Listing Virtual Tabletop Assets
If you already have an account, you can create a new product listing using the Product Type > Maps & Play Aids and the Format > Virtual Tabletops under Category Assignments.
Types of VTT Files
The following file types are acceptable for your VTT assets.
|
Type |
Preferred Format |
Also Accepted |
|
Image Files |
JPG or PNG |
GIF |
|
Animated Files |
WEBM |
GIF, MP4 |
|
Sounds |
MP3 |
WAV, OGG, FLAC |
NOTE: The default square grid drawn over a Page has cell units that are 70 pixels wide by 70 pixels high. If you are making images to be used on this square grid (as opposed to Hex), use image dimensions that can be evenly divided by 70. This will prevent your art from becoming distorted. Hex grids are usually 75 pixels wide by 88 pixels high, or 94 pixels wide by 81 pixels high.
Tokens
Static Tokens are best as 280px X 280px PNG images. A token at this size is 4x scale (squares are 70px X 70px), and it will look good when zoomed in on. But do not exceed 10mb file size, 5mb is the recommended standard.
Animated Tokens are best as WEBMs or GIF files
Make sure the token fills the area as intended. For example, a token for a human character might be slightly larger than a halfling or gnome token might be; meanwhile, an orc or bugbear might be slightly larger than the human.
You might also want your token image to feature a drop-shadow or an outline to make it easier to distinguish from the background.
Maps
70 pixels x 70 pixels per grid square in JPG format.
Small Maps or “Battle Maps”
Battle maps show relatively small rooms or areas, generally for use in token-based skirmish combat games. Such maps are usually laid out on a square or hex grid, often depicted at 5 feet per square.
Example: A map of a 40-ft. by 40-ft. room, using a 5-foot grid, is 8 squares by 8 squares. The whole map should be 560 x 560 pixels (i.e., 8 x 70 by 8 x 70).
Larger Maps
A bigger map, whether one showing a large battle area or a bigger geographical region (like an entire town or dungeon layer, or even a world map) might still be laid out using squares or hexes. However, the scale will be larger than that of a battle map.
Regardless, the 70 x 70 pixel standard still applies per square (even if actual grid squares aren’t visible on the map).
Note: For maps larger than about 4200 x 4200 pixels, you might provide the full map to users, but also offer the whole thing pulled apart into smaller sections (see “Map Tiles”) that can then be pieced back together as needed by the user. Doing so will improve VTT performance, while maintaining the integrity of the map image.
Map Tiles
Map tiles are uniform pieces of larger maps that can be put together to create a larger whole and look best at 2X scale (140px X 140px) JPGS files. They are usually created with standard edges that align with multiple sides of other tiles so that they can be put together in a wide variety of shapes or permutations.
When creating map tiles, be sure the tiles line up correctly without any odd overlap or gaps.
Map Dressing and Decorations
Images are best at a minimum of 140px X 140px (to prevent pixelation) in JPG format.
Use PNG file format if the object needs a transparent background, such as a piece of furniture to be placed onto a larger map. Limit the number of PNG files used to prevent any issues.
For items pre-designed to fit on a specific map, be sure the items line up correctly, especially if they are larger in size than one map square (such as a 1 x 2 or 2 x 2 table).
File Size
The maximum file size for any product or image is 25 MB.
If you hit the size limit, check whether your title is a JPG; if it’s not, try making it into one, as that should reduce its file size. If it is already a JPG, or if you can’t make it into one, you may need to reduce the image size, detail, or resolution.
Alternatively, if your too-large file is a map, try splitting it into smaller Map Tiles, as noted above.
Product and File Naming
Product Names
The name of your product can be whatever you like, but it should be descriptive of the product’s content. You want prospective customers both to be able to find your title easily and also to have a clear sense of what it contains.
File Names
While you can name your product what you like, when giving it a file name, you should err on the side of simple and descriptive over catchy and entertaining. For example, while your image might be listed on the store as “A Wicked Cool Gargoyle,” aim for more straightforward with its file name, essentially a brief description of the asset using alphanumeric characters, underscores, and dashes: In this case, use something like “ash-grey_gargoyle”.
You can also include keywords as part of the file name to help describe and identify the item. While we don't currently support a lot of searching by the keywords added to the file name, in the future we will, so doing so now will set you up for when we later add the feature. If you do, the keywords should be wrapped in square braces and separated by commas, with no spaces. Thus, you might name your file “ash-grey_gargoyle[stone,statue,gargoyle].jpg”.
In general, when using comma-separated keywords, you should use the following order, as they apply:
quantity > quality > size > age or time period > shape > color > nature or material > proper name, purpose, or other qualifier
You don’t need to include all of these descriptors, of course, and you generally won’t: Just a few keywords will suffice in most cases. You can also include more than one of the same type of descriptor if necessary. Again, just try not to make the names too long. A few keywords and descriptors should be plenty.
Here are some more examples of possible file names to give you a better idea about how to use keywords effectively.
- 20x40_command_bridge[future,starship,destroyer].jpg
- 3x3_red_dragon[huge,young,adult,red,dragon].png
- cannonball_pile[matte,black,ammunition].png
- green-skinned_half-troll[large,green,troll].png
- lich_tomb[dark,arcane,lair].jpg
- merc_sniper[future,camouflage,laser,rifle].png
- moldering_cave[wide,stone-age,clan,home].jpg
- town_market[dirty,medieval,square].jpg