Repository navigation
Drawing And Template Tools
Drawing and template tools let the GM add visual marks, annotations, shapes, and area-of-effect guides directly to a scene.
Use drawing tools for freeform map notes and markings. Use template tools for measured areas such as lines, cones, cubes, and radius effects.
[insert image]
Drawing tools are best for visual marks and map annotations.
Use drawing tools for:
- Circling an area.
- Drawing arrows.
- Marking danger zones.
- Sketching barriers.
- Highlighting doors or clues.
- Making freehand notes on the map.
- Adding quick visual reminders during play.
Template tools are best for measured areas.
Use template tools for:
- Spell areas.
- Breath weapons.
- Explosions.
- Auras.
- Cones.
- Lines.
- Cubes.
- Radius-based effects.
Drawing and template tools are available from the Tools menu.
The Tools menu includes grouped sections for:
- Drawing Tools.
- Template Tools.
- Fog of War Tools.
- Effects Tools.
- Table Tools.
- Dice Bag.
- Turn Order.
[insert image]
Drawing tools include:
- Brush.
- Line.
- Rectangle.
- Ellipse.
- Triangle.
- Polygon.
Each drawing type can be used to create visible scene markings.
Use the brush tool for freehand drawing.
The brush is useful for:
- Quick arrows.
- Hand-drawn circles.
- Sketching movement paths.
- Marking damaged areas.
- Drawing improvised terrain.
- Making quick GM notes during play.
Use the line tool for straight marks.
The line tool is useful for:
- Drawing borders.
- Marking sight lines.
- Indicating direction.
- Showing a wall, barrier, or beam.
- Pointing to important map features.
Use the rectangle tool for box-shaped areas.
The rectangle tool is useful for:
- Room outlines.
- Zone markers.
- Building footprints.
- Hazard areas.
- Temporary boundaries.
Use the ellipse tool for round or oval markings.
The ellipse tool is useful for:
- Auras.
- Pools.
- Blast areas.
- Circles around objectives.
- Soft area highlights.
Use the triangle tool for triangular markings.
The triangle tool is useful for:
- Direction indicators.
- Wedge-shaped hazards.
- Simple cone-like visual marks.
- Map symbols.
Use the polygon tool for custom shapes.
Polygon drawing is useful for:
- Irregular hazards.
- Cavern outlines.
- Custom terrain zones.
- Areas that do not fit simple shapes.
Polygon drawing supports finishing, canceling, and removing the last active point while drawing.
[insert image]
Drawing tools can include style controls such as:
- Stroke color.
- Fill color.
- Stroke thickness.
- Opacity.
- Shape fill.
- Preset thickness values.
- Preset opacity values.
- Custom tuning.
Use style settings to make drawings visible without overwhelming the map.
[insert image]
Placed drawings can be selected from the GM canvas or from the Drawings layer.
After selecting a drawing, you can adjust it or manage it from the layer list.
Placed drawings can be:
- Moved.
- Resized.
- Rotated.
- Duplicated.
- Hidden.
- Deleted.
- Reordered.
- Renamed from the layer list.
Use these controls to clean up drawings after creating them quickly during play.
[insert image]
Drawings appear as sub-layers under the Drawings layer.
Drawing sub-layers help you:
- Select drawings.
- Rename drawings.
- Reorder drawings.
- Toggle GM visibility.
- Toggle Player View visibility.
- Delete drawings.
[insert image]
Drawings can be visible to the GM, the Player View, or both depending on layer and item visibility.
Use GM-only drawings for:
- Private reminders.
- Secret room notes.
- Planned enemy movement.
- Hidden traps.
- Prep markings.
Use player-visible drawings for:
- Tactical marks.
- Environmental hazards.
- Spell effects.
- Directional arrows.
- Shared table annotations.
Template tools include:
- Line.
- Radius.
- Cube.
- Cone.
Templates are measured scene objects, not just freeform drawings.
They are useful when a game effect has a specific size or shape.
[insert image]
Use line templates for effects that travel in a straight path.
Line templates are useful for:
- Lightning bolts.
- Beams.
- Breath lines.
- Traps.
- Charging paths.
- Straight area effects.
Use radius templates for circular or radial effects.
Radius templates are useful for:
- Fireballs.
- Explosions.
- Auras.
- Bursts.
- Light effects.
- Zone effects.
Use cube templates for square or box-shaped areas.
Cube templates are useful for:
- Cubic spell areas.
- Room-sized effects.
- Square zones.
- Area hazards.
Use cone templates for directional area effects.
Cone templates are useful for:
- Breath weapons.
- Cone spells.
- Directional blasts.
- Spray effects.
[insert image]
Template tools can include configurable settings such as:
- Length.
- Radius.
- Width.
- Stroke thickness.
- Visual effect preset.
- Grid footprint display.
- Player View live preview.
- Label visibility.
Set these values before placing the template, or adjust the template after placement when available.
Grid footprint preview shows which squares or hexes are affected by a template.
This is useful for tactical play where the table needs to know exactly which spaces are included.
Footprint previews use the scene's grid and measurement settings.
[insert image]
Template labels can show measurement information while drawing or when the template is selected.
Labels scale with scene zoom so they remain readable without dominating the map.
Templates can be previewed in Player View depending on their settings.
This is useful when the GM wants players to see an area before confirming placement.
Use Player View previews for:
- Spell targeting.
- Area confirmation.
- Tactical discussion.
- Showing players what an effect will cover.
Placed templates can be selected and managed like other scene objects.
Templates may be:
- Moved.
- Resized or adjusted.
- Rotated.
- Duplicated.
- Hidden.
- Deleted.
- Reordered.
- Renamed from the layer list.
Drawing and template placement can use snapping depending on the scene grid and active tool.
Snapping may target:
- Square centers.
- Square corners.
- Square side centers.
- Hex centers.
- Hex corners.
- Freeform positions in gridless scenes.
Use Ctrl or Cmd where supported to preview or apply snapping.
Drawing and template tools are helpful for:
- Marking spell areas.
- Showing terrain changes.
- Drawing barricades or hazards.
- Highlighting objectives.
- Tracking temporary effects.
- Indicating where a sound, blast, or trap occurs.
- Showing a route, direction, or target area.
If a drawing or template does not appear in Player View:
- Check item visibility.
- Check layer visibility.
- Confirm the correct scene is shown in Player View.
- Check whether fog of war is hiding the area.
- Confirm the object was saved or placed in the active scene.
If a template's affected spaces look wrong:
- Check the scene grid mode.
- Check measurement settings.
- Check template size settings.
- Confirm the grid is calibrated correctly.
If a drawing is hard to see:
- Increase opacity.
- Change stroke or fill color.
- Increase stroke thickness.
- Move it above overlapping scene objects if needed.
Before play, confirm:
- Common drawing presets are comfortable to use.
- Template sizes match your game system.
- Grid footprint previews are enabled when needed.
- Player View visibility is correct.
- Private GM drawings stay hidden.
- Important templates are named clearly.
- The scene has been saved.