I've added another very cool (I think) feature to the Hexographer software.

I'm calling it the "Terrain Wizard." If you start with a blank map, you just rough in the map (draw a line of mountain hexes for a mountain range, a circle of forest hexes for a large forest, etc.) Then the Terrain wizard will fill in the remaining blank hexes based on what non-blank terrain hex is closest.

Here's a link to a fuller description, example & instructions:
Terrain Wizard for Hexographer

You sir are brilliant

First, thanks for the positive comments everyone.  Here's a more up to date sample:


Several new features and bug fixes have been added to the core Hexographer software:

• The random terrain generator has been significantly reworked so the resulting terrain is less random.
• The random terrain generator process is explained by clicking "Help" once you've opened the custom random terrain settigns screen by clicking the "Custom Terrain" button on the start screen of the applet.
• A number of small usability fixes have been made, such as some customization screens getting close, apply, and save buttons.

And the "Pro" version can now be ordered. For just $5 for a 1-year license of $25 for a lifetime license, the pro version allows you to:

• Run off-line: The pro version is downloaded to your computer so you don't need to be connected to the internet.
• Customize terrain and feature icons: Use any .png image for the terrain and feature icons. (Go to the map edit window's "Options" menu and choose "Customize Hexes.") Both the pro and non-pro versions allow you to change the background color of each terrain type, the sizes of terrain or feature icons, or whether to display icons or not.
• Expand an existing map: Add (or subtract) a number of hex rows or columns above, below, to the right or to the left of an existing map. (Go to the map edit window's "Options" menu and choose "Expand/Shrink Number of Hexes.")
• Add detailed notes to a hex: Any hex can now be described in detail with a freeform text field. Adding a note to a hex adds a small rectangular marker to the map. Clicking it will pop open the note for further editing or just to read it. (The note markers can be turned off using the map edit window's "Show/Hide" menu and selecting/deselecting the "Notes on Map" menu item.)

Pro version maps can be read and edited by the free version of Hexographer, but the extra features are not available for further editing. (However, custom icons added using the pro version will be displayed by the free version.)

Read more about Hexographer, use the free version and see pro version ordering details at: Hexographer: Overview

More new features in the last couple of Hexographer updates!
*Text can be rotated.
*You can now add dashed and dotted lines. (To change styled lines, go to the "Options" menu and select "Customize Line/Text Settings." Next to each line, there is a new drop down to switch between solid, dashed, and dotted lines. For custom lines, on the "Custom Lines" tab, you'll see a similar solid/dashed/dotted line drop down.) Note: dashed and dotted lines work best if your are clicking from point to point to draw your line. Dragging adds many points with many sub-lines and while the lines are dashed or dotted if you chose that, your line is made up of many sub-lines and it may be hard to make out the dashes and dots.
*You can also now draw shipping routes and elevation lines. (These are new styled line settings.)
*Three new symbols: Port (which looks like an anchor, as requested), Cathedral, and Oasis
*The pro version now let's you add custom terrain and features. (Previously you had to change the color, icon and other settings of existing terrain or features. By the way, all of that prior functionality except changing the icons can be done in the free version as well.) Go to the "Options" menu of the map edit/view window and choose "Add/Edit/Remove Custom Terrain and Features." Once you add Terrain, it will appear as a new button on the "Terrain" tab. If the new item is a Feature, a new button for it will be on the "Icons" sub-tab of the "Symbols" tab. However if the new item is a Cosmic Feature or Terrain then a button for the new choice appears on the "Cosmic" tab.

Here's a link for convenience: http://www.inkwellideas.com/roleplaying_tools/hexographer/

This is good stuff

I ran into this (your program) maybe a month ago over on EN World... er, I mean, I didn't come here from there... *ducks*

I'm a big Mystara fan (since way back) so that style of map is great (and I still use them today).

But yea, very cool - I passed it on to some others I knew who would like it as well back then, so seeing this post I thought I would say, good job! Looking forward to seeing it develop further!

Thanks a bunch for the kind words!

I've got a couple of more things in the works:

Apply an icosahedral template/mask to your map.  Basically it will cover up the hexes that wouldn't be part of an icosahedral hex map.  (If you don't know an icosahedral map, it is a sort of map projection which is a set of 20 triangles, 5 on the top, 10 in the middle and 5 on the bottom.)  It is a somewhat more accurate representation of a globe.  In fact, I printed one out from my development version, pasted it to thicker paper, then cut it up and folded and taped it into the form of a d20.  Pretty cool in a very geeky way.

Allow you to easily send the maps to Zazzle where they can be printed on posters/art prints.