FGU Ultimate (early access) - new user overwhelmed

[Kickin Bears]

So after much research, I decided to pull the trigger and purchase the FGU Ultimate license. This is my first VTT so knew I was jumping into the deep end, but man am I having a touch of buyers remorse right now lol. I'm super comfortable with technical complexity, so am up for the challenge, but WOW does the experience leave me scratching my head right out of the gate.

The app manuals / guides seem to be directed at FGC usage, which adds to the difficulty factor right now. I'm a Mac user, so another layer of difficulty added in as the old guides reference the Win platform exclusively.

I think as a first goal to learn the program is to build out the starter kit campaign manually. Does anyone have resource recommendations that walk me through functionality for FGU specifically? Bonus points for Mac OS tutorials. Especially looking for ground up walkthroughs / tutorials

System / app details:
Running on a MacBook Pro
Own an FGU Ultimate license
Purchased core materials (phb, dmhb, mm)

Initial functionality I'm trying to explore / learn early:

- window sizing - Is there a way to save window position after resizing?
- character creation - is there a way to create characters offline, outside of campaigns (ready to load)?

Really appreciate any help / guidance. I look forward to feeling comfortable with how the program works

\'''/

[superteddy57]

Most of the guides related to FGC are still relevant to FGU. A great resource if you haven't checked out would be the wiki.
https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FGU/pages/688330/Rolling+Dice

You are not wrong in using a test campaign to tinker with things. When I first started, I did mock battles and even ran though a created adventure. Something small enough to practice entering data and creating NPCs and even went through some PC creation as well. Did the same with my players as well to tinker with the system without pressure in getting characters done. To answer your specific questions, the location and size of windows should be saved between sessions, but you will have to create characters within a campaign and then export them to move them to another campaign. My signature has a few links that might help with the common issues most are running into right now and should be consulted if you run into those particular issues. If you have any further questions, don't be shy and we are glad to help and answer them.

[LordEntrails]

Nothing that specific yet. But there are two FGU getting start videos I'm aware of;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPJVFM-9KZ0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnQP4uCXbHo

Nothing I know about that details Mac install.
Once in FGU, everything except connections and mapping are pretty much identical to FGC.

[Imagix]

I'm also in the initial stages of using FG with intent. I happen to be using an iMac for my GM machine. The player machines are a MacBook Pro, a MacBook Air, and two other Windows machined (which I have never seen.. they're the remote players). I've got four players in my group (none of which has used FG at all before. One player is basically using this to evaluate FG for his own group.) We're all aware that none of us really know how to use it. My path through learning FG has been going as follows:

1) Originally I was only using FGC to store the character sheet, and exported them on paper to play in the traditional paper-and-pencil method.

2) Covid-19 happened.

3) Set up FGU on my end. Paired with Google Hangouts Meet for our video and audio needs. Started to figure out how to use the combat tracker to manage encounters. No maps, they were all shared either by paper and the camera, or one player was using Inkscape and sharing their screen.

4) After that session, I figured out offline a little better how to use the combat tracker. Assigning targets to people, and how characters could still roll their own initiative (during 3, I used the "roll everybody's initiative" button). Yay, my players could feel a little more involved.

5) I started to figure out creating story entries, creating encounters and parcels, attaching those to story entries, and pinning the story entries onto a scanned map. Also figured out how to build a module in FGU. (So, now I have two campaigns: the active playing campaign, and the campaign for building the module)

6) Game session 2. Now I can just drag the pre-built encounters and have them added to the combat tracker. I can drag the parcels into the party tracker to distribute loot. Drag the encounters to the party tracker to distribute XP. During this session I fiddled a bit with the maps (while we were chatting off on a tangent) and figured out how the masking works so my party didn't have to try mapping out the rough caverns area of the module.

Next plan for me is to work more with the maps to figure out how managing the tokens on the map works.

So far, we're happy with our progressive learning on the tool, and how it gets to take over more and more of the bookkeeping aspects of the game. Oh, this is a D&D 5ed campaign.

[Kickin Bears]

@imagix -- appreciate the flow on how you're learning. Right now, I'm really struggling with general UI and base functionality w/ using a Mac, so any insight you can share would be great.

For instance, some basics I'm trying to understand are:

- I dragged some dice onto the hotkey, but have no idea how to delete the or modify the hotkey (I dragged another set of dice onto the hotkey and it added the dice to the dice that were already in there ... a great feature but cannot figure out how to clear or edit the hotkey).

- I'm reading that you can right click on dice for additional menu's commands. There is no right-click for Mac, and usually the right click is hold ctrl+touchpad click but no right-click window pops.

- Window size / position does not save. Is this normal for the application? I'd really like to organize my working space, and seems like this should be 101 functionality.

Thx to all for the quick responses. It's great to know that folks are active and responsive

[Imagix]

Hmm.. step 1: get right-clicking working. Personally I don't like the ctrl-click method. If you go into your system preferences->trackpad and change it so that your secondary click is click with two fingers (instead of one...), or one of the other options, this may make using the interface easier. Clearing the hotkeys are done via the right-click menu.

Window positions... not sure. I haven't been trying to save them.

[Kickin Bears]

already immensely helpful there Imagix!! Just used two fingers and tapped, and have right click.

Guess I should add that I picked up my first Mac this past Xmas. Been using PCs since the 286, so I am dealing with that learning curve some still as well...

[LordEntrails]

I know there has been comment on the Mac right click issue before. One solution for now is to buy a 3 button mouse. I believe it's onthe list to have FGU be able to better support some standard Mac UI behaviors, but at this point such has not been able to be worked on. I don't see anything though onthe Wishlist, so it might be a good idea to put it there to make sure it's visible and can be voted on by other users.

https://fg2app.idea.informer.com/

[Trenloe]

- Window size / position does not save. Is this normal for the application? I'd really like to organize my working space, and seems like this should be 101 functionality.
Individual windows containing the same data do save their size/position (exception - the Character selection window). The key thing here is "containing the same data" - therefore, if you open a Story window containing "1. Introduction" (for example) and resize/reposition that, the next time you open that specific Story window, it will open at that position. Opening a different story window will open at the default size and position.

[Kickin Bears]

Individual windows containing the same data do save their size/position (exception - the Character selection window). The key thing here is "containing the same data" - therefore, if you open a Story window containing "1. Introduction" (for example) and resize/reposition that, the next time you open that specific Story window, it will open at that position. Opening a different story window will open at the default size and position.

Got it; it's working just like you say. Appreciate explanation!

Is there anyway to resize the chat box? Or possibly reduce font size / overall scale so I can organize windows a bit better? I'm on a 13" MacBook, so I'm very aware constraints are likely on my end

I've been able to get through character creation, and the right-click solution (two finger tap) has allowed me to make much better progress in navigating the app lolin. Just started watching Stohovve's tutorials

[Imagix]

Right-click on the chat box, and Unlock it's position. You should be able to resize (and move) it then.

[Trenloe]

Is there anyway to resize the chat box?
Right-click on the chat window and unlock it - then you can resize and move.


Or possibly reduce font size / overall scale so I can organize windows a bit better?
Type /scaleui %% in the chat window - where %% is 50 to 200 percent.

[Kickin Bears]

Hey all .. just wanted to say I appreciate the quick replies. This has been a huge help in navigating through the interface. Lots to learn but really enjoying FGU now