There's a new update out today that introduces a number of performance enhancements and new features.
Rollable Tables and Dice Tokens for Subscribers
If you've got access to the advanced features on Roll20 through your subscription (e.g. Dynamic Lighting), today you're getting access to the new Rollable Tables. We're not bringing this to everyone yet because it's not finished and there's no documentation, but we do want to gather some additional feedback.
Rollable Tables allow you to create a table of items that you can then "roll" to choose from in the chat box. To set it up, you'll find a new "Rollable Tables" header under the "Cards and Tables" tab on the right sidebar (the icon that looks like a list). Add a new table, then add a few items, and you're set. You can optionally upload an icon for each item and we'll show that instead of the text when you roll the table, great for creating custom dice. After you create the table, the syntax to roll it is "/roll 1t[tablename]". Obviously you can change "1t" to "3t" to roll it 3 times, or any other number.
In addition to the Rollable Tables, we're also introducing Dice Tokens. This allows you to drag and drop dice from the chat window (the same ones you can re-order) onto the tabletop. Doing so creates a little token that looks like that dice, which you can then use as a game piece. You can also change the "side" of the token shown, or "roll" the token to get a random result. And if you create a Rollable Table, you'll also find a "Token" button in the sidebar which will let you create a token for that table and do the same things.
We are planning to add on additional functionality which will let you create other types of multi-sided tokens without needing to create a Rollable Table first (so you could have a token of a werewolf that has a "normal" and a "transformed" side, for example). Let us know what you think!
Special thanks to Balladeer of the Mod team for creating the graphics that are used for the dice tokens!
(Everything below this line is being released to all users today, not just subscribers).
Rendering/Sync Improvements
We've made some tremendous improvements to the way that we both render and sync data across users and back to our servers. This should result in some really great performance increases, especially for maps that have several hundreds of objects. You'll start to see faster load times in general as well. There's nothing you have to do to take advantage of these new improvements, they'll just automatically take place as you use Roll20. Do let us know if you see any new glitches in your campaigns today, although we don't expect any.
Polygon FoW Tool
We're going to be releasing some new improvements to the FoW tool and Dynamic Lighting over the next couple of updates, and the new feature in today's update is the ability to use a Polygon tool to reveal FoW areas. There's also a new "Clear" button in the FoW menu, which will reset the map back to completely hidden. I would recommend doing this, and then re-revealing areas with the new polygon tool, if you really abused the square tool by, for example, revealing hundreds of small areas to match a diagonal hallway.
Better Z-Order Handling
We've completely re-worked the way that z-ordering works, so you shouldn't have any further issues with leaving a campaign and coming back later to find that things have re-arranged themselves. In addition using To Front and To Back is now a quick and seamless experience, even if you have a large campaign with hundreds of objects.
Help Videos!
Kristin on the Mod Team has done a fantastic job of creating some great new help videos that cover some basic and advanced Roll20 topics. You can check out the full list on the new "Roll20Help" YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxYefyArg-d3nE-y4HcXNx189cHHcuk2a
Looking for Group Mini-Forums
Now each LFG listing has its own little mini-forum (similar to the ones for Campaigns). We've done away with the "Apply to Join this Campaign" feature, instead opting for this. Anyone can post into this forum, so perspective players can post their application right on there. The campaign's GM can also post additional information, requirements, etc. Once the player has been invited to join the Campaign (via the invite tools), they'll be able to see and post in the Campaign's forum with the other campaign players.
And Even MORE!
- In case you missed it yesterday, Roll20 is now fully SSL across the virtual tabletop, forums, and Marketplace. More here: https://app.roll20.net/forum/post/84791/roll20-is-now-fully-ssl#post-85614
- Items on the Tokens/Objects and the GM Notes layer will now render ABOVE the grid if you have the grid enabled. So the grid will only cover things on the Maps layer.
- The Marketplace now features downloads for entire sets all at once for sets that you've purchased and are download-enabled. Just go to the Set's page and use the handy new "Download Set" link.
- Group snapping has been improved, now items in a group will always retain their relative positions to each other when snapping, and the entire group will be snapped to the grid by default.
- When using the Align to Grid tool, you now have the option of editing the values in the boxes before accepting the changes, great for fixing the numbers if it's off by a pixel or two after you draw your box.
- The upload progress bar now actually works when you upload things to Roll20 so you can see how much time is left in the upload.
- There's now a "Duplicate Deck" button to allow you to quickly make a copy of an existing deck in your Campaign.
- The zoom tool has been slightly re-worked, now when you use the Alt+Scrollwheel zoom or the zoom drop-down, it should try to keep you at least somewhat centered on the same location.
- ...plus of course the usual smattering of handy bug fixes and minor tweaks.
