I use MS WORD. All you need to do is scan the symbol Key of the Hex Map, and save them as individual BMP images (about 50 x 50) in size to keep the bytes down. Save them in a small folder called Cartography Key.
Then open up WORD. Work out how to increase page size and max it out in x and y dimensions.
Now add a Hex from the DRAW menu. The Hexagon then needs to be shaped so it is a perfect Hexagon. You can do this by rotating the image on itself to check if alternate corners line up with the 'shadow' of the hexagon. If they dont Then you can take it back zero position and adjust the width and height. Next copy and paste the fixed hex and simply align the new hexes so the corners match up. You can group a row of hexes and copy & paste the new rows and position them in place. Keep going until you reach the largest Map area you want.
Now before you group the whole hexgrid, check for holes in the hex...it happens sometimes. Click the object (your hex sheet) and make the boundaries 1pt and a grey-charcoal colour.
OK. Now you can go right-Click on a hex and select format autoshape. Choose Fill effects, then Picture option and then select from your cartography menu the terrain symbol you wish to place. You can do this over and over or you can click on the first and hold down shift as you click more and add the selection of hexes to the group that will be sharing the same symbol type. Thats the basics of hex mapping using your MS Word.
You might decide to forgo the horroble sameness of the D&D map key and simply go on line to Google in an Image search and save a bunch of castle, Mountain, Farmland, Ocean medieval City images and reduce them down to managable scale and save them as icons.
To draw in the ocean and coast simply use function-printscreen and put the image in a Paint file, draw in a coast line and waterways, and fill ocean hexes with blue.
The MS Word technique described above looks like it can give you the former (and is quite inventive use of resources, kudos!)
The latter is easy to do in just about any graphics program, provided you can get hold of some suitably rendered plain hexes.
Are you wanting a "one hex = one terrain type" map, or a hex overlay on a more detailed map for measuring distance?
The MS Word technique described above looks like it can give you the former (and is quite inventive use of resources, kudos!)
The latter is easy to do in just about any graphics program, provided you can get hold of some suitably rendered plain hexes.
I'm trying to do "one hex = one terrain type". The MS word idea does seem interesting and I'll have to play around with it. I only have Word 2011 on this comp so I may need to get a copy of MS word. Yah I've used programs for general mapping in the past, CC3 comes to mind. But to be honest CC3 takes to long for me and I want to punch out maps fast but also have them look very nice. This is like something that I want to create. I searched the artist and he uses Adobe Illustrator for it, and though I have training in AI I don't have the money to drop on the program (The link leads to a Mystara fan page).
It's donation ware, and the suggested donation is just $10 . . . seems pretty reasonable if it works and does exactly what you want.
Did a quick search. You might like to try this: www.mentalwasteland.net/HexMapper/
It's donation ware, and the suggested donation is just $10 . . . seems pretty reasonable if it works and does exactly what you want.
Yes I have seen that one, however I felt that the program didn't support the ammount of detail I wanted. I did note that hexogropher looks realy good. I'm starting to break down and I may just have to save up and get a copy of adobe illustrator and figure out how to make them. I like what the guy over at www.thorf.co.uk does and he uses AI so, if you can't beat 'em...
I prefer to handdraw maps, sooooo no 
Does anyone know of a program that over lays the grid on your picture and prints it?
Maybe I am missing something.
I'm still looking for a standard square mapping program. I've used word but I have to create individual pictures that go in each box in the table feature.
Does anyone know of a program that over lays the grid on your picture and prints it?
Maybe I am missing something.
I use The GIMP for this, it can render a square grid in any colour (in the menu under Filters/Render/Pattern/Grid...). If you want to get fancy, you can apply some effects or colour to the grid and perhaps some transparency to make it fit nicely to the original picture.
I'm still looking for a standard square mapping program. I've used word but I have to create individual pictures that go in each box in the table feature.
Does anyone know of a program that over lays the grid on your picture and prints it?
Maybe I am missing something.
MS WORD...you can draw a bunch of squares and group them into a Grid object and adjust their FILL COLOUR to none making them transparent.
I'm still looking for a standard square mapping program. I've used word but I have to create individual pictures that go in each box in the table feature.
Does anyone know of a program that over lays the grid on your picture and prints it?
Maybe I am missing something.
MS WORD...you can draw a bunch of squares and group them into a Grid object and adjust their FILL COLOUR to none making them transparent.
That was awesome. It worked super well.