Questions about FG!

[drkknight32]

Hello everyone! I'm on the verge of purchasing Fantasy Grounds, but I'm a little bit worried about a few things. Mostly I'm a little bit concerned about what kind of map programs people use in order to make maps for FG. I don't have that much money so I don't want to have to buy two programs in order to really use one of them.

What kind of free map programs are out there that work well with Fantasy Grounds and make making square grids easy?

DOes anyone just use Fantasy Grounds to make their maps?

Anything else that people can suggest?

[richvalle]

You do need some other program to make decent maps but you don't have to spend money on it. There are several free software packages out there.

You basicly need anything that can create .jpg or other picture types. You can use GIMP as its is free.

You don't need to have the graphics program to make square grids as you can overlay a grid on the map in FG.

rv

[joshuha]

Don't forget www.rpgmapshare.com is also a great resource for maps already created.

[tdwyer11b]

Autorealm is free.

[Griogre]

Also free are Dungeon Crafter 2 (very dated but very simple to use and fast) and Dungeon Forge. There are many maps available on the web. WoTC did a map of the week for a quite a few years on their web site and they still release maps every once in a while if one of their new books has some. Piazo also has free maps from past Dungeon Magazines.

As someone has already mentioned you don't really want squares on your map already. Its not horrible but it can be a pain to get the Grid in FG to exactly overlay the grid on the map. You may want the grid FG puts down because your FG pointers will then give distances and radius size.

[drkknight32]

Yeah, that was something that kinda confused me with the demo too. Like you make the squares lets say... 50x50 (I assume those are pixels).

When you do the pointers it reads out like 1,1.3,1.5, etc. etc.

What exactly does that number represent anyways?


(Going to give a few of those programs a swing for now though)

[richvalle]

Distance assuming each square of the grid is 5 feet.

Yes, the 50x50 is in pixels. I go the the '50x50 = 5 foot' standard but their are others.

Good luck!

rv

[Dachannien]

The number is the number of squares across that the arrow is. Generally, you should set the grid so that it's the number of pixels that one 5' square is across.

It's not incredibly useful for local maps in d20, since you can just alternate counting diagonal squares as 5' and 10', and that estimate ends up being a bit different than the number that an arrow will give you. But the circle and cone are both very useful - if the radius is 20', increase the size of the circle until the number says 4.0.

It's also very useful for overland maps. Scale the map such that 5 pixels = 4 miles (if you're playing D&D in Forgotten Realms, the huge Faerun map that WotC has on their website is already scaled pretty much exactly like this). Then put the grid on the map in FG, and set the grid size to the movement rate of your party (if your party is hiking overland, and the slowest person has a movement rate of 20', set it to 20 pixels). When you draw an arrow, the number next to it then represents the number of days of travel to get from one end of the arrow to the other, given optimal travel conditions.

[Jingo]

Hello everyone! I'm on the verge of purchasing Fantasy Grounds, but I'm a little bit worried about a few things. Mostly I'm a little bit concerned about what kind of map programs people use in order to make maps for FG. I don't have that much money so I don't want to have to buy two programs in order to really use one of them.

What kind of free map programs are out there that work well with Fantasy Grounds and make making square grids easy?

DOes anyone just use Fantasy Grounds to make their maps?

Anything else that people can suggest?

My first few sessions with FG I just used the internal map editor along with some imported maps off the web. And it worked out. Since then for most of my DMing in FG I've just imported maps off the web... though most recently I just bought Dundjinni...

But if you're on a budget, heck you can make due with Microsoft Paint! A great little program that's already on your OS and you can use it to make very basic tactical maps and so on. (use the spray paint tool with green or autum for trees, rectangles for tents/homes, etc).

That being said, I would like a little more oomphage in the drawing abilities of FG... any idea if that's changed at all in FG2 anyone?

[richvalle]

I think it is on the list to be changed, but not with the first release of FG II.

[Valarian]

I think each tool for it's job. Fantasy Grounds is a network RPG tool. That must be the primary outlook for the developers, or the product will end up trying to be a bit of everything. It's job is really to display maps, and sharing them with the connected players with tokens for use within the game. It should be able to use maps created elsewhere rather than creating them within the tool itself. Fantasy Grounds needs to concentrate on being the best network RPG tool in the market, rather than a drawing tool.

[richvalle]

I agree... but I also think the drawing tools could be a bit better.

The devs indicated they were going to update the drawing part of FG. I think adding some more colors and line thickness options. Its just not going to be in the first FG II release.

From what I remember anyway... which is alwasy suspect. :)

rv

[Oberoten]

The one item I really MISS in the map-editing is a tool to draw straight lines. Put one end down, draw a line to the next click.

With that alone quality of "quick-maps" would increase a tenfold.

[drkknight32]

The one item I really MISS in the map-editing is a tool to draw straight lines. Put one end down, draw a line to the next click.

With that alone quality of "quick-maps" would increase a tenfold.


That would be awesome. Straight lines rock.

[Griogre]

Straight Lines that could "snap" to the grid would be awesome. :)

[drkknight32]

Speaking of maps...i just decided to purchase the program and upload my first few maps. I've noticed though that the grid lines can be hard to see at certain points of the map. Is there a way to maybe change the grid line color or does anyone have any useful tips...besides don't make the map difficult colors lol?

Edit: I'm using Dungeon Forge btw! sry

[Elf]

Nice tip! I hadn't thought of that!


The number is the number of squares across that the arrow is. Generally, you should set the grid so that it's the number of pixels that one 5' square is across.

It's not incredibly useful for local maps in d20, since you can just alternate counting diagonal squares as 5' and 10', and that estimate ends up being a bit different than the number that an arrow will give you. But the circle and cone are both very useful - if the radius is 20', increase the size of the circle until the number says 4.0.

It's also very useful for overland maps. Scale the map such that 5 pixels = 4 miles (if you're playing D&D in Forgotten Realms, the huge Faerun map that WotC has on their website is already scaled pretty much exactly like this). Then put the grid on the map in FG, and set the grid size to the movement rate of your party (if your party is hiking overland, and the slowest person has a movement rate of 20', set it to 20 pixels). When you draw an arrow, the number next to it then represents the number of days of travel to get from one end of the arrow to the other, given optimal travel conditions.

[Griogre]

Speaking of maps...i just decided to purchase the program and upload my first few maps. I've noticed though that the grid lines can be hard to see at certain points of the map. Is there a way to maybe change the grid line color or does anyone have any useful tips...besides don't make the map difficult colors lol?

Sorry to say, my only advice is don't make the floors of the maps dark. Currently there is no way to change the color of the grid so you just will not see the grid on dark floors. If you must have a dark floor you are going to need to put a light gray or white grid on the map in the map program and not use FG's grid.

This is also true with tokens to a certain extent. No matter how great a large picture dark picture looks, when you make it into a token often it just looks like black and grey blobs and horrible.