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Thread: Making a hex grid with Gimp???

  1. #1
    Guild Novice
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    Help Making a hex grid with Gimp???

    I want to create a TSR-like close up hex map with GIMP. Does it have this ability without having to draw each hex by hand? If anyone has done this could you please post an idiot's guide to making hex grids? I would be your best friend!

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    Community Leader jfrazierjr's Avatar
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    Post

    I can't find a "real" way.. but one way to fake it is to use the Filters->Distort->Mosaic and pick the hex. You have to do this on a color layer.

    Size =?
    Height= 1
    Spacing = 1 (or whatever you want the line thickness to be)
    Neatness = 1
    Light = 160
    Color = 0

    Run and then use the select by color tool to select the inside color of the hexes and delete to alpha. Invert selection and fill with black (or whatever color you want the grid)
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  3. #3

    Post

    Quote Originally Posted by Druvas
    I want to create a TSR-like close up hex map with GIMP.
    Programs like AKS Hex Mapper or Hexographer are designed for just this sort of thing, but if you really want to use GIMP the easiest way is probably to get the hex tiles from AKS Hex Mapper, load each one in GIMP and save it as a .gbr (GIMP Brush) file, and put all the .gbr files in your GIMP brushes directory. Then you can use the pencil tool to select hex tiles and draw them on your image. See attachment for a quickie done with this method.

    Edited to add that I can't remember if the tiles were originally transparent or not (I made those three brushes from versions I'd converted some time ago, not from the originals) but in the worst case it's just an extra step to turn the background color transparent before saving the brushes.
    Attached Images Attached Images  
    Last edited by isomage; 04-09-2009 at 03:52 AM. Reason: Edited for clarity
    My random map generators and GIMP scripts: http://axiscity.hexamon.net/users/isomage/

  4. #4

    Post

    Here is a zip file containing GIMP brushes made from the AKS hex tiles.

    Note that I've reproduced the AKS tiles here without permission -- the site has been gone for some time and I don't know how to contact the author, but since the software was free (and they're simple copies of the original TSR hexes anyway) I'm assuming he wouldn't mind. I'll happily remove this brush set at his request.
    Attached Files Attached Files
    Last edited by isomage; 04-13-2009 at 07:40 AM.
    My random map generators and GIMP scripts: http://axiscity.hexamon.net/users/isomage/

  5. #5

    Default

    [Removed out of date information]
    Last edited by isomage; 04-25-2009 at 11:45 PM.
    My random map generators and GIMP scripts: http://axiscity.hexamon.net/users/isomage/

  6. #6

    Default

    [Merged into earlier post]
    Last edited by isomage; 04-13-2009 at 06:45 AM.
    My random map generators and GIMP scripts: http://axiscity.hexamon.net/users/isomage/

  7. #7

    Post

    And since I couldn't resist trying out those GIMP brushes...
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	map.png 
Views:	1407 
Size:	12.8 KB 
ID:	12209  
    My random map generators and GIMP scripts: http://axiscity.hexamon.net/users/isomage/

  8. #8
    Guild Novice
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    Default

    Thanks guys! I think the Filters--> Mosaic--> Distort method was exactly what I was looking for. I will see if I can then apply layers over top and build an "Old School" outdoor map out of it! Thanks!!!

  9. #9

    Default

    You probably don't need to worry about drawing the hex grid; if you're just tiling hex icons, the grid will appear as the gaps between the tiles (see examples above). If you did want to lift the grid lines (so that, for example, you could draw some rivers on the map and have them run under the grid lines) you could just select by color, copy, and paste them onto a transparent top layer.
    Last edited by isomage; 04-13-2009 at 04:03 AM.
    My random map generators and GIMP scripts: http://axiscity.hexamon.net/users/isomage/

  10. #10

    Help

    Quote Originally Posted by jfrazierjr View Post
    I can't find a "real" way.. but one way to fake it is to use the Filters->Distort->Mosaic and pick the hex. You have to do this on a color layer.

    Size =?
    Height= 1
    Spacing = 1 (or whatever you want the line thickness to be)
    Neatness = 1
    Light = 160
    Color = 0

    Run and then use the select by color tool to select the inside color of the hexes and delete to alpha. Invert selection and fill with black (or whatever color you want the grid)
    I'm trying to modify some existing maps I have from some old role-playing games by over-laying a hex grid on top of them. I found this by searching the archives and it does pretty much what I'm looking for, except for one big problem: the Filters->Distort->Mosaic filter in GIMP can only go up to a size of 100 pixels, and I'm needing a much larger size due to the high resolution of the original map I'm overlaying a grid on. Is there any way to override or work around this limitation?

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