Importing the planetary hex map over an image

[Revanche]

Hi, first time poster here, but I've noticed how vibrant the Traveller community is here, so thought I'd take a shot at getting some help.

I've been using Fractal Terrains to make my planets, because it has this great option to export the generated planet into the icosahedral format that Traveller uses. However, if I want to put the world onto the Traveller planetary maps, then i have to either use Heaven & Earth (last update 2000?) or draw it in by hand.

Doing either of these I lose a lot of detail. For example:

http://starshiptracker.com/temp/gehennum/iso gaia.bmp
http://starshiptracker.com/temp/gehennum/iso river.bmp

Does anyone know of a way, software, technique, etc....that I could put the Traveller map over top of these types of images?

Any help would be appreciated.


- Rev

 

[dreamingbadger]

you could try layering in Photoshop, and pasting the "hex grid image" as a transparent selection

 

[rust]

Yep, or use Paint Net, it would be comparatively simple.

 

[Revanche]

I'll take a look at PaintNet (don't have PSP). But in both cases, I'm gonna have to design the palnetary hex grid myself, I imagine. I can't see taking any of the official grids and putting them on top, because then it would cover the image itself.

As you can guess, I'm not exactly a graphics wiz.

 

[rust]

I can see taking any of the official grids and putting them on top, because then it would cover the image itself.

With Paint Net, you would first load the map and then import the grid on a
white background into a second layer.
You can then merge the two layers in a way that only the darker parts of
each layer are used for the final picture, which is the map wherever there
is only the white background of the grid, or the grid where the black grid
is darker than the map.

Well, I hope my English was sufficient to explain that, but it really is very
simple.

 

[Revanche]

I can see taking any of the official grids and putting them on top, because then it would cover the image itself.

With Paint Net, you would first load the map and then import the grid on a
white background into a second layer.
You can then merge the two layers in a way that only the darker parts of
each layer are used for the final picture, which is the map wherever there
is only the white background of the grid, or the grid where the black grid
is darker than the map.

Well, I hope my English was sufficient to explain that, but it really is very
simple.

I had no idea your English was even a problem! 8)

Yeah, I understand the concept better now. Thanks. I'm d/ling Paint.Net right now and am seeking step-by-step guidance on how to do just this. Thanks, rust.

 

[G. K. Zhukov]

I had nothing to do while I was rocking my 2-year old (he finally fell asleep, thank God! :lol: ), so I opened PhotoShop and superimposed a transparent layer with "IS Form 21" on your Gaia map.

Here is the result:

iso gaia.jpg

 

[Dave Chase]

Well, I hope my English was sufficient to explain that, but it really is very
simple.

I had no idea your English was even a problem! 8)

Yeah, I understand the concept better now. Thanks. I'm d/ling Paint.Net right now and am seeking step-by-step guidance on how to do just this. Thanks, rust.

Yes, but you need to watch out for his top spin and slice. :lol:



Dave Chase

 

[EDG]

I'll take a look at PaintNet (don't have PSP). But in both cases, I'm gonna have to design the palnetary hex grid myself, I imagine. I can't see taking any of the official grids and putting them on top, because then it would cover the image itself.

As you can guess, I'm not exactly a graphics wiz.

In photoshop at least, you can select all of one colour and delete it. In this case, if you take a grid, select all the white bits and delete those then you'll just be left with the black grid lines, through which you'll see the underlying map.

 

[Vile]

Well, I hope my English was sufficient to explain that, but it really is very simple.

I had no idea your English was even a problem!

Ignore him, he's just beating us with his superior linguist stick.

If you get the hex map in PDF format, you might find that the white bits are transparent when you open it in Photoshop - then you just pop it over your map as a layer.

Oh, wait, you said you don't have Photoshop?

 

[Paladin]

I'll take a look at PaintNet (don't have PSP). But in both cases, I'm gonna have to design the palnetary hex grid myself, I imagine. I can't see taking any of the official grids and putting them on top, because then it would cover the image itself.

As you can guess, I'm not exactly a graphics wiz.

In photoshop at least, you can select all of one colour and delete it. In this case, if you take a grid, select all the white bits and delete those then you'll just be left with the black grid lines, through which you'll see the underlying map.

Oh, wait, you said you don't have Photoshop?

GIMP is another free image editor with which you could attempt the same process with EDG outlined.