I'd like to see another 'new map' command which would take a PNG file and use that as the background for a map and pick the size of the map from the PNG file (not tiled, but use the PNG as the entire background).
I'd like to see another 'new map' command which would take a PNG file and use that as the background for a map and pick the size of the map from the PNG file (not tiled, but use the PNG as the entire background).
How would it determine (straightforwardly) what dimensions to make the map? PNGs have pixel dimensions, maps are in a variety of units?Originally Posted by andydragon
ProFantasy Software Ltd
It would be nice to be able to add effects to layers instead of sheets, so that objects that are on other sheets can be changed at once. I actually thought that was what layers were for in the beginning, but now I don't see a use for them at all.
#1 on my wishlist is for lighting effects to render correctly when multiple passes are required to export a .jpg or .png image.
See what I mean here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...orting-to-.jpg
#2 on the wishlist is for bevels to render correctly when an entity below it has a blur or glow effect (or some textures) applied. As it is, I always end up with a million little triangles along the bevelled entity's edge.
Definitely improve redraw speeds. Also, I find that I get "not responding' messages when turning on sheet effects. Subsequently I've started using photoshop as it's bullet proof. A shame really as I've used profantasy for years but there just seems to be a cieling on the size of maps I can produce until speed becomes a major issue.
Deleted by user who was told he wasn't smart enough, or just too lazy, to learn the software.
Last edited by GSEC; 03-18-2018 at 06:39 AM.
In response to number 7 there is a YouTube series that helped me get started. I think they had it linked on the splash screen of CC3+ when you first open the program.Looks like it's been a few years, and a couple CC iterations, since anyone posted in this thread, so watch out for zombie suggestions.
- Dedicate mouse scroll wheel to zoom. I think this one is a zombie.
- Add the File/Close command to close the current drawing without closing the program.
- Use a cursor instead of cross-hairs/box or, at least, give users the option to choose one or the other.
- Reverse the command-selection order to select where/what and then choose a command to apply to the selection. For an old fart with poor eyesight and shaky fingers, this is probably the most important issue.
- Add the Edit/Delete command.
- Rewrite the manual and quick start guide for CC3+. Telling users the basics are the same as in previous versions isn't helpful when a new user has no idea what the basics are.
- Create a series of 6-8 minute videos for new users. Use voice-over and a script rather than real-time audio.
- Define non-standard terms such as Overland Mapping, etc.
That's it for now.
I am not an official ProFantasy representative, but many of these are common questions and concerns. Some notes:
1. The scroll wheel does zoom. Clicking and dragging on the center mouse wheel pans around the screen if selected in the options.
2. CC3+ is built on a CAD engine from the 1990s with a whole lot of customization. One of the limitations of this engine is that it needs a drawing and a window on that drawing open at all times, even if it's just an empty one. You can see this if you try to use the close box on the active window (it tells you "You cannot close the only window on your drawing").
3. The cursor issue is another item from the product's heritage. I do agree that the single-line crosshair cursor and XOR drawing for cursors do not mix terribly well with today's high-resolution and high-color displays. It's on the wish list of things to fix, but I'm not sure how high it's going to get on the priority list in the near future.
4. The action-object mode of interaction with the software is another heritage element for the software that would require a significant amount of product modification to effect. The official statement appears to be "do the tutorials, you'll get used to it". I'm not sure that it's a great answer, but putting in the time to do the training does seem to work for many people.
The product does offer an object-action mode (Tools>>Options, "Enable left button preselect"), but this mode isn't at all what most people want. In a piece of software PowerPoint or other common Windows drawing programs, you will select the thing(s) that you want affect and then you are presented with visual feedback elements like handles and cursor changes that you can use to perform direct manipulation (e.g. move, scale, rotate) of the selected objects. The left-button preselect mode in CC3 allows you to select objects and then perform the operation, but there are no handles to do direct manipulation of those objects. Even when left-button preselect is used, there are still many commands that ignore pre-selection and ask to entities to work with.
5. See Edit>>Erase. If you're using the left-button preselect operation, Edit>>Erase works in the manner I think that you're expecting. If left-button preselect is off, you'll need to select the Edit>>Erase command, select the items to erase, the right-click and select "Do It" to finish the command.
6. ProFantasy is a relatively small company and seems to be focused on product updates and new content. They do offer a "Tome of Ultimate Mapping" product that goes in-depth on most aspects of the software. CC3+ was intended as an enhanced version of CC3, which is why the documentation may reference earlier versions. I do admit that I haven't looked at the documentation in some years, however...
7. As Arkidemis points out, there are quite a few tutorial videos out there on the internet. They are not implemented in-product as a scripted elements, however. I'm not sure that in-product scripting is feasible at this stage in the product development.
8. I do agree that a comprehensive glossary in the base product would be a nice addition.
Deleted by user.
Last edited by GSEC; 03-18-2018 at 06:45 AM.
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