Universal VTT - Trial Run, Need Your Feedback.
Added 2025-02-05 23:23:57 +0000 UTCHi folks,
in yet more news, we are playing around with offering you the universal VTT (dd2vtt) format files for my battle maps! What is a dd2vtt file format? It is a file that we can create with walls and lights for my maps that is supported by almost all VTTs. This means you would be able to import this wall file into the following VTTs: Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, Map Tool, Encounter +, Arkenforge, and any other VTTs that list support for dd2vtt. This should potentially save you lots of prep time for your sessions and generally make your life much easier as a DM.
I've had Patrons ask me for these for a long time, and I finally decided to give it a go. The file below can be downloaded by all of my members - there is a universal VTT file there as well as the file for the map. The universal VTT file does not contain the image, so you have to import the image into your VTT separately.
Oh and while dd2vtt is supported by Foundry, we will never be switching to dd2vtt for the Foundry modules.
I want to know your feedback! Did we even do this right? It took us a little figuring out how to do it, so we want to make sure this actually works for everyone. Would these files make your life easier if they are set up properly? If I was to have a separate tier for these, would you sign up?
If you are a member, you can download this trial file here: dww-medium-house-dd2vtt.zip
And just in case, here are the instructions on how to use these in Roll20 (you will need to install a Universal Importer Script): https://app.roll20.net/forum/post/11038224/script-update-universalvttimporter-import-dd2vtt-files-to-create-dynamic-lighting-lines-lights-and-windows/?pageforid=11038224#post-11038224
https://help.roll20.net/hc/en-us/articles/360037256714-Roll20-Mods-API#h_01H988F1V01T51HJ2ESG90G85W
Comments
I found the same issue. I tried to import into FantasyGrounds but there was no image included in the file.
Keith Maconi
2025-02-19 00:12:19 +0000 UTCYou said this should work with Encounter+? Any tips on how to get it loaded? Love the idea but the app doesn’t seem to like the file.
Jason Poirier
2025-02-11 05:50:08 +0000 UTCI'm not totally sure how you managed to export the Universal VTT file without the image in it, but it is SUPPOSED to be in there! So, first of all, I'm on my phone, I haven't looked at your sample yet. However, the file format is supposed to export whatever image layers you have set up in the original. Then it's supposed to overlay the wall layers, visibility and basic lighting. All of that ought to get packed in to the final file, or at least, the stuff relevant to the layer you are currently on when you export it. It is worth noting that FoundryVTT has more advanced lighting features, weather effects and area based audio effects. So, you should be able to use the Universal VTT file in your FoundryVTT offerings, but you will probably want to export out of FoundryVTT, to include all of those features that the other VTT platforms can't support / don't support as well as FoundryVTT does. 😊 I've got a write up on the FoundryVTT subReddit about the best practices for doing all of this. It's a bit old, but nothing has changed. If anything, people are leaving heavier on Clip Studio than they used to when I wrote the article. 😊
James Long
2025-02-08 12:37:10 +0000 UTCAwesome thanks!
Nightmaridragon 13
2025-02-06 01:16:16 +0000 UTCthe file I provided is 6.37mb, which should upload without a problem. Evidently, it sounds like we made a bit of a mistake with this one, but once we fix it, the final file should not be any bigger than this.
Domille's Wondrous Works
2025-02-06 01:12:54 +0000 UTC50mb
Nightmaridragon 13
2025-02-06 01:10:55 +0000 UTCwhat's their file size limit?
Domille's Wondrous Works
2025-02-06 01:05:55 +0000 UTCMy group uses Owlbear Rodeo as our vtt and I worry about file size because of thier size limit. But overall I like the idea.
Nightmaridragon 13
2025-02-06 01:05:12 +0000 UTC
