Looking for a way to use maps from PDFs with iPad

[uriel222]

Has anyone worked out a way? All I want is some way to use the beautiful maps at the gaming table. Ideally, the app would have:

• The ability to import custom backgrounds (pdf or images)

• Some way to black out and unexplored sections, and reveal them as the PCs explore

• [Optional] Some way to import "tokens" to move around on the screen. Otherwise, I can always put physical tokens on the ipad screen (if I can zoom in enough)

Anyone make this work?

Thanks.

[Jason Skavlebo]

Check out http://roll20.net/ I believe they are working or have a port to ipad.

Cheers

Jason

[uriel222]

Their web app does work (sort of) on the ipad, but I was hoping more for something to use in a face to face tabletop game. Since there doesn't seem to be an app for the purpose, has anyone had any success using other apps?

[Dennis Baker]

Isn't the iPad a bit small for a group to use?

Paizo is working on a project called Paizo Gamespace.

You'll find most of these apps are more designed around groups remotely connecting.

[uriel222]

Yes, and no. First, Paizo makes such great maps in their adventures, it seems a shame not to be able to use them, and my schetching the outlines on a battlemat doesn't really cut it.

Second, if I could use Gamespace, I would. But I'm trying to see if anyone else out there has a solution already.

[Mazlith]

I totally agree with you. I used to spend allot of time in photoshop printing out Paizo's beautiful maps, then cut and tape. It took hours and sucked. Buying a plain flip-map and full set of colors has saved me hours.

It sounds like you need to do a projector for your game table.

[Mudfoot]

Doesn't sound too hard to do with a bit of Javascript in a web page. Mind you, as it's an iPad it's probably got all sorts of silly restrictions to stop it working.

[Dorje Sylas]

Actually iOS can be rather forgiving about JavaScript based apps. The harders part is working with the particulars of Apples interpreter and adding the Touch specific code.

There are a few ways to go about running them. First and likely hardest for people hacking around is to make an Offline aspect, like the way GoogleDocs WebApp can cache documents. The other is to use GoodReader (or another simlar file App) that has its own "web browser" and can read HTML from inside it's own folder structure. There are complications with both.

Of some relevance to people looking to hack up something:
(Fog of War) http://css.dzone.com/articles/how-they-did-it-command-and
(Touch controls form Fred Jones in Adventure Land) http://www.watersheep.org/~markh/canvas_touch/

[ngc7293]

uriel222 wrote:

Has anyone worked out a way? All I want is some way to use the beautiful maps at the gaming table. Ideally, the app would have:

• The ability to import custom backgrounds (pdf or images)

• Some way to black out and unexplored sections, and reveal them as the PCs explore

• [Optional] Some way to import "tokens" to move around on the screen. Otherwise, I can always put physical tokens on the ipad screen (if I can zoom in enough)

Anyone make this work?

Thanks.

The easiest way to do most of what you want is to open the PDF to the specific page (presumably on the iPad) and do a screen grab

To wipe out the stuff you don't want people to see, you can download an app or use one on a PC or Mac.

Another thought to consider is to get the HDMI adapter for the ipad and connect it to an LCD monitor. You won't be able move minitures around on it, but the picture will be much larger.

[Andrew Turner]

uriel222 wrote:

Has anyone worked out a way? All I want is some way to use the beautiful maps at the gaming table. Ideally, the app would have:

• The ability to import custom backgrounds (pdf or images)

• Some way to black out and unexplored sections, and reveal them as the PCs explore

• [Optional] Some way to import "tokens" to move around on the screen. Otherwise, I can always put physical tokens on the ipad screen (if I can zoom in enough)

Anyone make this work?

Thanks.

PDF Expert is a full-capability PDF app for iPad--it will do exactly what you're talking about, except the tokens. You can save the image you alter in PDF Expert as a picture, then import it into a Keynote presentation and animate the tokens. If you have a second iPad, or connect your iPad to a monitor, you can manipulate the tokens dynamically for your players.

Alternatively, you could copy the picture with screenshot (simultaneously press the standby button at the top right of your iPad and the Home button) into an open Keynote presentation and manipulate it that way without any reader other than iBooks.

[Xykal]

I've come up with a system that is working well and isn't very time intensive... but it does require an iPad and the Battle Map app ($30).

Here are the steps:

1 - Copy the map (in Acrobat, use Edit -> "take a snapshot"
2 - Paste into paint then save as an image
3 - sync the image to your ipad pictures using iTunes (just like you would with photos)
4 - Open a new map and change the background image to your saved map
5 - Resize the background image. Not so the squares line up... that won't happen. Just get the squares on the map to be roughly the same size as Battle Map's grid.
6 - Hide Battle Map's grid and turn off "snap to grid"
7 - Using the "background" button at the bottom of the screen, pick one of the background tiles and "color" in all the parts of the map you don't want the PC's to see (ie, the interior of the building, or all areas except for the starting room, etc.)
8 - Place your PC's "tokens" on the map, switch to player mode, and begin

As the player's move into a new area, simply take the iPad back, switch to GM mode, erase the tiles that are covering that portion of your map, switch back to player mode, keep going.

It sounds like a lot, but it goes really quick once you've done it a few times. And you don't have to draw anything...

[uriel222]

Thanks! I've got the Battle Map app already (though I felt a little disappointed with it), so I'll give this a go tonight.

[uriel222]

OMG! Flawless Victory!

It worked like a CHARM! Thank you so much!