Free Mapmaking Resource - Tiled

[Slick]

I've experimented with many different map making tools over the years and found all of them lacking. I've made maps in Photoshop and Illustrator in the past but what I like in a dedicated mapping tool is speed; I'm willing to trade some flexibility for the ability to brainstorm and tweak map designs easily. What I hadn't considered until just recently is a program I've had on my computer for years: Tiled. It's a free map-making tool meant for video game development, but it works just fine for tabletop maps as well.

The benefits of Tiled?

• Free
• Open Source
• Simple to use
• Import custom tiles and images of any size
• Supports orthographic, isometric, and hex grids.
• FREE

It should be pretty straightforward but there is an in-depth tutorial series I found, as well as full documentation on the Tiled site. I made a 64x64-sized tileset that includes most of the common dungeon map features I could think of (I skimmed through some adventure PDFs I had on my PC, mainly Stonehell and Hyqueous Vaults) but there is obviously more to add if anyone wants to (or wants me to). I also included an example of what you can make in a very short span of time.

Spoiler: Tileset

Spoiler: Example

A few tips:

• Make sure you select the background color to be transparent when you import the tileset.
• For water, make a layer with opacity set very low and just use black. You could also make illusory walls like this. Alternatively, for oddly shaped rooms/corridors you can draw a polygon on an Object layer and set that to whatever fill color/opacity you need.
• To paint tiles on the intersections, make a layer with an offset of 32x32.
• There is a grid setting, but I recommend turning it off and making your own Grid layer filled with the tile I included for it. It makes it easier to see what you're doing when you paint on the intersections.
• Doors are best placed as objects on an Object Layer (not bound to grid, but can snap to it).

So far it's been working out really well for me, I encourage you to try it out and let me know what you think. I haven't messed around with making an isometric or hex tileset but might do so if there's interest in it.

 

[bryce0lynch]

I'll give this a shot.

Before kicking off Black maw I explored the map space and spent about $200 on non-proFantasy software and a lot more time on free stuff. It did not meet my needs and I ended up in CC3+, which did. And took a couple of months of a learning curve ... that I have to refresh every time I pick it up again.

I'll give tiled a run through today, I Hope!

Also, I have secret dreams of creating a videogame D&D dungeon game with a subscription service. Don't we all?

 

[squeen]

What a great idea. Thanks Slick.

Hoping it compiles on Linux...

 

[The1True]

Also, I have secret dreams of creating a videogame D&D dungeon game with a subscription service. Don't we all?

A while ago, I kept thinking about this shitty old Windows (3.1) game 'Castle of the Winds' and how much I'd like a very casual, stripped-down, exploration-style D&D game for phones and tablets. I started doing basic artwork and taking tutorials on the free, Unity-for-idiots, game-design engine; Construct2, but as all things in my ADD-riddled existence, I moved on to the next big thing. I would LOVE to make this a reality...

 

[DangerousPuhson]

Am I the only person here who doesn't code for a living?

 

[bryce0lynch]

Code? What am I, a factory worker? I think not! I'm Senior Director of Network Innovation for the ENTIRE internet!

 

[DangerousPuhson]

So, you're the guy to blame when my ping gets too high then? Or are you the guy to blame that my neighbourhood still doesn't have fibre optic cables? Or are you the guy to blame when all the bandwidth gets sucked up because the whole suburb is fed by a single network chokepoint?

 

[Grützi]

So, you're the guy to blame when my ping gets too high then? Or are you the guy to blame that my neighbourhood still doesn't have fibre optic cables? Or are you the guy to blame when all the bandwidth gets sucked up because the whole suburb is fed by a single network chokepoint?

Man ... I thought we had this sorted out:
Blame --> squeen

I can code ... I just don't want to.

And I will take a look at tiled ... maybe I don't have to use magic markers and stuff for my maps anymore then
(Though I like my magic markers ... )

 

[Malrex]

Hey DP...you aren't alone. I walk in/along streams and forests all day....well..half the time anyways...hmmm..maybe 1/4 time since 2 years ago. They try to chain me to a desk and I say no.

 

[squeen]

I walk in/along streams and forests all day....well..half the time anyways...hmmm..maybe 1/4 time since 2 years ago.

Lucky!

 

[DangerousPuhson]

Hey DP...you aren't alone. I walk in/along streams and forests all day....well..half the time anyways...hmmm..maybe 1/4 time since 2 years ago. They try to chain me to a desk and I say no.

I work at a desk, albeit in an interesting field of work, but yeah... still a desk.

 

[Slick]

They try to chain me to a desk and I say no.

I've been contemplating a career change for this exact reason; office cubicles are the real dungeons, man. Although I will miss having access to a commercial grade CAD plotter-- how else am I going to print free sheets of 3' x 4' graph paper?

 

[bryce0lynch]

So, you're the guy to blame when my ping gets too high then? Or are you the guy to blame that my neighbourhood still doesn't have fibre optic cables? Or are you the guy to blame when all the bandwidth gets sucked up because the whole suburb is fed by a single network chokepoint?

Minimum connection speeds ate 200gig/second on the network I run. .EDU 4 EVA!

 

[DangerousPuhson]

Although I will miss having access to a commercial grade CAD plotter-- how else am I going to print free sheets of 3' x 4' graph paper?

I really need to convince our geomatics department that my dungeon maps are totally legit uses of their massive printers, and definitely have a connection to national security.

 

[Malrex]

Honestly...I want to throw my name in the hat for Vanna White's job. You work 48 days a YEAR...and make 10 million...and just reveal the glowing boxes. Sounds like a boring, horrendous, unfulfilling job....but I could do it for 48 days out of the year. Sure.
10 million...10 MILLION dollars a year??? Are you serious?
My dad taught me that if I worked hard, I'd do alright. Nope dad....I just needed to land a job revealing glowing boxes on a game show apparently....I wouldn't of had to work for shit.

Salaries are so messed up in this world.

 

[DangerousPuhson]

Helps if you're super-model gorgeous... well, at least it does for the lady-folk.

 

[Malrex]

Helps if you're super-model gorgeous... well, at least it does for the lady-folk.

I'd rock that dress!!!

Ok maybe not....so then...1 MILLION only? ok.....

 

[squeen]

I'd rock that dress!!!

Ok maybe not....so then...1 MILLION only? ok.....

I agree. You'd only have to pay them 1 million to let you wear the dress.

 

[The1True]

Am I the only person here who doesn't code for a living?

Game artist. Mainly character modeling and rigging. Well, I used to be anyway... I wish I could code, but after two months of hacking away at first Unity and then the much simpler Construct tutorials, apparently I can't even script I could draw sprites and build backgrounds all day long if I could find a sucker coder with hours of free time willing to team up on spec (bwahahahahahahahahaaaa... )

Anyone? C'mon, we'll go 50/50, okay 60/40...no 70/30?... okay okay, a pat on the head and my name in the credits?

 

[squeen]

Another non-D&D aside that you've reminded me of:

When I first was teaching myself to code (late 70's) on an Apple ][ computer I decided to write my own 2D video game in Applesoft Basic (ironically written my Mycrosoft). This was while I was still in middle-school, so when I sat down and tried write an algorithm for tracing out the pixels of a circle, I realized I had no idea how to describe it. Pre-internet, programming tutorials/manuals/etc. were pretty much not existent. That's when the value of math (trigonometry) really sunk in.

Don't be intimidated by computer programming---it is inherently easy (and ephemeral). It's a man-made constructed written by people for people and comes with an instruction manual. Time, attention, and the ability to follow instructions is all that's required. Anyone can do it. Mother nature, however, is under no compulsion to give up her secrets to the human mind (a.k.a. Science)---that's what's really tough. When taking on the unknown, math is the only weapon you have.

Visual Art is a whole other kettle-of-fish. So many techniques to learn and master---some well documented, and others indescribable. You have my respect.