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How to Create a Hex Tile Grid Map in Excel

102 points by sebg 5y ago

chris_wot 5y ago
Note that you need to first read: https://simplexct.com/how-to-create-a-grid-map-in-excel https://simplexct.com/how-to-create-a-grid-map-in-excel and then: https://simplexct.com/how-to-create-a-grid-map-with-circles-in-excel https://simplexct.com/how-to-create-a-grid-map-with-circles-...
gballan 5y ago
I'm working with hex grids in Python right now: https://github.com/RedFT/Hexy https://github.com/RedFT/Hexy is really helpful.
goldenkey 5y ago
Here's a couple repos of different hexagonal Cellular Automata I made that can support 16 million+ cells using SSBOs for storage. C: https://github.com/churchofthought/HexagonalComplexAutomata https://github.com/churchofthought/HexagonalComplexAutomata https://github.com/churchofthought/ScatterLife https://github.com/churchofthought/ScatterLife JS (WebGL): https://github.com/churchofthought/Grautamaton https://github.com/churchofthought/Grautamaton
acemarke 5y ago
This article on defining hex grids in code is a classic: https://www.redblobgames.com/grids/hexagons/ https://www.redblobgames.com/grids/hexagons/
- chii 5y ago
  really not related, since the excel grids are part of their charting features, rather than coding it from scratch using primitives in excel.
  - seemaze 5y ago
    > really not related True, but now I've discovered a bunch of interesting articles on procedural geometries, Thanks HN!
abeyer 5y ago
Doesn't using a one-hex-per-state model basically defeat most of the benefits of using hexagons in the first place? This seems like a bit of cargo-culting the idea that hexagons are good for maps without actually understanding why.
- robbedpeter 5y ago
  They look neat, and that's probably a sufficient reason for most people to use it. For anyone looking at optimizing some problem for which hex grids are a solution, they're not likely to be using excel, I think.
- bartvk 5y ago
  It wouldn't surprise me if the author is an avid D&D fan, and was looking to make RPG maps on company time.
  - JadeNB 5y ago
    There's no reason to assume someone working with Excel is necessarily doing so on company time, I think.
  - s_dev 5y ago
    You surely mean a dedicated Civ player perhaps.
    - colejohnson66 5y ago
      No love for Catan?
  - mrguyorama 5y ago
    D&D doesn't use hexes for combat mapping. The rules are designed with squares and adapting them for hexes would require house rules
    - bartvk 5y ago
      Search for “hex crawl”, it’s a sandbox style campaign.
mhd 5y ago
I'm a bit disappointed that this wasn't about RPGs, using web-based Excel as some kind of virtual tabletop...
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
Jeff_Brown 5y ago
One of the last steps is to translate all the odd rows horizontally by the same amount, so that the hexes line up. That makes the correspondence between what you drew to begin with and what you end up with strange. I'd find a linear transformation more intuitive.
hyperman1 5y ago
I wish there was more medium level content like this available for office. It's easy to find basic tutorials of the 'Press the B button for bold' level. You know, where messing around with the interface for a few minutes brings you up to speed. Also easy to google for VB stuff and manual-style things. What function or code sample do you need to accomplish X. But the level in between, where you find about less known functions and interesting usage of tools, is hard to learn. You can stumble around until you find a gem, but I am not aware of organized repositories.

102 points by sebg 5y ago

Note that you need to first read: https://simplexct.com/how-to-create-a-grid-map-in-excel https://simplexct.com/how-to-create-a-grid-map-in-excel and then: https://simplexct.com/how-to-create-a-grid-map-with-circles-in-excel https://simplexct.com/how-to-create-a-grid-map-with-circles-...

gballan 5y ago

I'm working with hex grids in Python right now: https://github.com/RedFT/Hexy https://github.com/RedFT/Hexy is really helpful.

goldenkey 5y ago

Here's a couple repos of different hexagonal Cellular Automata I made that can support 16 million+ cells using SSBOs for storage. C: https://github.com/churchofthought/HexagonalComplexAutomata https://github.com/churchofthought/HexagonalComplexAutomata https://github.com/churchofthought/ScatterLife https://github.com/churchofthought/ScatterLife JS (WebGL): https://github.com/churchofthought/Grautamaton https://github.com/churchofthought/Grautamaton

acemarke 5y ago

This article on defining hex grids in code is a classic: https://www.redblobgames.com/grids/hexagons/ https://www.redblobgames.com/grids/hexagons/

chii 5y ago
really not related, since the excel grids are part of their charting features, rather than coding it from scratch using primitives in excel.
- seemaze 5y ago
  > really not related True, but now I've discovered a bunch of interesting articles on procedural geometries, Thanks HN!

abeyer 5y ago

Doesn't using a one-hex-per-state model basically defeat most of the benefits of using hexagons in the first place? This seems like a bit of cargo-culting the idea that hexagons are good for maps without actually understanding why.

robbedpeter 5y ago
They look neat, and that's probably a sufficient reason for most people to use it. For anyone looking at optimizing some problem for which hex grids are a solution, they're not likely to be using excel, I think.
bartvk 5y ago
It wouldn't surprise me if the author is an avid D&D fan, and was looking to make RPG maps on company time.
- JadeNB 5y ago
  There's no reason to assume someone working with Excel is necessarily doing so on company time, I think.
- s_dev 5y ago
  You surely mean a dedicated Civ player perhaps.
  - colejohnson66 5y ago
    No love for Catan?
- mrguyorama 5y ago
  D&D doesn't use hexes for combat mapping. The rules are designed with squares and adapting them for hexes would require house rules
  - bartvk 5y ago
    Search for “hex crawl”, it’s a sandbox style campaign.

mhd 5y ago

I'm a bit disappointed that this wasn't about RPGs, using web-based Excel as some kind of virtual tabletop...

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

Jeff_Brown 5y ago

One of the last steps is to translate all the odd rows horizontally by the same amount, so that the hexes line up. That makes the correspondence between what you drew to begin with and what you end up with strange. I'd find a linear transformation more intuitive.

hyperman1 5y ago

I wish there was more medium level content like this available for office. It's easy to find basic tutorials of the 'Press the B button for bold' level. You know, where messing around with the interface for a few minutes brings you up to speed. Also easy to google for VB stuff and manual-style things. What function or code sample do you need to accomplish X. But the level in between, where you find about less known functions and interesting usage of tools, is hard to learn. You can stumble around until you find a gem, but I am not aware of organized repositories.