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

Unshow Handouts

1555636666

Edited 1555637363
Hi, To preface: I don't know if this affects other users today, and I don't presume to tell the hardworkers behind this fine website what to do. It could be something that only I find to be a problem, but in case it weren't, I post this in an effort to hopefully make Roll20 a little better for everyone. I also apologize in advance if this were not the right subforum to post this; this is my first post. I've been using Roll20 as a premium user for quite a while, and every time I look up this particular matter, I come up empty handed. There are several guides on Roll20 teaching GMs how to show handouts to players by adding them to their journals. However, there are none for removing a shown handout from their journals. Such a mechanic, as far as I know, does not exist. The most recent post I could find on this is two years old , in which everyone concluded that such a feature was not on Roll20 at the time of posting. As of then, I could not find any more recent fixes to or posts about this matter. Examples as to when this could pose an issue: A letter (the handout) is stolen/destroyed in-game by an NPC or one of the players. The characters should not be able to read it anymore. Accidentally sharing a handout with players through Right click > Show to Players. This spoiled a surprise for my party once; one that I worked on for weeks. A handout reveal meant to only last a short time (e.g. passing by a oil painting, or a mental flash that comes and goes shortly after). In all of the above cases, I could ask my players to delete the handout from their journals and close the window, but that doesn't mean they would, nor is it a solution to the problem. I could simply describe what is in the handout rather than show it, but the same could be argued about the handout feature to begin with, and it is also not a solution. Being able to remove a handout that I shared from their journals and close the window on their end would be a solution. Suggested fixes: An "Undo Show to Players" button. A "Hide from Players" button. On the handout window, a "Specify Duration" slider/textbox in which the GM could decide, were the handout shown through the existing feature, how long it would remain in players' view before its window is closed on their end, and the entry is removed from their journals. Thank you for your time, and I wish you a pleasant day. Kind regards, Q. Edit: Formatting. Edit 2: I did try going to Left Click Handout > Edit in order to go to the In Players' Journals textbox and delete everyone from it. This did remove the handout from their journals, but any player who still had it open could still see it for as long as they kept it open.
1555637222
vÍnce
Pro
Sheet Author
Can't you change the permissions on the handout so that only certain player's can see it?  
Vince said: Can't you change the permissions on the handout so that only certain player's can see it?   I can; see Edit 2.
1555637817
vÍnce
Pro
Sheet Author
Sorry, I made my comment before your 2nd edit.  ;-) You might want to make a suggestion that you would like for an instant (similar to how "Show to Players" works) removal of handouts if permission has been revoked.  
1555637988
Kraynic
Pro
Sheet Author
While it wouldn't take them away from someone while they were looking at it, I have mostly taken to doing an index handout (or tree of them).  Everything that has a link on there is archived.  Use the GM notes for links that only you want to see, or things you don't want the players to see easily.  If you show a handout linked from the GM notes, then the players lose it once they close it (unless they remember the exact spelling and know how to make links in their character bio&info tab) it is lost to them with no need to mess with permissions. I know that isn't as good as something built into the system, but it might work for you.
1555727095
The Aaron
Roll20 Production Team
API Scripter
One thing you could do is move all the content to the GM Notes part.  That would blank out the handout immediately for everyone viewing it.  Doesn't work for the handout image, but you might be able to work around that as well. Another option is to have "handout maps" where you take player or players to to view some content, then move them off of to remove it.  Similarly, you could drop an image on the map for them to look at, then delete it.