Optimum windows layout

[DNH]

My group is playing 4e with FG2 and the 4e_JPG ruleset but we are having a hard time with the layout of all the various windows and it is having an impact on the enjoyment/progress of the game. What I mean by this is that we all find we are spending an inordinate amount of time shifting windows about and trying to find the bits we need.

Firstly, it needs to be said that some more organisation of the various windows open would go a long way to helping. Perhaps a toolbar docked to the right which allows for the quick selection of any open windowframe, or something akin to the Windows Alt-Tab functionality.

Now, a browse through the Gallery portion of this forum will lead you to believe that most players in this community have a dual-screen setup. That's great for them, but I don't and nor do any of my players. That means we are confined to the space of our single monitors. I myself (the DM for our 4e games) have a widescreen 19" monitor which supports a max resolution of 1440x900. I would dearly love to be able to see the chat window, the map, the CT and the two modifier/effects frames at all times, with no overlap. Only it does not appear to be possible. I consistently find myself moving windows about. The same is true for my players, who really need to see the map, their character sheet (minisheet), the chat window and the modifier/effects frames at all times. They would really like to be able to use the drag-and-drop functionality more than they do but find that their screen estate issues are almost preventing it from being possible. Some of them (chiefly, the software developer!) are actively complaining and looking for alternatives.

I suppose what I am asking here is what other people do. Do you find you are always moving windows about? Is that a pain, but a necessary evil? Do you have any suggestions for an optimal layout of these windows (perhaps one or other window, when resized, fits nicely alongside another? Do you have suggestions of another kind (such as use of keyboard shortcuts)? Or anything else you think of.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

[Leonal]

While I do have dual monitor, I usually have FG on one of them, and documents/pdfs on the other.
In FG I don't have problems as more often than not I only have a map and combat tracker + one or two npc windows open on 1680x1052. If I need more windows I just make some of them smaller.

Added an example with effects/modifier windows, but I don't use them myself.

The map is where I change window size most often. CT is abit wider than standard I think.

[Tenian]

You're running a very odd version as that CT looks old (has space and reach on the main line) yet you have the effect and modifier windows.

[Griogre]

While I have two monitors I also usually only have FG on one and a PDF, browser, voice software, ect on the other - and I usually only run in 1280x1024.

Screen management is important in FG there will almost never seem to be enough at first, and even if you, the GM have it - some of your players won't. Knowing this:

As GM keep the size of you maps displayed reasonable. As a rule of thumb, unless you *know* every player has a large screen (and you should ask your players what their screen sizes are) keep you map about the size of chat window as a square. Basically you want the map to about 1/3 of the desktop in a combat situation.

For players, tell them the goal is never to have a character sheet open during combat. If they tell you that is impossible then you know they are not using enough hot keys. Players should hot key their attacks, or run off the mini sheet since you can drag and drop attacks from either onto the map or combat tracker. At a minumum the players for 4E should have there At-will and most common mods hotkeyed. Make sure the players also setup things like Hunter's Quarry, Sneak Attack, Divine Challege entered as powers so they can be hot keyed or run off the mini sheet. One issue with hot keys is you can't roll crit damage with them so you do have to roll that off the mini sheet.

Tell the players to resize the combat tracker to be more narrow, by default it comes in at the GM's size and they don't need it that wide.

A typical screen for me is like this:

[Moon Wizard]

I use a similar layout as the others for the top left portion of my screen. I happen to have a very large monitor, so I also usually have all 4 character sheets for my players open as well as the token bag, which eats up the remaining space.

The idea of a window tracker is interesting, but I think a lot of people wouldn't like it. I guess it could be optional.

Any other ideas out there for saving space?

Cheers,
JPG

[Leonal]

You're running a very odd version as that CT looks old (has space and reach on the main line) yet you have the effect and modifier windows.

Mine? It's d20_JPG 3.0.4 with Pathfinder extension (for character sheets).

[Griogre]

Any other ideas out there for saving space?
Espiecally with the prevelance of widescreen monitors, there always seems to be more width available than height. I wonder about a CT that goes sideways from left to right rather than vertically that could be set just above the hotkeys.

[Tenian]

Ah d20 that explains it :)

[Zeus]

I use a similar layout as the others for the top left portion of my screen. I happen to have a very large monitor, so I also usually have all 4 character sheets for my players open as well as the token bag, which eats up the remaining space.

The idea of a window tracker is interesting, but I think a lot of people wouldn't like it. I guess it could be optional.

Any other ideas out there for saving space?

Cheers,
JPG

How about the ability to roll up a window so just the header/critical information is visible. I guess its a minor step from minimising windows or a task bar of sorts.

[joeru]

Hmmh, this would be an undertaking probably requiring a fair amount of programming, but having multiple virtual desktops would be awesome. Like in GNOME or KDE. You could just put all your story notes on one desktop, all the monsters and the combat tracker on another, all the maps on a third, charsheets and the rules on fourth (or in any combination you wish, really).

[devinnight]

I wouldn't mind if the chat window was along the bottom and maybe 5-6 rows high. That would free up a lot of the width. Of course that would take some time to code I imagine. The dice and modifier box could be arranged a little better. And I could probably learn to use the hot keys more.. I don't use them at all right now.

[Oberoten]

I mostly use the hotkeys for /id <npcname>

- Obe

[Doswelk]

I wouldn't mind if the chat window was along the bottom and maybe 5-6 rows high. That would free up a lot of the width. Of course that would take some time to code I imagine. The dice and modifier box could be arranged a little better. And I could probably learn to use the hot keys more.. I don't use them at all right now.

Actually although we just use the chat window for dice rolls (skype being used for the game itself), I think that would still be too small a space during combat....

That said the ability to change the chat window size seems to be one of the most requested features....

it would be nice if these could be changed (via ruleset xml files), but I imagine that's quite a re-write form SmiteWorks...

[devinnight]

How about when the dice are picked up a floating window dice box appears, you roll in it, then you close it and the dice are reset. Making the chat box not tied into the dice rolling area.