Terrain Painting
Paint hexes with color or texture styles, then speed up work with 7-hex brush and flood fill tools.
Hex map design for tabletop wargames
HexDraw 2 Hex Map Editor
A dedicated Windows editor for creating detailed hex maps for board games, wargames, and ASL-style scenarios.
File format
.hxd2 packages with embedded assets
Precision
Zoom up to 1500% and PNG export up to 400 dpi
Output
PNG, PDF, print, and VASL board export
Purpose-built
Make tactical maps that stay legible on the table.
HexDraw 2 is built for serious hex-map creation: sketch new battlefields, trace historical maps, paint terrain, define elevations, add labels and markers, and prepare printable or digital boards from one focused workflow.
Maps are saved as .hxd2 packages with embedded image assets, so textures, overlays, backgrounds, and finished boards are easier to save, share, archive, and reopen on another system.
Hills and Valleys
Create multi-level elevation areas with fills, soft edges, outlines, and covered edges.
Roads and Rails
Draw roads, narrow streets, rails, boundaries, orchards, and hexside features.
Labels and Markers
Add labels with custom fonts, colors, texture fills, outlines, and configurable map markers.
Reference Tracing
Place historical or reference maps as backgrounds, lower map opacity, and trace directly over them.
Export and Print
Export PNGs, tiled PDFs for A4 or Letter, custom board-size PDFs, and VASL board packages.
Use cases
Create hex maps for play, print, and prototype work.
ASL-style tactical boards
Build detailed tactical boards with terrain, roads, buildings, labels, and hex coordinates.
Printable tabletop wargame maps
Prepare maps for table play with PDF export for A4, Letter, and custom board sizes.
Prototype board game maps
Iterate quickly on board layouts, terrain ideas, movement spaces, and scenario boundaries.
Historical battle map tracing
Place reference images underneath the hex grid and rebuild historical terrain as playable hex maps.
VASL-compatible board exports
Prepare boards for VASL-oriented workflows as part of the HexDraw 2 export path.
PDF maps for common paper sizes
Export printable maps for standard paper formats or custom board dimensions.
Feature overview
From first sketch to printable board.
Custom columns, rows, hex size, physical size, and layout settings for new maps.
Terrain holes, contour point editing, automatic boundaries, and hill or valley levels without a fixed Hill level 3 limit.
Underlays, overlays, top-layer images, background maps, custom textures, shapes, markers, and asset folders.
Zoom from 25% up to 1500% for precise terrain, road, label, marker, and hexside work.
Save embedded .hxd2 packages, use Page Setup and Print Preview, export final artwork, and check for Microsoft Store updates.
Examples
Inspect real HexDraw work, from terrain painting to scenario boundaries.
HexDraw 2 demo
The HexDraw 2 demo is in preparation.
The old HexDraw 1 installer is no longer offered here. Sign up for updates and get notified when the HexDraw 2 demo is ready.
Demo not ready yet
HexDraw 2 is still being prepared for a public demo. The update list is the safest place to hear when a test build becomes available.
Get notifiedStay informed
Get HexDraw release notes and important update news.
Sign up for occasional product updates. You will receive a confirmation email first. You are not subscribed until you open the confirmation link and confirm your email address.
FAQ
Common questions about HexDraw 2.
Is HexDraw 2 available for Windows?
Yes. HexDraw 2 is developed for Windows first.
Can I export maps as PDF?
Yes. HexDraw 2 supports printable PDF export, including tiled output for common paper sizes.
Can I export VASL boards?
Yes. VASL board export is planned as part of the HexDraw 2 workflow.
Can I trace historical maps?
Yes. HexDraw 2 supports reference images so designers can trace and rebuild historical maps as hex maps.
Is HexDraw 2 useful for ASL-style maps?
Yes. HexDraw 2 is designed with tactical wargame maps and ASL-style board workflows in mind.
When will the demo be available?
A demo is planned. Visitors can register on hexdraw.com to receive updates.
Related work
Other projects from the same workshop.
Second Front
Tactical WW2 action with map and scenario editing.
Unity Assets
Production assets for game development and prototyping.