Using Dual Screen Gaming Table

[gamenight5e]

Hello everyone,

My group has recently started using a gaming table that has a monitor in the middle. We're trying to figure out how to put the maps on the monitor and leave the rest of the information for the DM on the laptop so that the players do not see what's going on.

Any help for the computer illiterate is greatly appreciated.

[Trenloe]

Welcome to the forums.

I use a second monitor laid flat on my table for maps in face-to-face gaming. I start a second instance of FG on my computer and "Join Game" with a server address of localhost - this will give you a player view. Drag this view to your monitor on your table and share maps, images, use the mask, etc. as you would to a normal "player".

There's also a useful extension to help resize maps, and also some photos of using FG on the table, here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?33834-Map-resize-to-TV-resolution-for-Face-To-Face-games

[jrh18]

One thing I would mention here is that dual instances are currently easier on a Windows machine than it is on a mac. Windows also plays better with multiple monitors and FG than the Mac version does. It was so hard on Mac that I ended up buying a windows laptop just to run FG.

The way I run our face to face games with FG is I have another players setup their laptop and connect to the monitor. They then connect to my instance of FG (this worked with both ultimate and regular licenses) and control the player characters. We do this because our TV is on the wall at work and I bought FG because I didn't want to have to lug around miniatures and maps.

I was wondering if FG could be played on something like a raspberry pi 3B or one of the other small form factor low power boards. Since FG can run on linux (not sure if it is any better than on a Mac). Then you could power the PI by the usb from the TV and tape it to the back with a wireless keyboard and mouse. If you didn't mind an exposed circuit board on the pi that could be a $35 second computer. It would probably cost more for the keyboard and mouse.

[Trenloe]

I was wondering if FG could be played on something like a raspberry pi 3B or one of the other small form factor low power boards.
I very much doubt it. Not enough RAM on a Raspberry Pi 3. Maybe it might run on some other small form factor low power boards which have more RAM, the user experience may be very slow/clunky though.

[Valyar]

Do I need to have the Ultimate license to get this second instance connecting to the localhost to work?

[Erin Righ]

I believe the standard version allows 1 free connection

[Valyar]

On the licensing page (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/home/home.php) it states:


NO to Host Games for Demo Players
YES to Demo with one player and one GM


I don't have way to test now, but I presume the second instance logs in as Player, and i have 1x GM and 1x Player?

[Erin Righ]

That is correct as I know it, Valyar

[Valyar]

Thanks! :)

[damned]

All versions allow a second client running on the same computer to connect to the server localhost

Standard can host a game for a demo player but the demo player will be booted if a licensed player connects.

Demo can also host for a demo client but no data will be saved.

Ultimate can accept standard, demo and ultimate client connections.