Setting layer visibility

[Szabtom]

As long as the Cards are on different layers you can make one visible whilst making the other invisible.

Sure but that raises my original point about cycling the visibility status.

And you cannot work with a layer if it is invisible, or covered by another layer on top of it.

[Zacchaeus]

There's no physical limit as far as I know. I suppose it depends on how huge this is going to be. A reasonably sized map with 20-30 layers isn't a problem.

[Szabtom]

I see, thank you.

[LordEntrails]

An idea... use pins for the locations. It won't leave a nice map with revealed i.agez for each location. But instead pin a story entry to each location. Then when the players find that location, share the pin with them. Their map will then ha e pins on the discovered locations, and they can also open the linked story entry.

That's how I've done this In the past.

[JonStormbringer]

I appreciate the time you took to explain all that, JonStormbringer. Clear and super useful!

This card situation was all set up in advance, right? How would you change a card on the fly, for instance replace the Dark lord with another card, while the game session is in progress?

Yes, I have this setup in advance and saved as a module so I can use it in any campaign. However, I've also used it on the fly. I just open my asset window with my card graphics and drag in whatever cards I need. It's not quite as smooth as having the whole thing set up in advance, but my players know we're not playing a video game and have always seemed appreciative of/patient when doing it on the fly. Last time I used this I had a general reading for the whole group set up and then some of my players asked for individual readings. The individual readings I had to do on the fly and they understood it might not be quite as fluid as the prepared. However, it worked out pretty well and I was able to set up each individual reading in about 30 seconds. Actually took me longer to fumble through what the cards meant than actually setting it up!

[Szabtom]

Thanks again, both.
I will try to take the best of worlds. I am going to place map segments as individual layers, and will plunk them down as the party travels. To the players, the blank gray canvas around the painted parts will just look like a "fog of war" that covers the unexplored areas.
Then I will add markers, again each on a separate layer, for special places of interest. These will also get a pin with a Story entry.
Per session, 6-7 items/layers will be added at most, each with just a small painted element, like a small spell effect marker.
So, I expect a single image in FG to be able to hold information for months of RL game time.

[JonStormbringer]

Thanks again, both.
I will try to take the best of worlds. I am going to place map segments as individual layers, and will plunk them down as the party travels. To the players, the blank gray canvas around the painted parts will just look like a "fog of war" that covers the unexplored areas.
Then I will add markers, again each on a separate layer, for special places of interest. These will also get a pin with a Story entry.
Per session, 6-7 items/layers will be added at most, each with just a small painted element, like a small spell effect marker.
So, I expect a single image in FG to be able to hold information for months of RL game time.

Sounds great! Glad we were able to help!

[JonStormbringer]

Just another option for you that may or may not work for you, would be to apply a global mask over your map and only reveal parts of the map as your group is moving. For instance:

Here's the world map for my campaign.

map-01.jpg

Next, I zoom in a little and apply a mask. You will notice the image is much darker. It only appears that way to the DM/GM. To the player, it appears as a black square where they cannot see anything. See the red circles in the upper right to navigate their in your own FG.

map-02.PNG

Now, I'm going to reveal a little bit of the map, as if the characters woke up on a beach without any idea of where they're at. They move north until they find a river and then follow the river to the west. To reveal the map, you left click and drag a box around the area you want to reveal. It will make a little bounded box and the selection will show up. Everything that's inside of the bounded box, is visible to the players. Everything outside, will appear black.

map-03.PNG

You will be able to use this from session to session with FG keeping the mask information. It will store the mask information unless you make a change to the map and then overwrite the map image file. Once you do that, you loose your mask info. (Just something to be aware of)

Maybe this gives you another option?

[Szabtom]

Thanks, I considered this option, but the map will be hex based and I would have to draw the unmask areas free-hand style. It would be too inaccurate and prone to mistakes. I wish there was a grid-based masking and un-masking option!

[LordEntrails]

Thanks, I considered this option, but the map will be hex based and I would have to draw the unmask areas free-hand style. It would be too inaccurate and prone to mistakes. I wish there was a grid-based masking and un-masking option!

Another option, though I do not like it, is to is t place a hex shaped mask image over each hex and then change visibility on each one as you wish to reveal. A lot of work and probably prone to making errors, but maybe?

Might want to add something to the wish list. Though not too many folks uses hexes so it might not get much love