Global tool settings

Request changes or additions in functionality.

Moderator: Kyete

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nDervish
Posts: 93
Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2014 12:18 am

Global tool settings

Post by nDervish » Wed May 26, 2021 7:06 am

I've recently started creating RPG battlemaps with OWM. Since they're all in the same style and same scale, my first thought for making things like paths uniform was to open a completed map, right-click an existing path, "set tool properties", and then draw a path on the new map. Unfortunately, each map's tool settings are independent, so the new map still drew the path with the default properties.

In the end, to successfully use the settings on the new map, I right-clicked the path on the old map, "copy properties", draw a path on the new map, right-click it and "paste properties", and then, finally, right-click it again and "set tool properties" for the new map. Seems a bit of a roundabout solution, so adding a "set global tool properties" to the context menu which sets the tool properties for all currently-open maps, and any additional maps opened/created during that session, would be helpful.

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SilverSurfer1221
Posts: 88
Joined: Sat Jun 20, 2020 2:01 pm

Re: Global tool settings

Post by SilverSurfer1221 » Wed May 26, 2021 10:14 am

I hope this helps a bit:

Instead of copying properties, use Save Presets. After you set the properties for something as you like them, click the Save Presets button (it's on the right, just above where you set the properties for things like landmasses, regions, rivers, etc.) and looks like a downward pointing arrow pointing into a box (it should be just below the image of what the set properties looks like and just above the name and style of the properties). Once you click that, you'll get a dialog that allows you to name it (like My Path or some such). Once you save that, it will show up at the top-right under Theme. This means it will save that to whatever theme you have selected there (I normally create a theme for my maps and just save all my properties to that). Then, whenever you select a tool, like the river tool, for example, all the various presets, including their properties, will show up there. You can then select the one you want and start using it on your new map. Because you've saved the properties, they will be identical, map to map.

Here's a screen shot of where that button is (just in case):

Image

You can see several of my "river" presets (which I use for other things ;) ) at the top. :)

nDervish
Posts: 93
Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2014 12:18 am

Re: Global tool settings

Post by nDervish » Thu May 27, 2021 4:19 am

I actually wrote (and then deleted) a paragraph on presets and themes yesterday. Basically what it came down to is that this is a lot of small-batch stuff (e.g., three maps in a single forest with shared settings, which are unlikely to ever be used again after that) rather than something I need to have available to continue re-using until the end of time. Presets and themes are great for things you want to make permanently available, but using them for every little "I have two maps that should look the same" detail ultimately leads to having a huge, cluttered list of presets, most of which are never used again after the day they were created.

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SilverSurfer1221
Posts: 88
Joined: Sat Jun 20, 2020 2:01 pm

Re: Global tool settings

Post by SilverSurfer1221 » Thu May 27, 2021 9:12 am

Hmmm ... I get what you are saying, but I don't view it in the same light. I see presets as a means to do exactly what you're looking for. I use them and dispose them if I no longer need them, even if they are only used for one map. I mean, I want all my rivers to work the same way, all my roads, too ... my landmasses, etc., for the same map. So, even if I only use them for one map, they do the job very well and are fast and easy to set up.

But there's no harm in asking for a tick box (or some such) to set global settings ... as long as it's an option. Because, personally, I wouldn't want OWM to recall my last settings on things without me wanting to do that. :)

nDervish
Posts: 93
Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2014 12:18 am

Re: Global tool settings

Post by nDervish » Fri May 28, 2021 3:11 am

SilverSurfer1221 wrote:
Thu May 27, 2021 9:12 am
But there's no harm in asking for a tick box (or some such) to set global settings ... as long as it's an option. Because, personally, I wouldn't want OWM to recall my last settings on things without me wanting to do that. :)
Yes, agreed. I was envisioning it as a second option on the right-click menu, so that "set tool options for map" and "set tool options globally" are both in easy reach at all times.

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Kyete
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Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2014 4:52 pm

Re: Global tool settings

Post by Kyete » Wed Sep 22, 2021 4:29 pm

Thank you both for the feedback! We will look into adding some sort of option for this, as either another menu option or something that you can enable/disable.

-Katie

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