MapTool Preferences

Important Note: All preferences related to maps only take effect on new maps created after the preference has been changed. This is the behaviour of version 1.3b54 and all preceeding versions. Preferences that follow this behaviour will be marked with a

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Note: All screenshots in this article are shown with the default settings, which might not necessarily be the recommended settings for your use.

Interactions Tab

File:prefs tab interactions.png

Interactions Tab on the Preferences Dialog

Maps

File:prefs interactions maps.jpg

Maps Section

New maps have Fog of War

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Determines if new maps should have Fog of War enabled when created. If you use Fog of War, it might seem obvious to have this ✓checked; however, when creating a new campaign, it is often useful to to disable this feature to assist with rapid map creation.

New maps visible to players

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Determines if new maps should be set as Player Visible when created. Although there are exceptions, typically having this ✓checked is the optimal setting; that way you won't unintentionally leave a map visible to players.

Default Grid Type

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- Square File:gridSquare.png
- Horizontal Hex File:gridHorizontalHex.png
- Vertical Hex File:gridVerticalHex.png

Determines the grid type of new maps when created. You are free to create maps without a grid type, and also a grid type different than the one specified here, but you can not set the Default Grid Type to none.

Default Grid Size

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Represents the amount of pixels you want MapTool to use drawing each grid cell at full resolution. The default setting of 50 pixels is adequate for most computers, but higher-end computers can handle 100 pixels or even 200 pixels for very high-end computers. There is no requirement that you use specific sizes, but 50 pixels and 100 pixels are commonly used. This setting will also determine how large an image appears when placed on a map; if set to Free-size and not manually re-sized.

Default Units Per Cell

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Sets the amount of units that each grid cell represents. The ambiguous "unit" is used in this case because you decide what "unit" means. If you want each grid cell to represent 5 feet, this would be set to 5. If you want each grid cell to represent 4 kilometers, this would be set to 4. This is often referred to as Distance Per Cell.

Default Vision Distance

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The maximum distance that PC Tokens can expose Fog of War after Lights, Sights, and Vision Blocking Layers are taken into account. It is important to note that this setting is measured in Distance Per Cell.

Movement metric
- ONE_TWO_ONE
- ONE_ONE_ONE
- MANHATTAN
- NO DIAGONALS

Determines how movement should be calculated when a Token moves diagonally. This affects the total distance displayed beneath a Token when it is moving, or when its previous path is displayed; it is calculated based on Distance Per Cell. ONE_TWO_ONE specifies that every second diagonal movement will calculate as twice the Distance Per Cell. ONE_ONE_ONE specifies that diagonal movement will calculate the same as non-diagonal movement. MANHATTAN specifies that every diagonal movement will calculate as twice the Distance Per Cell. NO DIAGONALS specifies that Tokens can only move non-diagonally. The Movement metric setting only comes into play with maps that use the Square grid type; maps with a Hex grid type calculate movement in any direction using the Distance Per Cell.

Tokens

File:prefs interactions tokens.jpg

Tokens Section

Start Snap to Grid

Determines if Tokens will default to having Snap to Grid ✓checked. Having this setting ✓checked is optimal for maps that use a grid, but even on such maps there are cases when you might want to temporarily disable this setting(e.g. when placing a lot of "prop" Tokens on the Object layer while drawing a map).

New tokens visible to players

Determines if new Tokens have the Visible option ✓checked upon creation. The optimal setting for this really depends on your play style; if you have a lot of random encounters and build them during play, you may find it useful to have this setting disabled.

Duplicate Token Numbering
- Increment
- Random 2-digit

Will automatically append numbers to Tokens with duplicate names, upon creation. Increment will leave the first token unnumbered, but will number each duplicate after that, starting with the number 1 (e.g. Troll, Troll 1, Troll 2). Random 2-digit will append a random two-digit number to the token name, even if there are no duplicates on the map yet. Random 2-digit might be considered the optimal setting, as it gives your players no indication of how many copies of that Token can be expected to exist.

Show Numbering on
- Name
- GM Name
- Both

Specifies where the number that derived from Duplicate Token Numbering is applied. Name appends the number after the name (derived from New Token Naming). GM Name places the number within the GM Name field of the Token options. Both appends the number after the name, and places it within the GM Name field of the Token options. Due to odd behaviour that MapTool will display when handling tokens with the same name, it is recommended that you use Name or Both, but not GM Name.

New Token Naming
- Use Filename
- Use "Creature"

Determines what the name will be when creating a new Token, or what the Name field will be pre-filled with in a new Token dialog. Use Filename specifies that the name will be derived from the name of the file that was added to your Resource Library (e.g. if you add the file uglytroll.jpg to your Resource Library, tokens created from that image will begin with the name uglytroll). Use "Creature" defaults all new Tokens to being named "Creature" (without quotes).

Start Freesize

If you are using a map with a grid, Tokens typically default to the size of one grid cell upon creation. Having this setting ✓checked allows you to have them default to Freesize, which is very useful to for when you're placing a lot of 'prop' Tokens on the Object layer while creating a map.

Show Dialog on New Token

When this setting is ✓checked, a New Token dialog will open when you drag an image onto the map, allowing you to set some options prior to creation. If you disable this setting, all new tokens will be created with the default settings derived from previous settings in this section.

Stat Sheet Portrait Size (Set to 0 to disable portaits)

Sets the width in pixels of the portrait that is displayed in the lower left corner of the map when mousing over certain Tokens, the image is resized proportionately. A portrait is displayed under a few different circumstances; if the Token has properties that are set to display on the stat sheet, and those properties have values, the portrait will display the token image. If the Token has a portrait image set, it will display with or without a stat sheet. Why might you want to set this to 0? Besides the obvious reason of not displaying the portrait, you might want to use a stat sheet, but not want a portrait displayed with it; or perhaps you don't want to use a stat sheet or a portrait, but would like to have the portrait image 'slot' usable for other purposes, like inside a Dialog or Frame.