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Importing Maps From PDFs

Hi there, I'm trying to upload maps from my PDF supplements (by screenshotting them first then uploading the .jpg). They upload fine to the tabletop, but the roll20 grid squares are far far bigger than the maps predrawn grid. When I use the align to grid tool, the map scales to the correct size but becomes an amorphous blob of indistinct pixels. I've seen people raise similar issues with regards to their own maps, but they all seem to centre around ones they're making themselves in maptool or similar programs. Any idea how I get around this with a premade map? Cheers, Jason
If your maps are on their own page in the PDF, you can try using the PDF directly.  If you drop the PDF on to the map layer, it will ask you what page # to use.  Perhaps this would be cleaner than first creating the jpg, as I do not know what artifacts might come along with creating the jpg.
1368803447
Pat S.
Forum Champion
Sheet Author
I import the pdf into gimp and export it as a png file for all my maps. This allows me to edit it prior to using it in roll20
1368820145
Lorien Wright
Pro
Marketplace Creator
By default the squares in Roll20 are 70x70 pixels in dimension at 100% zoom. If your screenshot has less than 70x70 pixels per square then it will appear blurry when sized to fit the Roll20 grid. Following Justin's suggestion may alleviate that issue if the PDF's original images are at a higher resolution than the screenshots.
I import my PDF maps into GIMP. I then re-size the map so I have a 50x50 px grid (or 25x25, 100x100, ect) , and save it as a JPG Crop the JPG in GIMP so that the edges correspond with grid-lines.  When you import the map into roll20, check that the dims are the same as the jpg image (they are usually off by about 20 px) and adjust. Then set your grid dims to 50x50 or whatever you use.   done. P.S. I run across pdf maps that are "stretched" or "shrunk" all the time, you need to adjust the image until the grid lines are all uniform.
1368845255
Pat S.
Forum Champion
Sheet Author
you can also resize the maps till your grids at 70x70px and that is the roll20 default grid size
I cant figure this out. I keep trying. I prefer photoshop (cs6) to gimp as i'm more familiar with it. But I can't get the dimensions right. I dont know how to convert the sizing between the numbers given through gimp/photoshop and the numbers from roll20.
1368862551
Gauss
Forum Champion
While sizing your images out of Roll20 can help make it easier to set up in Roll20 if that is causing you difficulty you can just drop what you have (unsized) into Roll20 and size it there. If you want help sizing it in Roll20 let me know.  - Gauss
I havent had problems in roll20, I can typically make do. the problem started while I was trying to convert some tiles maps from PDF to PNG, the sizes are wrong and no matter what I do I can't get the grid to line up everywhere. It will be perfectly matched in one section and off in another. Which makes me think it's just the way the map is, or it's just the file. I've had no problems scaling random maps and the like.
1368868511
Gauss
Forum Champion
Send me an join link, I can show you how to line it up. It probably just needs fine tuning. :) BTW, unless you are using transparencies, you should use JPG instead of PNG. PNG uses too much file space. You can get better resolution for the same file space with JPG.  - Gauss
oh sweet thanks a lot! I'll convert all my files tonight and reupload them. for some reason i thought it was the other way around ha! Cant do tonight as I'm exhausted, but I really appreciate the offer!