Improving some fundamentals with brushing here:
http://www.davidwaltersdevelopment.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2634#p2634

Also - a cool space ship appeared in the gallery:
http://www.davidwaltersdevelopment.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1671

The last pieces of Grid Cartographer v4.0.2 are coming together. I've been worked on streamlining the process of drawing a map for Game Link titles in 3 ways:

1. If a supported title is detected when GC4 starts up - it now automatically creates a compatible map with the correct region name, grid settings, etc. so you can just get on with playing / drawing without any extra clicks.

2. If you start the game after GC4 you've now got a nice big friendly 'New Blank Map' button on the Start Mapping page - the old method of clicking the tiny (less friendly) button in the bottom-right is still available (muscle memory still takes me there regularly). It also hijacks the 'new square map' shortcut - CTRL+N (CMD+N on macOS).

3. Auto Mapping! well, kind of - Game Link profiles can now link to a complete pre-drawn map file which I'll provide with the program. If the profile has this map data available the extra button will appear and it'll load this map. Obviously filled with spoilers. Right now not all games support this ability, and the ones I've added I've marked as 'beta' to set reasonable expectations. Bug reports will be gratefully received!

[img]http://i.imgur.com/vbeY803.png[/img]

Not all games will support this feature in v4.0.2 - but I'll add more over time and make it part of the process of adding new games. I have maps for Wizardry 6 and Might and Magic 3 as a test. Feel free to send me maps for other games if you'd like to help ( support at removethisbit davidwaltersdevelopment dót com ). I'll edit them a little to maintain a standardised look and feel to the program - so don't worry if it's not super clean.

Holy crap Wiz 6??? This is a must have.

Thanks! Once v4.0.2 comes out (soon!) you should be able to fire up Wizardry 6 in my custom dosbox, load up GC4 Gamer or Pro Editon and choose to either draw the map yourself from scratch or load up a complete map. The complete map will have the whole game mapped out for you and visible and you'll be able to modify and save it as you add your own changes / notes, etc.

Also as standard, starting from either a blank map or a complete map will show you a little 'avatar marker' that tracks your position and drops 'footprint marks' behind you as you move around - which will help you see where you've been / not been.

I'm definitely interested in feedback on just how spoilerific people want the initial map. It'll depend on the game too - e.g. Might and Magic games have a lot of passwords and secret phrases that you might want to know in addition to just the level geometry; Wizardry games are more about secret walls, etc.

I personally like to draw the map from a blank canvas so I unfortunately find it a bit difficult to get into the mindset of someone who doesn't enjoy that -- it's cool that people do want to play like this (and it could easily seem weird to you that I want to draw a map) but I find it a little harder to make the right decisions about it as an outsider to that way of thinking, if that makes sense ! - so feedback and telling me your expectations would be great!!

As bad as it sounds, it is enjoyable to map out thinks or spend awhile on an obscure puzzle, bu I just don't have the time anymore. Usually I'll have one or two hours in a day free to o something, and I'm not quite efficient enough that that is not a problem.

I played through M&M3 earlier this year using the in game auto mapper and am currently doing M&M2 with GC. I'd say for M&M2 GC is far superior to just relying on the automapper because the automapper is extremely basic; all it shows is walls and non-hidden doors. By contrast the M&M3 automapper shows stairs, traps, and other relevant icons. The world map in M&M3 also stays centered on your character rather than being taken a map at a time, so it's easier to see what's coming up on the horizon. So I'd call GC a necessity for M&M2 and a luxury for M&M3; you can certainly do without it but it does let you make your own maps (which has its own appeal) and get the annotations you might otherwise lack (I ended up using OneNote on a tablet to record M&M3 clues).

Version 4.0.2 is now available for all customers.

Download Links + Full Info:
http://www.davidwaltersdevelopment.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=1676

Highlights:
* Game Link profile for Might and Magic III [dos] + optional built-in complete map
* Built in complete map for Wizardry 6
* [PRO] New spray mode when pasting. Paint with the clipboard contents
* Rewritten brush behaviour to let you toggle a tile element off and then drag-erase other similar tiles.
* Performance boost for clipboard and note tools on large maps
* Improved Game Link and Tool Opts. user experience
* Fixed some bugs!

Why the heck is the following done? Since it is not possible to change the ratio of the split screen I just changed the window so that it covered my two monitors so that on one was the game on the other the map. And now that is not possible anymore.
*goes to re-install the previous version...*

I had a couple of people with triple monitor setups report problems with GC4 not running at all. Sorry this isn't quite right for you. I'll look into a solution that attempts to make everyone happy!

Thank you :-)

I'm not sure if supporting windows larger than a monitor will be returning soon. I'll need to get in touch with people who originally reported triple-monitor problems and see if they can test any changes I make.

In the mean time, don't forget that with custom DOSBox R13 you get all the auto-tracking stuff without the video, just run the regular dosbox EXE and set one of the usual output modes. This setup will let you can run GC4 on one monitor and DOSBox on the other (in a window) and have true split screen.

Lots of Grid Cartographer compatible games on sale this week! GC4 is on sale this week too !

* Wizardry 6
* Might and Magic I - III
* Pool of Radiance
* Eye of the Beholder

.. all have auto-tracking support.

Wiz6 and MM3 also have built in complete maps in the latest version so you don't even have to draw anything if you don't want to.

All dosbox based games can be played in split screen using the magical Game Link 2.0 feature.
http://www.davidwaltersdevelopment.com/tools/gridcart/

Don't forget to vote for GC here:
https://www.gog.com/wishlist/games/grid_cartographer

I've added a new Game Link profile for "Wizardry 2 : The Knight of Diamonds" - that'll be in v4.0.3 with a complete map available too. It requires the version from the Ultimate Wizardry Archives. I hope to add scenario 3 soon as well, to round out the first 'Llylgamyn' trilogy on DOS.

A reminder that the 10% off launch sale will end Tuesday, November 1st at 12:00 UTC.

Here's a look at the new Wand Tool that'll be available in the next update of Grid Cartographer 4.

GIF LINK

* it now has its own Tool Opts panel.
* the contiguous selection mode is now optional - you can instead select all matching tiles on a floor
* it can ignore colours if you like.

Also last chance to get 10% OFF
http://www.davidwaltersdevelopment.com/tools/gridcart/