Some Bugs/Features in d20Pro

Here are some bugs I have found:

1. When d20Pro first displays the screen (after login), the program does not check to see how high/wide the screen is. I have two monitors. One a 21" and one a 15.4". The program incorrectly puts the 21" version on the 15.4" monitor making it a bit difficult to drag it over to the 21" monitor. The program should either: 1)Remember which monitor it was on and move to it automatically, or 2)Just readjust itself to the current monitor it is going to display on.

2. (I only just got d20Pro so if this is already in there I just haven't found it yet.) When loading in a map a grid size has to be chosen. Once chosen I do not see any way to change the grid size. It would be nice to be able to do this. Again, if it is already in there and I haven't found that option yet - sorry. The reason this has come up is because I tried to place multiple monsters into a given room by dragging and dropping the icons. It does not look as though you can overlay icons and therefore you have to place them in separate areas on the grid. Thus, larger grids are harder to work with because there are fewer locations to put anything.

3. My next suggestion is: Why not allow a single marker to keep track of several items at one time? So notes, monsters, treasure, etc.... Sort of like putting something into a chest or backpack. You display a marker which displays the top monster's information (or if that is empty the top treasure, note, whatever).

Anyway, just some thoughts.

 

Hey Nick!

Quick response!

You hit it on the head. When someone uses the d20Pro button->Library->Create->From File option and loads in a map a new dialog box pops up which allows you to set the grid size. I've taken to using 10x10 as my grid size so I can place the different monsters within the area. Of course this makes everything really, really tiny because each icon is set within the grid itself (notes appear at the cross hairs) - but you can easily scale things up somewhat to see the icons. Still, it would be nice to be able to rescale the grid.

I haven't see any option (so far) to create hex grids either. Is that in the works? Or (again) have I just not found it yet? Probably the latter.

Ah! Ok on the monsters laid one on top of the other.

 

Those are great picts!

I had another idea. :shock:

Idea: When multiple items/monster/treasure/notes/whatever are laid one on top of another - place a small icon in one of the corners to show this. (Like a double box or something.)

Double box:

+-----+
| +--+
| |

(Of course - graphically and not text-art.)

 

Just for grins and giggles - here is a tavern (1st floor) done using Visio and Campaign Cartographer icons (as well as some MapX and other program's icons). Truth to tell - if I could have my wish - I wished Campaign Cartographer (or even d20Pro) worked like Visio 2003. With layers, arbitrary rotation, and the ability to create walls et al that were then capable of integrating into something that you could ref a game with. (Sort of like Multiverse only this is for people to ref other people with.) Don't get me wrong - d20Pro is really VERY nice and it is the program we have chosen to use in our games. But Visio is a really nice environment to work in when it comes to creating things like layouts. If you do not own Visio (or maybe I should say the d20Pro team does not own Visio) - then you should buy a copy via Amazon.com and check out what all it does (it was only $99.00 on Amazon.com a few months back). Visio's biggest drawback is that you can not display the screen on other systems. So no chance there of it ever doing what d20Pro does. But the drawing capabilities of Visio are what make it a truly awesome layout program. It is simple - but effective.

I was reading, the other day, that the TSR/WotC people use a Javascript based program to do their layouts. When I saw what they were producing I was dumbstruck because the pictures didn't look like something I could produce using Javascript. It made me wonder how much better their layouts would be if they used something like Visio to do them. Dungeon layouts are a snap with it and towns are very simple to produce using it as well. You just load in your textures, apply them to line/fill patterns, load in your icons (like the beds, fireplace, etc...) and then drag n'drop them whereever you would like to on the screen. You can even do distance measurements on screen with the built in ruler.

This isn't to say I don't like d20Pro. Far from it! I'm only now beginning to learn it and I am sure it is going to be one of my most used programs - just like Visio. This is because d20Pro has so many of the things you need when trying to run a game. Like basic information for monsters and things, being able to display a map on multiple computers, and so on. I'm just thinking that by looking at Visio your programmers can get some ideas on how to approach the mapping/layout part of the program.

 

Thanks!

I've played around with DungDjini (spelling?), Fractal Mapper, Campaign Cartographer, MapX, DungeonForger, DungeonMaker, and a few other programs. d20 was on my list of programs to look at and try. I'd even downloaded the free trial - but then Gencon came along and one of the members of our group decided to buy it for everyone so we all got a copy for free. (A nice big THANK YOU! to the person btw!) Anyway, Fractal Mapper has a feature that is also in Visio - programmability. If you do not like something in Fractal Mapper - you always have the option of just programming around it. I'm assuming FM is written in VB and they are just using the built-in VB capability to execute code from within VB - but it is a really nice feature. By allowing the user to write whatever they want - FM also gains because anyone who wants to feature their software and/or to ask a small payment (like $5.00) for a set of routines - they (meaning the FM guys) gain a huge library of possible routines which they can feature in their own program. (By entering into an agreement with the programmer to feature their code as part of the standard interface at a reduced amount (like maybe setting aside 10% of the total cost and then dividing that up among the various programmers according to how many interface modules they write) - or not as the case may be.