Today is a GREAT DAY! Our new Align to Grid beta is live and free for every GM, no subscription needed.

The new guided tool walks you through three easy steps to align your map and works on those previously impossible to align due to baked-in borders, offset grids, and uneven spacing. Plus, it supports every grid type on Roll20: square, vertical and horizontal hex, isometric, and dimetric.

Along with the new tool, we’ve designed a convenient hotbar on the Map Layer of your pages that lets you quickly upload backgrounds, launch Align to Grid, and adjust and customize other page settings without digging through other menus. 

https://preview.redd.it/sjnaccp3zckh1.png?width=852&format=png&auto=webp&s=eb2932443913d00131614762c1481327181161f4

To align a map: 

1. Anchor: align the crosshair with a grid intersection on the map
2. Scale: resize the 3x3 sample grid to match the size of the grid on your map
3. Fine Tune: drag from any grid intersection or line to adjust your image to account for any drift or odd-sizing

You can watch a full demo video on our blog, plus learn more about new backdrop upload functionality and how Scale to Grid (found in the right-click context menu) can help with aligning Map Tiles and tokens.

Note: the old tool isn't gone (yet), so if you’re a glutton for punishment, you can still use the Legacy process anytime before it’s replaced when beta ends. 

Let us know what you think, or any questions you have!

Hey everyone. Back in July, we announced that Align to Grid was getting rebuilt. Today our design team shared a blog reflecting on why this work was necessary, and previewed some of the functionality and design you can expect when the beta launches (in the next week or two).

The highlights:

• A new, guided 3-step process will be easier to find and use
• Works for square, isometric, dimetric, and hex grids
• Works on pages that already have tokens, Dynamic Lighting, and Map Pins 
• A new Map Layer hotbar puts page-related settings in one place for easy access
• It's free for everyone, no subscription required

The full blog is here. We'll be back next week when the beta actually goes live, and we'll want your feedback on it so we can make sure it’s the best tool it can be for you before officially launching.

Also, worth mentioning (even though it’s a separate team): our Compendium service and D&D 5E sheets got stability improvements last week, and another related update will be shared in this sub later this week. Keep your eyes peeled if you’re following!

Hi everyone. I work for Roll20, and am posting on behalf of the product team leading development of Dungeon Scrawl, our mapmaking tool. As we continue to release new features, we're looking for feedback to ensure we're giving you what you want for your games.

Since we don't require sign-in, the easiest way to hear from users and potential users is to actually open our questions up to any GMs willing to share thoughts. If you've got a few minutes, we'd love to hear from you: survey here.

As a thank you, a random respondent will win a full year of Dungeon Scrawl Pro subscription. We'll keep this open for a few days. Thanks!

Hey everyone! I’m happy to share that after months of feedback collection, user interviews, and hosting community previews and listening sessions, development is officially underway on our Align to Grid rebuild! 
 
If you've ever dropped a map with a grid onto a page in the VTT and had to align it manually, you know the current tool doesn't always cut it… Especially with maps with irregular edges or that use hex grids. We feel this pain in our own games too, and now that the VTT rebuild makes features like this easier to develop, we are SO EXCITED to dig in and make aligning to grid an easy three-step process.

We’ll be revealing a behind-the-scenes look at the design and dev process in a week or two, so stand by for that, and in the meantime, today’s blog gives a bit more detail about what to expect from the new process. 

If you’d like to join future live demos and feedback sessions (which we call Discord Labs) to see and influence upcoming releases before anyone else, hop into our server and watch for event announcements!

note: map from the image is from Moonlight Maps SciFi!

Starting today, the Page Menu makes it easier for all GMs to create new campaign pages, whether you want a blank page, a random dungeon to start with, want to upload your own, or create one using map tools.

You told us that the old "Create Page" button and separate "Build a Map" dropdowns were confusing, so they’re now a single dropdown, with every option available at a glance. Plus, there are two new options:

• Generate Random: Found on the Dungeon Scrawl side of the menu, one click opens a map created with the Random Dungeon tool in a new tab (connected to the VTT). This is perfect for when you need a usable map fast, or don't want to draw one from scratch. Plus: you can re-generate as many times as you want, and use any of the tools in the editor to edit, customize, and decorate the result. All changes made will reflect on your connected campaign page. 
• Upload Background lets you upload a background image placed automatically, without dragging and dropping from your library. AND, it accepts a new file type: UVTT!

UVTT map uploads let the VTT automatically place your image on the Map layer and build out the walls, doors, windows, and lights on the Light layer for you. While a subscription is required to view and edit Dynamic Lighting, any user can upload a UVTT map; the data will still be built out and unlocked with any future upgrade. + Now, Plus subscribers can upload UVTT maps for the first time, without the complex workaround of Pro/Elite’s Mod Scripts. 

More details can be found in our blog. Let us know what you think, or any questions you have!

(The map in this video is from Czepeku, who has over 12,000 maps on their site - most of which have UVTT downloads available.)

Hey all!! Our new Player View feature is here, and it lets GMs see exactly what specific players see in-game (in a new tab). It’s really helpful when positioned side by side with your GM view for double-checking campaign setup and troubleshooting mid-game. 

Reminder: this is not the existing Ctrl + L (Preview Token Vision) shortcut. It shows a true player experience, including what the player sees in journal, chat, on the map, and all of their permissions/access. 

More Details

• Switch between players easily, see who’s online/offline and what page everyone is on
• Preview the game as an approximated view even if your players haven't joined the game
• Pre-configure macros and pre-explore maps on your players’ behalf, plus verify character assignments. 
• Along with this update, you’ll find a cleaner interface for all View Controls, including Player View, Preview Token Vision, opacity sliders, Foreground toggle, and Dark/Light Mode. 
• IT'S FREE! EVERYONE CAN USE IT, REGARDLESS OF SUBSCRIPTION

Check out the blog for more details, and let us know if you have any questions or feedback!

Hi everyone. I work on the Dungeon Scrawl team, and we've heard from some of you that the different menus and tools available in the mapmaker can feel overwhelming when first getting started.

EncounterSmith put out a tutorial video a few days ago that breaks down everything you need to know to make maps for your games, so I wanted to share it here in case it was helpful in breaking down any of those barriers.

Happy to answer any questions that remain after viewing.

With our new View as Player feature on the way (which will allow GMs to see exactly what a specific player sees, side by side with the GM view), we're renaming the existing Ctrl+L (currently "preview as token") to better describe what it actually does.

If you’re asking, “What’s the difference between the two?”...

• Ctrl+L is a quick token vision check
• View as Player goes much further by offering visibility into player permissions, hiding GM-only elements, and letting GMs take actions on a player's behalf, all in a secondary tab.

Vote on the new name:

• Preview Token Vision: straightforward explanation of what a specific token can see on the map
• Preview Field of Vision: the term Roll20's lighting system already uses 
• Preview Line of Sight: phrase the community mostly uses (even though it doesn't fully match the underlying function)

Vote above, and expand on your choice in the comments, especially if you feel strongly about your decision!

View Poll

By popular demand (ranked #4 on our Suggestions & Ideas Forum), GMs can now receive dice results in chat that are hidden from players. 🤐🤐

Players can use the “secret” option in the Dice Roller, or command /sr or /secretroll in chat to send a roll secretly to their GM. The roller receives a confirmation, but no result. The other players don't see anything.

For situations where players shouldn’t even know they rolled (like traps!), GMs can use command /ssr or /supersecretroll. (Example: use Send-to-Chat Reactions, available to Plus, Pro, and Elite subscribers, to initiate a Wisdom Saving Throw when a character interacts with an enchanted scroll.)

Both commands are available now. They are system-agnostic and disable 3D dice automatically (for the player who shouldn't see them). 

Read the full update here, and let us know how you'll use Secret Rolls in your game.

Full disclosure: I am not an artist, but I do work on the Dungeon Scrawl team. I created this swampy dungeon to test out our new, free-to-use Stamp Tool, and thought I'd share it here in case anyone enjoyed the map or in case any mapmakers are interested in the new resource.

As you move your brush around, it scatters duplicates of your chosen image with randomized scale, rotation, spacing, and color based on settings you define. 

You can either use images from our built-in library or upload your own. For this map, I used tokens from Tom Cartos' Wilderness Asset Pack, and he gave me permission to share this final product with everyone here.

Hi everyone. I work on the Dungeon Scrawl team, and we just released a Random Dungeon generator in beta. I’d love to get your feedback on what kinds of changes or features would help your game nights the most!

This tool is to help when the party zigs when you expected them to zag, and you want a quick, easy map they can explore. We’re trying to make it easier to help GMs focus on the rest of the game instead of worrying about mapmaking. 

A few things worth knowing:

• The Dungeon Generator is 100% free and browser-based. No account or installs needed to use
• It uses procedural generation to build maps based on your input criteria, similar to how Donjon and Watabou have done for years… but inside Dungeon Scrawl.  Every room, wall, and door, plus the look and feel of the final map, is fully editable
• Export to use on any VTT, or print or broadcast to a TV/monitor if you play in person

Let me know what you think, especially if there are any settings you'd love to see that aren't there yet.

Watch a Demo
Try it Out

Hey everyone. We just released a Random Dungeon Generator in Dungeon Scrawl that creates fully editable dungeon maps in seconds. It’s browser-based, so no installations, no account needed to use it, and you can generate as many as you want, no limits.

In a rush or caught off-guard without a map? No problem. Love making your own, but have trouble getting started? Use it as inspiration to build from. This is designed to make GMing easier without replacing what makes it fun in the first place.  

• 🙅 It's not AI: This tool uses procedural generation, which other popular generators have used for years. There’s no training data, no model, no scraping… just good, old-fashioned math. 
• 🛠️ Adjustable settings: Tweak the size, rooms, halls, layout, and more. Re-generate until you like what you see, depending on your needs. 
• 🧑‍🎨 Everything is editable: Can you use the old-school style map as-is? Sure. Do you have to? No way! Treat the map as a launchpad to add to, trim, style, and get creative with. 
• 💻 Use it anywhere: Playing on Roll20? Cool. Sync it if it’s small, or export it to upload directly. Meeting in person? Broadcast to a TV with Dungeon Scrawl’s Send to tabletop tool, or print it for the kitchen table.

 

The tool is in beta, so your feedback is greatly appreciated so we can make it work well for you. Tell us what you like, what you’d prefer to see, and show us how you’re using it. 

Watch a demo and read more in our latest blog.