Prince of Morgoth
Member
It would be handy to have the option to display not only the Pin itself but the text label on the player screen. That way players can see a pin and know what is is.
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- The Lone Wolf Development Team
Pins with text in player screen
- Thread starter Prince of Morgoth
- Start date
I would have second this. I did notice in Realm Works player edition that if you mouse over the pin it will show the label but that doesn't work in player view (and it's not always showing). Having a toggle to turn on or off the labels would be great.
Further to this I would have a Player facing description which could be different then the GM facing one.
I was just setting up for my next session and though it would be great if I didn't have to edit the maps to put the descriptions physically on the map. It would be so much easier if we could either have the pin label show up or even the ability to manually add a label to the map. I know RW is not a mapping or image editing software but this isn't a big request...it may be on a programming stand point I guess and I do hope this becomes a feature as it will make the GM's life a lot easier.
I will grab a map and put in in RW and start adding pins and then realize I should really add labels, now I have to edit the image and reattach it to RW then re-add pins only to have to do it all over again when I realized I either missed or want to add something more.
Further to this I would have a Player facing description which could be different then the GM facing one.
I was just setting up for my next session and though it would be great if I didn't have to edit the maps to put the descriptions physically on the map. It would be so much easier if we could either have the pin label show up or even the ability to manually add a label to the map. I know RW is not a mapping or image editing software but this isn't a big request...it may be on a programming stand point I guess and I do hope this becomes a feature as it will make the GM's life a lot easier.
I will grab a map and put in in RW and start adding pins and then realize I should really add labels, now I have to edit the image and reattach it to RW then re-add pins only to have to do it all over again when I realized I either missed or want to add something more.
Realm Works lets you swap out the map image with a new image of the same size without blowing away the pins. So adding labels would be a matter of editing the original image, add the labels and then replace the image in Realm Works and shouldn't entail re-adding pins.
A huge +1 to this.
When I mentioned this issue to LW support, this was the response.
Regardless of whether GMs can see the player screen or not (in my setup I most certainly can), when we show a map on the player screen, players will want to know what the pins represent. GMs need to have some way to show the content of those pins to the players.
Potential Solution / Feature Request: When in player preview mode, allow the GM's mouse interactions inside that preview window to have an effect on the real display. IE, if a GM rolls over or clicks on a pin, it should show in both the preview and the player view on the second monitor. This functionality is already present for resizing and moving windows around, why not for other interactions? And best of all, this solution would work equally well for GMs who can see the screen and those who cannot.
Ideally this functionality would even extend to being able to click on links in articles inside a window. If I have a window showing a list of murder suspects they identified last session, it would be great to be able to click through directly to each suspect rather than bringing up a new window for each, making it visible, resizing it, moving it, etc.
When I mentioned this issue to LW support, this was the response.
Regardless of whether GMs can see the player screen or not (in my setup I most certainly can), when we show a map on the player screen, players will want to know what the pins represent. GMs need to have some way to show the content of those pins to the players.
Potential Solution / Feature Request: When in player preview mode, allow the GM's mouse interactions inside that preview window to have an effect on the real display. IE, if a GM rolls over or clicks on a pin, it should show in both the preview and the player view on the second monitor. This functionality is already present for resizing and moving windows around, why not for other interactions? And best of all, this solution would work equally well for GMs who can see the screen and those who cannot.
Ideally this functionality would even extend to being able to click on links in articles inside a window. If I have a window showing a list of murder suspects they identified last session, it would be great to be able to click through directly to each suspect rather than bringing up a new window for each, making it visible, resizing it, moving it, etc.
+++++1
I use RW during gaming sessions using two monitors, and it would really really really be useful if a pin in the Player View could have it's Name/Label displayed. It does little good to have just a pin showing leading to the following:
P: What's the pin over there mean?
GM: Which over there, the North over there or the West over there.
P: No the one down in the South east .. .. ..
Perhaps an additional field could be added to Pins that could contain Short text label that can be revealed to players. Each pin could have 3 states; Not shown, just pin, and pin plus text.
Or if nothing else, give each pin an automatic number on the image and that is automatically displayed, then player(s) could ask to know what revealed pin #6 is.
I use RW during gaming sessions using two monitors, and it would really really really be useful if a pin in the Player View could have it's Name/Label displayed. It does little good to have just a pin showing leading to the following:
P: What's the pin over there mean?
GM: Which over there, the North over there or the West over there.
P: No the one down in the South east .. .. ..
Perhaps an additional field could be added to Pins that could contain Short text label that can be revealed to players. Each pin could have 3 states; Not shown, just pin, and pin plus text.
Or if nothing else, give each pin an automatic number on the image and that is automatically displayed, then player(s) could ask to know what revealed pin #6 is.
JustinThomason
Well-known member
I would also love to see the pin labels on the player view. We use pins on the player viewable map on a big screen that we can all see. It's sort of annoying to not have the labels pop up on mouse over.
And I agree whole heartedly with @AEIOU - I'd love to see more options for customizing pins. Additional colors, shapes, or icons would be most appreciated to help key different types of content.
And I agree whole heartedly with @AEIOU - I'd love to see more options for customizing pins. Additional colors, shapes, or icons would be most appreciated to help key different types of content.
Zaphod Beebledoc
Well-known member
I'm planning a game with the Milky Way split into about 30 sectors, each with a number of pins representing star systems. Maybe up to 100 systems per sector. That would easily get crowded...
I think the RW map tool is not ready for that much contents.
Link and list in RW have everything sorted by sector and quadrants, put smaller pieces of maps and navigation in RW with smart images:
- Whole map (30 pins) containing sectors
- 30 Sector maps that contain either subsectors with 25 sytems each or all systems in it.
- Create on pin at the border to navigate out.
This way you can create your regions and easily navigate (zoom in and out) in your world.
Then you need the player map, which the player can use: Either search for something like this already online or: Download google earth, upload a custom picture in Google earth containing a high resolution map of all your systems, save it under my places. Add one more layer for your planets and naming of the sectors, build everything in there.
Now you have a GM map for your linking and navigation pleasure (and it does not have to look super friendly theoretically a B/W map with dots and description is nice enough. While you could share on 2nd screen or via kmz file from Google earth a nice complete star map.
Obviously it does not work if you would like to present each "secret system" on your interactive map. For such special cases you can use your RW map and add a few more pins were arppropiate (and it is not cluttered for the players, because your RW "GM pins" are still unrevealed - only you need those).
Link and list in RW have everything sorted by sector and quadrants, put smaller pieces of maps and navigation in RW with smart images:
- Whole map (30 pins) containing sectors
- 30 Sector maps that contain either subsectors with 25 sytems each or all systems in it.
- Create on pin at the border to navigate out.
This way you can create your regions and easily navigate (zoom in and out) in your world.
Then you need the player map, which the player can use: Either search for something like this already online or: Download google earth, upload a custom picture in Google earth containing a high resolution map of all your systems, save it under my places. Add one more layer for your planets and naming of the sectors, build everything in there.
Now you have a GM map for your linking and navigation pleasure (and it does not have to look super friendly theoretically a B/W map with dots and description is nice enough. While you could share on 2nd screen or via kmz file from Google earth a nice complete star map.
Obviously it does not work if you would like to present each "secret system" on your interactive map. For such special cases you can use your RW map and add a few more pins were arppropiate (and it is not cluttered for the players, because your RW "GM pins" are still unrevealed - only you need those).
PS I htink creating such a detailed and complete map is overkill. I would suggest that you just create what you will need in the forthcoming sessions in detail and only make a short paragraph about the far away sectors....
Imagine if you have added 100 star systems, but the players are going to visit in the next 6 session only 3 of those systems. For my SR adventures, I am also only adding those districts that are currently needed for the campaign
Imagine if you have added 100 star systems, but the players are going to visit in the next 6 session only 3 of those systems. For my SR adventures, I am also only adding those districts that are currently needed for the campaign
Zaphod Beebledoc
Well-known member
And then of course, there are us world builders who just like to build. No amount of logic is going to sway us from our unattainable goal.
This...
snaggle2th
Member
At the risk of resurrecting a thread that appears to be dead, has anything happened with this? A bunch of pins on a map are of very limited use, if the players don't know what the pins are for. I'm pretty sure that the text label doesn't even come up when the GM mouses over! A simple text label would be a big help.
Well, there have been many requests and discussions of how to expand the features of maps and pins in RW.
I am sure LW have listened and added to their never-ending list of insane user-wishes.
But for now they are busy sorting out the last hiccups of the last upgrades and then we sally forth once again into the market place.
After that I am sure we will see improvements on pins somewhere down the road.
I am sure LW have listened and added to their never-ending list of insane user-wishes.
But for now they are busy sorting out the last hiccups of the last upgrades and then we sally forth once again into the market place.
After that I am sure we will see improvements on pins somewhere down the road.
snaggle2th
Member
Well, I choose to cheerfully assume that your intention was to characterise the list as insane, rather than the wish (or the user). I am sure that the list is never-ending; just looking for reassurance that 'labels for pins' is on there somewhere. Thanks for the response.
Fear not, labels for pins has been on the list since the Kickstarter several eons ago. It's an obvious addition but people wanted calendars and market and printing first for some reason. Whatever. 
More seriously, we don't know how much extra coding effort this suggestion entails or what other prerequisites need to be resolved before this can get implemented. Especially because the solution needs to work for stand-alone clients as well as web presentation. The latest update switching to html for formatting was likely a major milestone for this item.
Even though this item isn't a top priority, it could be one of the things that sneaks in to an update like the recent alias changes. The devs sometimes have down time where they take the opportunity to work on other things -- code needs to compile, coders need other coders to finish something before they can move on, it could become a pet project that gets done off-the-clock. Keep thinking happy thoughts and maybe it'll appear in your stocking for Christmas.
More seriously, we don't know how much extra coding effort this suggestion entails or what other prerequisites need to be resolved before this can get implemented. Especially because the solution needs to work for stand-alone clients as well as web presentation. The latest update switching to html for formatting was likely a major milestone for this item.
Even though this item isn't a top priority, it could be one of the things that sneaks in to an update like the recent alias changes. The devs sometimes have down time where they take the opportunity to work on other things -- code needs to compile, coders need other coders to finish something before they can move on, it could become a pet project that gets done off-the-clock. Keep thinking happy thoughts and maybe it'll appear in your stocking for Christmas.