Text & Image Documentation

Quick Start Manual: A document that will go over the basics of DMM and making your first map. Here

User Manual: A document covering each feature of DMM in detail. Here

Video Tutorials

On this page you will find a set of videos explaining the main features of Dragon Map Maker.

There is also an older “Making a map from scratch” playlist from the Kickstarter on YouTube found here.

Click on the index shortcuts to be taken to that video.

Index

Basics

Layout Mode

Height Mode

Biomes Mode

File Mode

Render Mode


Basics:


View Modes:

Camera Controls:

Learn how to move the camera.

Help options:

Find help in the app.

Basic Interface:

Learn the basics of the DMM interface.

Theme Button Lists:

learn what a theme button list is. (Its the list of buttons on the right.)

Overides:

Learn what an Overide can do. (a newer feature that will be expanded soon)

Theme Specific Options:

Some themes have extra attributes that you can change. Some of these will be replaced with Overides but for now they will pop up next to the Theme Button List when you select the theme. **Video finishes at 58 Seconds, nothing to see after that but the darkness of the void :) (I’ll update with a cut version asap)


Layout Mode:


Room Tools

Room Tools:

Learn about the different ways to draw rooms onto the grid.

Room Theme Types:

There are a few room themes to choose from currently. With more to come.

These are:

Empty - Used for the texture of a rooms floor

Edge - Spawns generic objects from a specific theme around the edge of a room. You can change the floor texture of an edge theme by holding Shift and applying an empty room theme.

Pit - makes a themed pit without the user needing to add height to the map.

Roofs - Makes a roof in the shape of the room.

Bridge - WIP at the moment. Used for making bridges, docks etc.


Object Tool

Object Tool - Intro:

Learn what the Objects tool is.

Object Tool - Spawning:

Learn how to spawn specific objects onto the map using the Objects Tool.

Object Tool - Selection:

How to select objects you’ve spawned onto the map using the Objects Tool.

Object Tool - Move, Rotate, Scale:

Learn how to Move, Rotate and scale your objects placed with the Objects Tool.

Object Tool - Sit On Surface:

How to get your objects to sit on a surface.

Object Tool - Lighting Objects:

Some objects have lights in them. Learn how these can be controlled.

Object Tool - Water Planes:

One way of adding water is to add a water plane object. See how.

Object Tool - Shadow casters:

If you want to control where the sunlight (or other lighting) falls you can use a shadow caster to block light.


Theme Marker Tool:

Theme Marker Tool Basics:

The theme marker tool can place theme markers on the map in the grid view and objects will spawn on these square using special rules.

Object theme Tool - Stairs

This explains how the Stair theme markers work on the grid.

Object theme Tool - Remove Theme Markers and Stop Sawning:

This explains how to remove theme markers on the map and how placing the empty space generic marker will stop objects from spawning on that square.

Object Theme Tool - Scatter objects:

Use the Scatter theme object themes to scatter extra objects onto your map efficiently and easily change them.

Object theme Tool - Picker

Select the theme in your theme button list by clicking on the square a theme marker has been placed on.


Edge Tools:

Edges - Wall Tools

How to place walls efficiently and quickly. (Hint: the wall fill tool is super flexible!)

Edges - Door Tool

Place Doors using this tool.

Edges - Windows Tool

Like the doors tool, its simple but does the job!

Edges - Delete Edges Tools

Delete edges like Walls, Windows and Doors by using the delete edges tools.


Drag Map Tool:

Drag Map Tool

Drag your whole map with this tool, everything gets dragged with this tool, including Biomes.



Height Mode:


Height - Add/Subtract brush

Add and subtract height by painting on the grid.

Height - Set Height brush

Use the set height brush to more accurately set height. Its great for making chasms, gullies, stepped terrain.

Height - Smooth height

Use the smooth height brush to smooth out harsh terrain features. And use the smooth all button to smooth the whole terrain at once.

Height - Fill Tool (Height)

Apply a set height to a room or the whole terrain just by clicking on it.

Height - Sticky Rooms and Height Under Rooms

Control how rooms effect the terrain. Very useful for bridges, docks, towers etc.



Biomes Mode:

Biomes - Overview

The basics of how Biomes work.

Biomes - Slope Masks

Biomes can be effected by the slope they are applied to.

Biomes - Water and Slope masks

You can apply a water Biome to your maps. Using the Slope mask version of the water biome will stop it from effecting sloped areas making it great for the edges of water that interact with cliffs, banks etc.

Biomes - Underground

Paint a chunk of Underground biome onto the map then erase where you want the caves and tunnels to go. Control the steepness of the walls by blurring the edges of the mask.

**MUST BE ON THE TOP OF THE LAYER STACK.

Biomes - Snow effect

You can paint a snow effect onto your map. Turn it on in the Render mode.

Biomes - Trees Biomes

Apply Trees to your maps. Change them quickly and easily.



File Mode:


Learn how to save and load your map and change DMM settings.



Render Mode:


Map Render

A quick overview of the render options currently available in DMM.

Maps will be at square aspect for the moment. I’ll be adding a feature where you can set the aspect but for now its square maps!

Lighting

Don’t miss that there are two buttons on the left in this mode. One is for controlling the environmental lighting.