News!

Hexographer earned two Ennies 2010 Honorable Mentions! (One for Best Free Product and one for Best Website.) Thanks to the judges for acknowledging the hard work that went into the product and congratulations to the nominees. If you're not familiar with the Ennies, they seem to be something like the Oscars of the role-playing game industry.

Overview

Hexographer is a map-making software program that allows users to create hex-style maps as well as town maps, battlemats and hex star-maps. These maps are popular for role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. However, they are useful for many other role-playing games, board games, miniatures games and wargames. The software has Free and Pro versions. The free version (link will start the free version, it runs in your browser) is the same program except the Pro version has a few extra features and it is installed and runs on your computer. (No internet connection required.)

See the list of features below the cropped sample maps. See also the quotes and reviews toward the bottom of the left sidebar for others' thoughts on the software.

Classic Hex Map with Hexographer's Default Icons. The default icons are reminiscent of the hex maps of classic role-playing games.	Star Map using Hexographer's Built-in Cosmic Icons. Each feature (planet, starbase, etc.) may be given a different color and an optional ring.
Battlemat/Battlemap with Built-in Realistic Map Items. Hexographer includes over 25 semi-realistic map items. Users may add custom map items (any .png image file). The free version limits 10 custom map items per map.	Black & White Hex Map using free B&W hex icons for Hexographer. The black and white symbols are available in this forum thread. Changing icon symbols or adding new symbols requires the Pro version.
Hex Map Using Updated Hex Icons (Order Here.) This alternate set of map symbols was created for publishers who may not want a style that is so close to the classic icons.	Town/City Map Using Built-in Map Items. Town and city maps can be quickly created using Hexographer's "map items." Each building may be optionally textured.

Features

Note that the free version (link will start the free version, it runs in your browser) is very rich and what is in the free version will stay free. However a few useful features (noted below) are only in the Pro version. Some future features will also only be in the Pro version.

So please try the free version and if you need the Pro version features or if you just want to support further development, purchase a license!

Basics

• Easily add terrain to a blank map by just clicking the hexes.
• Drag over hexes to add terrain more quickly.
• Optionally, use the random terrain generator to create a map.
• Optionally, sketch in the basic terrain layout and run the terrain wizard to fill in your map based on your sketch.
• Use feature icons to designate cities, castles, forts, mines, caverns, etc.
• Draw lines to make your coastline look rough, add rivers, roads, trails, etc.
• Add text of pre-set styles to name cities, rivers, countries, mountain ranges or anything else.
• The program automatically keeps text above lines, lines about features, and features above terrain.

Customization

• Hex numbers can be turned on.
• You can put the hex numbers on the top of the hexes or on the bottom; you can make your numbers row by column or column by row; the row and column numbering can start with any number; you can change the hex numbers' font color/size/face/style; you can set the separator between the row and column numbers to anything or nothing.
• Use an icosahedral map template.
• Customize terrain and features by resizing or removing the icons or changing colors.
• Customize the color and width of pre-styled lines. This allows all of your rivers, roads, borders, etc. to be consistent. If you drew each line with the appropriate button, you can later adjust the color or width and all the lines on the map made with that style will update properly.
• Customize the font face, style, color, and style of pre-styled text. Just like with pre-styled lines, if you add text using one of the styled buttons, it will update appropriately.
• The map can be oriented so that the columns are stacked nicely and the rows are staggered or vice versa.

Special Features

• Maps can be seamlessly sent to a web service to be printed as a poster or art print.
• Trace over a map from another source.
• Pre-styled lines and text are associated with the tags "natural" "infrastructure" and/or "political." Arbitrary lines and text can be associtated with any of these tags. Then, each of these types may be turned off. So you could complete you map then decide to save a version without any political markings.

Pro Features

• Runs stand-alone on your computer without connecting to the Inkwell Ideas website.
• Change terrain/feature icons using the "Options/Hex Settings" menu. (Any png can be used as an icon.)
• Add completely new terrain and features with custom icons.
• Expand or contract the number of hexes on the map. (Allows you to expand an existing map.)
• Notes: These give you a way to write up details about a map hex. A small rectangle will appear in the hex (these rectangles can be toggled off) and clicking it pops up a small window with those details.
• Automagically generate, then customize a map key based on the symbols used for the map.

More Details

The free version (warning: long download for dialup users) is started within your web browser using Java technology. It will open a new frame when you create a new map. It has every feature the pro version does except those few items noted above. So you can still create maps of any size; make hexes large or smaller; trace over an image of another map; export/save maps as .png images; add hex numbers; customize the hex numbering scheme; customize the line colors/sizes of rivers, roads, etc.; customize the font names/colors/sizes/styles of text for politicial features, geographical features, etc.; and more!

Note: I have not signed the software with an official certificate because those cost money and this project is "in the red." Therefore, when you go to the free version's page the first time you will most likely see a prompt noting that the software can't be trusted. You must click "OK" or "Trust" or whatever the affirmative button says to fully use the software. Otherwise, you will not be able to save or export your maps. (You will see an error regarding permissions if you try.)

The hex icons are very loosely based on the icons used for "The Known World" and "Mystara" and "Voyage of the Princess Ark" RPG products.