Virtual roleplaying part 4 - module configuration, walls

Let's install and activate a module to fix your map, just in case. Assuming you're still in Foundry, hit ESC (top left of your keyboard) and Return to Setup. This should take you to the familiar Setup screen. Select the Add-on Modules tab, and then click Install Module.

We're going to install the GridScaler module. Copy its manifest URL (which is probably here), paste it into the form and hit Install.

[Note: there is a native grid alignment tool coming in Foundry 0.5.3, but in the short term, GridScaler is what you need - besides. it's good practice at installing a module!]

Now go back to the Game Worlds tab, launch your World and go to the settings tab on the far right.

Hit Manage modules.

You will be presented with the Module Management dialog, which has a list of all the modules you have installed (currently exactly one!): make sure the checkbox on Grid Scale Menu (yes, the module name changes for some reason) is selected, and then hit Save Module Settings at the bottom of the window.


Your game world will reload.

Now go back to the Settings menu, and select Configure Settings, and then Module settings.

In this case there are no settings for your module, but in others there may be, so it's always worth doing this when you add a new module.

I always find when I add new modules it can be less than obvious where the features have been added: in this case its easy: look on the button menu on the left, and you'll see a new icon - a spanner. The module actually has copious documentation on how to adjust your grid, so I'm just going to point you there if you need it rather than make this post even longer!

Ok. Now your grid is properly lined up, let's draw some walls!

Back to the left hand button menu, and select the temple icon. You'll notice that the second column changes to a new set, which are, from top to bottom:

• Draw Walls (selected by default)
• Invisible Walls
• Terrain Walls
• Ethereal Walls
• Draw Doors
• Secret Doors
• Clone Walls
• Clear Walls

Drawing walls is easy: left click and hold at the start, drag to where you want and let go, there's a wall. If you change your mind in the middle, right click before you finish and the wall will go away.

Now, this is all very well, but it creates a whole bunch of individual lines - what if you want them joined up? Easy. Left click and to start, then hold down Command (on a Mac, Control on anything else). Let go where you want the end point to be, do not let go of Command, click again, drag again, let go again, repeat. For the last point, let go of Command before you let go. 

Presto. If it all goes horribly wrong you can delete individual walls by double-clicking on and end point then hitting the Delete key, or the whole lot with the Clear Walls button.

Notice that I've added a point at every doorway. If you don't want the chore of drawing doors separately using the Draw Doors tool, you can turn the section of wall across the doorway into a door, by double-clicking on it.

This will bring up the Wall Configuration dialog: change Is Door? to Door, click Update Wall, and away you go. The piece of wall will change to blue, and now it's a door (which means when you go to the normal map view, you can click on it to open and close it).

Of course, if you've imported a big map from Dungeondraft, this is a LOT of clicking. There's a module that will help you. Clear the walls you've drawn so far, and using the instructions above, go and install DungeonDraft Importer (I'll wait).

Ok? Done that? Good. Now, once you've enabled the module. go to the Scenes tab on the right, right click on your scene, and select DungeonDraft Import. Note at this point it is very important your map image is imported at the right size.

Now you need to find your .dungeondraft_map file, and open it in a text editor. Copy the entire contents of the file, and paste it in the very minimal dialog box that appears in Foundry, and hit Confirm.

Et voilà, as they say in France. Complete with the doors correctly imported as doors (and yes, I forgot the secret door by the altar!)

Not that it hasn't imported the cave walls - this is currently a known limitation, so you will have to draw those by hand. It would also import any light sources you had in your map, but we'll get to that in another post!