Mike Nagel

Del, Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out. I still have CE loaded on a virtual Windows box, since the Mac version of CE is long gone. I occasionally need to crank it up to export an old file and boy is it slow! Still, I got a lot out of that software and it wasn't until I got AD and its pixel persona that I felt I could let CE go.

JM, Thanks much!

JM, Also very cool ... thanks!

Garry, That's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. Thanks! Now I just need to figure out how to refine it. Ideally I'd like to place a mask like that just on top of the woods terrain rather than the entire map. I need to study up on how to use masks.

John, Thanks for the feedback. Your comments speak somewhat directly to the issue I’m having: is there a relatively easy way to adjust the color of bitmap images so that they look “snowy.” The goal is not to completely redo each map so that it looks realistically “wintery,” but to adjust the existing maps as the positioning of a map’s features is more important to play than how realistic a they look. There’s an unwritten “six-foot” rule in gaming (mostly using miniature soldiers, but still applicable here) that states that the depiction of the action should look good enough from six feet away to be recognizable. So, getting back to your comments, I could probably crank down the fill tolerance to 5% and adjust the color of deciduous trees randomly to red or orange, but once I try to apply the snow effect using the same process, wouldn’t those changes be overwritten? Unless there’s a way to “spray” the snow effect on top of the trees? Thanks!

All, I mostly use Designer to create mopboards for wargames. I've been working on a low-level design (one game piece represents one soldier) during World War 2. Not being a professional graphic designer, I'm self-taught and mostly grab textures and designs from other sources, along with adding shapes where needed. I have no problem creating maps for scenarios that take place during clear weather. The quandary I'm in is in creating versions of those maps during winter months. The biggest issue is in putting "snow" on trees. I'm attaching a "before and after" conversion that I've done. I've placed "snow" by applying a "Hard Mix" blend to the trees using the Flood Fill tool at 15% tolerance and a "Snow White" (255,250,250) color fill. Sometimes it takes a couple of clicks to get the white color to appear clearly. My question: is there an easier way to do this, or am I being too much of a perfectionist? Thanks!

My current MacBook Pro is finally showing its age. It takes about 30 seconds to open and load Designer and beachballs are getting more common when making changes. In deciding upon which new MacBook to get, the Affinity suite (mostly Designer, but Photo and Publisher as well) is front-and-center. I’m going to get a MacBook, without question. But I’m wondering if the new Air M2 has enough horsepower (my aging MacBook uses an Intel processor). Is there anyone out there using Affinity on the new MacBook Air M2 who could share their experience? Or should I just go with a new Pro model, although I don’t see that much of an advantage in features to shell out the extra cash. Thanks!

+1 for this functionality. I primarily use AD to create large game maps that are overlaid with a grid of hexagons, each of which is individually numbered with a text box. Renumbering hundreds of text boxes one at a time is an onerous task that would be made a lot easier with a simple find and replace. Thanks!