New DM: questions about sharing images/resources with players

[Aedyn]

I purchased Fantasy Grounds recently, so I'm still very much a noob. We're starting our campaign on Thursday (3.0 era Forgotten Realms in the 5e ruleset) and I'm hoping someone can help me clear up some questions before we start.

Initially, I plan on playing a Minds-Eye-Theatre style campaign, without being beholden to grid maps. This is mostly to ease my transition into the client, and I may introduce these in the future once we're all familiar with existing client workings.

As a result, I'm interested in working out how I can do some things:

1. Share resources with players (example: a portrait of a NPC I've imported to give a visual reference as to what he/she looks like; a piece of parchment with a symbol on it).
2. Make this resource pop up on everyone's client so they all see it when I want them to.

I don't want to share these resources ahead of time, but on the fly. I'm also a bit confused as to how this works if you import resources as a module. For example, if I add a module containing maps/info but mark it unavailable to the players (the Big Red X) to stop them from taking a devious peek at the possible future of their party, am I still able to share individual pieces out as an when they become available? Or do I need to do something else instead of Red X-ing it?

[Trenloe]

Just use the standard FG sharing mechanism. Open the map, right-click on it and select Sharing -> Share Sheet. This will transfer the image data to each player and the image will open on their screen.

[Andraax]

Put the red x on the module so your players can't open it. Then, when you want the players to see something, bring it up, right click, and select Sharing then Share Sheet.

[Aedyn]

That's strange, I tried right clicking on some resources and I didn't see an option to share. Perhaps I was doing something wrong. I shall try again later.

Thanks for confirming!

[Trenloe]

That's strange, I tried right clicking on some resources and I didn't see an option to share.
Not all resources can be shared. Those that can need to be opened first. Most standard resources (story, images,encounters, etc.) can be shared, but some you may need to drag the link to the PC portrait on the desktop (when sharing a NPC for example).

[Zacchaeus]

The red X and green tick in the module window are there so that you can share certain modules with your players - such as a player's handbook or list of spells. By placing a green tick on a module the players can download that resource and open it on their computer whilst connected to you. This is an all or nothing affair. If you share the module you are sharing everything in that module with your players. Therefore you only want to be sharing things like a player's handbook and not say an adventure module or something which is only for use by the DM such as a beastiary.

Once you have your players connected and you want to share an image with them click on the images and maps button on the right and this will bring up a list of all the images that you have open. These will be from modules that you are using such as an adventure. Find the image you want to share and open it; now right click on the image. One of the radial options that appear will be sharing. Click it and you'll get another couple of options one of which is share sheet. Clicking that will share the image with all of your players. The same principle applies to story entries; just right click and share.

You can also share an image or a story entry with one or more selected players by dragging the image and dropping it on the player portrait on the top left. This means that you can selectively share information with some of the characters and not others.

[Aedyn]

You can also share an image or a story entry with one or more selected players by dragging the image and dropping it on the player portrait on the top left. This means that you can selectively share information with some of the characters and not others.

Good to know! Does this make it immediately pop up on screen for them, too? Or do they have to manually open it somehow?

Thanks for the info guys, this is wonderful. I really appreciate it.

[Trenloe]

Does this make it immediately pop up on screen for them, too?
Yes it does.

[Trenloe]

FYI - a great way for you to get to know what the player see and how shared records appear etc. is to start a second instance of FG on the same computer as the GM instance. "Join Game" with a server address of localhost and you'll be able to see, on the same computer, what the players see. This is invaluable in learning how FG works and I'd recommend you do this during your first few sessions too, so that you know what the players are seeing.

[Aedyn]

FYI - a great way for you to get to know what the player see and how shared records appear etc. is to start a second instance of FG on the same computer as the GM instance. "Join Game" with a server address of localhost and you'll be able to see, on the same computer, what the players see. This is invaluable in learning how FG works and I'd recommend you do this during your first few sessions too, so that you know what the players are seeing.

Great tip! Thanks!

[Asterionaisien]

Good to know! Does this make it immediately pop up on screen for them, too? Or do they have to manually open it somehow?

Thanks for the info guys, this is wonderful. I really appreciate it.

I really really appreciate it too!! I didn't know that! TYVM for the useful tip :)

EDIT: sorry, i messed up my posts . Please disregard one.

[Asterionaisien]

The red X and green tick in the module window are there so that you can share certain modules with your players - such as a player's handbook or list of spells. By placing a green tick on a module the players can download that resource and open it on their computer whilst connected to you. This is an all or nothing affair. If you share the module you are sharing everything in that module with your players. Therefore you only want to be sharing things like a player's handbook and not say an adventure module or something which is only for use by the DM such as a beastiary.

Once you have your players connected and you want to share an image with them click on the images and maps button on the right and this will bring up a list of all the images that you have open. These will be from modules that you are using such as an adventure. Find the image you want to share and open it; now right click on the image. One of the radial options that appear will be sharing. Click it and you'll get another couple of options one of which is share sheet. Clicking that will share the image with all of your players. The same principle applies to story entries; just right click and share.

You can also share an image or a story entry with one or more selected players by dragging the image and dropping it on the player portrait on the top left. This means that you can selectively share information with some of the characters and not others.

TYVM for the tip, I didn't know that! :)

[LordEntrails]

You may also notice that when you right click Share, there is an option to Pre-Load images. This will tell FG to download the image to the clients, but not (yet) make ti available for them to view and it will not open on their screens. This way, you can pre-load images so they all load up with the clients connect, or during a lull in game play (say you take a break). Then you can Share > Share Sheet/Image later and it will pop up near instantly.

Also, their is a Synch Client View option. This works to re-open and synch (size, position, etc) of an image that you have already shared. Perhaps they have closed it or have zoomed around and don't know what you are talking about anymore.

[Trenloe]

@LordEntrails, the info you provide is not quite right I'm afraid.


You may also notice that when you right click Share, there is an option to Pre-Load images. This will tell FG to download the image to the clients, but not (yet) make ti available for them to view and it will not open on their screens. This way, you can pre-load images so they all load up with the clients connect, or during a lull in game play (say you take a break). Then you can Share > Share Sheet/Image later and it will pop up near instantly.
With preload the data is sent to all clients (and they also get it when they log in later), and the record is not automatically opened. However, the record will be available for the player to view if they look in their campaign data. Essentially this is the same as sharing a record, the only difference being that it doesn't automatically open for players already logged in.


Also, their is a Synch Client View option. This works to re-open and synch (size, position, etc) of an image that you have already shared. Perhaps they have closed it or have zoomed around and don't know what you are talking about anymore.
Sync client view does not re-open an image on the players side. It will make the open image on the player side center on the same center point as the GM image. It will not open the image if the player has closed it. For that, re-share the image - it doesn't re-download the image, just re-opens it for players who have closed it. So, if you want to draw attention to a specific region of a map, and you think the players might have closed it, then: step 1 - share the image, even if it's been shared before (this will open it on the player side); step 2 - "sync client view" to center the map/image on the region the GM is looking at.

[Aedyn]

Great info, thank you all!

I really appreciate how helpful this community is. :)

[LordEntrails]

@Trenloe, so it shows up in their campaign list? Not just in the campaign folder if they browse their folder structure outside of FG? (That's what I thought the behavior is/was).

This is twice in two days I was wrong! Or thrice since I was wrong twice in this post?

[Aedyn]

I have verified that this is now working (presumably I was trying to share something unsharable as a test before), and thanks to the two-client tip I know what the players will see. Lovely stuff, thank you!

One more minor question: I have been playing with the combat tracker and I can't work out how to reset the round after combat is done. I tried rolling all initatives again but that didn't seem to work. Is there a trick to this?

[Andraax]

"Short Rest"

[Trenloe]

@Trenloe, so it shows up in their campaign list? Not just in the campaign folder if they browse their folder structure outside of FG? (That's what I thought the behavior is/was).
1) Nothing obvious will appear in the players campaign folder structure - any shared data is encrypted in the campaign.dat or <module name>.dat files, so you never see an image or some-such in the players folders. The preload does transfer the image data to the player campaign cache so it is ready to be opened in future without file transfer delays.
2) Yes the shared image shows up in the campaign list and can be opened by the players if the click on it, any "preload" command acts exactly the same as sharing the image, the only difference is that it doesn't automatically open it.

[LordEntrails]

...
2) Yes the shared image shows up in the campaign list and can be opened by the players if the click on it, any "preload" command acts exactly the same as sharing the image, the only difference is that it doesn't automatically open it.
Ah well then, I need to play more with the client. Or just play more rather than GM so much! Thanks for informing & clarifying :)

[Trenloe]

Note: if you do want to preload images, but not give anything away to the players:
1) Turn image identification "on" in the campaign options.
2) Mask the image before you preload it.

The players will see an unidentified image in their images/maps campaign list (so there's no name to give it away) and if they open it they'll just see a blank image due to the mask.

[damned]

I have verified that this is now working (presumably I was trying to share something unsharable as a test before), and thanks to the two-client tip I know what the players will see. Lovely stuff, thank you!

One more minor question: I have been playing with the combat tracker and I can't work out how to reset the round after combat is done. I tried rolling all initatives again but that didn't seem to work. Is there a trick to this?

Click on New Round and Click on the Field with teh current round number and reset to 0 or 1?

[Andraax]

Click on New Round and Click on the Field with teh current round number and reset to 0 or 1?

It's easier to do a "Short Rest". This also removes effects with short durations that are left around.

[damned]

It's easier to do a "Short Rest". This also removes effects with short durations that are left around.

Sure - but a short rest in 5e implies many other things - that you do stop and rest for one hour and you can spend hit dice to recover lost hit points.

[Aedyn]

It's easier to do a "Short Rest". This also removes effects with short durations that are left around.

Does this not have wider repercussions like resetting short rest abilities (e.g. warlock spellslots)?

[Moon Wizard]

Yes it does. There's a Initiative->Clear All Initiatives option under the combat tracker menu that should be the correct way to reset only the initiatives.

Cheers,
JPG

[LordEntrails]

Myself, I generally don't bother to reset anything unless they are actually taking a short/long rest. Since I don't care what turn number it is, I just add the next encounter to the CT, clear any effects, and re-roll ALL initiatives.

[Aedyn]

Yes it does. There's a Initiative->Clear All Initiatives option under the combat tracker menu that should be the correct way to reset only the initiatives.

Cheers,
JPG

I have no problems resetting the initiative, it's just the round number. My inner OCD screams against starting a combat on round 33. ;)

I realise it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, I just find it irrationally irritating. More a flaw with me than anything else. :)

[Trenloe]

I have no problems resetting the initiative, it's just the round number. My inner OCD screams against starting a combat on round 33. ;)

I realise it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, I just find it irrationally irritating. More a flaw with me than anything else. :)
As damned mentioned - click on the round number field and type in the number you want the round to be - 0, 1, 926, whatever.

[Aedyn]

As damned mentioned - click on the round number field and type in the number you want the round to be - 0, 1, 926, whatever.

Whoops, I misunderstood what he originally wrote. So he did! Thanks for clarifying!