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Yeah I'm just getting frustrated with this software.

Discussion in 'Feature Requests' started by danielpryor, Nov 29, 2011.

  1. danielpryor

    danielpryor New Member

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    Yeah I'm just getting frustrated with this software. It has such great potential but hte user interface is absolutely horrible and there are certain restrictions and limitations that are driving me crazy. I hope to see some drastic changes soon or I'm switching to another piece of software. *sigh*

    1) I don't like the way you adjust the grid on the map. It would make much more sense to load the map full screen. Then once it is on the screen you simply expand a single box over the map to make a grid. It then shows you the whole grid and asks you if it is correct. If you say no then it lets you either do it over again or adjust it a pixel, etc. until it looks right. Other VTT do this very simply and easily, D20 pro does not.

    2) Other VTT have 3d dice that roll around around the screen, D20 pro does not. This program isn't very "pro" is it? lol!

    3) You can't rotate images or maps on the screen? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

    4) There's no need for a proprietary D20pro map file. There should only be an "overlay" file that is simply associated with the map then laid on top of it.

    5) The program doesn't allow for multiple monitor support, fine, BUT when you do something like discard a map or try to change the time of day, the pop-up window appears in the wrong freaking monitor! WTF! It either works and stays on one monitor or it doesn't.

    6) You should be able to adjust the font and font sizes of EVERY window. Also, the pop-up windows should be MOVEABLE! Give me a break!

    7) I run a game that is not VTT/remote. Its with four players sitting around a 40"LCD monitor, laying flat, with real miniatures placed on it, not VTT tokens. The only features i use are dice rolling and the templates for spell effects, etc. Everything else, combat, init, etc. are ran through an IPAD app called DMTools. That being said I need things like one master screen where FOW will display properly on the Judges screen without seeing all the other details. It would be nice to have an option to change the transparency on the judges screen for FOW like say 80-90% etc. And to choose the color as well.

    8) Lastly, it would be AWESOME to have the D20 pro icons at the top menu to be moveable to say the bottom of the screen maybe. Maybe even show buttons you want and hide those you don't use? Maybe a full-screen toggle for judges, etc? Its design flaws like these that are frustrating and should be simple to change in the program.

    If those above things were changed, sure I would totaly support this program, br more than happy to pay as much as $50 for it too. But the program unfortuneately falls short for me so I'm Having to go back to using GIMP2 (which is great for maps but sucks for using spell AOE templates, etc.)

    Any feedback or suggestions for other programs, etc. would be great, or maybe you can tell me that these problems will be addressed with the software at a later date? Thanks.
     
  2. cyderak

    cyderak Member

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    Yeah, I have the same problems......I use the software on a projectable game table and i use D20Pro for the same reasons you do.

    --Projecting the maps.
    --placing objects, creatures, and sometimes NPC's.
    --Placing spell templates.
    --Although rotating maps would be cool for initial orientation of the maps, i could'nt rotate after the guys have placed their miniatures otherwise their mini placement would get screwed up.


    I like your idea about how the grid is placed on the map.......that'd be awesome and would fit the grid to the map way better too.

    Dice roller isn't really a factor with me because I roll physical dice.(I'm old school that way...... :)

    I definitely would like to be able to rotate images on the map. I'd also like to see a function that allows OBJECTS to be placed on the map without be turned into a token with rounded off edges.

    The moveable menu would be nice to gain some screen surface room for projected maps.


    It'd be cool if D20Pro offered a simplified version. Kind of like a D20Pro lite for users who use it in conjunction with an LCD TV or a computer gaming table like mine.

    Again I too would spend extra money for thes D20Pro lite if it addressed the above problems and maybe added some features to compliment my game table.

    More and more gamers are switching to projected game tables or LCD screen flipped on their side. It'd be nice to have software to go along with this style of gaming.

    Thanks for listening to my subtle rant.

    Later.
     
  3. ogexam

    ogexam Member

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    Sorry to hear you are frustrated with d20Pro.

    Hopefully we can get some of these items addressed in the near future to help enhance your playing expereince.

    You can images if you place them with the image scaler on a raw map. Even after the map is saved you can open back up the image scaler and find the image you want rotated or made invisible/visible and change its state.
     
  4. danielpryor

    danielpryor New Member

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    Are you kidding me, that's a total pain in the butt! Rotating a map image is done by EVERY other piece of software out there that does this kinda of processing, why not D20 Pro?

    Just like the response you've seen before your post, DPro should have a "Lite" or "Local" version that is strictly for DM running on a LCD monitor or projector. All we really need it for is 1) Manipulating the map (including rotation), 2) Setting up a grid useful for spell templates, etc., 3) Maybe a dice roller (even the iphone has one!), and 4) Fog of War. Those 4 SIMPLE things, without a lot of logging in, cursing at the UI, etc. I've yet to find a piece of software that can yet handle this simple thing, not this one, not Battlegrounds, not the Fantasy Field 2, etc... So for people like me using GIMP 2 or a graphics package is the only way to go, BUT we can't have an easy setup for magic templates, etc. I'm probably just going to go back to using GIMP2 and figure out how to use the grid and templates on it. It's free, easy interface, and allows for hotkeys, etc...
     
  5. edwardcd

    edwardcd Administrator
    Staff Member

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    Hi Daniel,

    Thank you for sharing your input and suggestions on how you would like to improve the VTT category, and what you would need d20Pro to do for your gaming purposes. I will touch on a couple things which may alleviate some of your frustrations to some degree now that I know how you're trying to use VTTs. Those that I did not give input on are areas which I agree need to be improved and probably are already on the list of improvements to make.


    Regarding multi-monitor support and your setup:
    1) You can expand the d20Pro desktop to any number of monitors you have available. You are correct that the pop-up windows want to show up on your primary display, which may be different than the display you were currently using. This should be fixed to display on the display you were using and should be movable, I agree.
    2) You can open any number of d20Pro sessions and login as a Player from the same computer you are using to host/Judge the game. This is actually recommended to use in your situation. This Player session should utilize a different display, that is Player friendly (such as a display on your table).

    If you keep the Judge's display on your primary monitor, and open d20Pro again on the same computer and login as a player (IP: 127.0.0.1) you will be able to use your table display as what the players see. Fog of War will be completely black on the player's display, where your Judge/GM display has transparency so you can GM the scene appropriately.

    From there, you can manipulate the Fog of War on the Judge's display (and the template tools from the Player's display). And, you can move the map around on the Players display independent of the Judge's display (or sync them by pressing F3 from the Judge's display).
     

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