Icosahedral WorldMap Generator
A couple of days ago I posted a couple of screenshots from a new project I’ve begun. Today I’ve made enough progress that I have something people can try out. [BTW, See the comments for updates.] Here are the caveats:
- Based on the screenshot feedback, I’ve made the map size configurable. The top-left drop-down lets you set the size of the side of each triangle. There are only odd-number choices. (I’ll have to look into how easily the math works out to allow even-numbered choices.)
- Right now, the perspective is only “true-rows” mode. (Where the rows all line up, but the hex columns are staggered.) The math to do lay the triangles out (as well as to set up relationships between half-hexes–if you change a half-hex the corresponding half-hex changes as well) was easy-ish in true-rows mode.
- The map editing is fairly limited. There will be a couple of additional features (add a city or landmark) but full editing is available in Hexographer, and there is a big “Export As Hexographer File” button. This new feature is actually part of a tool with a non-mapping primary purpose. (More on that when I’m ready to post it.) This map functionality will likely get folded into Hexographer, but for now you’ve got to create the map here, tweak it, then export it.
- If you want an Earth-like planet, you’ll want to set the “Land%” to “Low” which sets it to roughly 30%. Otherwise, the “Med” settings are intended to roughly match Earth.
With those issues out of the way, I’m anxious to hear how helpful is the tool and suggestions for improvement. To give it a try, right-click the following link and save it to your computer. Then just double-click it to run it. (You do need Java 1.6 though.) World Map
And here’s a new screenshot:
[Sorry about the prior title spelling mistake… lately I’ve been in Isometric map land as well.]
Looks and feels great Joe. Couple of feedback thoughts:
1) For larger maps (everything above 11 really) a zoom out function would be very useful (though if you’re rolling it in with Hexographer, it’s already there).
2) When temperature is set to Max, there’s no noticeable increase in desertification which is what I’d expect. When you reduce vegetation, deserts appear. I can see the link, having discovered it, but it’s not necessarily intuitive.
3) I love that it’s got a limited palette of primary terrain types.
4) The simple icons make it very quick and intuitive to read after doing a quick mouseover of the icons at the bottom for editing.
5) As a standalone tool it cries out for a print or save function. Rolled into Hexographer, there’s no need.
I could see this being used as Step 1 in creating a new campaign world for many aspiring GMs
I found that I frequently had to click hexes two or three times in order to make a change. Occasionally, it would take quite a few clicks.
I think there needs to be some mass-change tool, especially when I want to erase large amounts of land types and replace it with ocean. Perhaps an on/off switch for affecting a hex and all the hexes around it (a mega-hex).
When I set max size, 35, and I tried to scroll, the image inched along one pixel at a time.
For very large maps, with all those extra hexes, a mass-change tool is even more necessary. Perhaps an option to make the mega Changing all those hexes one at time would be a lot of work.
I noticed that changing the amount of mountains to display appeared to have no effect on the amount of mountains created, if the land was set on low or min.
On land set to med or higher, the amount of mountains selected did have an effect.
Thanks for the feedback. A new version has been posted (same link as in the original post.) Here is a list of improvements, based on the feedback:
-You can now place terrain by dragging over several hexes. This does place it more quickly. The planned strength/purpose of the final tool isn’t map editing, so for full editing, export it to Hexographer. (And as I posted I plan to integrate the functionality.
-The mouse dragging should work for “Icy” as well, but if you hover over the hex for more than a half-second, it will change back.
-Scroll bars: that’s sort of the default Java scrollbar functionality. I can look into overriding it, but for now, just drag the bars instead of clicking on the arrows.
-Zoom out, maybe later… for now the scroll bars are there and as mentioned already, export to Hexographer.
-Temperature still doesn’t affect desertization… have to think about that.
-Print/save will be in this tool and of course in Hexographer.
-Clicking hexes should be better now.
-Mountain% should now have a more visible impact, even if land is set to low/min.
-Deserts are more prevalent when vegetation is low/min.
Where is the Print/Save feature I could not find it.
Sorry, it is still very alpha. You can take a screenshot to get an image to save/print. Or you can export to Hexographer (using the big button on the bottom) and reopen it there.
Looks like a promising tool. Looking forward to further development.
For retrofitting a project I have, I could really use the a size spec of 24. Entirely a personal, frivolous request.
I dont seem to be downloading an exe file, just the class files. Sorry if i am too stupid to run your program
Hi Joe! I’ve been looking for a rpg map making software and I came across yours and so far I’ve liked what I’ve seen on the free version. I want to try out your icosahedral map. I downloaded the zip files but I don’t see any executable file. What do I need to do next?
If you download it and get a .exe of .zip file, you are likely experiencing a *BUG* in *INTERNET EXPLORER*. (Sorry, I’m 97.4% sure that’s the case and I can’t believe Microsoft leaves this bug in IE, or doesn’t fix it in older versions–I think it is fixed in more recent versions of IE.) Anyway, you need to rename the “.exe” or “.zip” ending to “.jar” Then, if you have java installed, double-click the .jar file to run it. If you run into an issue with that step, google “download java” or something like that to get it and install it.
And as mentioned elsewhere in the comments, you can’t save an image or print it directly. Of course you can take a screen shot and paste that into an image editor to save/print. You can export it to a file format that Hexographer can read, then load it using that and print/save as an image from there.
Did what you said. Changed the .zip to .jar and I was able to access your tool. Thanks! So far its working well.
Also, is the full/pro version of Hexographer a one year license or a lifetime license?
Great tool!
What would help is an export to a text file of tile counts by type and perhaps row/col positions. That would make using these in an actual game (iphone, pc, whatever) possible.
Without it you have to manually figure out what’s where.
The full pro is lifetime for this major version of Hexographer. Like most software, at some point in the future (not sure when, not planned yet) there may be a Hexographer 2 and that will need to be bought again if you want those features, albeit at a significant discount for those with Hexographer 1.
Jeff: Take a look at the file that results from the export to hexographer button. It is just text and the first line tells you the number of hexes (rows and columns) and the file includes what each hex is, one hex per line, cycling through the rows and columns.
Oops, hadn’t even looked at that to see. I never realized that Hexographer files were just text. Assumed they were in some binary packed format.
That’s perfect.
Thanks!
I heard of this program on the Traveller Mailing List (for the Traveller sci fi RPG) and I must say I’m very impressed – this looks like an excellent tool for generating any sort of fantasy or SF adventure worlds. Well done.
ideas..
for sci-fi users like me.
1] allow size of world and density to be set. so the size of map is known and overall distance per hex can be listed on the over view map. It will also allow gravity to be determined based on density. this makes it very useful for space exploration maps on the fly.
2] allow the triangles that make up the main parts of the map to be enlarged and expand the land to more hexes. ie click on area and that triangle expands to a child map , the main hexes are the seeds that allow the child map to fill in more detail , so go from world overview to more region view, then down again to detailed map. This would also easily be imported to hexographer. this would allow for creation of worlds quickly and details can be added
3] add a few more world view icons add sand/dune desert possible three /// vice … for rocky desert. add island icon for places where there is small land in ocean. change rock from 2 large dots to 1 or two small boxes on the lower side of the hex like it is now.
so many ideas on expanding this to help generate systems for exploration a few addition symbols to let it be gas, lava, etc for system planets. you got me going on this.. and its a great program even this early stage.. i use it a lot.
You said this would be ,in time, part of a large suite of tools.. oh sign me up!!!
when’s it coming out? I own hexographer. Btw, your zip file only has a meta- and some other folder. I didn’t see any executable .java file.
It is part of a larger effort, so not for a while yet.
But you should be able to run it. I think you’re using an older version of Internet Explorer which had a bug where for no good reason it renames a file that ends in .jar with .zip. To fix it, just rename the ending of your file to .jar. Then double-click it to run it. If Java is on your computer it will start up.
Joe — First off, thanks… this is exactly what I was needing. One issue I’m having, though, is that when I import a map (doesn’t matter the size) back to hexographer, the map elements (hexes) don’t align correctly to the icosahedron outline in the pro version of hexographer. Any chance you can help me resolve this?
Thanks,
Brennan
I’d just add your own mask which does match up properly by creating two polygons using the tools on the “shapes” tab.
I guess I’m a little confused as to why someone would use this program instead of Hexographer. I’m sure the answer is right in front of my face, but I’m having a hard time discerning the answer.
The world generator is much more comprehensive in the Icosahdral Generator and has better options for a world. Hexographer’s generator is designed the be for a portion of a continent at most. Hexographer has many more editing options (lines, city/castle/dungeon/etc icons, text, map items) The way to work it is to create the world map in the Icosahedral generator, then export it to Hexographer. At some point in the future the tools may be merged.
Ok, like Brennan, When I open the map, the alignment is off by several hexes. Sadly, I don’t really understand how answer to Brennan as to how to fix it. When I open the map, the is a grey mask already in place that is offset from the exported worldmap. The icosahedral template from the options menu isn’t checked off. Checking it off, just adds an additional mask over the ‘built-in’ the map opened with.
So, how exactly to I remove the grey masking that seems to be part of the export from worldmap.jar?
Nevermind, I figured out what to do, I didn’t realize the existing grey mask was two large polygons. after re-reading your earlier response, it just sort of ‘clicked’.
Still, it would be nice if the mask it exported actually lined up with the map it exports.
Anyway,
It’s still an awesome tool so far. Thanks.
I really want to get back to this, and I know I will, but not for a little while… meanwhile, yep, the best solution is what I posted in #23.
I really like this tool. I have Hexographer and I really wish it had the option to generate the map based on vegitation level and temperature. I generated one of your maps and then opened it up in Hexographer. I finished by running terrain wizard to finish it out and it was very good. Thanks for the tool.
Eventually there will be some better integration or one tool will get the other’s functionality. Too many projects, too little time.