Guidelines for Creating Item Maps

***Note:*** *This wiki is maintained by fans of the game, and is not affiliated with G5 Entertainment. If you are experiencing technical issues with the game itself, please contact customer support.*
The use of the “maps” for hidden items in a location, helps all our players when they are searching to find something! In an effort to create some continuity for these throughout the wiki, we have made this page with guidelines.

While we individually may have preferences for how we might do these graphics for ourselves, if you choose to help to do them here for the wiki, we have laid out these guidelines to help everyone remember that you are volunteering here to help the game players.

## Guidelines to Follow

* Must ask the Admin for location to be done/mapped
	+ So two people do not end up working on the same thing
* Provide Admin with your preference for correspondence in regards to doing these maps.
	+ Email or talking on wiki walls.
* Send a sample map to graphics coordinator for approval (1st map only)
	+ To check for resolution clarity and that guidelines are being followed before proceeding
* Map must show the entire scene/location
	+ Only the timer (top), progress bar (bottom) and side borders are to be cropped
* Must use yellow numbered arrows provided and at an appropriate ratio/size
	+ Use at approximately 1:9 ratio of your cropped screen height. Ask if assistance if needed.
* No highlighted items, except when very difficult to see. (Ex. Horse on wall in the Secret Room)
* Keep the maps “clean”
	+ Check at near the bottom of page for more info on this (or click the link)
* No added wording on the map itself, numbered arrows only.
* Upload full resolution maps in PNG format
	+ Minimum 800 pixels cropped. Set thumbnail size to 440 pixels wide (We've found that this works best for the wiki)

* Use the wiki test page for practice if you don't know how wiki's operate in terms of uploading photo's and changing the size once it's on a page.
	+ The wiki has it's own test page so users can figure out how the wiki works without fear of messing up a pre-existing page.

* Please do not edit someone else's map without permission. If you want to add something to another user's map, that's great but it's not right to take someone's work and add/change it without permission. Talk to the user or if unsure of who uploaded it, talk to the Admin.

Not following these guidelines will result in being asked to correct anything you have posted/uploaded. A two-week period will be allowed for this or Admin may choose to allow someone else to replace them.

If more time is needed, please talk to Admin.

## Requirements

* Experience with graphics. Sometimes there may be someone available to assist you but being able to work with minimal assistance is preferred.
* Computer or laptop with cropped photo size a minimum of 800 pixels wide
	+ Lower resolution photos don't show as much detail as we would like to maintain.
* Computer or laptop with cropped photo size a maximum of 1800 pixels wide
	+ This is considered High-Definition and does not equate to the 2K and higher resolutions.

**OPTIONAL:**  Graphic design software is better for this purpose than photo editing software

## Choosing a Location

Work with the Admin or designated graphics coordinator to find a location to work on. It takes many hours of preparation before even adding photos to the wiki and it is our desire to not have people duplicating this work and suddenly finding that someone else is already working there.

It is another matter if two or more people want to work TOGETHER on a location or event.

1. They still need to work through Admin to choose a location.
2. They need to communicate closely with their partner or group and  agree on a method of dividing the items BEFORE ANY WORK BEGINS. This must be a COORDINATED effort so work is not duplicated, the work is finished with a degree of promptness and no one “steps on someone else’s toes”.

## Creating Photo Maps

Having all maps in the same style means that no matter which location of the game a player in searching in, they don’t have to figure out a different style of graphics to find what they’re looking for.

### Taking Screenshots

Start taking screenshots as you are playing the game. To have as much of the screen available in the photos and eliminate possible cropping of hidden items,

1. Strive to quickly capture the screen BEFORE the progress bar across the bottom comes up (if yours intrudes into the full view of the game).
2. Capture the screen before there is any activity showing across the top of the screen. (Ex: item drops, assemblers collected, etc.)
3. If the lighting varies very much on a location, try to capture screenshots at a time where lighting is consistent. This could be lights, fog and anything else that could make screenshots vary.
4. Decide what screen you will paste your hidden items on to. One method of starting the process is to create a “clean” base. Use a fairly clear map from a low rank or create one by cutting clear areas from other screenshots onto your chosen base. If you prefer to use higher rank maps with lots of items on the base screen, there will probably be more trimming of the hidden items required so they will fit among the other items properly. If you choose this method, be sure to trim items carefully, not taking away from the item but not leaving parts of unwanted items around them, either.
5. Always save the photos in PNG format. Other formats result in poor resolution.

### Compiling the Maps

1. Become familiar with what items have already been found by visiting the lists for your location on the wiki.
2. Make one file for each map of hidden items. For instance: Apple. Start with a screen that already has 2 or more of the item and begin copying and pasting others of the same item onto it. OR, start with a copy of your clean base photo for each item. This makes it easy to copy an item from any level, as long as the item doesn’t have other hidden items touching it.
3. ZOOM IN and be sure to match pixels from your item to the base before pasting it in. Being able to keep the items in separate layers in another way to assure that items are properly located before adding them to the overall map.

**SUGGESTION:**  Create a document where you have copied and pasted the list of items (so you can check them off as you go) and also ALL the items and location entries. Be aware that this can change but it gives you a place to start from and where you can make notes, etc.

## Keep it CLEAN

No border. Double-check for any lines accidentally left along the edges.

No added wording on the map. The photos speak for themselves with where they are placed on the wiki.

Don’t leave bits of chopped items floating around on your maps. Copy and paste a CLEAN hidden item onto your CLEAN base file.

Use the same numbered arrows as provided here and resize them if needed to match their ratio to the resolution you are personally working with. Feel free to ask for assistance with this if needed

## Editing Entries

### Changing Entries

We often change a hidden item entry to make things sound simple and clear. We reword the entry so people can better understand where exactly the item is.

### Extra Entries Not Included in the Photo

Sometimes we just cannot find an item to match a location entry but want to go ahead and publish what we have to the Wiki so we can be helpful to the players.

When there are still items that are not in our photo map, change those entries BACK to a bullet.

* Set the cursor at the end of the last entry
* Click ENTER two times to create a BLANK line
* Click on the BULLET edit option
* Move or add any un-numbered entries here

We do this as the position of the item could be in a higher rank or lower depending on the Rank you start at.

## Arrow & Numbers Sized for Various Cropped Screen Widths

Cropped Screen Width 800-1050Cropped Screen Width 1051-1300Cropped Screen Width 1301-1550Cropped Screen Width 1551-1800
## Examples

Glossary of TermsBest ScreenshotItems to RemoveClean Base
## Screenshots Needed!

This is a unique way that you can be of assistance on the Hidden City Wiki!

Our graphics team that makes the hidden item maps sometimes needs screenshots from very low or, mostly, high ranks on the locations they are working on.

### REQUIREMENTS:

* Your screen resolution must be a minimum of 1280 pixels wide
* Be willing to send a minimum of 10-15 screenshots from a location, not necessarily all at once
* Just SAVE & SEND -- no need to trim but must be at full size/resolution.

If you would like to help, please send us an email at hiddencityshots@gmail.com and someone will get back to you shortly. Including your screen resolution and which locations where you are Rank VII and above would be helpful.

\*Your email will not be shared with anyone else and do keep in mind if it takes a while for you to get a reply it might have to do with time zone differences.

## Admin/Mods List

Annabella (Admin)

Shanera (Moderator/Graphics Coordinator)

Scorpion (Content Mod)

\*Click on links to visit profile

## Related Pages

* Hidden City Home
* Fandom's Term of Use
* The Community Central Guidelines
* Blocking
* Editing Guidelines