can always download the map again, however.

--Cropping--

Extracting a specific section of the huge PNG high res, base map can be
done a few ways, but the crop tool can be used to grab and JPG export, a
specific section that is needed for game play night.

https://docs.gimp.org/2.10/en/gimp-image-crop.html

This section can then be resized or transformed in any way required, then
exported out as a Jpeg for use.

--Grid Sectioning--

This huge map can be sectioned up in any way you require, however you will
need to learn to do this in Gimp with a bit of trial and error.

To Section that base map into a logical sequential grid, with custom
dimensions, GIMP has an easy tool to achieve this.

https://docs.gimp.org/2.10/en/gimp-concepts-image-grid-and-guides.html
https://docs.gimp.org/2.10/en/gimp-concepts-image-guides.html

Then you can splice up the map along the sections defined in pixels.
After which you can save the sections individually via exporting them as
Jpegs for final use, as you explore across the map in game.

https://docs.gimp.org/2.10/en/plug-in-guillotine.html

--Rescaling Maps--

The original map art assets were created such that the artwork looks good
and is visually scaled with 10 pixels = 1 feet.

This base 10-to-1-pixel scale and works great for the 5', 50-pixel VTT
Battle Map scale, as well as the tokens normally used by the community.

To custom rescale the base 35000-pixel square map, one will have to take
that 35000 square dimension and decide by what factor the scaling is to be
done to.

The project provides both a 25% and 20% scaled down Top Middle and Bottom
section.

Scaling a map is done by entering the new pixel dimensions as appropriate:

*Example 50% Scaling*

35000/2 = 17500 pixels which provides 5 pixels per 1 Foot on map.

Note: as you scale the map the artwork will not represent a normal 5' per
square VTT token battle map scale, but a VTT square at larger proportions.

So, the Top Section width: 35000/2 = 17500 Hight 17500/2 8525

https://docs.gimp.org/2.10/en/gimp-image-scale.html

Note the Full 35000 by 35000 Base map is way too large to work with in
GIMP, so it has been sectioned into a Top, Middle and Bottom sections.
Note the Middle section involves an overlap of the top and bottom.
Each of these sections are 35000 wide by 17500 deep.

--Exporting Maps--

https://docs.gimp.org/2.10/en/gimp-export-dialog.html

Given the challenges of loading large files, into VTTs, final map assets
should be exported as JPEG, at a quality of 20%, which will still look
great in play, and result in a small file size. The project's jpg files
are exported at this, unless noted as high res.

One can experiment with how much resolution to export into the map to be
used.

https://docs.gimp.org/2.10/en/gimp-images-out.html#gimp-using-fileformats
Note there are many YouTube videos online to learn from on these functions
and more....

Dungeon Draft Mapping for making dungeon layouts:

Dungeon Draft editor

https://dungeondraft.net/

Art Assets For Dungeon Draft

https://2minutetabletop.com/beginners-guide-to-dungeondraft-custom-assets/

https://www.forgotten-adventures.net/product/map-making/assets/dungeondraft-integration/

Tutorials

https://www.youtube.com/@EncounterLibrary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDkRNQacEho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=SDkRNQacEho&list=RDLVSDkRNQacEho&start_radio=1&rv=SDkRNQacEho&t=4

Adapting the Main BarrowMaze Dungeondraft Map

You may want to adapt the dungeon draft map provided, and make a new one.

You can always use the main dungeon Jpeg map provided and use it as a template for your own new
Dungeon Draft project. You simply load in the map as as a template, as per the info in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wLWmQIRPKw

The project provides the Raw dungeon draft files for you to use and tinker with. But it is of the whole
frackin dungeon.