FCW to SVG Converter

FCW to SVG Converter allows you to easily transform FCW binary files created in Campaign Cartographer (CC3+) into the more universal and widely supported SVG format. This is particularly useful for those who wish to view or edit maps from, for example, the Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas (1999), in modern vector graphic editors.

Features

• Easy Conversion: Convert FCW files to SVG with minimal effort.
• Cross-Platform: The program is packaged into a single JAR file and runs on any system with Java installed.

How to Use

1. Ensure you have the latest version of Java installed.
2. Download the Converter JAR file from the Releases section of this repository.
3. Run the Converter:

• Open a command prompt or terminal.
• Enter the command: java -jar fcw-to-svg-converter.jar your_file.fcw.

4. After executing the command, a file with the .svg extension will appear in the same directory.

Testing

The FCW conversion using the compiled JAR file has been tested on the following setups:

• Windows 11 Pro 24H2 with Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 22.0.1+8-16)
• Linux Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS with OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 11.0.24+8-post-Ubuntu-1ubuntu322.04)

When converting my FCW files, the process failed in only one out of 70 cases, for reasons unknown to me.

Limitations

• This tool does not provide support for PNG-based diagrams.
• CC3 "strokes" are typically fixed in width, regardless of scale factor, whereas SVG requires specifying an actual stroke width.
• CC3 may use fonts that are unavailable or difficult to find for SVG rendering.
• SVG does not inherently support layers, but tools like Inkscape use an extension of SVG "groups" to emulate them. These SVG groups (and, by extension, Inkscape layers) follow a specific order, which can sometimes lead to issues, especially with isometric maps.

Acknowledgments

This program originates from the CartographerSVG project, published by BC Holmes in 2017, with all copyrights belonging to them. I have simply compiled the source code with the necessary dependencies and packaged it into a convenient JAR file for easier use. A copy of BC Holmes' code, along with the dependent libraries, is included in the source folder for preservation purposes.

Feedback

I'm not a Java developer, so I won't be able to fix any code-related issues. However, if you'd like to provide feedback, please do so in the Issues section of this repository.