Incline Grid Cartographer - Best Tool for Drawing Classic RPG Maps

[Hidden Asbestos]

Without wishing to lose a sale -- Grid Cartographer isn't an auto-mapper, it's a drawing tool.

Is Grid Cartographer able to import its exported OBJ files?

No, it's not able to turn a mesh back into a map file. That would be ... challenging, and if the mesh was edited - very challenging !

 

[rusty_shackleford]

good tool, don't forget to review if you bought it on steam

 

[Hermit]

Does it work for Demon's winter(dosbox-pure retroarch)?

 

[Vic]

Does it work for Demon's winter(dosbox-pure retroarch)?

you have to draw the maps by hand so it works for everything.

There is an online dungeon map maker too and that's what I used in the past, it's pretty good.

https://www.dungeonscrawl.com/

 

[Grauken]

Does it work for Demon's winter(dosbox-pure retroarch)?

GC uses its own modified version of dosbox. That said, there's no profile for Demon's Winter so all it can do at this point is allow you to draw maps by hand

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

I did that for the overworld of Azalta: Cult of the Raven. The towns and dungeons are static connected screen sections sort of like Sword of Kadash. Screenshot and place together in a art file piecing each together. Overworld is fucking huge, i wish GC did draw as I explored it. I custom made my tileset for that game based on screenshots and cutting them into icons. Never finished that game. I wished I could hack the locked construction set.

 

[Hermit]

Thanks! Does anyone know a free tool?

 

[Sacibengala]

the thing I like about GC is that it has a "semiauto" mapping with the token at the map moving alongside the ingame counterpart while it does "walls" at the map. After that you just need to make doors and stuff manually.

 

[Grauken]

Thanks! Does anyone know a free tool?

A couple but this is probably the best for your needs

https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads/gridmonger-—-a-new-crpg-mapping-tool.144618/

 

[octavius]

Hidden Asbestos, if you buy v4, will old Win7 compatible versions be available for download, or will only the latest Win10 only version be available?

 

[Grauken]

Hidden Asbestos, if you buy v4, will old Win7 compatible versions be available for download, or will only the latest Win10 only version be available?

you can only get the most recent versions either on the website or on Steam, though if you have a code (bought via the website) you can activate older versions as well

which I have backed up from 2.0.8 to the most recent

this answer from HA on Steam also seems relevant, so the new versions might still work under Win7, just aren't officially supported anymore
https://steamcommunity.com/app/684690/discussions/0/3963662449066361694/

 

[Hidden Asbestos]

Hidden Asbestos, if you buy v4, will old Win7 compatible versions be available for download, or will only the latest Win10 only version be available?

There isn't really a Windows 10 'only' version, AFAIK the software still works on Windows 7.

What you might encounter though is that Valve have, I believe, decided to stop Steam working on Windows 7, 8, 8.1. This will stop Grid Cartographer, along with everything else in your library, from working. There isn't much I can do about that other than echo Valve's position that you should upgrade to Windows 10.

 

[Grauken]

Or he can buy it DRM-free from your website (https://gridcartographer.com/buy/) without the need to use Steam

 

[Glop_dweller]

Valve have, I believe, decided to stop Steam working on Windows 7, 8, 8.1. This will stop Grid Cartographer, along with everything else in your library, from working.

From what I read, Steam internally uses a customized version of Chrome, and that Google has decided to stop supporting Windows 7.

 

[octavius]

Or he can buy it DRM-free from your website (https://gridcartographer.com/buy/) without the need to use Steam

That's what I did, and it's working.

BTW, is there some kind of repository for custom tiles to download?

 

[Grauken]

BTW, is there some kind of repository for custom tiles to download?

Most just do their own or repurpose game tiles, but I've uploaded a couple I did for my onw maps here http://gridcarto.wikidot.com/custom-tiles

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

I recall making some from Azalta. Of course, I have to play it, screenshot it, then make the tiles so it is an ongoing process. Basically, I use it for the continent only. Each dungeon or town map seems to to make it easy to just screenie and paste them to an art program without using the mapper. I used a similar method mapping out c64 Sword of Kadash. I was going to work on the appleII version and AtariST versions.

 

[vitellus]

BTW, is there some kind of repository for custom tiles to download?

Most just do their own or repurpose game tiles, but I've uploaded a couple I did for my onw maps here http://gridcarto.wikidot.com/custom-tiles

thanks for this site man!

 

[TheDeveloperDude]

I recall making some from Azalta. Of course, I have to play it, screenshot it, then make the tiles so it is an ongoing process. Basically, I use it for the continent only. Each dungeon or town map seems to to make it easy to just screenie and paste them to an art program without using the mapper. I used a similar method mapping out c64 Sword of Kadash. I was going to work on the appleII version and AtariST versions.

What is the solution for the food problem?
I am running out of food. No money so I cannot buy.
I went from the edge of the town to the general shop and they ate 1 ration food.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

It has been a while. Generally, the town and dungeon reset each time you re-enter.(as far as I know that town only has 1 dungeon). Throughout the town there is some food you can loot esp if you break into houses. No one really gives a crap if you steal as far as I remember. I’m trying to recall all the shops in town. Bah! I’d have to power up Lenny (my old laptop) and look. I spent a long time looting just that town over and over and over again. Shit part is only one character can move in town/dungeon at a time which makes combat problematic (akin to Wizard’s crown but implemented worse).

Next time I find lenny I’ll take a look and copy files/maps. I’ll then try to make a decent Azalta thread. Relooting town is my first answer.

 

[TheDeveloperDude]

It has been a while. Generally, the town and dungeon reset each time you re-enter.(as far as I know that town only has 1 dungeon). Throughout the town there is some food you can loot esp if you break into houses. No one really gives a crap if you steal as far as I remember. I’m trying to recall all the shops in town. Bah! I’d have to power up Lenny (my old laptop) and look. I spent a long time looting just that town over and over and over again. Shit part is only one character can move in town/dungeon at a time which makes combat problematic (akin to Wizard’s crown but implemented worse).

Next time I find lenny I’ll take a look and copy files/maps. I’ll then try to make a decent Azalta thread. Relooting town is my first answer.

Thanks, I found the dungeon of the beginner town.
My problem: I loaded the game, entered town, 4 party members went to the door of that house (ladder inside). They all ate 2 foods during this short time. It seems constant food management game for me. Never mind, I will savegame hex edit the food. Anyway the game looks interesting.

 

[Hidden Asbestos]

Hi all. I received unfortunate news today. FastSpring, who've processed payments for the GC website since v1.0 have suddenly changed the terms of our agreement, requiring a large sum of money to be paid to continue to use their service. Due to relatively poor sales via the website in recent years, I've decided to end our relationship rather than pay what feels like a ransom.

Going forward, new copies of Grid Cartographer will now only be available for purchase through Steam. Effective immediately, the (feature limited) 'Gamer Edition' is no longer available to purchase. Upgrades to different editions are also no longer available (but there were maybe 5 upgrades happening a year at most).

Downloads of the Gamer/Pro Editions for existing customers, the so called 'website versions', will remain available [edit: and receive future updates] but may be re-located since they could now cause additional confusion. I still have small details like this to resolve, please bear with me as the dust settles.

I'll continue to enter GC into the summer/winter sales on Steam with a large discount, typically coming close to the $20 mark the Gamer Edition was priced at (but with lots more features).

Sorry for the sudden impact of this change, it has taken me completely by surprise and not what I wanted to happen.

 

[Hidden Asbestos]

** blows away cobwebs **
Grid Cartographer version 2024.1 is now in BETA on Steam :D
Other builds will be updated next week along with a what's new video on the YT channel, etc.

 

[udm]

** blows away cobwebs **
Grid Cartographer version 2024.1 is now in BETA on Steam :D
Other builds will be updated next week along with a what's new video on the YT channel, etc.

Nice! What are the major changes?

 

[Hidden Asbestos]

I added fast-forward to the emulators (except DOSBox, which might have one itself?) - good for things like Shining in the Darkness RNG battles;
I rewrote the image export settings page to be a dialog box - that used to confuse people a lot;
Few more variants of ROMs for Game Link profiles including some Wizardry translation patches;
Improvements to the 'colour memory' for markers, so you can have consistent Red gems or w/e without having to find the right colour each time.
That's about all I can remember r.n. ! - full log is posted on the Discord server