The Infinite Battle Map II: Bring out the GIMP

         I reposted yesterday's topic on a few forums (link's are below and to the right) and got some good responses.  Apparently, many gamers are making the switch to computer supported map projections for their games.  While most gamers admit that using computer assistance takes a certain financial investment and a good bit of preparation, they love the results and would never go back.  Projectors are being used in home games, con tournaments, gaming stores, and pretty much anywhere else that gamers want to set up  and not have to haul a crate of minis.
         There are some free programs out there that allow one to use battle maps via the computer that I've heard several fellow GMs rave about.  I haven't had a chance to check these out yet, but when I do I'll let you all know what I think.
         As for using Photoshop, unless you already own this rather expensive program, it's probably not worth the investment just for gaming.  However, there is a free program called GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) that can do things that Photoshop can't.  I've used GIMP for my products since the introduction of the Barsoom-Airship and have been very pleased with the results.  The user interface, however, is not really conducive to gaming needs.  That being said, there is an add on to the program, GIMPshop, that is supposed to give GIMP a user interface that is similar to Photoshop's set up.  I've decided, in the spirit of providing my RocketFans with every tool they need to succeed, to download it myself and see if it will work.  If I like what I see, I'll do a tutorial series on map manipulation in GIMPshop for those who are interested.

         That's about all I've got today, RocketFans, so now I'm gonna get some work done on the Zhang Qing and see you tomorrow!