Might want to consider not printing the hex grid on the fully transparent parts of any such overlays. Instead, just have sufficient registration points to ensure the overlays are positioned properly. Having 2 slightly misaligned hex grids (and dots) will cause havoc with my OCD as well as making me think I can't focus my eyes.
Hm, that might actually be a good point!
My idea for the printing the grid was mostly based on providing an outline to cut out the transparent overlays.
For the best of both worlds, one could consider the following:
- Provide sufficient 'registration points' as you suggest, which will be printed on the transparent overlay.
- On the printed transparent overlay beside the actual artwork and the 'registration points' for placement, merely print hexides for the outer outline of the overlay.
- Then instruct the people to cut out the transparent overlay just within the printed outline. That way, you get the proper hex-forms which makes the overlays better to handle as if you would only have a cut-out artwork outline. Furthermore, the danger of hexsides printed on the transparent overlay being slightly offset in relation to the visible printed cardboard hexside outlines would be eliminated.
It might look like this:
Figure 1 - Not like this:
Green: Actual printed artwork.
Red: Actual printed grid -
imagine the red line exactly on the hexsides and over the artwork.
Blue: Actual printed 'registration points' for alignment of the overlay.
Figure 2 - But rather like this:
Green: Actual printed artwork.
Red: Actual printed grid. This time, the prined grid does not match with the cardboard grid, nor is it printed across the artwork. And does not need to, because it serves only the sole purpose to help cutting out the overlay just within the red grid, which will thus later not exist on the cut out overlay.
Blue: Actual printed 'registration points' for alingment. As only 'points' are printed, this will allow correct alignment. If, however, the printed points for some reason do not exactly match with the cardboard grid below, it is no catastrophe, because a minimum offset of a few printed points is not offensive to the eye.
Figure 3 - Green - Transparent overlay on Transparent overlay:
Imagine a one-hex transparent overlay depicting a RR switch. You could place a RR switch overlay (as one example)
anywhere along a given length of RR track. Another RR track overlay could - in the example, then be added from P7 to Q6. By this method you are very flexible in created RR networks as needed for your scenario and terrain.
To elaborate on the length of RR tracks. In the example, we have to RR track overlay with the length of 6 hexes. If you place them on the board with an overlap, this allows you to create any length of RR track from 7 to 11 hexes. So RR track overlays will not extend beyong a cardboard board-edge. This is especially valuable, if you have only halfboard playing area or if the current overlays are too long / otherwise ill suited to create the RR net you want.
If the printed artwork is only as outlined in green, then it is much less fuss to have RR track overlays crossing hills, gullies or water obstacles. The apparel of the artwork comes close to a RR brigde in itself. If your sense of aesthetics is not content with that, then create 1-hex, 2-hex, 3-hex transparent overlays with RR Bridge artwork. Just as the RR switches, these could be placed atop a lower RR track overlay at any place along its length - for example just where the river is.
Added benefit of the transparent RR Bridge overlay: As only the artwork is printed, it the representation of RR Bridges at
any level and/or across multiple levels.
Next the RR Tunnel entry. Imagine you have a Level 3 hill with an elevation change of 1 Level per ADJACENT Hex. In reality, this would be much to steep for any train to drive up and down. A 1-hex RR Tunnel entry overlay placed on each side of a hill would solve that issue and allow for completely new tactical situations: Trains/other units passing
beneath hills.
Yet another application which are aestethically appealing: transparent overlays for RR crossings. They would eliminate the OG part next to RR tracks which happen now if RR overlays are used (see picture/example in next post).
Everything outlined above could in the same way applied to transparent road overlays, btw.
von Marwitz