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Maps and Grids

Hey all.    I just bought the old judges guild maps that come with their own grids.   I am trying to get the grids in roll20 to align to the map and it just isnt working.   Ive so far tried turning off snapping, Ive tried the align feature, and I have also tried changing the map to a drawing and aligning it that way.   Nothing seems to work.   I am new to roll 20 in actuality as allthough I have been a member for awhile, ive not really started dming until like 5 months ago, so if this has been asked and answered before, sorry.  
1579116765
Pat S.
Forum Champion
Sheet Author
Don't worry about asking the question, it is fine. The problem with some maps that come grided is that their grids will not line up exactly with Roll20 no matter how hard you work at it. If you did the align to grid process which should make the map grid close to the roll20 grid. You can now do a couple different things. Turn off the grid and use the existing grid on the map. Use the Roll20 grid and ignore the map grid. Make Roll20 grid transparent so that tokens have the snap to grid. Make the Roll20 grid transparent then rework the size and scale of the grid (Usually double the scale while cutting the grid size by half, If I remember correctly) so that the grid is close to the map one. There are a few other things but those are the only ones off the top of my head.
1579145066
Kraynic
Pro
Sheet Author
I don't often use maps that have their own grid, but I have always aligned them manually with the following steps. 1) Right click on image and set the dimensions to 700x700px (10 cells each way). 2) Right click on image and set "is drawing".  You can skip this if you are absolutely certain the map edges are exactly on a grid line (there are a lot of maps, especially older ones, that aren't). Those 2 steps give plenty of area to be able to grab the image and to be able to see some of the details (especially the on map grid) well. 3) Inset the image so that the upper left corner is in one row and column from the top and left edges of the map. 4) Set the Roll20 grid to something that can very easily be seen against that particular map. 5) Drag the bottom of the map downward until the map grid lines along the left edge line up with the Roll20 grid.  Enlarge the Roll20 map page as needed to get enough room. 6) Drag the right edge out until the map grid lines along the top edge line up with the Roll20 grid.  Enlarge the Roll20 map page as needed to get enough room. 7) Some old maps didn't have a grid line at the edge of the map, and instead ended about halfway into another row/column of cells.  This is why you set the image to "is drawing", so that you can align your upper left corner without snapping to grid.  Adjust as needed to get any overhang into the border row/column. 8) Once you have the map all stretched out to where things line up with the grid, decide if you are content with the display resolution of the map.  If it is blurry, then use the "set dimensions" to set the image size to half.  Then set the grid size to .5, adjust the upper left hand corner alignment if needed, and reduce the size of your map page to match the current image size plus any border cells you want to maintain. 9) Turn the Roll20 grid fully transparent, so that you are only seeing the map grid. Once that is done, the optional (though recommended) step number 10 is to use your pro subscription perk of the transmogrifier to save this map to a map library game so you never have to go through that setup again for that map should you desire to use it again in the future. I've even done this sort of thing on black and white maps from pdfs of old adventures.  It is more fiddly when the grid doesn't go to the edge of the map, but is still doable.  Good luck!
1579160289
keithcurtis
Forum Champion
Marketplace Creator
API Scripter
With the exception that I generally skip steps 1 and 8 above, this is almost exactly my method as well. I never use the Grid Alignment tool. Nice write-up, Kraynic.
1579161010
Pat S.
Forum Champion
Sheet Author
Kraynic. If this is not in the stupid tricks thread, it should be.
1579164238
Gold
Forum Champion
I use & like that last method Pat said. Just bifurcate your Roll20 grid so there's 4 squares of 1/4 size each, per "Square 5 feet". Now the Tokens will have more discrete choices of movement, more spots to center the token while snapped, so everyone can find a spot for their token that is not hanging over a wall. In other words make a denser graph paper out of the Roll20 grid settings (and make it's grid invisible opacity), so this just controls the amount of spots where a token can sit. Pat S. said: Make the Roll20 grid transparent then rework the size and scale of the grid (Usually double the scale while cutting the grid size by half, If I remember correctly) so that the grid is close to the map one.
Kraynic said: I don't often use maps that have their own grid, but I have always aligned them manually with the following steps. 1) Right click on image and set the dimensions to 700x700px (10 cells each way). 2) Right click on image and set "is drawing".  You can skip this if you are absolutely certain the map edges are exactly on a grid line (there are a lot of maps, especially older ones, that aren't). Those 2 steps give plenty of area to be able to grab the image and to be able to see some of the details (especially the on map grid) well. 3) Inset the image so that the upper left corner is in one row and column from the top and left edges of the map. 4) Set the Roll20 grid to something that can very easily be seen against that particular map. 5) Drag the bottom of the map downward until the map grid lines along the left edge line up with the Roll20 grid.  Enlarge the Roll20 map page as needed to get enough room. 6) Drag the right edge out until the map grid lines along the top edge line up with the Roll20 grid.  Enlarge the Roll20 map page as needed to get enough room. 7) Some old maps didn't have a grid line at the edge of the map, and instead ended about halfway into another row/column of cells.  This is why you set the image to "is drawing", so that you can align your upper left corner without snapping to grid.  Adjust as needed to get any overhang into the border row/column. 8) Once you have the map all stretched out to where things line up with the grid, decide if you are content with the display resolution of the map.  If it is blurry, then use the "set dimensions" to set the image size to half.  Then set the grid size to .5, adjust the upper left hand corner alignment if needed, and reduce the size of your map page to match the current image size plus any border cells you want to maintain. 9) Turn the Roll20 grid fully transparent, so that you are only seeing the map grid. Once that is done, the optional (though recommended) step number 10 is to use your pro subscription perk of the transmogrifier to save this map to a map library game so you never have to go through that setup again for that map should you desire to use it again in the future. I've even done this sort of thing on black and white maps from pdfs of old adventures.  It is more fiddly when the grid doesn't go to the edge of the map, but is still doable.  Good luck! We liked this so much that we've added it to our official Alignment documentation , here at the bottom, with credit and many thanks to Kraynic. :)
Thanks, will try this.    Sorry for delay, have a sick lil one so not been on much this week to work on the game.