Documentation

Auto-Stylizing Maps

How to write effective style prompts and get consistent results.

How It Works

Auto-stylizing takes your painted grid layout — including custom color zones and labeled features — and renders it as a detailed top-down battlemap matching the style you describe. Your map's grid layout is preserved; only the visual rendering changes.

Each auto-stylize operation uses map generation credits (or your BYOK key). You can stylize the same map multiple times to compare results or try different looks.

Writing Good Prompts

The best prompts specify three things: medium (watercolor, digital painting, top-down illustration), visual reference (cozy tavern, ancient stone dungeon, sci-fi freighter), and mood (warm hearth fire, dark and gritty, glowing neon).

Fantasy

  • "cozy fantasy tavern with warm hearth fire, stone flagstone floor, detailed wooden tables"
  • "ancient underground stone dungeon with glowing braziers and iron doors"
  • "lush forest clearing with stone altar and sunbeams filtering through trees"

Sci-Fi

  • "clean technical schematic on dark background with glowing corridor outlines"
  • "worn retro-futurist blueprint with grid overlay and faded ink"
  • "neon-lit cyberpunk nightclub battlemap with holographic bar"

Horror

  • "faded 1920s asylum floorplan with heavy shadows and minimal color"
  • "scratchy hand-drawn Victorian manor layout on yellowed paper"
  • "dark monochrome architectural blueprint with staining and water damage"

Historical

  • "18th century engraved fort layout with wooden palisades"
  • "medieval illuminated castle court with cobblestone courtyard"
  • "WWI trench floorplan in faded olive and red on cream stock"

Tips for Better Results

  • Be specific about medium: "watercolor" and "digital battlemap rendering" produce very different results even with the same subject.
  • Mention the color palette: "muted earth tones", "high contrast black and white", or "cozy warm torchlight" help constrain the output.
  • Reference a real-world style: Styles people recognize — like "Foundry VTT top-down battlemap", "Dungeons & Dragons official module", or "Hand-painted fantasy illustration" — produce recognizable results.
  • Iterate carefully: Every generation attempt — including regenerations and prompt tweaks — consumes map credits (or uses your BYOK key quota). Each render is charged per generation attempt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the style change my painted room layout or grid walls?
No. Drawn room layouts and painted color zones are preserved strictly. The style engine converts your spatial mask and text labels into photorealistic textures, lighting, and illustrated details without shifting room geometry.
Can I apply different styles to different versions?
Yes. Each map version can have its own auto-stylized result. This lets your map look quiet and clean in one version, then war-torn or flooded in another version.
What if the result includes unsafe or inappropriate content?
Cartographer runs a safety review on all prompts before generation. If a prompt is flagged, it won't be submitted and you'll see an explanation. The system is tuned for TTRPG content — realistic violence depictions are handled carefully but legitimate game content is not blocked.