How To Get A Good Map Background For Roll20

A Beginner'due south Guide to Roll20

What follows is a short guide to using my two-Minute Tabletop maps, assets, and tokens with the Roll20 virtual tabletop.

This guide will but encompass the very basics required to go you started with my content, and is designed for those new to the platform who might be paralyzed past the many tools and features on Roll20 and desire to know where to start.

I take split up this tutorial into four sections to embrace each of the main kinds of content that I create; boxing maps, map avails, tokens, spell templates, and set pieces. Allow's get into it!

Importing Battle Maps

Some of my most convenient pieces are battle maps, exciting top-down scenes fit for a combat see or skill challenge. Click hither to browse my boxing maps – you may want to download one for free and follow forth.

Setting up a new page

Create a new page in Roll20 by opening the Page Toolbar (in the meridian-right of the map canvas) and clicking Create New Page.
Set the Page Settings by hovering over your new folio in the Page Toolbar and clicking the blue cog. Change the Width and Height to match the battle map you wish to import.
- For my newer maps, the map dimensions are declared in their file name, such as
  "Meadow Ruins – Grassy – Day – 22×sixteen.jpg"
- Older maps are generally 23×xvi″ simply y'all can check by opening the map'due south PDF, enabling a square filigree, and counting the filigree squares.
- All this said, experience gratis to create a large folio and simply estimate the size of the map – the exact scale is ordinarily not also important.
(Optional) Give your new page a proper name by clicking the "Untitled" proper noun field in the Folio Toolbar.
Click your new folio to navigate to it.

Uploading a boxing map to Roll20

Download and unzip (if necessary) your desired boxing map to your reckoner. A boxing map is a JPG or PNG file (the PDF files are for printing, not for virtual tabletops).
Switch to the Map & Background layer (see epitome).
Assets placed on this layer will appear beneath Roll20's grid overlay, which is exactly what we demand for a boxing map.
Elevate-and-drop the battle map from your difficult drive into the Roll20 browser window to import it onto your current page and layer. An "Uploading" popup volition momentarily appear, and the battle map will appear on the page, just likely at the wrong scale;
Set the map dimensions by right clicking the image and navigating to Advanced > Set Dimensions in the menu that appears. Select "Units" instead of "Pixels" and enter the desired width and height. Click "Set up" to confirm.
- Refer to step 2 in Setting up a new folio if y'all are not sure what a map's dimensions are.
Click-and-drag the resized map so that information technology fits inside the confines of the folio.

That's all information technology takes to import a fresh boxing map into Roll20. If you are interested likewise in importing map assets and tokens, please continue reading…

Importing Avails and Tokens

All of my assets, tokens, and other resources are uploaded and used in much the same fashion, so I will explicate what they accept in mutual and and then I will interruption downward their unique differences. I will refer to map assets, tokens, and spell templates but equally "assets" when the type is inconsequential.

Uploading to the Art Library

Download and unzip an asset pack to your reckoner. Avails are PNG files and are unremarkably organized inside a binder labelled as such.
Navigate to the Art Library (see paradigm) and to My Library therein.
Press Upload and, following the prompts, upload as many assets every bit you want.
The assets volition upload and appear in your Art Library, gear up for use on your page.

Adding Art Library avails to the page

Choose your page layer in Roll20;
- The Map & Background layer is for assets which volition appear under Roll20's grid overlay, and is the amend choice for static avails which yous practice not need to move during play, such as trees, buildings, and furniture.
- The Objects & Tokens layer volition place avails on top of the filigree, but these will be clickable during play when y'all take this layer selected (which is about of the time). Avails on this layer may get in the style during play, so reserve it for objects that need to movement, such as tokens, spell templates, and interact-able map assets.
Drag-and-drib your desired asset from the Fine art Library onto the page. Information technology may help to utilise the search bar if you have a bang-up many. It will appear where you drop it, though at a hard-coded dimension.
Transform the asset; change the position, scale, and rotation using the transform controls that appear when you click the asset. Be sure to hold downwardly Alt to avoid snapping to the filigree.
(Optional) manipulate the render gild. Occasionally you will find that two avails overlap in an nonsensical mode. Correct click one of them and select either "To Front" or "To Back" to change its position relative to other avails on its layer.

If you need a duplicate of this asset, it is easier to copy and paste information technology than to echo these steps each time. You tin do this with the correct-click menu or by selecting it and pressing Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V.

Map Assets

Though I don't recommend creating entire custom maps in Roll20, it is very easy to make significant additions such as adding a few extra trees, a campsite, or ravenous, deadly flames. You can click here to scan all of my map avails.

In general, the scale of these avails is not of import. I recommend going with whatever looks right and fits the grid conveniently, and placing them on the Map & Background layer unless they are something that will likely movement, such every bit a carriage or trap.

Actor and Monster Tokens

Creature tokens are an integral part of whatsoever map, as they stand for the earth-shaking heroes and villains doing boxing! You can click here to view my pre-fabricated tokens, or your can click hither to visit the 2-Minute Token Editor.

In general, these tokens are designed to snap to the grid and should be resized to some number of grid squares, but you may wish to tweak them past holding Alt while resizing them.

Assigning a token to a Grapheme

To save a token's dimensions, other settings, and (optionally) to requite another player command over it, you tin can assign it to a Character.

To create a new character, navigate to your Periodical (in the pinnacle-right menu) and printing "Add" and then "Graphic symbol."
Edit the Character past clicking its listing entry in the Journal and clicking "Edit" in the window that opens.
Assign a token to the character by first clicking the desired token on the page and and so clicking "Utilize Selected Token" in the Edit Character window. The token paradigm will appear in place of the button.
(Optional) Grant ownership of this token to a player by inbound their name in the "Tin can be edited and controlled by" field.
Press the "Relieve Changes" push.

After you have fix a Character in this way, you tin can elevate-and-driblet it from the Periodical and onto the page but like any asset from your Fine art Library. Notwithstanding, a Graphic symbol will save its dimensions and other settings no thing the page, unlike an Art Library asset. Handy!

Spell Templates

Spell templates are a user-friendly tool for aiming your expanse-of-effect spells, and they expect super cool to boot! You tin click here to browse my spell avails and so far.

Since the dimensions of spell templates are so important and you probable want your players to exist able to move and position them, I recommend creating a drove of "Characters" in your Journal for them by following the "Assigning a token to a Character" guide above. Your sorcerer player will then be able to drag-and-drop his Fireball "Grapheme" from his Journal onto the map whenever they please!

Set Pieces

As a final asset blazon, in that location is the map/asset hybrid that I call "gear up pieces" which includes buildings, boats, and other battle maps with a transparent groundwork designed to be placed over some other battle map. You tin can click here to scan my fix piece collection.

The dimensions of set pieces are usually important, as they contain walls and obstacles that arrange to the grid. The intended dimensions will be listed in the filename of the asset, which includes the transparent padding around the border.

You lot can gear up the map dimensions in the same way we did for the battle map; by correct clicking the asset and navigating to Advanced > Set Dimensions in the carte du jour that appears. Select "Units" instead of "Pixels" and enter the desired width and height. Click "Ready" to confirm.

Before You lot Go

If yous savour my content, you'll desire to be notified when I upload something new. Delight come bring together us on social media, or subscribe to my email newsletter! I aim to brand a new map or nugget pack once a week. 🙂

For exclusive map variants and even the PSD files, consider joining the astonishing community that makes these maps possible:

That'south all for now. I promise this guide has been useful to you! Please exit any feedback or questions in the comments below and, if you are interested in more of our content, please enjoy some of our contempo articles below. Farewell!

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About the writer

Ross McConnell

DM, aspiring creative person, and founder of ii-Infinitesimal Tabletop! I love drawing, writing, and worldbuilding, and this is the website where all of information technology comes together.

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