Adorning your virtual tabletop experience with unique visual elements adds a touch of personalization and immersion. In Fantasy Grounds, introducing custom decals offers endless possibilities for customized and thematically rich gaming sessions. Whether you seek to embellish your maps with intricate symbols, enhance character sheets with stylish badges, or create immersive environmental details, adding custom decals is a transformative capability.
First and foremost, consider the purpose and aesthetic you wish to achieve with your custom decal. Will it serve as a decorative element, enhance gameplay, or provide important game information? Once you have a clear vision, gather the necessary image files. Fantasy Grounds supports a variety of image formats, including PNG, JPG, and BMP. Ensure that your images are of high quality and transparent if you want them to blend seamlessly with your existing content.
Next, determine the appropriate placement for your custom decal. Decide whether it will be affixed to a specific object, a map, or as a global element visible throughout the entire campaign. With a precise location in mind, select the “Add Custom Decal” option from the toolbar. Navigate to the directory where you saved your image file, select it, and click “Open.” Adjust the decal’s position, size, and rotation until it aligns perfectly with your desired placement. You can also modify its opacity and blending mode to achieve the desired aesthetic effect.
Creating a Decal Pack
To create your decal pack, you’ll need to gather the images you want to use. These images must be in PNG format, and they must have a resolution of at least 256×256 pixels.
Once you have your images, you’ll need to create a new folder on your computer to store them in. This folder will be the root folder for your decal pack.
Inside your root folder, you’ll need to create two subfolders: “images” and “data”. The “images” folder will store your decal images, and the “data” folder will store a text file that contains information about your decal pack.
To create the “data” folder, you’ll need to open a text editor and create a new text file. Save this file as “decalpack.xml”.
Inside the “decalpack.xml” file, you’ll need to add the following code:
| <?xml version=””1.0″” encoding=””utf-8″”?> |
| <DecalPack version=””1″”> |
| <Decals> |
| <Decal> <Name>Your Decal Name</Name> <Image>images/Your-Image-Name.png</Image> <Width>256</Width> <Height>256</Height> </Decal> |
| </Decals> |
| </DecalPack> |
Applying Deccals to Maps
Once you have created or imported a decal, you can place it on a map in order to customize its appearance. Here are the steps on how to do this:
1. Open the Map Editor
In the Fantasy Grounds main menu, click on the “Edit” button and then select “Map Editor.” This will open a new window containing a list of all your maps.
2. Select the Map
Locate the map you want to add a decal to in the list of maps and select it. Once you have selected a map, it will appear in the main display area.
3. Add the Decal
To add a decal to a map, click on the “Decals” button in the Map Editor toolbar. A menu of all the available decals will appear.
4. Customize the Decal’s Appearance
You can customize the appearance of a decal in a variety of ways. Here is a detailed breakdown of all the available options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Scale | Adjusts the size of the decal. |
| Rotation | Rotates the decal around its center point. |
| Opacity | Controls the transparency of the decal. |
| Color | Changes the color of the decal. |
| Border | Adds a border around the decal. |
| Shadow | Adds a drop shadow to the decal. |
5. Position the Decal
Once you have customized the appearance of the decal, you can position it on the map. To do this, simply drag and drop the decal onto the desired location.
6. Save the Map
Once you have finished adding decals to the map, click on the “Save” button in the Map Editor toolbar. This will save the changes you have made to the map.
Enhancing Immersive Experiences with Decals
1. Understanding Decals:
Decals are virtual stickers that can be applied to objects in Fantasy Grounds to enhance visuals and provide contextual information.
2. Installing Decal Packs:
Decal packs can be downloaded from the Fantasy Grounds Marketplace or created by users. Once downloaded, they must be installed by dragging and dropping them into the “Decal” folder within the “Fantasy Grounds Data” directory.
3. Adding Decals to Objects:
Select the object you want to apply the decal to, right-click, and choose “Add Decal.” Browse for the desired decal and click “Add.”
4. Positioning and Scaling Decals:
After adding a decal, use the left mouse button to drag and reposition it. Hold down the right mouse button to scale it.
5. Setting Decal Properties:
Right-click on the decal and select “Properties.” Adjust settings such as transparency, rotation, and visibility.
6. Creating Custom Decals:
Image editing software like Photoshop or GIMP can be used to create custom decals. Save the decal images in PNG format with a transparent background.
7. Managing Decal Libraries:
Fantasy Grounds provides a “Manage Decals” interface where you can organize and view all installed decals.
8. Advanced Decal Usage:
Decals can be applied to tokens, images, maps, and even the table itself. They can be animated, rotated, and even set to appear based on specific conditions, such as player visibility or object states. This advanced functionality allows for highly dynamic and interactive gameplay experiences.
| Effect | Code |
|---|---|
| Rotate a decal 90 degrees clockwise | rotate(90) |
| Scale a decal to 150% of its original size | scale(150) |
| Set a decal to fade out over 10 seconds | fadeout(10) |
Archiving and Sharing Custom Decals
Preserving and distributing your original decal creations for others to enjoy is simple. Begin by locating your Fantasy Grounds data directory, typically found at %AppData%\Fantasy Grounds. Inside this folder, navigate to the “custom” directory, where you’ll encounter a subfolder named “decals.” This is where all your personalized decals are stored.
To archive your decals, simply copy and paste the “decals” subfolder to a convenient location on your computer. If you’d like to share your creations, zip up the “decals” subfolder and upload it to a file-sharing platform, such as Dropbox or Google Drive. Provide the download link to your associates, and they can easily import the decals into their own Fantasy Grounds installations.
When importing shared decals, unzip the “decals” subfolder and place it in your Fantasy Grounds data directory, ensuring that it’s named “decals.” Reload Fantasy Grounds, and your imported decals will be immediately available for use.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to archiving and sharing custom decals:
| Archiving | Sharing |
|---|---|
|
|
Importing Shared Decals:
- Unzip “decals” subfolder
- Place “decals” subfolder in Fantasy Grounds data directory
- Reload Fantasy Grounds
Tips for Effective Decal Usage
Decals are a versatile tool for customizing your Fantasy Grounds experience. Here are some tips for using them effectively:
1. Consider the Size and Placement
Decals can vary in size and shape. Choose a size that fits the area you want to cover, and place it carefully to avoid obscuring important information.
2. Use Transparency Wisely
Decals can be transparent, allowing you to layer them on top of existing images. Experiment with different levels of transparency to achieve the desired effect.
3. Create Custom Decals
Don’t limit yourself to the decals provided in Fantasy Grounds. You can create your own custom decals using image editing software.
4. Use Decals for Texture
Decals can add texture and depth to your maps and tokens. Use them to simulate wood grain, stonework, or other surfaces.
5. Animate Decals
Some decals can be animated, creating a dynamic effect. Use animated decals sparingly to avoid excessive distractions.
6. Use Decals as Markers
Decals can be used to mark locations, such as treasure chests or encounter zones. Assign different colors or symbols to decals to create a visual legend.
7. Combine Decals with Other Objects
Decals can be combined with other objects, such as tokens and images, to create complex scenes. Experiment with different combinations to find what works best.
8. Use Decals for Lighting
Decals can be used to simulate light sources. Place decals on walls or ceilings to create the illusion of windows or lanterns.
9. Use Decals for Effects
Decals can be used to create special effects, such as smoke, explosions, or water ripples. Experiment with different decals and blending modes to achieve the desired result.
10. Optimize Decal Usage
To avoid performance issues, limit the number of decals you use and optimize their sizes. Consider using larger decals for important areas and smaller decals for details.
| Decal Type | Usage |
|---|---|
| Floor Decal | Add texture and detail to floors |
| Wall Decal | Create the illusion of walls, windows, and other structures |
| Object Decal | Add details to tokens, such as clothing, weapons, and armor |
| Light Decal | Simulate light sources, such as candles, torches, and lanterns |
| Effect Decal | Create special effects, such as smoke, explosions, and water ripples |
How to Add Custom Decals in Fantasy Grounds
Fantasy Grounds is a virtual tabletop role-playing game platform that allows players to create and play custom maps and campaigns. Decals are images that can be added to maps to add detail and flair. Custom decals can be created using any image editing software, such as Photoshop or GIMP.
To add a custom decal to Fantasy Grounds, follow these steps:
- Open the Fantasy Grounds data directory. By default, this is located at C:\Users\[username]\Documents\Fantasy Grounds\Data.
- Create a new folder in the data directory called “Decals”.
- Copy the custom decal image into the “Decals” folder.
- Open Fantasy Grounds and go to the “Settings” menu.
- Click on the “Decals” tab.
- Click on the “Add” button and select the custom decal image.
- The custom decal will now be available in the “Decals” list. You can drag and drop the decal onto a map to add it.
People Also Ask
How do I create a custom decal?
You can create a custom decal using any image editing software, such as Photoshop or GIMP. Simply create a new image with the dimensions of the decal you want to create. Then, draw or import the image you want to use for the decal. Finally, save the image as a PNG file.
What file formats can I use for custom decals?
Fantasy Grounds supports PNG, JPG, and BMP file formats for custom decals.
How do I add a custom decal to a map?
To add a custom decal to a map, simply drag and drop the decal from the “Decals” list onto the map.
How do I remove a custom decal from a map?
To remove a custom decal from a map, simply click on the decal and press the “Delete” key.
