A Veteran's Tale- Thanks and Requests

[CapVentusi]

So I have been using Shmeppy for Ages, through it feel like countless real games. Since before it cost anything and it was the Mastermind’s side project. It has grown and changed and flourished. What I love about Smeppy over Roll20 is it’s ease of access, it’s clear and simple interface, and the cost doesn’t hurt the pocket book too much. I have done everything from a Sci-Fi speeder chase with only lines and blocks, to a mad dash across a 200x200sq Inkarnate map uploaded with the background tool, to an entire town made in with blocks and lines (see uploaded pics). Smeppy IS my wet-erase map (and a few others I’ve turned to the “off-grey” side) for all my TTRPG needs, but I only now realized there is a forum… .

Many issues I have read in this forum have been “Shmeppy, be more like Roll20” and I 'd like to request… Don’t. What you have is amazing and the progress you’ve made is fantastic, all while keeping a simple aesthetic and a simple interface.

Although if none of these are made I am still going to use this wonderful program, there are a few things that I would love to see:

• Tokens: I would love to upload token art to a library, almost like the color pallet, with a simple rotation feature. Limit it to like 10 though, so it doesn’t get too cluttered and keeps the simplicity (Honestly, if anyone is using more than 10 different tokens at a time, their encounters are too cluttered). Or if not that, a single letter on the Token itself, and/or More shapes of tokens. I would also love it if the tokens could be molded diagonally.
• Fill: The ability to make a simple two toned square would be nice. Like an angled, a horizontal, and a vertical split… and maybe even like a two toned polka-dot square or a circle in a square that isn’t a token. That might just fill the needs of those who want more “textures”.
• Line: The only thing id like to see here is the line be able to go diagonally, that is all thank you.
• Zoom: you have the middle mouse button and the Pan, why not make the Wheel the zoom?
• Layers: If there is a simple way to make a layer tool, go for it i would use it a lot. If not, disregard this one.
• Cookies: Lastly, give yourself a cookie, you deserve it for this great piece of work.

Thank you again for this wonderful piece of work,
You Veteran Shmepper,
CapVentusi (discord: Many Faces)

Here are the a fore mentioned maps:

[johncs]

Thank you for the kind words! I’ll find myself a cookie.

you have the middle mouse button and the Pan, why not make the Wheel the zoom?

It is! Hold down Ctrl or Cmd when using the scroll wheel and you’ll zoom.

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My thoughts haven’t really changed on diagonal lines (and two-toned fills) since I made that long post about diagonal lines forever ago.

I have been coming around to token images though. Nothing concrete yet, but that might land in Shmeppy in the medium-term.

I’m not sure about layers… They could work and I’ve definitely thought about integrating them. They’d certainly be useful… I’m just not sure how much annoyance they’ll give users at the same time. Managing layers is kind of a pain as a user, and it’s so easy to accidentally write to the wrong layer in every drawing application I’ve used that has layers. Shmeppy won’t be any better in that regard I’m sure.

[CapVentusi]

Thank you, for the response, I’ll check out the diagonal lines post.

What if for Layers you had to toggle it on for it to work, like a really big check box, so one that doesn’t want it doesn’t have to use it, and have the same thing as the Grey mat, and only allow them to go one above or below what they already have draw on?

Would that work out? I’m not a programmer so I don’t know how difficult it would be.

[johncs]

I doubt anything about layers will be particularly technically difficult. The design issues are really the parts that’re worrying to me.

I think a checkbox won’t add much, because even in a more familiar checkbox-less interface you can ignore layers if you don’t want to interact with them (you’ll just be editing the same layer always). So if the problems exist in the checkbox-less interface, they’ll exist in the with-checkbox interface.

And I don’t think keeping them from making multiple empty layers at once will help prevent users from drawing on the wrong layers, since accidentally drawing on an empty layer isn’t much of an issue. It’s more painful when you draw on a non-empty layer and lost work. I’ve certainly done it plenty of times working with GIMP.