FG sharing maps and tokens

[Mixylplyx]

I have ultimate FG. I was trying to run my first session as GM (FG+TS) with six others in different time zones; I go to share a map and no one sees it, even after 30+ minutes. They also do not see any of the tokens I had created for the mission. The best we could figure out, is that I had so many maps and tokens that FG was still trying to upload everyone's computers with ALL of the maps and tokens I have made, not just the maps I shared or tokens in use for the monsters. I don't know if it's an issue with my upload speed or the others' computers and connections.

What's going on? Does FG automatically sync all the maps and tokens in the GM's folders like we suspect? If so, anyway to disable that and just send the ones in 'use' at the moment? Any other way to organize all my maps and tokens so only the bare minimum I need for that session is synced?

I hope this is the correct forum for this post. As I'm relatively new to FG, forgive my newness. Any help is appreciated.

[Trenloe]

Since v3.1.3, the only stuff that is automatically downloaded to the players (other than the initial ruleset and extensions) are tokens in the \tokens\shared directory - GMs tokens will be in the module or \tokens\host. Non-shared tokens will be downloaded when they are needed.

Library/reference modules that you have allowed the players access to will be downloaded (if they don't already have then) when the players open the module in the library.

When you say no one sees a shared map, did they see a blank image window open on their side, or nothing at all?

If these are maps you've added to the campaign yourself, how large are they? Maps should be kept below 1MB wherever possible (smaller if you can). The speed to display a newly shared image is based off the image size, the GM upload speed, the number of players connected and their download speeds. The uploading of data in FG is using old network libraries in the current form and isn't very efficient with large data transfer (the move to Unity should improve this drastically), so keep the size of images and tokens you're sharing to the lowest you can.

[Mixylplyx]

When you say no one sees a shared map, did they see a blank image window open on their side, or nothing at all?

They had nothing at all.

I have my maps and tokens in a GM only module, then pull that module into a new campaign or whatever I'm running that night. When I go to share the map via the right-click menu, is that when it sends it to those connected? Also, what does pre-loading the image do? I presume it goes ahead and sends the image to the clients but doesn't show it yet?

[Moon Wizard]

Did they see a window pop up with just gray in the middle, or a window pop up with gray plus a loading icon?
How big are your map files?

When sharing a map using the radial menu (right click), then the image record is made public, and is immediately shared with anyone who is connected.

Regards,
JPG

[Mixylplyx]

Window pop-up with gray from what I recall. When I shared it, on my screen the map had the little profile pics in the bottom left of the window, I guess to indicate who received the map, but they reported they never got anything.

[Trenloe]

How big are the maps you're sharing? i.e. the file size.

[Mixylplyx]

40+ maps 300-800 KB in size generally, tokens were 300+ 50-90 KB size

[JohnD]

That's a lot unless you have a great upload.

[Trenloe]

Are the tokens in \tokens\shared or \tokens\host?

What size was the map that you shared and just showed the grey screen?

Are you only sharing one map at a time?

Is the GM computer on a Wi-Fi or wired connection?

What is your upload speed?

[Moon Wizard]

Do you have a mask set up on the map already? If so, all they would see would be gray until you revealed from the map.

You can start a second instance of FG on the same machine and connect to "localhost" as a player to see what they should see.

Regards,
JPG

[Mixylplyx]

-tokens were mostly in host, but quite a number in shared
-map shared that got gray screen was 800kb
-shared one map at a time
-gm was wired to router
-750Kbps or so
-mask was on, but map still didn't show when I removed the mask and synced
-I tested it all out on my computer with a second instance, no problems, but the second instance was using the same local files so it didn't have to download anything

[Moon Wizard]

Actually, it does technically download the file into the client cache. The second player client has no direct access to the files on disk for your campaign, so they are transferred just like they would be for your session.

Can you test with less people connected? If you set up your host and post here, perhaps myself or one of the other forum users can connect and see if we see the map. Make sure that the map is shared, and has a circled P icon next to it in the campaign images list.

Regards,
JPG

[Moon Wizard]

Also, you may want to reduce the number of shared tokens and image map sizes, given that your upload speed is not that fast. Every shared token and every image file marked as public will be transferred to each client individually from your machine. So, multiply everything by the number of players. Plus, given the upload cited, I'm assuming DSL, which I've heard has realistic upload bandwidth lower than cited speeds.

Regards,
JPG

[Mixylplyx]

if you want to test, you can try to connect with 'xeno bard nosy bard'

[JohnD]

Trying now.

Edit: Could not connect to host.

[damned]

Also happy to test with you but it appears you have closed the session now.

[Rmartinezv]

So for example. The NPC tokens where I have to save it in order the players can't see them in their token library but in the map?

I have my tokens in a module but when I put a token in the map they can't see it.

[Zacchaeus]

Any tokens that are used in an encounter will be visible in the players token bag. There isn't a way to prevent that from happening if that is your question.

I'm not sure about your second question. Anything that you place on the map will be visible to the players once you make the NPC visible on the combat tracker and provided that the token is not under the mask.

[Rmartinezv]

Any tokens that are used in an encounter will be visible in the players token bag. There isn't a way to prevent that from happening if that is your question.

I'm not sure about your second question. Anything that you place on the map will be visible to the players once you make the NPC visible on the combat tracker and provided that the token is not under the mask.

Ok I think that's my problem. When I tested I actually just put a token from the token library. I'll try do what you said, pull the token from combat tracker.

[Trenloe]

Right click on a token added directly to the map to change its visibility. Info here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/index.php/Tokens#Visibility

[Rmartinezv]

Any tokens that are used in an encounter will be visible in the players token bag. There isn't a way to prevent that from happening if that is your question.

I'm not sure about your second question. Anything that you place on the map will be visible to the players once you make the NPC visible on the combat tracker and provided that the token is not under the mask.

I dont know why but I drag the token from my NPC located in the Combat Tracker and I can see it but players can't. I'm using Star Wars ruleset, I don't think that affects the way it's works.

[Trenloe]

I dont know why but I drag the token from my NPC located in the Combat Tracker and I can see it but players can't. I'm using Star Wars ruleset, I don't think that affects the way it's works.
Please provide a screenshot of the issue - include the combat tracker and the map from the GM perspective.

[Rmartinezv]

I think I figured it out. If my tokens are modules they are not shared. I copied my tokens into my Token/Host directory and now is working perfect: Player don't see them in their token folder but they can in the map.

By the way, sorry for the duplicated post in the forum. I will not doing it again.

Thanks for all the help!!!! And for the great ruleset.