I'm trying to use Autorealm to create a keyed hex map for the Dawnlands, but the sheer size of it is defeating me.

Step 1: I want to create a 1000km tall by 1300km wide box on a horizontal hex grid. I'd like it to be as exact as possible, but snapped to the corners of the hex grid (so plus or minus a few km is fine). This is the outer border of the map.

Step 2: I've defined the hexes to be 10km for Autorealm so it can measure them properly.

Step 3: ... Manually draw the damn grid? I've found this impossible because I can't simultaneously draw and measure the distance. I'm also forced to zoom out to the point where individual hexes become indistinguishable, preventing any sort of precision.

What I'd like is to be able to define a rectangle of 1000km x 1300km, and then pick say, the top left corner and have the damn thing automatically draw it from there. Is this possible?

Alternately, can I draw a rectangle of an arbitrary size and populate its inner area with a horizontal hex grid with those characteristics? If not, is there something else that I can do?

What do you mean by "manually draw the damn grid"? The gridlines are drawn automatically.

Unfortunately, AR has no function to place the hex numbers automatically if you mean that. However, I have done that once for Wilderlands-sized (52*34) and quarter-sized (26*17) regions. You can downoad the latter from here, and I can upload a copy of the former if you'd like.

At some point you should move over to a regular vector drawing program like Inkscape. It doesn't have a lot of the doodads like Autorealm so it has to be set up at first. But one you do it is a lot better to use.

I also believe people have made various utilities for creating hexgrids and the like for Inkscape.

Part I
http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2008/10/mapping-tutorial-1-setting-up-your.html

Part II
http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2008/10/mapping-tutorial-2-setting-up-your.html

Part III
http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2008/11/mapping-tutorial-3-border-fix-up.html

More Mapping posts
http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/10/more-mapping-secrets.html
http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2010/04/river-secrets-for-mapping.html

Quote from: Melan;484685What do you mean by "manually draw the damn grid"? The gridlines are drawn automatically.

Unfortunately, AR has no function to place the hex numbers automatically if you mean that. However, I have done that once for Wilderlands-sized (52*34) and quarter-sized (26*17) regions. You can downoad the latter from here, and I can upload a copy of the former if you'd like.

Whoops, I mistyped. The box. Manually draw the box. I can't measure the box and draw it at the same time, and the measurement tools don't leave any sort of visual mark.

Quote from: estar;484705At some point you should move over to a regular vector drawing program like Inkscape. It doesn't have a lot of the doodads like Autorealm so it has to be set up at first. But one you do it is a lot better to use.

I also believe people have made various utilities for creating hexgrids and the like for Inkscape.

Part I
http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2008/10/mapping-tutorial-1-setting-up-your.html

Part II
http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2008/10/mapping-tutorial-2-setting-up-your.html

Part III
http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2008/11/mapping-tutorial-3-border-fix-up.html

More Mapping posts
http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/10/more-mapping-secrets.html
http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2010/04/river-secrets-for-mapping.html

Thanks for the links! I've only done a bit of stuff with Inkscape before. Guess it's finally time to learn it.

Quote from: Pseudoephedrine;484737Whoops, I mistyped. The box. Manually draw the box. I can't measure the box and draw it at the same time, and the measurement tools don't leave any sort of visual mark.

Ah, yeah, that's correct, they don't do that. :/

Quote from: Pseudoephedrine;484810Thanks for the links! I've only done a bit of stuff with Inkscape before. Guess it's finally time to learn it.

Blam!  Hexographer.

You know you want to.

Quote from: StormBringer;484843Blam!  Hexographer.

You know you want to.

Yeah, I've been debating it. If so, I'm gonna need to finally buy the pay version, because I need the black and white tileset for this particular project.

Quote from: Pseudoephedrine;484845Yeah, I've been debating it. If so, I'm gonna need to finally buy the pay version, because I need the black and white tileset for this particular project.

I have been trying to remember to get the stand-alone myself, because it really does have some neat features that enhance the pay version without crippling the free version.  Something of a tricky balance to strike with software.