New to Digital Cartography? Software General Information

[icosahedron]

Ok, I can tell when I'm in the minority - I'll shut up and go back to knapping my stone axe...

[torstan]

I know there is a user created patch that allows you to place VBL on tokens at the moment - but it hasn't been included in the main build and I'm sure it won't be until 1.4. This would allow VBL to be automatically laid down when you lay down a wall tile for example. Right now, you just have to lace it yourself, but as long as the tiles snap over the grid lines rather than along them, this should work really easily. It would also allow VBL to rotate as a door image rotated.

I'm not sure I see the value in knowing when a door is open or closed beyond the visual element? Right now, as RP says, you can rotate doors around a hinge. I would say that this is enough for DMs - surely they can see when a door has opened too far and make sure they don't rotate it into the wall and so avoid the need for more coding.

Here's an example door image:


Drop this in maptool on the object layer. Ctrl-Shift-middle mouse button to rotate the door. It should rotate around the hinge. Apart from having VBL track the rotation, I don't really see a need for much more sophistication here - especially not from a mapmaking point of view.

[trevor]

I noticed that too... I figured you would get it corrected once 1.3 becomes final.

Actually, technically I sent dev an entire rewrite of the entire chart before FUMcon (for FUMcon), but he either didn't like it or didn't get around to updating it.

I'd actually like to put it up on wikipedia under a VTT page, start maintaining it as the defacto location to look for the VT list and comparisons. But just, you know, haven't had time

[trevor]

Surprised not to find Klooge on the list.

For context, the list of VTs were the ones that participated in the original FUMcon (at the time called iCon). The prevalent VTs of the time (including klooge) were emailed requesting the values for the chart, the ones that are there are the ones that responded.

Maybe I should look at FG, but none of the comments I have ever seen from users suggest that mapping is its strong point.

I think, _think_ it has some primitive drawing tools, but I don't recall seeing any posts or articles about using FG for map making, just doesn't seem to be the primary focus of the tool. Someone please correct me if I'm misinformed.

[trevor]

Select which end of door it will hinge on.

This is a very long running request that keeps getting out-prioritized

[trevor]

Is this really the case for MapTool?

Perhaps it's because of my familiarity with how MT works vs how I _want_ it to work

The drawing tools are long overdue for a rewrite. There are also a ton of map making tricks that have been on hold for a long time now (a couple you have mentioned already).

Also, as you mentioned, the export only exports the current viewport, not the entire map.

So, from my perspective, if the end result is a jpg or png, there are other programs out there that are much better suited for that task.

But the MT users constantly suprise me with what they come up with, so I may not be the right person to ask

[torstan]

I would love to be able to export a tile made map from maptool. But then, that's just me.

[dormouse]

I'm not sure I see the value in knowing when a door is open or closed beyond the visual element? Right now, as RP says, you can rotate doors around a hinge. I would say that this is enough for DMs - surely they can see when a door has opened too far and make sure they don't rotate it into the wall and so avoid the need for more coding.

Apart from having VBL track the rotation, I don't really see a need for much more sophistication here - especially not from a mapmaking point of view.

On this, and a number of aspects, I was looking at MT as a VTT rather than just a mapper.

There are two issues. One is the purely visual element. If you have gone to a lot of trouble designing a map, you do want it hinged (& rotating) correctly. And getting the visuals as right as possible does improve the atmospherics.

The second is around gameplay. How much of a room the players can see will depend on where they are standing and how far the door is opened (and where it is hinged) and that is what will happen with VBL working properly. There's no reason why they should not be the ones opening the door - but they won't know of any obstruction on the other side. Doing it like this means that there is no need for the DM (or players) to say anything about it - they just do and the doing is visible. Same principle when FoW is operating and they are returning past the door; do they remember exactly how open/closed they left it? No need for the DM to say anything (risking inadvertently drawing attention to something significant), no need for rolls.

[dormouse]

I think a lot depends on what you want from your mapping app.
Are you creating a map/floorplan or a bird's eye view/satellite image?
Do you need to know where things are relative to each other or do you want flickering shadows cast by every torch?

I think that's what I was trying to say when I came into this thread. The best app for you will be determined by the outcomes you want and how easily you can achieve them in each app.

[torstan]

Ah, if it's the players opening the door then I can entirely see why you'd want to specify those details. I was thinking the DM would do it, and they of course know how far the door can open.

I agree about things hinging properly. It's nice that they already do - as long as you make sure your door pngs have the hinge at the centre.