FILES IN THIS DISTRIBUTION
--------------------------

README               - this file

rivalsGIMP-0.0.2.scm - a GIMP script to create and edit Railway Rivals maps

exampleRR.xcf        - an example RR map

brushes/*            - a set of GIMP brushes

CHANGES
-------

Version 0.0.2 fixes a bug in the numbering logic for wide maps, and sets the
default numbering orientation option to "columns".

Note that if you already have 0.0.1 installed you should delete the file 
rivalsGIMP-0.0.1.scm from the scripts directory and replace it with 
rivalsGIMP-0.0.2.scm, then restart GIMP.


INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
-------------------------

1. Copy the brushes to your GIMP brushes directory.

This will typically be 
Windows: C:\Program Files\GIMP 2\share\gimp\2.0\brushes
Linux ~/.gimp-2.10/brushes (replace 2.10 with your one-dot version of GIMP)

2. Install the "rivalsGIMP-0.0.2.scm" script in your GIMP scripts directory.

This will typically be 
Windows: C:\Program Files\GIMP 2\share\gimp\2.0\scripts
Linux: ~/.gimp-2.10/scripts (replace 2.10 with your one-dot version of GIMP)

Tested on GIMP 2.8 and 2.10, Windows and Linux, not tested on Mac yet.

INITIAL MAP CREATION
--------------------

After installing the brushes and the rivalsGIMP script, run GIMP.

From the "File" menu, select "Create RR Map" located at the bottom.
Specify the size of the map in hex rows and columns.  A new image
containing a blank hex grid will appear.

Note that the script sets the brush size to 36 when drawing the hexes, 
then 38 at the end. You should check that the hex brush size is 38 before 
placing hexes.

You can use any size you want from 4x4 to 100x100. GIMP tells you (at the
top of the screen) what the size of the exported image will be in pixels, 
based on 72dpi resolution. 

Some sizes (colsxrows) will fit neatly on the page when printed such as
A4 Portrait 20x25
A4 Landscape 28x18
A3 Portrait 28x36
A3 Landscape 40x25
otherwise you can best fit in the print dialog.

Auto hex numbering is optional, and works using the rivals style where 
A1 is the top left. You can specify rows or columns to be the letters 
- if rows A2 is to the right of A1, if columns it sits underneath. 
Columns is the preferred option and is the default as of 0.0.2. 

Note that there are no options to skip numbers as is normal in RR maps.
Instead you should use the Eraser brush to delete numbers you don't want.
This can be done at the end of your design work if you make the Numbers 
layer invisble whilst working on the rest of the map.

EDITING THE MAP
---------------

Open the "Layers" dialog if you don't already have it open
(right-click on image -> Dialogs -> Layers, or just Control-L).
The following layers have been created automatically:


  Text (group)
  Legend Background
  Numbers (optional)
  Grid
  Towns
  Borders
  Rivers
  Terrain

The "Terrain" layer, which should already be active, is where you'll
place all your terrain hexes, like mountains, forest, lakes, sea and
so on. 

The "Rivers" and "Borders" layers will be used for drawing
rivers and political borders with the pencil tool or the paths tool.

The "Towns" layer will contain the destinations which are traditionally
denoted using a red hexagon (town hex brush).

The "Grid" layer contains a copy of the hex grid outline, so that the
grid will float above rivers and roads

The "Numbers" layer has the hex numbers on it if you chose auto-numbering.
For manual numbering a layer group containing the numbers as text layers 
can be used.

"Town Numbers" is a layer group. Each of the town numbers (11-66) is a 
child text layer within it.

"Labels" is also a layer group. This is for town names, river names, 
country names etc.

The "Legend Background" is an opaque layer designed to host the map 
legend - name of map, start towns, special runs etc. It can be resized, 
moved or deleted as required.

Finally the "Legend Text" group sits on top of everything. As well as 
the main legend items described above, there may be additional text not 
necessarily over the legend backround - e.g. author name and date might 
be placed elsewhere on the map but still needs to be at the very top.

An image grid has been pre-configured to assist in the placement of
hexes.  In the "View" menu there are two options, "Show Grid" and
"Snap to Grid".  You should turn on "Snap to Grid" when you are
placing hex tiles, and turn it off when drawing freehand rivers and
roads.  "Show Grid" will display small dots at all the grid points.

Note that GIMP's grids are rectangular, not hexagonal, so it is
possible to misplace a hex even with "Snap to Grid" enabled, but
there's always the "undo" function (Control-Z).

To start placing hexes, choose the pencil from the toolbox -- be sure
to use the pencil, not the paintbrush -- and click on the brush
selector.  Select a terrain hex, make sure "Snap to Grid" is enabled,
and just start clicking in the centers of the hexes.  When you want to
switch terrain types, just go back to the brush selector.

The Brush Size value should be set to 38 when placing hexes. 

When you're ready to make rivers, change the pencil to a circular
brush of the desired size, use the color picker to get the color from
a water hex, switch to the "Rivers" layer, and start drawing. For neater
rivers use the path tool with a solid line 4px blue.

Borders can also be done with pencil or path - the latter allowing options
for dots and dashes.

Add text labels on top of everything else. Example text items are included
in each group for illustration which should be removed.

As long as all drawing and hex placement is done in the right layers,
and the layers are kept in the right order, everything should be
fine.  Open the "exampleRR.xcf" file in GIMP to see a simple example.

TIP: Check the Layers dialog regularly to ensure that you are working on 
the correct layer. Hiding and showing layers can also be helpful.

EXTRA TIP: Get a raster image of the area to be mapped from the internet 
and resize it to match the dimensions of your map (or vice versa).
Create a temporary extra opaque layer containing the image at the bottom 
of the stack using File -> Open As Layers. Then select the terrain layer 
and use the opacity slider control at the top of the layer control so that 
you can see both the raster image and the terrain hexes at the same time.
You can do the same for rivers, towns, and borders.


EXPORTING THE IMAGE
-------------------

Use the Export As menu item to save the map image in the graphics format
you want, a sound choice is JPEG with 90% quality. You might then like to 
make changes to the merged image - in the example map I have cropped it.

BRUSHES
-------

The GIMP brushes contain just one explicitly for RR (more may follow) and 
the rest are a subset of the brushes that shipped with hexGIMP. These were 
derived from hex art copyright Thorfinn Tait  http://www.thorf.co.uk/

ABOUT RAILWAY RIVALS
--------------------

Railway Rivals is the classic Railway game by David Watts, originally 
published in 1973 by Rostherne Games. 
See https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/460/railway-rivals
The game has been a stalwart of the postal gaming hobby for many years, 
current RR zines are Devolution, Variable Pig and Where Is My Mind?
Over the years many maps have been drawn of different regions, some by 
hand, some using computer programs such as Cyberboard. A small number have
been created using GIMP using the old hexGIMP plugin, which I have now
remodelled and updated to create a purpose-built tool for RR.

Richard Smith 2018 updated 2019

