Using maps from CC3
 

Is it possible to import maps of castles and other buildings from CC3? I have CC3 on my desktop and Realm Works on my laptop, but I figure a flash drive will take care of that.

You can create a "Foreign Object" snippet and store the CC3 file in there. Click the button to add a new snippet, select "More" at the bottom, and then select "Advanced Types". In there, you'll find a "Foreign Object" snippet type. Once you add the snippet, you can store the CC3 file in the snippet. Then you'll always have it in Realm Works.

You won't be able to DO anything with the CC3 file within Realm Works. However, you can click to view/edit it and RW will tell the operating system to find a program to deal with the file. Assuming you have CC3 installed, CC3 will be launched and then you can view/edit the file within CC3. If you make changes, Realm Works should detect them and prompt you to save the changes back into the database. This way, you always have the latest version of the file in Realm Works, which means it gets backed up to the cloud and is synced between computers.

Hope this helps!

If you want the map to display in RealmWorks you have to save as an image file (PNG seems to work best for me with CC3). Unfortunately, I have also found that you have to find the settings you want to use for the image file. The default for me made the map very grainy so I had to edit the default size. I also choose the "Rectangular section PNG" as the PNG Bitmap file seems to lock up my computer.

My experience is 4,000 x 3,000 (or higher for bigger maps) at "Maximum" PNG Compression.

Again, these are what works for me, but sometimes things work the same from one computer to another.

if you're using effects and want very high quality maps, PNG or JPEG bitmap export is the best way to go, then use it as a map object in realm works. for best results I actually recommend making your maps without any identifiers or text aside from the normal icons.

note that to get good quality out of the image export you will need to export at a very high resolution (my current world map exports at about 12k x 12k) and if you're using render effects as some of the CC3 annual things do, it will take quite a long time to render. I usually walk away at that point and come back later when its done. (currently a full export render takes about 1.5h, but its worth it)

once you've got the image export, you can add it as a map to a topic, say a geographical region. from there use the map pins and fog reveal tools to set it at you like. consider doing sub-section maps and renders for specific regions of your world map.

Be VERY careful with huge maps in Realm Works. Those maps explode in size very quickly, and we need to operate with multiple layers for those maps in order to handle all the pins and reveal regions. If you create a 4000x3000 map, you will potentially run into problems with Realm Works, and you'll we warned if you try to use a map that may be problematic.

In general, for computer display of maps, you only need a fraction of the resolution that's need for printing maps. When printing, you definitely want at least 300dpi, but for screen display 72dpi is typically plenty. Since Realm Works is about screen display and not printing, the much lower resolution is all you need, and going 300dpi down to 75dpi is SIXTEEN times smaller in overall image size (four times four).

Please keep this in mind when creating maps for use within Realm Works. If you need higher resolution for zooming in, generate a larger map at lower resolution for a large area and then create multiple smaller maps for different regions that are at a higher resolution. You can then link everything together smoothly within Realm Works and have everything work nicely.

Hope this helps! :)

my experience is anecdotal at best, but so far realm works has been surprisingly stable even with throwing several very large maps cluttered with objects at it.

the main reason for the large map export is the way CC3 handles text objects and object scaling combined with sheet effects. also helps if you're doing sub regions rather than a zoomable overworld view in region detail :o

Overall RW is everything I hoped for, and the stability in handling large files just backs that up!

How do you change a map? I have attached a smart-image map for a region that is still under development. When I make changes to the master map (using CC3) I want to be able swap out the current map in RW for the updated one.

Is this possible, I can't seem to find an option to change the file once uploaded. Is this because of the smart imaging and pins and tags? Assuming the primary landscape does not change, and the resolution/map size stays the same. It seems that changing the map should not impact the smart-image layer.

Simply remove the existing map and then bring in the new new version. As long as the dimensions remain the same with the new map, all your pins stay in place and it all works smoothly.

To do this, click on the Tools button at the top of the content area (or press <F7>). Within the menu, select the "Clear Image" option. Once that's done, import the new image for use. Then save. You're good to go!

Hope this helps!

That worked perfectly! I was trying to change it from the main city entry screen instead of going into the map-view screen. Thanks once again Rob, you saved my day.

Rob, earlier you said that if you edited it in CC3, somehow RW would recognize that and auto-import. I can't imagine how you do that (since you have to export the file from CC3), but that's what you said. Was that not right?