New iPhone/iPad map making application (Dundjinni-like)

[mbussi]

Hello everyone,

I'm currently creating a Dundjinni-like application for the iPhone/iPad.

Currently implemented features are:

* unlimited map size (there might be a limit on the number of objects placed on the map)
* grid (on/off, square/hex, choice of color, labels on/off)
* object manipulation (rotate, rescale)
* text (choice of font, colour)
* export via iphone photo library or email
* 999 levels of undo

I'm looking for suggestions on features to add. What more would you like to have? What is an absolute need for you?

I enclose a screenshot of the current version and I will try to post on youtube a screen capture of the application in action.

Massimiliano

[Curufea]

I'm wondering about the use of it though - it's too small a device to be looked at by multiple players.
iPad maybe, but not iPhone.

How do you differntiate between touches to move the map around and touches that move objects around on the map?

Anyhow, layers are good, and the ability to hide or show them. Also you want a smart close on it - so that if you go to another app, it remembers which map and coordinates it was showing previously and returns to them when you re-open it.

Possible some mouse hover text baloons for objects might be useful.

However- these are only suggestions, I don't use i-devices and would never use an interactive map when roleplaying. Well, probably never.

[mbussi]

I'm wondering about the use of it though - it's too small a device to be looked at by multiple players.
iPad maybe, but not iPhone.

I do agree, but that's not the point. This application is just an editor, just like Dundjinni. It lets you create maps that you export for either printing or importing in tools like FantasyGrounds.

I'm already working on an iPad application which will be FantasyGrounds-like, which will be able to import these maps as editable objects instead of "merged" jpegs.


How do you differntiate between touches to move the map around and touches that move objects around on the map?

Technically, each object on the map sits in its own layer, has a boundary (the png frame) and can detect touches inside its own frame. Therefore if you tap/drag/pinch/rotate an object nothing else is affected. If you tap/drag/pinch on the background then you can scroll around or zoom the map.


Anyhow, layers are good, and the ability to hide or show them.

That is planned for the iPad version. On the iPhone there is simply not enough screen real estate to handle layers and layers manipulation tools.


Also you want a smart close on it - so that if you go to another app, it remembers which map and coordinates it was showing previously and returns to them when you re-open it.

That is already happening.


Possible some mouse hover text baloons for objects might be useful.

I personally don't see the need for this functionality in a map editor. Remember, the objective of this app is to generate jpegs for use in other applications. I'm not a fan of bloated applications that try to do everything and end up doing nothing well.


However- these are only suggestions, I don't use i-devices and would never use an interactive map when roleplaying. Well, probably never.

You are probably one of those lucky guys who can manage to have role playing games with physical, real human beings sitting in front of you... :) When you are always on the move, work in a foreign country and your buddies are, on average, 1500 km away, you need interactive tools to simply play. Some things cannot really be handled with just skype.

Massimiliano

[Curufea]

Nope, I'm an unlucky guy who just can't get people together in any kind of regular time to roleplay, none of whom want to (or have the computer literacy to) play online.

I'm a big fan of interactive tools and have fiddled with many and created many a website for online gaming. It's only a shame I don't have the support of friends for it to ever be taken for more than a couple of sessions.

However, for map mapping - I would recommend some ability for a fog of war, and a quick switch off of some layers and text to create player maps.

Whilst it is nice to have lighting effects (I use them for map making in photoshop) - it's probably beyond the capability of whatever language i-devices use.

[mbussi]

I finally managed to create a video of the app in use. I'm sorry for the poor quality of the audio (and my poor heavily accented english...). Look at it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqKpgf-Ob0g

Massimiliano

[Curufea]

Very nice!

[mbussi]

Glad you liked it.

It's not going to be the ultimate map making application, but a tool to whip up things while on the move.
There are limits to what you can do on the iPhone, basically because of screen and processing power constraints. It's quite difficult to come up with a good editing interface that has to work in 320x480 resolution.
But I'll incorporate some of your suggestions (layers, fog of war, light effects) in the iPad version I'm working on.

Massimiliano

PS
And if you ever acquire an iDevice, let me know: your contributions to the Hero gaming world certainly deserve a promo code to get my apps for free!

[Curufea]

heh. Not that likely - I'm more interested in devices such as the one I used to enter this reply - the BeBook Neo (or Onyx Boox). Linux based, released free SDK wifi ebookreader that can get books from anywhere and apps aren't moderated.

[tribe]

That's an excellent video.

[mbussi]

That's an excellent video.

Glad you liked it. The application has been approved and should be available in the next couple of days.

[cptpatriot]

Glad you liked it.

It's not going to be the ultimate map making application, but a tool to whip up things while on the move.
There are limits to what you can do on the iPhone, basically because of screen and processing power constraints. It's quite difficult to come up with a good editing interface that has to work in 320x480 resolution.
But I'll incorporate some of your suggestions (layers, fog of war, light effects) in the iPad version I'm working on.

Massimiliano

PS
And if you ever acquire an iDevice, let me know: your contributions to the Hero gaming world certainly deserve a promo code to get my apps for free!


Glad you liked it. The application has been approved and should be available in the next couple of days.

I preordered my iPad. This app might prove handy for making some maps in the near future. One question though, how detailed are the maps gonna be. I am concerned about the maps being too low a resolution to be printed properly as I want to be able to print the sheets for some of my sessions.

[mbussi]

I preordered my iPad. This app might prove handy for making some maps in the near future. One question though, how detailed are the maps gonna be. I am concerned about the maps being too low a resolution to be printed properly as I want to be able to print the sheets for some of my sessions.

The resolution is as big as you like: the map is technically at 72 dpi but given the fact that it can be as big as you like (in pixels) and that you can use whatever clip art you want, printing it at a higher resolution is as simple as telling your paint program to change the resolution.

I'm currently working on an iPad native version which, a part from exploiting the bigger iPad screen size, will also include some other features difficult to handle on the iPhone. As suggested by Curufea, layers and light effects.

By the way, the app is now live on the App Store and can be found here: Maci Map Maker (itms://itunes.apple.com/us/app/macimapmaker/id365323853?mt=8)

Massimiliano

[Curufea]

Image size will be limited by the memory allocated to whatever buffer system the iPhone uses to store images.
Larger images, you may want to think about loading in chunks, or preloading adjacent parts of the image.

[mbussi]

The whole map is tiled: no matter what size you want, be it 1000x1000 or 50000x50000, it gets split in roughly 100x100 tiles and only the tiles currently on screen get loaded in memory, so that is not an issue. The only complication, memory-wise, lies in the number of "objects" that you place on your map.

[redwulfe]

This looks really nice. I get my iPad at the end of the week and think I will keep an eye out for this. One feture I would like ot see is the ability to move tokens or objects around the map for in game mapping. The iPad has a larger screen and I can use this sitting in the middle of the table to map the movement of the characters if I want. There is a portable projector for the iPhone that I think you will be able to use with the iPad and if not it won't take long for them to get one and this program could be used to project the map on the table for really nice battle maps to use during games. Can you do hexes as well as grid?

Red

[Curufea]

Hexes are shown in the attachement and images/videos he's provided (grid options).

Next option will be to link it somehow to libraries of objects in PNG format (does it do translucency or only transparency?)

[mbussi]

Sorry about the late answer (I was on easter vacation with my children). The application can indeed draw hexes. Right now it's a simple map editor and it's not meant to be used as a gaming mat (especially on the iPhone...).

I have started working on a Fantasy Grounds-like application for the iPad, in order to fully exploit the maps created.

Curufea, I think there is a way to do translucency as well.

[Curufea]

That'd be good, because it's a way to do anti-aliasing without actually anti-aliasing and gives a more professional image result. Would it slow the drag/drop nature of the interface to much though?

That's another thought - drop shadows for objects. Either that or some way to outline them, possibly.

[mbussi]

That'd be good, because it's a way to do anti-aliasing without actually anti-aliasing and gives a more professional image result. Would it slow the drag/drop nature of the interface to much though?

It's what I'm currently evaluating. I don't think the interface will be slowed much: graphics wise the iPhone is quite powerful and the iPad is actually a beast...


That's another thought - drop shadows for objects. Either that or some way to outline them, possibly.

Currently, whenever you tap an object it gets selected with a marching ants-like outline. It's drawn in black and it might not be visible in the youtube video.

[Curufea]

I'm mostly thinking of an optional outlining of objects, to help them stand out from the background or lower layers - as a method for map designers to make it more obvious what is above and what is below in cluttered maps.

<edit>
Actually for that matter, being able to replace objects with filled polygons to move around or display as a draft version of the map may improve performance, and may cluttered maps easier to read. It might be an idea to have an option on the config for the may to display some or all layer objects as simple filled polygons.

[mbussi]

More information, and a gallery of maps can be found here: http://www.macisw.com/macimapmaker/

[mbussi]

All the provided objects are now visible in the screenshots section of the website linked above. Background textures will follow.

[Curufea]

Nice website, although the image (the 320x480 default.png) goes over the edge of the screen on the homepage. Possibly the sidebar settings for your CMS need changing? Either make them non-absolute (percentages), reduce the size of the image, or hope you get no visitors with screen sizes of 1024 pixel widths (ie the standard size).

[mbussi]

Thanks for pointing it out. All my screens are bigger than 1024x768 and I often forget to change the resolution to check it out.

By the way, version 1.01 is live on the AppStore: a couple of minor fixes and a confirmation dialog before deleting objects has been added.