Roll20 uses cookies to improve your experience on our site. Cookies enable you to enjoy certain features, social sharing functionality, and tailor message and display ads to your interests on our site and others. They also help us understand how our site is being used. By continuing to use our site, you consent to our use of cookies. Update your cookie preferences .
×
Create a free account

Need quick pointer on importing some PDF's

Greetings again!  Paizo has some good starter quests they offer for free such as Honor's Echo. If I want to use a pathfinder module and I have it complete including maps, dialogue and such. What are the steps to getting it 'in' roll20? I can sit down, type or cut n paste into whatever format is needed but what i need I suppose is basic skills using Roll20 in building an adventure using a non marketplace dungeon. Can this be done? I am still going to get the Crown War. Honors Echo was suggested as 'pre-missions' to build up on how the players get to Taldor and eventually know some of the players in the crown series.  I need to learn and master how to import or add to roll20 a module/maps and handouts from a module. Id daresay I'd like to run the players thru Rise of the Runelords but that would be a long undertaking on my part. If there is you tube videos that you think will get me up to speed on what I am asking for just link here and I get watch them! Thanks again for all your support. 
1538486645
keithcurtis
Forum Champion
Marketplace Creator
API Scripter
It really boils down to how much you want to use the Roll20 interface. At the barest minimum, you'll probably want the maps, and any creatures or NPCs that cannot be gotten through the SRD or the Bestiary, if you have purchased it. After that, you are trading prep time for convenience. You can run the entire adventure using your print guide for all the text, or you can go the cut and paste route. My first few adventures on Roll20 were a hodgepodge of map, book and handwritten notes.
Thanks Keith. How can i get the maps 'in' roll 20?
1538493017

Edited 1538493089
keithcurtis
Forum Champion
Marketplace Creator
API Scripter
Here is an overview of the Page Toolbar , and a wiki article you may find useful for  Aligning Maps , The latter is particularly useful for maps that were not designed with VTTS in mind. Here is a general article on manipulating graphics on Roll20. As for getting the graphics into the system, it's just drag and drop onto the tabletop. Most maps are best saved as jpg (don't use the .jpeg extension—it causes problems). They have a smaller file size than PNG and don't typically require transparency. You will need to extract the maps from the PDF in some manner. I can't give specific advice on that since PDF handling varies by platform and application.
Thanks I am using the windows snipping tool and 'cutting and snipping' portions of the PDF of the free module from paizo and saving it as jpg. From there I'll try to get it into roll20. Is jpg better than png? 
I just discovered I can convert entire dungeon PDFs to jpg using an online converter! Is this how you folks do it? 
1538499591
Pat S.
Forum Champion
Sheet Author
Everyone's method varies. Some people convert it all into one image and others snip parts out. When I'm converting a pdf over for roll20 use, I extract all the maps and convert them into jpgs then just hand type everything that I need into handouts and character sheets. It is labor intensive but it is similar to how the marketplace modules are created.
1538499920
keithcurtis
Forum Champion
Marketplace Creator
API Scripter
I don't generally extract PDF materials for Roll20, I use Google finds, Marketplace materials, or build my own. When extracting images from PDFs for other purposes, however, I use Acrobat Pro. As for jpg vs png. They each have strengths. In general pngs are most useful where a transparent background is needed. Most tokens are pngs. Jpgs are most useful where keeping the file size down is important. Most single-graphic maps are jpgs. There are exceptions, such as map pieces or tiles which may benefit from transparency features.
I like the roll20 marketplace products. Is there another site that provides products for roll20 (and easy to install)? (you mentioned google)
1538519834
keithcurtis
Forum Champion
Marketplace Creator
API Scripter
I can't direct you off of the marketplace, of course, and the Marketplace is the only place you will find material expressly created or converted for roll20 use. But any place that sells digital maps should be useable on Roll20, and the same is true for any place that sells tokens. These are essentially art assets and pretty universally useful. Modules and such will always require prep work for use on Roll20 unless they are specifically created for the platform and sold through the Marketplace. (The Marketplace contains all the hooks that content creators use to make their adventures plug-n-play.)