I Just Don't Understand How To Make Interactive Maps For PbP Games

[Terquem]

Is there a simple on line guide somewhere that can explain how to build these kinds of maps (with movable tokens and such things as light and darkness effects) and how they are made available to players on these forums after you have figured out how to make them?

I tried using mapTools (and using my home computer I can generate a map with tokens on it, then all I know how to do is export an image of that map and post it to a drop box account so that players can "Look at it" - I have never been able to understand how to make a map available in a link that players can manipulate)

I know I am old, and I know I am not very smart, but I hope there is a simple guide that can walk me through this process somewhere out there and that a fellow like me will figure it out in time.

Anyone have a resource out there that I can review, with step by step lessons or anything like that?

[Rynjin]

Use Roll20. They can all join the virtual tabletop, you put the map there, and then assign their character tokens to them. All you do is send them the link, and do a little manipulation of the tokens you pick (which can be the one stored on the tabletop, or any image you drag and drop from your computer).

It's what I do for my PbP games.

[Bill Dunn]

I use Google Docs (docs.google.com). I'm currently making pictures using maps from the APs (they've even been including interactive map files for PDF editions now) after editing them a bit in GIMP to mask areas they haven't explored yet. I make up tokens for the creatures involved. Then I share the URL with editing privileges for my players.

[Terquem]

so my homework turned up this

roll20 isn't the kind of website that is easily accessible to all computer users all of the time (many people post from work, maybe they shouldn't but that's another discussion) and a lot of companies use filters that block sites like roll20 and d20psfrd for example

Looks like to use pdf maps that are editable by players requires more work that I even understand how to do (I had to look up GIMP and reading how that works hurt my head, no seriously)

So, it is as I thought

Sharing a link to a map that allows players to move tokens around, or even adding tokens to existing pdf maps requires that I learn more about computers and software - so, more homework is needed I suppose.

To top all this off I purchased CC3+ over a year ago and I am still learning how to use that. So, I have an uphill climb

[Distant Scholar]

Cyberboard and VASSAL are programs intended for playing board games, but should be adaptable to RPG maps. I'll let you decide how easy they are to learn and use, but from my experience, they are each much easier to learn and use than either CC3 or GIMP.

[Terquem]

Vassal looks interesting without being too complicated. Thank you

[Terquem]

So now I am trying to figure out how to extract images from PDF files and convert them into jpeg files. I see that Adobe Acrobat can do that, but I do not have $199 to buy a version of that software, and will never steal a copy.

Is there an open source software tool that can extract images from pdf files and convert them into jpeg files?

[Bill Dunn]

Terquem wrote:

So now I am trying to figure out how to extract images from PDF files and convert them into jpeg files. I see that Adobe Acrobat can do that, but I do not have $199 to buy a version of that software, and will never steal a copy.

Is there an open source software tool that can extract images from pdf files and convert them into jpeg files?

I just take a screenshot. On my Mac it saves it as a png file. Most apps that can handle jpg can handle png.

[Terquem]

Took me a few searches and some effort but I finally figured it out using snapshots in adobe acrobat reader.

Now I only whish I'd written down all the things I read and steps I went through, because I think I've forgotten it all

[Shifty]

+1 for Googledocs.

Googleslides is friendlier to mobile devices just FYI, as opposed to Googledraw.