Using Fantasy Grounds with a projector for home games [Archive]

Skellan

February 3rd, 2015, 13:38

Has anyone tried using a projector to display maps on a tabletop for home games? I rather fancy trying this out but am not sure exactly whats involved. Would it be as simple as buying a projector, and sticking it to the ceiling above the dining room table? (no, I am not married, so this is ok). I suppose it would need to project big enough to get the squares to 1".

Skellan

February 3rd, 2015, 13:40

Like this

8963

Nylanfs

February 3rd, 2015, 14:05

See this post
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?23089-Cheap(ish)-video-display-setup-for-inperson-games

Skellan

February 3rd, 2015, 14:15

oh yes, thank you

Valarian

February 3rd, 2015, 14:31

Another alternative would be to output to a HDMI/DVI monitor or television, if your computer will output those formats. Possibly as a secondary monitor.

Skellan

February 3rd, 2015, 14:39

and lie it flat on the table? Yeah that could be an easier way of doing it. I suppose the screen would be tough enough...

Valarian

February 3rd, 2015, 15:00

Actually, I was thinking more of an alternative display. Back to back with the laptop, showing the player view. I don't think LCD screens react to well to being laid flat, especially if being bumped or knocked. For putting the map on the table itself, the projector is the better solution, but possibly more expensive. There's also the problem of people causing an eclipse when they get their head in the way.

Skellan

February 3rd, 2015, 15:09

I quite wanted to carry on using minis etc. and just use fg for the maps. I'll do some more research, maybe some perspex over the screen would help...

Valarian

February 3rd, 2015, 15:09

If you're feeling really creative, here's a suggestion of a back projection setup (https://imgur.com/a/4OwxC)

Skellan

February 3rd, 2015, 15:11

that's awesome

Nylanfs

February 3rd, 2015, 16:51

The problem I have with using a TV/monitor as part of the table is spilling things, getting marks on the screen etc. Which is why I'm seriously looking at a projector system.

Trenloe

February 3rd, 2015, 16:59

I've seen various attempts at this - mostly at conventions and local stores where the GM has a wooden scaffold type construction to hold the projector at a fixed distance above the table, pointing down at a white/light coloured sheet with or without a grid.

They work, but have the issue Valarian mentioned above (shadows) and the additional issue of bumping the scaffold. If you do a more permanent solution at home then the scaffold would be removed and you'd just have the shadow issue - that goes away pretty quickly once the player moves out of the way. But it can take a bit of getting used to, especially if the players are used to leaning over the map and poring over their options.

Things to look for in a projector are the brightness (as you'll probably want to play with the lights on) and the size of the projected image at a particular distance - measure the distance from your ceiling to the table top and subtract some for the size/positioning of the projector and mount, then work out what size projection the projector can do at that range - the smaller the distance between the projector and the table the smaller the resulting image will be. Projectors have different "throw" distances, you'll need one with a short throw distance. Also, if you can afford it, look for LED projectors rather than lamp projectors - there'll be less cooling fan noise and less need to replace a lamp sometime in the future.

JohnD

February 3rd, 2015, 17:45

A few things to note about projectors with lamps - as mentioned above, they put out a lot of heat and there is noise from the fan, but also the bulbs themselves can be quite costly to replace.

Trenloe

February 3rd, 2015, 17:52

And to add about throw range - a lot of projectors aren't designed for short distance projection, this is one of the reasons why you see some people using mirrors to increase the distance and allow for horizontal mounting off to the side somewhere rather than vertical.

Skellan

February 3rd, 2015, 18:34

really useful info, thanks everyone!

I am on a mission to get this working now :)

Trenloe

February 3rd, 2015, 18:46

I am on a mission to get this working now :)
I'll be interested in seeing how you go. Every time I see an HD projector on special I consider doing something like so. So far I've managed to resist the expenditure...

ddavison

February 3rd, 2015, 19:24

I have an extra projector lying around from my old business I sold. It's still HD quality, but it's a DLP. Anyway, I wasn't really happy with the ceiling mounts that allowed it to be projected downward. The mirror approach has merit, but I was really hoping for something with a much more "finished" look instead of a "hey look what I rigged up in the garage" look. I should probably just hire a nice finish carpenter to put together something that looks like a little less of an eye sore. The chain approach looks like it might work well since it can be placed back flat to the ceiling when not in use. You'd be guaranteed to hear the mirrors-on-the-ceiling jokes from your friends, but that's probably manageable. After all, I can kill their characters off if they get too obnoxious. :D

hawkwind

February 3rd, 2015, 21:56

i can imagine the response of my Mrs if i started screwing projector mounts or worse mirrors to living room ceiling! What I do to bring my occasional home games in to the 21st century, and apologies for mentioning a competitor to Fantasy grounds, is to run two instances of Roll20 one in GM view on a laptop and another on player view on a big old flat screen telly to take advantage of the intelligent lighting in Roll20. Any actual fighting still get with mini on a old fashioned Chessex battlemap. I could do it with Fantasy grounds and have the advantages of the combat tracker but the dynamic lighting in Roll 20 and for that matter maptool is so much better, it also saves hand outs and I can show all the art work from modules and other sources

Patou

February 4th, 2015, 20:48

Very sweet!! That is exactly what I want to do

Zeus

February 4th, 2015, 21:40

Some other suggestions.

Take 1 standard dinging room table with a toughened glass (non-frosted) top.
Apply a sheet of A3 paper to the underside of the glass (in the middle somewhere). You can use any size paper but I have found A3 to be just right for most encounter play + larger images can be scrolled. You can use smarter looking black fabric tape to secure the paper.
Take a standard projector and mount underneath the table (either pointed directly up or bounced off a 45 degree angled single sided mirror).

Instant digital game table without the high expense of a handcrafted wooden table, plus you can easily throw a table cloth over the tabletop when not is use and still use the table for normal dining :)

Another alternative is to procure a tabletop projector, these are found at most AV stores that service schools and other academic institutions as they are heavily used in schools. These projectors are designed to simply stand on a table and are designed to short throw the image directly to the tabletop itself (even at very acute angles). Highly portable solution and great if you play at different locations often.

Finally, don't forget about the various wireless casting technologies that are available. iOS AirPlay, Google's Chromecast and several others can be used to wirelessly beam desktops to a variety of TVs and internet TV STBs. If money is not an issue you may also want to look into the various wireless HDMI solutions that are emerging too.

Patou

February 5th, 2015, 01:51

I've download the trial version to see how one moves a window from the main computer to the projector and/or HD TV. I am testing this to see how complicated it is and I noticed that I can't bring the map page for the demo campaign onto my tv??? Arg!

I don't want to have to bring my main page to the tv.... just the playing map and other windows I might want to share.

Is this at all possible?

JohnD

February 5th, 2015, 01:56

So, with the Full version, you can have two instances running; one GM and one Player. You'd I assume have your computer set up to recognize the tv as a 2nd monitor. You would pull the Player instance of FG to the tv.

Then on the GM side, you'd share the map or picture or whatever you want to share with your players - it would appear as you decided it should on the Player iteration.

Patou

February 5th, 2015, 02:08

Thanks JohnD,

It works with the trial version. Your awesome and i'm sold. Now i just need to learn the software to run my 5E campaign. From one DM to another... thanks

JohnD

February 5th, 2015, 02:39

No problem! FG is a great application, without it my gaming life would have been ended a few years ago... glad you're here and welcome aboard.

Nylanfs

February 7th, 2015, 03:36

Jolly Blackburn (of KoDT fame) (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10202889125583763&set=a.3876861734622.119072.1671099902&type=1) uses a digital projection and Roll20. Everyone should work on him and get him to try FG.

Skellan

February 7th, 2015, 13:17

Is there a way to hide the desktop dice so they go behind open windows (in this case a map pulled out to full screen)?

Trenloe

February 7th, 2015, 16:34

Is there a way to hide the desktop dice so they go behind open windows (in this case a map pulled out to full screen)?
Not without removing them completely from the ruleset. You can drag the dice way off to the side and set their default location there, but they'd still be visible and on top of maps/windows.

Patou

February 10th, 2015, 13:14

Shopping for the right VT:

Man Oh Man.... Fantasy Grounds seems to have it all except the lighting & vision effects. I don't mind paying for the system because after playing around on the trial version and watching a ton of videos online I love the easiness it provides for the DM.

Does not having dynamic lighting and vision distance really make a difference? (as in Maptool & Roll20)

Valarian

February 10th, 2015, 13:20

Not to me, but I tend to use images rather than maps. The odd time I use a map, I haven't especially felt the need for dynamic lighting. Just one more thing to set up beforehand.

JohnD

February 10th, 2015, 15:37

Dynamic lighting sounds great in principle... but just think of all the extra time a DM is going to need to spend preparing for sessions instead of running them to set it up properly.

YAKO SOMEDAKY

February 10th, 2015, 18:58

JohnDI believe you and the other masters prepare everything before the sessions and already have everything planned, mask a map to have the dynamism of lighting believe it will be a rewarding task, even giving a little work.

Griogre

February 10th, 2015, 19:42

It totally depends on the game whether dynamic lighting and individual lighting is worthwhile, IMO. I played a Savage World "Aliens" scenario on MapTool with dynamic lighting and it was great because of that whole Aliens creeping up on your 6 scenario. However, I would never use dynamic lighting with D&D, since I just don't think it would add more to most scenarios than the time needed to set up the light blockers.

Basically if the game is "map" centric then dynamic lighting and individual lighting is a plus. However, if the game revolves around the character sheets then its impact is not important. As a sidenote I found that dynamic lighting had a practical problem, with MapTools anyway - it always seemed there was someone on a PoS laptop who couldn't run it and it's hardly something you can run for some players and not for others.

Vishera

February 11th, 2015, 03:07

I would do this but I have no where to mount a projector on my celing, and I'd like to keep it mobile to take to other players' houses etc.

Skellan

February 11th, 2015, 03:52

Here's a pic of my prototype. I went with the TV option. I have one that's old so I thought it would be worth the risk.
I built a temporary housing for it from cardboard. It actually raises it and protects it quite well.
The players loved it and it worked well. Its great to have some fg features on hand at the gaming table.

Next I am going to build wooden housing with a glass or plastic cover...

Skellan

February 11th, 2015, 04:02

Some potential issues are:
It takes up a lot of space. This one is ok on a 6x4 table.
It won't handle large open maps well. I will probably use my battlemat for this. I wouldn't fancy scrolling around a large battle unless I went to using tokens. I'd rather stick with minis as it easy for the players to engage with what's going on. Plus I like having some 3d stuff on there.
I am happy not to use dynamic lighting as I am going for simplicity

Trenloe

February 11th, 2015, 05:48

damned

February 11th, 2015, 12:00

a slim sheet of perspex would protect that nicely.
definitely looks great with those minis :)

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Nylanfs

February 11th, 2015, 12:03

Skellan

February 11th, 2015, 13:47

Yeah Damned, I am thinking of using the front from a picture frame to cover it :)

Patou

February 11th, 2015, 19:23

@Tassadar, look at the pictures from my earlier thread, it's not terribly mobile, but doesn't require the height for ceiling mounted.

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?23089-Cheap(ish)-video-display-setup-for-inperson-games

- Question 1. Going with a projector or tv monitor in mind; can you make everything work with the $39 dollar version of FT or do you need the Ultimate Licence?

- Question 2. Can I use the $39 dollar package with 2 computers under the same user name ( one for the GM; me, & one for the players which also allows the use of a separate mouse and also to reduce ram memory usage.

- Question 3. Is using a separate computer for the players a good idea for this type of gaming?

Spent hours last night trying to figure out what I am going to use (Maptool, Roll20, or Fantasy Grounds) as this is a big move for me and my group. 28 years of playing Dungeons and Dragons from 2nd Edition to 3.5 to 5E. Forced into DMing 3.5 by my players cause I didn't want to spend money on all the books again so they supplied them since they liked the new rules. For the first time in years I purchased D&D books again with the coming of 5th Edition. So far it's pretty cool.

Thanks a bunch for all the the info in advance. Looking forward to using Fantasy Grounds and bringing all I can give and share with all of you.

Patou

February 11th, 2015, 19:49

With the normal license at $39 dollars will I be able to activate a session for myself the GM and also one for my players? JohnD did provide an answer but I am just not sure JohnD if you meant the normal $39 dollar version or the Ultimate version?

My trial test with my group is this Friday using a projector. 28 years of playing so we'll see if they like it or not..... can't wait.

ddavison

February 11th, 2015, 20:30

You can run two instances as long as they are on the same computer with the $39 version. The player instance of FG will connect to "localhost" as the alias (minus the quotes).

Patou

February 11th, 2015, 20:41

Excellent! Thank you ddavison

Nylanfs

February 11th, 2015, 22:08

Yes all you need is the $39USD license, run a second version connecting to "localhost"

Skellan

February 12th, 2015, 00:16

You could do this from the same PC if you are using it for a home game. Good luck with the projector. I am sure they will love it. Send a pic if you have chance :)

Vishera

February 12th, 2015, 02:21

JohnD

February 12th, 2015, 05:04

looks nice, but not many people will go for "hey man, lemme hang this from your ceiling"

Yeah, I can't see the wife reacting well to this kind of a plan.

Vishera

February 12th, 2015, 05:35

I thought about finding the largest and thinnest LCD tv possible and customizing a folding card table that I can set the TV into so that the screen is flush with the table (and possibly a thin sheet of plexi over it to prevent someone dropping something and breaking the screen) and then I can hook up a laptop to display maps etc. fairly expensive but not too crazy and it would be mobile as I just remove the tv, collapse the table and be on my way.

Skellan

February 12th, 2015, 15:41

Yeah, I think that's a really good way of doing it. It will make best use of table space and will look cool.

Patou

February 12th, 2015, 17:19

Spent late hours messing around with Roll20 preping a probable game...which is Friday night. I am ready to spend the $40 today to get this up and going. All my paper work is done. Only thing left is to punch in the info which knowing me will go fast as the scenarios are all laid out in my head (Hoard of the Dragon Queen). My work place is lending me a projector to run my test with the players. I just want to run the right VTT. I still think i am going to be really happy with Fantasy Grounds.

Does running both instances (GM & Player) from the same laptop ask too much from the CPU?
Does it make for lagging or other delays?

Skellan

February 12th, 2015, 17:34

FG has always been really quick when running two instances for me. I doubt it will be a problem.

I am not sure whether you need internet connection to connect the player instance to the GM one though?

Trenloe

February 12th, 2015, 17:40

I am not sure whether you need internet connection to connect the player instance to the GM one though?
Nope - you don't need an internet connection.

Patou

February 12th, 2015, 17:44

Very Good. Looking eager to get this started.

Can I do the same with another computer on the same wifi. Allowing the use of a mouse for the players and one for the DM?

Trenloe

February 12th, 2015, 17:53

Can I do the same with another computer on the same wifi. Allowing the use of a mouse for the players and one for the DM?
If you connect another computer, even on the same WiFi, you will need another license on that computer, or the GM instance will need to be an ultimate license.

Patou

February 12th, 2015, 18:38

ok thanks

Nylanfs

February 12th, 2015, 19:07

I think the Full license allows one (1) demo license to connect doesn't it?

Griogre

February 12th, 2015, 22:27

It does, and I thought about mentioning it, but you can't save anything in demo mode so I don't think that would be good from what he said about running Hoard of the Dragon Queen.

Trenloe

February 13th, 2015, 16:11

That's a good point about the demo mode. When a full licence has no players connected and a "free" license connects then the GM will switch into demo mode - but, for a full licence, the data will be saved. If *any* other FG instances try to connect while in demo mode, even connecting a second instance on the same PC with localhost, then the FG session will switch from demo mode to normal and the free player will be booted and won't be able to connect again unless all players connected to the GM disconnect - allowing the GM session to switch back to the one player only demo mode.

So, this could be an option, if only one player will connect and the GM doesn't want to use the option of the localhost instance.

Griogre

February 13th, 2015, 17:19

Did I miss a change to demo mode? The host if full or greater can save now?

Trenloe

February 13th, 2015, 17:22

Did I miss a change to demo mode? The host if full or greater can save now?
I think its been there since the single free user demo mode was added to the full license - just not really advertised.

Patou

February 13th, 2015, 19:59

Alright!!! Now I'm punching in the info. One more question....

If my players are around the table do I need to create 5 characters for them and can I play 5 characters at the same time or do I need 5 instances of Fantasy Grounds running in player mode? ( did I loose you along the way...)

ddavison

February 13th, 2015, 20:13

You can play all 5 characters from a single license. Each "player" can manage as many characters as they want. They can then "release" those characters back to the campaign's character pool and someone else can take over.

Patou

February 13th, 2015, 20:24

Super. So i could create the 5 characters that my players are playing (as they will not be using laptops or pads) but actual character sheets and I can create a rough sketch of those characters for encounters and combat purposes as they move their tokens across the board?

ddavison

February 13th, 2015, 20:30

correct

Patou

February 16th, 2015, 20:52

I've purchased the software and am exceptional satisfied. As i am setting up Hoard 0f the Dragon Queen I will be setting up a module (library) for the creatures used therein. Once done will I be able to share it with others from Fantasy Grounds?

ddavison

February 16th, 2015, 20:54

You won't be able to share any of that content since it is protected by copyright and is owned by Wizards of the Coast..

Patou

February 16th, 2015, 20:56

gotcha... makes sense.

Trenloe

February 16th, 2015, 21:01

As i am setting up Hoard 0f the Dragon Queen I will be setting up a module (library) for the creatures used therein.
Hope you were aware of the Basic Rules Parser that downloads the free Hoard of the Dragon Queen PDF and uses that to create an FG 5E module with the creatures from the PDF ready to go: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?21835-D-amp-D-Basic-Rules-PDF-Parser This can save you a lot of time getting started. :)

Vishera

February 16th, 2015, 21:34

nice. I'm working on converting HotDQ and TRoT and the starter adventure to FG. It's actually pretty fun re-drawing the maps.

Skellan

February 17th, 2015, 00:24

Nice to see more people joining the fg community.I need to give 5e another go sometime.
So I ran another tabletop scenario with fg doing the maps and it worked great. This scenario had quite a lot of masking to it and it was fine but using just one display meant everyone had to look away while I switched to the gm instance to unmask areas. This worked ok but it would probably be better to use two displays. I have another display but I am wondering if I got another mouse whether it would work from the same machine. Can you have 2 mice working at once?
I hope that the players will be able to do their display and I use the gm one...
Dunno if that makes sense :/

Nylanfs

February 17th, 2015, 12:24

Yea you need two display's one showing the player client, and one for just you showing the gm client.

Trenloe

February 17th, 2015, 14:42

Can you have 2 mice working at once?
I hope that the players will be able to do their display and I use the gm one...
You will probably be able to get 2 mice working although you may have to mess around with the mouse driver config. However, you will only have one mouse pointer on the computer and each mouse will be able to move it, so you'll have to tell the players "hands off" when you want to do stuff.

Skellan

February 17th, 2015, 14:56

Great ok thanks

Blackfoot

February 17th, 2015, 17:34

Hmm.. actually that's easy with my laptop.. you just plug the mouse in and the touchpad continues to work. The only trick would be getting a mouse with a long enough cord although with a wireless mouse... that's not an issue... I'll have to try that at my next game.

Griogre

February 17th, 2015, 18:12

Man I hate touchpads, I shudder thinking about unmasking using one.... :p ;)

Blackfoot

February 17th, 2015, 18:13

I do too... but I use one every time I run a game.. it becomes manageable after a while.

jh79

February 19th, 2015, 05:29

Check out these youtube videos, think it's exactly what your asking for. Not a bad channel either for all things RPG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGlpU4CbsvU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziwchQZOSck

hawkwind

February 23rd, 2015, 11:20

this looks fun , just plug your projector into a light fitting

https://www.androidauthority.com/beam-android-powered-projector-light-socket-588773/

a touch pricey but a nice indication of where the tech is going. I like the idea of being able to screw a projector into a overhead lightbulb socket

Patou

February 27th, 2015, 15:31

Well my projector is set-up and my game is on officially tonight. My players have no idea of the setup I have in store for them and my story and encounters are all set up with the aid of Fantasy Grounds using 5E rule-set. I can't wait to finish work and start gaming. Hard to imagine that you still have that wanting feeling for gaming even at the age of 41! Oh Yeah!!!

Patou

February 27th, 2015, 15:33

Will the players go for using real mini's or the virtual ones..... we shall find out tonight

ddavison

February 27th, 2015, 15:40

I look forward to hearing how it went. I think the first time you drop an area of effect cone on the battlefield, they will be impressed.

Nylanfs

February 27th, 2015, 16:45

Have a video camera setup and record it!

Skellan

February 27th, 2015, 17:03

Awesome stuff :) Any chance of a pic of it in action? I am sure the players will love it.
Personally, I like using minis as its easier to engage the players as they get to move themselves about etc. A disadvantage is that you lose FG's automation, and also I have found that for large maps I need to scroll about a bit, so having static tokens would be good. Its horses for courses :)

bullywug

February 28th, 2015, 16:11

I know its been a while since you posted this but I thought I'd throw in my two cents for posterity's sake. My group uses a Lenovo Horizion tabletop PC to run games. I currently use roll20 with Realm Works and DM from my laptop while the players use the tabletop pc. It's a really good setup. I'm looking at using Fantasy Grounds to get away from the reliance on the Internet and web browsers. So far I must say I'm not very impressed with Fantasy Grounds. Going to keep banging away at it since I already have everything entered into Roll20 and Realm Works there's no need for Fantasy Grounds but I really like the look and feel of the program. Here's some questions:
How does it work having people play locally? Will I have to buy a player's license just to play locally? Also, how does Fantasy Grounds handle touch screen input. Some programs aren't well written to take advantage of touch screen input. Even some you would expect. Anyhow, I know this is an old thread but it seemed relevant so I'm hoping someone can share their experiences using Fantasy Grounds for local, live play.

Actually, I was thinking more of an alternative display. Back to back with the laptop, showing the player view. I don't think LCD screens react to well to being laid flat, especially if being bumped or knocked. For putting the map on the table itself, the projector is the better solution, but possibly more expensive. There's also the problem of people causing an eclipse when they get their head in the way.

Nylanfs

February 28th, 2015, 17:00

You would need a full license to play a face to face game, mainly so you could save campaign data.

What are you trying to do in Fantasy Grounds that you aren't impressed with? Maybe make another thread where yuo can list your questions and such and we can help.

Trenloe

February 28th, 2015, 21:15

Also, how does Fantasy Grounds handle touch screen input.
You can do most operations with a touch screen. See a recent discussion on this here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?23077-FG-touch-screen-functionality

ddavison

March 2nd, 2015, 01:15

You can use a single license to host the game as a GM and then run a second instance connected to localhost for display of the player only view running over a projector or on a TV/2nd display.

Patou

March 10th, 2015, 15:40

I look forward to hearing how it went. I think the first time you drop an area of effect cone on the battlefield, they will be impressed.

Well I used it and they freaked out!!! The were really impressed with the distance pointer! Also scaling out to see the whole area and panning to the new location was something new for all of us.... thanks to Fantasy Grounds. Now another one of my players and a DM is getting the product. So as of Friday the 13th...ouuuuu we will have one laptop for the players and one for the DM.. thus an independent mouse (yeahhh).

I will take pictures. They are in Greenest Episode 1. (Hoard of the Dragon Queen)

My only challenge was removing the right token from the board when i removed it from the Combat tracker. (because I am not using the target sytem).

ddavison

March 10th, 2015, 15:46

Nice.

Were you using the locked tokens and waypoint movement with approvals or just allowing free movement? This normally falls to personal preference, but there are people who like one method over another.

Trenloe

March 10th, 2015, 17:21

My only challenge was removing the right token from the board when i removed it from the Combat tracker. (because I am not using the target sytem).
If you drag/drop the token to the map from the combat tracker (CT) then the record in the CT will be linked to the token on the map. When you remove the record from the combat tracker the token on the map will automatically be removed too.

Patou

March 10th, 2015, 19:24

Blackfoot

March 10th, 2015, 20:03

'The Record' Trenloe was referring to was the representation for the individual character in the combat tracker.
The attached image represents how the tracker associates tokens with the combat tracker. When the enemies are removed from the tracker.. they are simultaneously removed from the map IF they are linked by dragging the token from the tracker to the map when setting up the combat. (as Trenloe describes in his post)

Trenloe

March 10th, 2015, 20:47

- Tremloe, If I do it this there would be no point in setting up my Encounters? (Lying out my tokens from the encounter to the map instead of from the Combat tracker? Does that make any sense ....
If you are using encounter token pre-placement, then everything will be in the "Encounter" entry and when you click the "Add encounter" button the NPC records will be added to the combat tracker and the linked tokens will be added to the map. They'll be linked properly so when you remove the combat tracker entry the linked token for that entry will be removed from the map.

See damned video on setting up encounters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx7CtPsdNbA

And/or the "Encounters" section of the Wiki: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/index.php/Encounters

Patou

March 10th, 2015, 21:43

Okay. I think I know how i am going to go about my next game. It would be useful to be able to click on a creature on the map and see it flash or light up on the combat tracker. I know that you can do this with the combat tracker by clicking on the creature in the combat tracker and seeing it on the map light up. I am asking since I am using a projector and it is much easier when the players say they are attacking the kobold over here and you need to figure which one that particular kobold is on the CT. If i could simply click on it and see it light up on my CT that would be wonderful.

My players are not using the virtual dice so damage on the creature is calculated by me imputing the damage into the ''wnd'' box. Once the creature is officially dead i simply use the red icon and remove it from the map and CT.

thanks again guys... super.
thanks again.

Patou

March 28th, 2015, 23:23

As promised. Here it is during game three of Hoard of the Dragon Queen using Fantasy Grounds and a projector. One laptop for the DM with two screens and one laptop for the players connected to the projector = NICE
see pics from Friday's game March 27th
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Patou

March 28th, 2015, 23:25

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Nylanfs

March 29th, 2015, 00:43

Nice!

Did you show them how fast you can roll 100d20?

damned

March 29th, 2015, 00:50

Nice. Boys and their toys!

For your Encounters - it is hard to get your head around at first. It took me ages for it to finally click for me.
I did this graphic - which I still occasionally go back to and check - it looks like a lot of info but once you do it 2 or 3 times you will find it really easy and it will save you so much time.

If your token is hard to identify - click on th visibility eye 2/4/6 times so it flashes off and on the map - this is what I do when I cant see the highlight ring on the token.

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/images/3/33/CnC_encounter_prep.jpg

Skellan

March 29th, 2015, 01:35

Looks really good - nice one :) Its great to see people using Fantasy Grounds in different ways :)
Setting up the encounters beforehand like on Damned's graphic is so helpful

Patou

March 29th, 2015, 02:43

Nice!

Did you show them how fast you can roll 100d20?

I'll have to try the 100d20 hehehe. They like the shadow dice... The comment I get from my players is "oouuuuu Pat rolled the shadow dice" cause they can't see what I rolled.. hehe. Also thanks for the encounters diagram Damned.

Trenloe

March 29th, 2015, 04:48

I'll have to try the 100d20 hehehe.
It'll only roll 30 dice, that's the maximum the 3D dice model support I'm afraid. It still looks impressive though. :)

Patou

March 29th, 2015, 12:25

It'll only roll 30 dice, that's the maximum the 3D dice model support I'm afraid. It still looks impressive though. :)

Thanks. One of the players saw this for the first time and we started the game late (8pm). However we got 4 fights in between 8pm and 12am. He could not believe the tiime saved from not having to draw everything out and the encounters all prepped and ready on the spot. An awesome investment.

Trenloe

May 22nd, 2015, 20:32

Here is what a guy at PaizoCon was using - he offered to run the game I was GMing (PFS 6-19 Test of Tar Kuata) on the setup - it worked very well. The lines on the grid for the final combat were a little bit hard to see (dark lines against a dark-ish background), but all worked well. The setup relied on people standing up - but that's the way he designed it, having a raised "table" with space underneath for books etc..

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/39085830/Pics/2015-05-22%2009.35.15.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/39085830/Pics/2015-05-22%2009.35.24.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/39085830/Pics/2015-05-22%2009.35.33.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/39085830/Pics/2015-05-22%2009.39.59.jpg

Callum

May 22nd, 2015, 21:50

Impressive! Projected onto a whiteboard so that you can add notes, etc?

That's a nice wide-screen laptop you have there, too!

damned

May 23rd, 2015, 01:34

GiMP!

JohnD

May 23rd, 2015, 01:41

GiMP!
Ah did he escape or did someone leave the door unlocked?

Nylanfs

May 23rd, 2015, 02:35

BTW this thread with those pictures crash my phone. :)

But nice setup

Skellan

May 23rd, 2015, 05:24

That's a great set up.
Have fun at Paizocon

Falantrius

May 23rd, 2015, 06:42

damned

May 23rd, 2015, 08:28

Personally, I think putting a plexi sheet over a wide screen monitor under the table is a better options. You don't have to worry about the "thrown" of the projector getting in the way and I think the resolution is better.

In the last couple of years the large monitor / TV has become cheap enough and light enough that it would definitely be a better choice imo - for everything except spills :)

Skellan

May 23rd, 2015, 13:46

I have been using a TV laid flat for my weekly pathfinder game and its working great. Its easy to set up and take down, its just a case of unplugging and moving it. I have built a housing for it so spills aren't really an issue. It does sit a little high on the table, ideally I'd like to get it set into the table itself. Also, some maps are too big for it to handle with minis so I occasionally would need to use fg tokens.

Blackfoot

May 23rd, 2015, 13:56

We just do the big screen TV setup.. not unlike the image that Doug shared... it works really well.. generally we are sitting in comfortable seating... sofas and upholstered chairs and the like... so have moved on from the 'around the table' setup.

Skellan

May 23rd, 2015, 14:00

Yeah, that's a good idea too. Can't beat being comfy :)
I quite like playing with minis though. I guess its horses for courses :)

Patou

January 18th, 2016, 18:05

Patou

January 18th, 2016, 18:06

I'll post pics which I'll take next game

Patou

January 18th, 2016, 18:27

Do you know what he was using for a projector... the type?

Patou

January 29th, 2016, 14:43

New setup!! Full house tonight as my players leave Carnath and head into The Mere of Dead Men towards Castle Naerytar. Can't wait!!12866

Mask_of_winter

January 29th, 2016, 14:45

Wow, beau set-up Pat! Tes joueurs vont etre impressiones!

Patou

January 29th, 2016, 14:48

Wow, beau set-up Pat! Tes joueurs vont etre impressiones!

J'ai hâte en taba...!! Je va prendre des photos ce soir!

Mortar

January 29th, 2016, 17:57

Wow, beau set-up Pat! Tes joueurs vont etre impressiones!

lol...I see set-up means the same in french and english.

It is a nice set up and a really cool idea.

Patou

January 31st, 2016, 02:26

lol...I see set-up means the same in french and english.

It is a nice set up and a really cool idea.

Thanks! This was last nights game. Classic D&D meets VTT. The best of both worlds!12879

Patou

January 31st, 2016, 02:28

lol...I see set-up means the same in french and english.

It is a nice set up and a really cool idea.

Thanks! This was last nights game. Classic D&D meets VTT. The best of both worlds!

Patou

January 31st, 2016, 02:30

Seems the pic is stuck in reverse... tried fixing and I can't.... ARG!

Mortar

January 31st, 2016, 03:30

Miss Vickie's Salt and Vinegar...the best

damned

January 31st, 2016, 05:13

thats a real man cave!

Patou

January 31st, 2016, 20:19

thats a real man cave!

Yes sir! with all the perks.... hehe Thanks:)

Skellan

January 31st, 2016, 20:43

Nice one, looks fantastic

Patou

March 14th, 2016, 14:51

lol...I see set-up means the same in french and english.

It is a nice set up and a really cool idea.

Hey Mortar... I grew up in NB. Lived in Riverview until I was 10. Went back two years ago. Man has it changed the the mud river is still there. I loved it! Anyways here's some more pics of my last game on March 11th
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Enjoy!!

Mortar

March 14th, 2016, 23:55

NB is a great place to visit, and it was a great place to live but it is rapidly going downhill. Very little to keep the younger generations around, so they are all moving elsewhere.

senjak

March 15th, 2016, 10:55

If you use a tv/monitor on its back, cut a plastic sheet to protect it from scratches. I've an example of what I built for my group in another thread.

Patou

March 15th, 2016, 12:13

If you use a tv/monitor on its back, cut a plastic sheet to protect it from scratches. I've an example of what I built for my group in another thread.

Hi Senjak

What did you do to disperse the heat that comes through the monitor?

senjak

March 15th, 2016, 18:11

Hi Senjak

What did you do to disperse the heat that comes through the monitor?

I haven't seen the monitor heat up, even after more than 6 hours of play.

None of the vents on the back/bottom of the monitor are blocked and there's a good inch or more clearance under most of the monitor.

Look down in https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?28752-Looking-for-suggestions-regarding-using-monitor-as-table-for-FG-IRL/page2 and you can see a picture of the front and back. (and assorted weird things on my dining room table!)

Senjak

Patou

March 15th, 2016, 18:56

I haven't seen the monitor heat up, even after more than 6 hours of play.

None of the vents on the back/bottom of the monitor are blocked and there's a good inch or more clearance under most of the monitor.

Look down in https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?28752-Looking-for-suggestions-regarding-using-monitor-as-table-for-FG-IRL/page2 and you can see a picture of the front and back. (and assorted weird things on my dining room table!)

Senjak

Pretty awesome stuff!

Furentz

August 16th, 2018, 15:38

I always use a projector and Fantasy Ground.

I have a 120" wall screen that we use to display the players view and I (as the DM) use my laptop for the DM view behind a DM screen. (Wich means, two clients on the same pc)

I use syrinscape for sfx and music. (home theatre system provide an excelent ambience)

Theres no more battle mat that has to be redrawn every scene.
No minis to manage.

Most of my players appreciate they only need to point at the screen to tell me what they do, where they move to.

But lately, I've been missing the old days. I am thinking of going back to the pen&paper only. I miss rolling dices.
(I tried to roll manualy but just clicking saves everyone a lot of time.

All in all, it is a great experience. But I think in the long run, players forget to use one thing... they're imagination.
Visuals are provided when using a virtual tabletop and maps (from book modules for exemple) so You dont have to mention the ground and walls are made of stone.
They see it. Saving time again. But... Theres no more... "romance" between the DM and players. It feels video gamish. It takes a part of the dnd soul.

Maybe I am too nostalgic. Maybe I should accept the evolution that we untertook many years ago. I always wanted to provide the best experience for my players.
But maybe I went too far. Maybe I am taking them by the hand. Carrying, dragging them into something I can't control anymore.

Are you there players? Am I here? Am I just a screen now?

LordEntrails

August 16th, 2018, 15:46

Hey Furentz, welcome to the forums :)

Your players are lucky, not just because of the tech you use, but because of your interest in what makes the soul of the game.

IMO Technology, and FG, can either add to or remove from the soul and enjoyment of the game. I would suggest you try and make sure where you project FG is "inside" the group or is the center of the focus. And then, as I think you know, don't focus on the technical accuracy, but on the feel. See if you can get your players to use voices, and stay in character.

And, as you probably know, sometimes we have to try something new. You'll find it. Keep looking :)

Patou

August 16th, 2018, 15:57

I've been thinking of putting it up on a wall but the joy I having it on the table keeps that board element. Also when it's time for theater of the mind you can simply post an image of the scene area and a few pics of npc's and go from there:)

I use two laptops and have all character PC s off one player laptop. They share the mouse but have designated a handler among them. I have my set up on my side.

I also miss the minis but I enjoy not constantly getting up to move my npc's or to clear the board. And also locking the tokens is something I enjoy...hehehe.

Blackfoot

August 16th, 2018, 17:46

Certainly the sword swings both ways as far as technology goes.
I ran a game the other day only using the drawing tool to create my maps as I didn't have what I needed available. I was able to run a much more fluid session as a result, although the drawing tool is pretty cumbersome. If it were a bit easier to use... it might give you more of the feel you are talking about.. where you describe the scene and draw it out at the same time. Back in the day markers on the battle map were all the maps we ever had... I too have gotten spoiled by the fancy maps with all the 'stone' and other details set out in front of everyone. The freedom of 'drawing it out' definitely changes some things.
I don't know that I miss fiddling with my miniatures and counters.. sometimes I do miss that too.. and definitely the feel of the dice in your hand just isn't there virtually... but hey.. I have SOOOO much more opportunity now with FG.. playing with people all over the world. It's very awesome.

Darce

December 14th, 2018, 05:49

Nylanfs

December 14th, 2018, 12:11

Welcome to the FG community and forums Darce. :)

Trenloe

December 14th, 2018, 13:42

Enjoyed reading the thread. I have thought it would be nice to run a campaign with digital maps in a table top setting. But definitely don't want to lose the use of mini's and rolling dice. I would to read more current experiences with this kind of set up.
Welcome to the forums.

What do you want to know? I used a TV laid flat on the table all the time for my face-to-face games. I used FG to display the maps. It works really well for me and my players. Some info (and photos) in this thread: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?33834-Map-resize-to-TV-resolution-for-Face-To-Face-games

Darce

December 14th, 2018, 15:32

LordEntrails

December 14th, 2018, 15:47

I think the TV would be the easiest to use with a laptop or server. But I'm looking mostly the functionality of using the map for lighting and triggers when PC move abut the map. No so much for using the FG for dice rolling. Hoping FG will help with initiative turns and storing character sheets. I also would like to the use of DC planning for encounters and encounter XP tally for all encounter tasks, ie. traps and quest. Just a few thoughts.
Their is no dynamic lighting in FG, if that is what you mean. Their is a Fog of War mask that the GM manually adds and removes. As for triggers, not sure what you mean. The GM can put links to story entries/encounters/treasure/sound/etc on the map that only they can see (unless they share them) and then click on the link to open the item, but their is nothing like a video game where a something happens automatically when a character moves into an area.

One of the strengths of FG is the combat tracker, used for initiative, tracking hit points, targeting, etc. And if you put in the character sheets and depending upon the ruleset you will have some automation with it, including things like FG telling you if you hit, doing half damage on a save, etc.

And if you haven't, check out the video tutorials to see some of the things you can do with FG.

Trenloe

December 14th, 2018, 15:53

But I'm looking mostly the functionality of using the map for lighting and triggers when PC move abut the map.
1) FG does not automatically provide dynamic lighting. The GM has to manually remove the image mask to reveal/hide the map as required.
2) Even if FG could do this, if you're using minis on top of a TV then FG doesn't have any idea where your PCs are. Unless you also have tokens on the map underneath the minis - which is a lot of extra effort.

No so much for using the FG for dice rolling. Hoping FG will help with initiative turns and storing character sheets. I also would like to the use of DC planning for encounters and encounter XP tally for all encounter tasks, ie. traps and quest. Just a few thoughts.
It's really up to you how far you go with using Fantasy Grounds for a face-to-face game. Keep in mind that Fantasy Grounds is primarily designed for VTT play - so some things are limited/require work-arounds to operate well for a face-to-face game.

If you don't have the players connecting to manage their character sheets (which you can, as long as you're happy having all your players sat around the table with laptops), then having up-to-date PC information in FG for face-to-face games requires the GM to spend a lot of time keeping them up to date. I'd suggest just having basic PC placeholders, so that you can have PCs in the initiative order (combat tracker).

All of this is really up to how you run a game, how you and your players want to interact, what data you want to have in FG (keeping in mind that if the data is not available in a FG product, you'll need to enter it all yourself), whether you use it for pre-game prep or in-game assistance.

alexpabalate

March 6th, 2019, 12:31

You can buy game projector - https://projectoreviews.com

Patou

March 6th, 2019, 12:53

Here's my setup and the things I love about FG and it's array of tools for the DM:
* Combat Tracker: Control hub for the DM. Initiative, to hit, damage, single click npc view, effects, etc.
* Zooming out for long range attacks. Before you were limited by your map size. Now without using minis you can simply pan out and see whether or not you're in range.
* quick search for basically anything in your libraries

I could go on and on. What I love most about this setup is not having to constantly get up and move the minis, change the tabletop board, or gradually draw or setup props. Now I can add, remove, place token effects from symbol sets, snd the the players only what I want them to see. In this setup I have a player laptop for all at the table. Each of their characters is setup on it. I have my own setup on my end. I use a cabled connection to prioritize over everybody else in the house...hehehe.26589

Darce

May 17th, 2019, 04:06

Thank you for the example Patou. Hopefully Unity will provided more custom tools. Basically using computer tools has been my interest since 1982 when my friends started playing AD&D. We crafted a dice roller and a random monster generator with a commodore 64 computer.

What I love most about this setup is not having to constantly get up and move the minis, change the tabletop board, or gradually draw or setup props. Now I can add, remove, place token effects from symbol sets, snd the the players only what I want them to see.26589
That is exactally what I want. Also to save the map with the PC positions at the end of a session.

In this setup I have a player laptop for all at the table. Each of their characters is setup on it. I have my own setup on my end. I use a cabled connection to prioritize over everybody else in the house...hehehe.26589
You'l have to show my more of the set up. The players share one laptop for PC sheets?