new DM needs help with maps and tokens

[Fire Giant]

Hello!

Sorry if this is not the right area to post this. Just got Fantasy Grounds and as a DM I am trying to simply put a map from the library down, add a few orc tokens and then add in my pcs for some simple combat. I am stuck, I can add my orc tokens to the map but my playters cannot see the map in real time or what I am doing.. how do I simply add a map, from the library, that my players can see in real time where I can perform combat. I can share the map, sure, but that doesnt seem allow for the REAL TIME interaction on the map. My players dont seem to be able to see what I am doing at all.. very frustrating. It should be really simple to throw a map down, especially from the library (not imported), add some monster tokens, and the player tokens and do some combat.. so far I cant seem to do any of that and my players cannot see it in real time. HELP!!!

[LordEntrails]

Tokens are not creatures, they have no data associated with them.

Create an NPC (or drag from a module/source), assign a token to a NPC if you don't like the one it comes from.

Then add the NPC to the Combat Tracker, and then drag the NPC token from the CT to the Map. Only tokens dragged from the CT have data associated to them.

[Fire Giant]

biggest prob at the moment is just putting a map down that my players can see in real time, that I can interact with and they can see what is happening, very basic, how do I make that happen please?

[Ampersandrew]

Yes, as LordEntrails points out, there is a different model going on than the one used in some other VTTs.

The main thing is the combat tracker. The map is just an image, you can run a combat theatre of the mind without a map. As long as the creatures (PCs and NPCs) are in the combat tracker, you'll be able to do initiative, roll dice and assign damage, all that good stuff.

[Fire Giant]

I grabbed a map from the library, volo's maps.. orc lair.. and put some orcs on it, but my plares cannot see it or see what I am doing in real time? How do I make that happen?

[Ampersandrew]

biggest prob at the moment is just putting a map down that my players can see in real time, that I can interact with and they can see what is happening, very basic, how do I make that happen please?

Firstly make sure every creature involved is in the combat tracker (You need to drag the PC portrait to the combat tracker, they can't add themselves).

Open the map at your end.

Drag the creature from the combat tracker to the map.

Right click on the map and share it with the players.

You should now be good to go.

The NPCs might be invisible at this stage, click the visibility token in the combat tracker to make them visible to the players.

[Fire Giant]

I should be able to throw a map down, put some counters on it and do combat in real time, right? Players can see the map (we can all the see the map) and tokens, and move their token around, right? IF that isnt avail in this engine that is a serious miss, very basic..

[Ampersandrew]

I should be able to throw a map down, put some counters on it and do combat in real time, right? Players can see the map (we can all the see the map) and tokens, and move their token around, right? IF that isnt avail in this engine that is a serious miss, very basic..

Not necessarily. From your reply you still haven't grasped how this works.

The map is just an image. A token is just an image.

The really important thing. The thing that makes Fantasy Grounds work is the combat tracker.

No. You should not just be able to throw down a map and some tokens and get it all to work. Do you have the combat tracker open?

Trying to throw down a map and token without involving the combat tracker will be an exercise in frustration.

[Fire Giant]

it appears that even with the combat tracker, and yes, I have 4 orcs in the tracker and 2 PCs... that the players cannot see what I am doing in real time.. if I move the map, they dont see it, if I move one of my orcs they dont see it, even after sharing.. as you said very frustraitng. It should be really ismple to put a map down, add NPCs and PCs and have it all seen it real time by everyone in the session. If this engine is not capable of that kind of basic interaction then I wildly misunderstood its capabilities. Just trying to run a basic combat with 4 orcs and 2 pcs on a map already in the library is a total **** show, wow.

[Ampersandrew]

That should be working, it absolutely should be working "in real time".

Lets take it to first principles. Did you add the creatures to the combat tracker and then drag them from there to the map?

You can just add the tokens directly to the map, but that will not really work.

Even if you add them to the combat tracker afterwards, the thing on the map is not properly connected to the thing in the combat tracker.

If it's all done right, you can mostly ignore the combat tracker if you want to. If you want it to just be a remote map and some tokens and a way to roll dice and do all your book-keeping outside FG that is entirely possible.

[Ampersandrew]

it appears that even with the combat tracker, and yes, I have 4 orcs in the tracker and 2 PCs... that the players cannot see what I am doing in real time.. if I move the map, they dont see it, if I move one of my orcs they dont see it, even after sharing.. as you said very frustraitng. It should be really ismple to put a map down, add NPCs and PCs and have it all seen it real time by everyone in the session. If this engine is not capable of that kind of basic interaction then I wildly misunderstood its capabilities. Just trying to run a basic combat with 4 orcs and 2 pcs on a map already in the library is a total **** show, wow.

Their copy of the map is their copy of the map. They will not see you move or resize yours. They absolutely should see you moving tokens.

When you move a token on your map, it should move on theirs. Similarly when they move a token, yours should move.

[Kelrugem]

it appears that even with the combat tracker, and yes, I have 4 orcs in the tracker and 2 PCs... that the players cannot see what I am doing in real time.. if I move the map, they dont see it, if I move one of my orcs they dont see it, even after sharing.. as you said very frustraitng. It should be really ismple to put a map down, add NPCs and PCs and have it all seen it real time by everyone in the session. If this engine is not capable of that kind of basic interaction then I wildly misunderstood its capabilities. Just trying to run a basic combat with 4 orcs and 2 pcs on a map already in the library is a total **** show, wow.

yes, of course normally they should see your tokens moving :) So, they see the map but not the orcs? Make sure the orcs are not invisible, the NPCs are invisible as default when added to the combat tracker and then to the map :) There is some eye next to their entry in the combat tracker, click on that, then they are visible :) (you can also right-click on tokens to change their visibility, though that does not necessarily affect the visibility in the combat tracker)

[LordEntrails]

I suggest that you take a moment, join either the FG or the FG College Discord. Ask someone to walk you through via screen share how to do the basics.
https://discord.gg/VKbhkSt
https://discord.gg/Ew6nYyw

Or if you don't like that idea, watch one of the You Tube vides.

FG does NOT work like some of the other VTTs, it has a different approach. It's also not directly a screen sharing application. It is much more powerful than other VTTs or screen share applications. And it works differently.

[Granamere]

Welcome!

Fantasy Grounds is very powerful and because of that there is some complexity to it. As someone new to it you might want to take a class at https://fantasygroundscollege.net/. They are free. I would recommend you start with either the character creation or new to Fantasy Grounds. Once you get the basics then hop into DM101.

[Nylanfs]

Actually I think everyone is missing the first step. Have you SHARED the map with everyone?

Edit: Didn't see the second page, my bad. :(

[Fire Giant]

Thank you everyone for your help, making alot of progress on day one. I have been able to run some combat, use some items (doors.. props) and my players can actually see what I am doing!! Couple of follow up questions please; how do I rotate an object, like a door, when I put it on the map?? I have been able to resize the image but I cant seem to rotate it, that would be huge! How do I do that? #2 When I am runnig combat in the the combat tracker the map seems to move around oddly when I switch from player to player to npc.. how do I stop that from happening and just keep the map fixed/ static??

[Kelrugem]

Thank you everyone for your help, making alot of progress on day one. I have been able to run some combat, use some items (doors.. props) and my players can actually see what I am doing!! Couple of follow up questions please; how do I rotate an object, like a door, when I put it on the map?? I have been able to resize the image but I cant seem to rotate it, that would be huge! How do I do that? #2 When I am runnig combat in the the combat tracker the map seems to move around oddly when I switch from player to player to npc.. how do I stop that from happening and just keep the map fixed/ static??

Normally tiles you put on a map can be rotated by dragging its white node which is not one of its corners (not sure how this handle is called), there is also some rotational field for inserting an angle :) (unlock an image to see its sidebar for such things, you may need to unlock an layer by clicking the lock sign next to its entry to make rotations possible). In general you rotate the layer, and you can choose which layer you rotate by clicking on it (though different tiles normally have a different layer)

When you mean the LoS lines, then you can rotate these by rotating their layer :) Normally they are attached to some layer (which you can see by some wall sign next to the layer's entry), but you can also create a layer just for LoS lines at the bottom of the layers' page :) Then you can also rotate just the lines :)

When the actor changes in the CT, then FG jumps to the active actor on the map such that it is easier for you to find the active token :) I do not remember any option to turn that off, though zooming out normally decreases that effect because distances shrink in relation to the resolution :)

[dellanx]

I should be able to throw a map down, put some counters on it and do combat in real time, right? Players can see the map (we can all the see the map) and tokens, and move their token around, right? IF that isnt avail in this engine that is a serious miss, very basic..

Have you shared the map?

[TeddyQ]

There is an Option available to Auto Center on the Next Actor when the Next Actor button is pressed on the Combat Tracker. This adjusts the map as you are describing. And just to confirm you are using Fantasy Grounds Unity or Classic?