Something that'll make every geek drool...

[Czarisyn]

https://vimeo.com/7132858

[Stitched]

Saw this a long time ago. I was less than impressed only because it seemed slow, clunky, and not very impressive, considering the cost of a Surface (something like $15,000). I've seen all sorts of projects for projected tables, using a WII remote or other device (Hantech's Tablo pen) to move/navigate around the table for a fraction of the cost.

One thing I DID like was the auto dice grabbing (for throwing) for damage on a successful hit.

I understand it's a proof of concept but I think it would be much more impressive if they were running Fantasy Grounds on it than trying to reinvent the wheel. :)

I will say, however, that I saw a demo of "Settlers of Cataan" for Surface and thought it was a perfect fit.

[Czarisyn]

yeah its expensive, but a man can dream. I think that FG2 would be awesome to play on that.

[Zeus]

If you do a search on Google for 'open source Multi-touch' and 'multi-touch rpg game table' I think you will be pleasantly surprised about how easy it is to build your own multi-touch surface and the availability of an open-source multi-touch library.

Combined its more than possible for some one to create there own equivalent of Microsoft's Surface. Check out the various guides that are available on the web. You can build one for less than £1000 (includes the cost of a Projector and Wiimote/Infra-Red Camera).

If Smiteworks were to add multi-touch API support into FGII, I would build my own tommorow :)

[Moon Wizard]

Just curious in case I find a time warp or a cloning machine, what would you like to see for multi-touch support?

The main thing I have thought would be needed for a touch surface support is:
* Multi-touch zoom in/out on images
* Remove CTRL key requirement for resizing windows

Any others you think would be necessary or interesting?

Thanks,
JPG

[Zeus]

Just curious in case I find a time warp or a cloning machine, what would you like to see for multi-touch support?

The main thing I have thought would be needed for a touch surface support is:
* Multi-touch zoom in/out on images
* Remove CTRL key requirement for resizing windows

Any others you think would be necessary or interesting?

Thanks,
JPG

:)

I'll give this some further thought however off the top of my head:

* Augment SHIFT/ALT key requirements for modifying targeting and rolls
* Introduce a Virtual Keyboard perhaps (I think the touchlib library provides a mechanism for doing this)
* Augment right-click mouse functionality with sustained click event (this should then allow for Radial menu access by simply keeping an object depressed (without moving).

[unerwünscht]

So... I'm guessing no one has stopped to think about the fact that the Fantasy Grounds chat window, that you cant get rid of, is kinda in the way for a project like this. Not to mention Fantasy Grounds windows do not rotate to accommodate users on more than one side of the surface.

Look, I am a fan of the atmosphere in Fantasy Grounds, and the user interface and 3D dice are why I chose it over BattleGrounds. But lets not build it up to be something its not here. It is not capable of presenting a game in a useful format on multi-user touch surface. In fact it is the elements of Fantasy Grounds that we all love so much that would make it impossible to adapt to a multi-user interface like that.

[Czarisyn]

So... I'm guessing no one has stopped to think about the fact that the Fantasy Grounds chat window, that you cant get rid of, is kinda in the way for a project like this. Not to mention Fantasy Grounds windows do not rotate to accommodate users on more than one side of the surface.

Look, I am a fan of the atmosphere in Fantasy Grounds, and the user interface and 3D dice are why I chose it over BattleGrounds. But lets not build it up to be something its not here. It is not capable of presenting a game in a useful format on multi-user touch surface. In fact it is the elements of Fantasy Grounds that we all love so much that would make it impossible to adapt to a multi-user interface like that.

Call me crazy but if I think that q multi touch interface like this would be mostly for face to face games rather than online. And since its face to face, the chat box is pretty much only roll logs.

[Moon Wizard]

Definitely good points. As I stated, I'm more interested in understanding what people think is needed for a touch table, but I don't really have time to work on it anyway.

Perhaps one of these days, we'll have the time to add some of the capabilities to make it better for face-to-face and multi-touch surfaces as well.

Another one from my list is the ability to zoom any window to increase font size. This is for my local games where I end up using FG just as a combat tracker, but I want the font bigger.

Cheers,
JPG

[Zeus]

So... I'm guessing no one has stopped to think about the fact that the Fantasy Grounds chat window, that you cant get rid of, is kinda in the way for a project like this. Not to mention Fantasy Grounds windows do not rotate to accommodate users on more than one side of the surface.


I did actually think about it and your right it would require changes. I wouldn't want to see the Chatpad go, rather enhanced over time to support as you have suggested the additional functionality required to support players sat around a touch screen. I agree its not a simple enhancement but I see no reason why it would be impossible, perhaps not FGII 3.0 but certainly further down the road, why not?



Look, I am a fan of the atmosphere in Fantasy Grounds, and the user interface and 3D dice are why I chose it over BattleGrounds. But lets not build it up to be something its not here. It is not capable of presenting a game in a useful format on multi-user touch surface. In fact it is the elements of Fantasy Grounds that we all love so much that would make it impossible to adapt to a multi-user interface like that.


Certainly agree with the point that the software in its current form is not capable of this interface delivery system but hell I'd like to think that as technology advances, FG will be adapted to exploit these new capabilities (assuming they benefit the user experience). The thought that its development would stand still, motionless in time, shrivels my mojo, I guess I'd rather be optimistic about the future for FG.

[unerwünscht]

I guess my point more directly should be that Fantasy Grounds Virtual Table application should continue on the course it is taking, and a 2nd product loosely based on it should be created for the touch surface interface.

But then the more I think about it, said functionality isnt truly limited to a touch interface application. At current point I run my face to face games with a VTT. Originally we used Fantasy Grounds, but have moved to other application for face to face games.

After loading fantasy grounds an putting it up on the screen to look at why I have decided the chat interface would need to be collapsible, the maps would need the ability to be put into full screen mode, the token box could use some better functionality that would allow you to change its dimension so you could make it a full side bar for instance if you wanted.

Other immediate changes that I can see being an issue would be that dice rolls would need to be recognized regardless of where the dice were thrown, and a user interface menu could be added to the character tokens to make things much more friendly in a face to face environment (Such as a radial menu pops up for the tokens to give options for opening a character sheet, and one click common actions such as attack etc..


And I have a 4 year old yelling at me non stop today, so my focus and spelling are horrid, I hope you can figure out what I was trying to say.

[Stitched]

Is there a reason the chat pad is a non-moveable/resizable window?

[Moon Wizard]

It's a vestige of the original code. I'm not sure what the original design intent was. Perhaps so that the chat window could not get lost?

Cheers,
JPG

[Stitched]

I guess. I don't really know since the only other VTT I have used is Maptools and it has a browser thingy to call up windows if you've closed them.

I can understand a fixed "hotspot" for dice-rolling, since dice don't register outside of this window. However, since someone implemented the Dice Tower and you can roll dice directly from character sheets or dragging them onto tokens, do we really need to roll dice into the tray (other than it feels really REALLY good to do so)? :)