Multiple Floors with DD3 Maps

[icbeer]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and relatively so to CC3 and DD3. I've been working on a 2 story Inn in DD3 and am wondering what is the best way to represent multiple floors on a map. Take for example this map of Tendril's Oak Inn from the Cartographer's Annual. I really like how he shows the scenery outside the Inn on the map and he links to another map with the other floors. If you show the second floor on the same map, it really doesn't make sense to show the scenery, since the second floor will have to sit to the side of the first floor, covering up neighboring structures. So the obvious solution is to create a linked map and only show one floor per map.

So if we now have maps of both the first and second floors, we need to have the same copy of the scenery in the background (possibly). This now is starting to sound like the kinds of issues I have to deal with as a professional web designer. We need a master background shared between 2 files. I'd love to hear how everyone else deals with this issue or with multiple floors in general.

Thanks

Mike

[icbeer]

I just had an idea, maybe it would be easier if I just create separate layers and sheets for each of the floors. That means that there would be floor, symbol, etc layer 2 and sheet 2. That could work. Maybe a little tedious, but probably better than the alternative.

Mike

[ravells]

It largely depends on whether you intend to publish the map for web only (in which case hyperlinks to separate maps will work) or in printed form (no hyperlinks).

I think you're right in thinking that putting the second floor on a different layer will make your life easier. Alternatively if you wanted entirely seperate maps, just save the original under a different name and redo the inside of the building of that one as the second floor.

Welcome to the guild, btw!

Ravs

[Valarian]

I'd put each floor on a separate sheet, but use the same layers for the objects on each sheet. This way, if there is detail that shows on more than one layer, you can use layer copy to copy the objects on to other layers, ensuring that the objects are displayed in the same place. If you use the variable colour objects, you can change the colour of copied objects to a light grey or beige to indicate that the objects are on another floor, but visible from the current floor (e.g. looking over a balcony). I think the Tendril Oak example uses a partial-transparency background to dull the visible objects underneath.

Common Sheet - outside ground detail (if desired to show on all layers)
Sheet 1 - Ground floor (and ground detail if not desired on all layers)
Sheet 2 - First Floor
Sheet 3 - Roof

[NeonKnight]

The way I do it is I have multiple files (1st floor, 2nd floor etc), and just keep the background the same, and then make the floors above. If needed (because the second floor has an opening or something), I just keep those and apply them all to a layer/sheet.

[icbeer]

I tried the multiple Sheets approach last night and it worked out nicely. (I shouldn't have said multiple layers, Sheets is the way to go). I am happy with how that works, but have to be really careful when I'm placing symbols, so I always select the right sheet first. I renamed all the standard sheets, so when I do put a symbol in the default sheet by mistake it automatically creates a new sheet on the top of the stack and it is pretty easy to correct. I'm thinking that a hybrid strategy between what you guys have suggested is the best approach. Finish the map and then save two copies of the map with different sheets visible and different hotspots.

There's no way to create hotspots that show and hide sheets is there?

Uh oh, my boss just got to work. Gotta go.

Mike

[icbeer]

Looks like I'm going to answer my own last question here. I haven't gotten it to work yet, but...I think the final solution to my original question is that you use muliple sheets to represent the levels and then you create a menu system with text and hotspots that call macros to show and hide the layers. I will let you all know how it goes.

The macro commands are HIDESHT and SHOWSHT
(Anyone else find this funny cough, cough)

Thanks everyone for the quick responses.

Mike

[icbeer]

So here's my final solution:

1. I created 2 scripts files called viewfloor1.scr and viewfloor2.scr in the same folder as the map. Of the general form:
HIDESHT 1 FLOORS
SHOWSHT 2 FLOORS

2. I went to [Tools>Macros>Make Hotspot] and entered something like:
scriptm $viewfloor2.scr;
and selected the rectangle for the hotspot

3. Now I can just click on a hotspot and it shows the appropriate floor. Very slick.

Thanks for the help everyone.

Mike