# My new DIY portable digital tabletop roleplaying map!



## seanpecor (Nov 5, 2009)

I just designed and built a portable digital map rig:

Build Your Own Portable Digital Tabletop Map for Roleplaying

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts! Just for fun, I wrote the rudimentary "howto" page above and included pictures. Most of the time was spent in design, and I built the rig over a weekend. So maybe this will inspire others to build their own rig and post pictorials 

Sean


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## GlassJaw (Nov 5, 2009)

Wow, that's quite a first post!  Your setup is amazing.  

We also game with a projector (which is awesome) but the challenge is the throw distance as you mentioned.  Even with a short throw lens, you still need some distance from the projector to your surface.

Great write-up too.


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## seanpecor (Nov 5, 2009)

GlassJaw said:


> We also game with a projector (which is awesome) but the challenge is the throw distance as you mentioned.  Even with a short throw lens, you still need some distance from the projector to your surface.




True dat. ProjectorCentral.com was a life saver. I was amazed that you can get a projector for under $750 that could paint a 44" diagonal 4:3 image from only 31" away. And with perfect focus and uniformity. Without ProjectorCentral I wouldn't know which projectors would work.

Sean


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## Steve Jung (Nov 5, 2009)

That is a nice setup. How stable is it when people bump into it?


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## Moon_Goddess (Nov 5, 2009)

Damn that's awesome, but if I had a spare $750 I'd be able to fix my car...


just saying that's INSANE expensive for a gaming prop.


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## Treebore (Nov 5, 2009)

That is sweet. Could you give a link to the specific projector you bought at the website you mention?


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## Wepwawet (Nov 5, 2009)

It's very nice, but it would be even nicer if you put the projector *under* the tablemat.
Then you woudn't have that big box over the table, nor miniatures casting shadows, and overall it would be more clean and open 

I have to try that too, sometime, when i find a projector and a nice transparent ikea table.
Well, and money to spend on those


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## Wulf Ratbane (Nov 5, 2009)

Wepwawet said:


> It's very nice, but it would be even nicer if you put the projector *under* the tablemat. Then you woudn't have that big box over the table, nor miniatures casting shadows, and overall it would be more clean and open. I have to try that too, sometime, when i find a projector and a nice transparent ikea table.




That's my setup. IKEA makes several good frosted-white tabletops.

My setup however uses a mirror to increase the throw distance, which *still *isn't big enough for my tastes; has been known to get nudged by feet during play;  and certainly isn't easy enough to set up and take down. 

It would be better if I had a dedicated gaming room instead of having to set it up and take it down in my living room every session. I am definitely more about a really good, fixed solution than portability.


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## seanpecor (Nov 5, 2009)

Steve Jung said:


> That is a nice setup. How stable is it when people bump into it?




It's pretty stable. Since the whole thing moves as a single solid unit, the map doesn't deviate at all.

Sean


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## Rel (Nov 5, 2009)

That's an amazing setup.  I wish I had the money and space to dedicate to something like that because it makes the battlemat just gorgeous.

I also noted that you are local to the Cary NC area and frequent All Fun & Games (my favorite game store).  If you'd be interested in meeting more ENWorld folks we have an event called the NC Game Day a few times a year where we get together and play RPG's.  Our next one is the first Saturday in February.  The signup thread will be up in about a month or so.


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## seanpecor (Nov 5, 2009)

DarwinofMind said:


> just saying that's INSANE expensive for a gaming prop.




 Someone who enjoys boating once a week goes out and buys a $20,000 pick up and a $12,000 boat. Is that insane lol. I don't think the role playing hobby gets the status it deserves. I enjoy gaming once a week so dropping $750 on a gaming prop seems sane to me 

Plus, $750 is chump change for hard-core middle-aged war-gaming enthusiasts with discretionary incomes. Shawn Gately at Blue Table Painting keeps like 4 painters busy year round painting 1,200 - 2,500 point armies for $1,000 or more. 

You only need one person in your regular gaming group to have enough bank to build a cool digital map rig, and then all 4-6 of you can enjoy it for years to come 

Sean


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## seanpecor (Nov 5, 2009)

Treebore said:


> That is sweet. Could you give a link to the specific projector you bought at the website you mention?




Sure thing - BenQ Projectors: BenQ MP522ST DLP projector

I didn't buy it from that site, I just searched for it on Ebay. There is one for sale for $550 on Ebay right now, probably from the same merchant. It's a good projector, and I plan on using it for business purposes also (it pops out of the mount with just 4 wingnuts).

Sean


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## Melkor (Nov 5, 2009)

Awesome! I can't wait until my gaming group can pull something like this together.


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## seanpecor (Nov 5, 2009)

Wulf Ratbane said:


> It would be better if I had a dedicated gaming room instead of having to set it up and take it down in my living room every session. I am definitely more about a really good, fixed solution than portability.




I'd love a good fixed solution also but don't have the space to spare. So portable seemed the way to go, since I can take it where-ever our group chooses to game (which can fluctuate depending on availability).

My first choice was to go with the under-the-table set up but like you I ran into projection size issues. Portability notwithstanding, I had trouble designing a solution that I was 100% happy with. One solution I did come up with was a modified pub-style table. A pub table is 42" tall, and substract 12" for the vertical projector height and you still have about 30" which would be enough for a 43" diagonal 4:3 map. Table materials would get spendy though! At that point it's almost worth just buying a used DLP rear projection TV and lying it on it's side and building a box around it 

Lastly, how much contrast do you lose with your setup? In my tests, I lost a bunch of lumens and contrast when reverse projecting onto a frosted piece of glass and some other materials. I wondered about gutting a junk reverse projection TV for it's screen at some point to try out that method.

Sean


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## seanpecor (Nov 5, 2009)

Rel said:


> The signup thread will be up in about a month or so.




Awesome! I look forward to it!

Sean


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## seanpecor (Nov 5, 2009)

Wepwawet said:


> It's very nice, but it would be even nicer if you put the projector *under* the tablemat.
> Then you woudn't have that big box over the table, nor miniatures casting shadows, and overall it would be more clean and open




The big box actually just seems to "disappear" when you're using it. It's far less substantial in person than in the photos, for some reason. The top is high enough to not block your view of the other folks, plus the legs are only 3/4" in diameter, you hardly notice them. Once I'm sure I'm done fiddling with the design, I'll spray paint it a flat black, and it will be even less obtrusive. 

The limitation I've found with reverse projection as you describe is it looks pretty washed out, unless I'm missing something. Projecting straight onto a surface from above creates a gorgeous and vibrant map. I actually like the shadows. In person it adds a sort of reality to the minis because they're casting little shadows on the map  I definitely think large props set down on the surface would cast too much shadow though, so in that scenario reverse projection is definitely superior. 

Sean


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## Wulf Ratbane (Nov 5, 2009)

seanpecor said:


> Lastly, how much contrast do you lose with your setup? In my tests, I lost a bunch of lumens and contrast when reverse projecting onto a frosted piece of glass and some other materials.




None that I notice. I also have a BenQ projector (not sure what model off the top of my head) but it is really, really bright.

I do suspect that by the time I own a home with a dedicated "Game Room" (fingers crossed everyone!) I am far more likely just to buy a big LCD screen and lay it flat into a custom designed tabletop. (At which point the projector will be used for its actual intended purpose-- Big Geeky Movies.)

For that matter by the time I have a Game Room there may be some Microsoft Surface-type applications within my price range.

I'm with you on the $$$, by the way. This is my hobby. It's nothing at all for most Real Men to go spend $2000 on a wide screen TV just for watching football. I just happen to be using my TV for another weekly pursuit.


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## Oryan77 (Nov 5, 2009)

seanpecor said:


> I just designed and built a *portable* digital map rig:




I call shenanigans! I don't believe it really is portable. If it truly is, then you should bring it to my house and run a game with it to prove to us that it really is portable!


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## Scribble (Nov 5, 2009)

Wulf Ratbane said:


> None that I notice. I also have a BenQ projector (not sure what model off the top of my head) but it is really, really bright.




Just a tip for anyone wanting to do rear projection (from a guy that used to do AV setups for a living.)

They make special projector screens for rear projection, that can be used with any projector*. It's actually really cool because you can use them in much brighter settings then normal setups.

*You do have to be able to switch it to rear projection mode, otherwise everything is backwards...


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## Treebore (Nov 5, 2009)

seanpecor said:


> Sure thing - BenQ Projectors: BenQ MP522ST DLP projector
> 
> I didn't buy it from that site, I just searched for it on Ebay. There is one for sale for $550 on Ebay right now, probably from the same merchant. It's a good projector, and I plan on using it for business purposes also (it pops out of the mount with just 4 wingnuts).
> 
> Sean





Yeah, I did read your write up about how you got all the components, I just wanted to see an actual "stat block". Thanks!


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## jbear (Nov 5, 2009)

sorry to be dumb, but what is the projector connected to, in order to be able to project the maps? Your computer?

I wonder if you could use a flat screen TV as the tabletop, making a home made wooden base which it could slot in and out of, and place a clear screen over it as a protector. Preferably the clear screen would be compatible with dry erase markers. 

The base could have pull out drawers for DM to keep his info and laptop and the players their sheets or a minis drawer. As it would be connected to a laptop it could pull up other images and soun effects to add to the gaming experience.

Anyway, your tablelooks very cool. im going to have a chat with my handyman wife!


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## rjdafoe (Nov 5, 2009)

seanpecor said:


> I just designed and built a portable digital map rig:
> 
> Build Your Own Portable Digital Tabletop Map for Roleplaying
> 
> ...





That is a very cool setup.  I am thinking about doing something similiar in design, although I have a dedicated game room where the projector can be mounted above the game table.

What software are you using for the maps?  (Creation and display)


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## 0-hr (Nov 5, 2009)

I have a lot of digital maps that are "poster sized" (24x36), or a little bigger. To increase the size of the image projected onto the table, would you just have to build a bigger rig (to raise the projector up a bit higher and move the legs out), or are there other limitations?

I don't really know anything about projectors, but I'm assuming that you can just raise up the projector (maybe mounting it to the ceiling or something) and project a much bigger area. Is that correct? The "throw distance" is a minimum rather than a maximum distance?


Also, how expensive are the bulbs for that? Using it for a couple game sessions a week, would you be going through bulbs quickly?


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## weem (Nov 5, 2009)

seanpecor said:


> I just designed and built a portable digital map rig:
> 
> Build Your Own Portable Digital Tabletop Map for Roleplaying
> 
> ...




Very cool, great info!

I passed this on to a friend of mine who has been working on his own setup. He is skimming it now


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## 0-hr (Nov 5, 2009)

jbear said:


> sorry to be dumb, but what is the projector connected to, in order to be able to project the maps? Your computer?




It would connect to your computer (most likely a laptop for convenience) and then it displays whatever your monitor displays (though I think many projectors have a "freeze" option where they'll lock the image projected while you mess around with your computer using the normal screen. I've only really only seen such setups in the classroom, but that seems to be the gist of it.

So you'd need digital images of your maps. My group is currently playing through a Pathfinder adventure path so I think the DM could just use the maps from the .pdf. Some things would probably need a little Photoshop (or other image manipulation software) work in order to make them presentable.


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## seanpecor (Nov 5, 2009)

rjdafoe said:


> What software are you using for the maps?  (Creation and display)




For the photos, I just used some existing scanned maps from some published D&D modules. I'm not actually the DM for our group, but luckily our DM is ready and willing to collaborate on a sensible process to work with maps during game play.

For basic display of the maps during game play, I reviewed all of the virtual tabletop programs out there and I decided that none of them will work for an analog mini - digital map hybrid. They really want to wrest more control out of your hands at the expense of simplicity (in my opinion). 

So the process right now is this:

Using The Gimp (free, open source graphics program), load up a scanned map. This is the DM map. Duplicate the map image (Ctrl-D). This becomes the player map. Add a new layer to the new duplicate, and specify a black foreground color when asked. The map disappears behind the black "fog of war". Move the blacked out player map over to the projection "monitor" and full-screen it (F11). Switch to the Eraser tool and pick a huge brush (large enough to erase at least 1 square). Now wherever you hover the cursor on the player map you see the big brush tool, and when you click and hold down the mouse button you can erase the fog of war. 

It's not a perfect solution though. I'm a software and web applications developer, so I'm going to write a web-based tool that does JUST a DM and Player window and the fog of war, and nothing else. I'm going to code it so you can upload a map, then pick a bounding rectangle to teach the program how big a 1x1 square is. Then it will create a DM window and a Player window view of the same map. The DM can first erase the fog of war on his laptop window (which is seen as 50% transparent so he/she can see everything) and click an UPDATE button to refresh the Player window. It will also handle scrolling the viewable area of the Player window, etc. I'll write it next week and post it on my web site. 

Sean


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## seanpecor (Nov 5, 2009)

Ki Ryn said:


> I have a lot of digital maps that are "poster sized" (24x36), which looks just a little bit bigger than what your rig projects. To increase the size of the image projected onto the table, would you just have to build a bigger rig (to raise the projector up a bit higher), or are there other limitations?




Actually it can do a 24x36 map at it's current size. You just raise the projector to enlarge the projection. Other than the size of the frame there are no other limitations, really.



Ki Ryn said:


> I don't really know anything about projectors, but I'm assuming that you can just raise up the projector (maybe mounting it to the ceiling or something) and project a much bigger area. Is that correct?




Yes, many folks do just that - mount it on a ceiling. In that case it's good to have an optical zoom and a standard throw lens. 




Ki Ryn said:


> Also, how expensive are the bulbs for that? Using it for a couple game sessions a week, would you be going through bulbs quickly?




About 2,000 to 3,000 hours. Depends on how long your sessions are and if you use economy mode or not (economy mode is less bright, less taxing on the bulb, and the fan runs more quietly). Ours are about 4 hours, once a week. That works out to 200 hours a year, give or a take. They're about $200 to replace. 

Sean


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## seanpecor (Nov 5, 2009)

Ki Ryn said:


> It would connect to your computer (most likely a laptop for convenience) and then it displays whatever your monitor displays




Close, but in reality, your laptop runs as a "dual monitor" set up, which is ideal for role playing. Only the DM sees what is on his/her laptop, and before combat/etc you "drag" the player map window to the projector "monitor" and full-screen it. So the DM can control the player map, which everyone sees including the DM on the map surface. And the DM can still use whatever software he/she uses to track things on the laptop monitor, which nobody else can see. Our DM has been using the 4e combat tracker tool that someone homebrewed and published and he's been loving it.

Sean


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## jbear (Nov 5, 2009)

This all sounds great. Did i understand correctly, your DM erases the fog of war as you explore the map? If so that's pretty cool... how do you handle light sources? Can you repaint the fog of war?

How do you deal with the scaling of the digital maps to the right size onto your projected table?


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## seanpecor (Nov 5, 2009)

jbear said:


> This all sounds great. Did i understand correctly, your DM erases the fog of war as you explore the map? If so that's pretty cool... how do you handle light sources? Can you repaint the fog of war?




The approach is pretty basic at this point. Just an eraser brush about 1.5" in diameter on the screen and erase as needed. You could repaint fog of war with a brush tool. Admittedly, this is where a simple map tool that does nothing but handle the fog of war, light sources, etc would be killer. I'll probably end up writing on next week.



jbear said:


> How do you deal with the scaling of the digital maps to the right size onto your projected table?




This is actually a simple process. Once you establish what the "DPI" is for the projector setup - in my case it is 30dpi - you just rescale the image with a paint program so that each square is roughly 30 pixels wide. If you scan a map at 300dpi, then you'd basically rescale the image to 10% of the original size. 

Sean


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## 0-hr (Nov 5, 2009)

Thank you for the answers - I might actually look into trying this out as I could also use the projector for work (no, really) and movies at home.

I also really appreciate that you did the research to find a good projector - that's usually where I get bogged down.


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## Steve Jung (Nov 6, 2009)

seanpecor said:


> It's pretty stable. Since the whole thing moves as a single solid unit, the map doesn't deviate at all.
> 
> Sean



That's good to know. Thanks.


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## WampusCat43 (Nov 6, 2009)

Regarding fog of war:  I use Paint.Net, although Gimp/Photoshop probably work similarly.  I open the map for editing, then create another map, totally black.  I then copy/paste rectangular sections from the master map onto the black one as layers, one per room/area.

When projecting the map, I do it within Paint.Net, which keeps a small control showing which layers are/are not displayed.  I move that control down to the lower-right corner of the laptop screen (you only have to do this once, then it stays).  I put a small DM-Screen style wall around this control as it appears on the tabletop, so the players can't see it.

On my laptop, when they enter a room, I simply click that layer on (I number them to match the room descriptions) and that room gets added to the displayed map.  You can even click off the room they just left.

Works like a charm, and the editing gets much simpler with practice.


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## catsclaw227 (Nov 7, 2009)

Great Setup and Welcome to Cary!

I love it here and you are right about All Fun N' Games.  It's a really nice store that I need to frequent more often.


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## 0-hr (Nov 8, 2009)

The projector you use has a Zoom Ration of zero. Does that mean that you cannot change the size of the projection area except by moving the projector up and down?

EDIT: I did some more research and I'm pretty sure that's what it means. Of course, with your set up it's not an issue because the projection area is fixed. If mine is going to double as a cheap home theater, it matters some.


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## seanpecor (Nov 9, 2009)

Ki Ryn said:


> EDIT: I did some more research and I'm pretty sure that's what it means. Of course, with your set up it's not an issue because the projection area is fixed. If mine is going to double as a cheap home theater, it matters some.




Once you design your home theater and chosen your screen location / size, then an optical zoom may not be necessary. Because you can then locate your home theater projector mount at the proper location to project the desired size. In a sense, both the projector for the map and the projector for the home theater are at fixed locations, or should be.

Sean


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## Hussar (Nov 9, 2009)

Very, very, very cool.

Just as a suggestion, you might want to check out some of the virtual table top applications - Maptool for exampel - for fog of war and lighting needs.  Maptool will actually take into account line of sight and light sources when erasing fog.


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## falcarrion (Nov 9, 2009)

Maptools is great for this kind of setup. The nui group is a great place to learn about multi touch tables ( microsoft surface).  Many of these use under the table projector setups with multitouch.


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## seanpecor (Nov 15, 2009)

Just posted a Youtube video for those interested in seeing the map in action:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFVXfsd4Nao[/ame]

I also updated the DIY article with some new photos, design alternatives and the embedded video:

Portable Digital Map HOWTO

This was Nate's first time DMing with the map and he really hit the ground running. He said it was easy to copy/paste RPGA maps into MS Paint and just start running the mod. You can also see several folks including the DM making use of the map's "dry erase board" functionality by tracking things on the map surface.

Sean


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## Mark (Nov 19, 2009)

I've been following this and think it's fantastic!  I'd love to see even more videos, even if they are just a montage of short clips, of the various maps in actions, as they are revealed, the other advantages that the system/setup has, etc.  (I guess a "training film" of sorts.  )  Thanks for sharing this, making us all jealous, and causing us all to consider throwing money into a similar project!


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## Pbartender (Nov 19, 2009)

jbear said:


> I wonder if you could use a flat screen TV as the tabletop, making a home made wooden base which it could slot in and out of, and place a clear screen over it as a protector. Preferably the clear screen would be compatible with dry erase markers.




I was just thinking the same thing...  Seems it would be a much simpler set up than a projector, and really not that much more expensive.


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## darjr (Nov 19, 2009)

I've thought the same thing. They do make flat panel mounts that can lay flat on the tabletop. No construction required, I'll find that link...

But that and a laptop and you have your hidden data and the ones the players see.


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## GlassJaw (Nov 19, 2009)

darjr said:


> I've thought the same thing. They do make flat panel mounts that can lay flat on the tabletop. No construction required, I'll find that link...




Ooh, please do.  I'm very interested in this approach.


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## 0-hr (Nov 24, 2009)

Inspired by this thread, I've constructed my own tabletop projection rig. I'm using the same BenQ projector (and I really appreciate the info on it) but with a "Periscope" stand that better suits my lack of tools and mechanical knowhow.

Here's an image of the setup:

http://ki-ryn.com/Misc/Ki.Ryn_Projector.jpg

Though it may not look it, the set up is really stable. That 25 lb weight on the bottom is both heavy and wide. It takes about a minute to convert from table top RPG mode to movie watching mode.

I haven't used it for a game yet, but all of the test runs look promising.


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## darjr (Nov 25, 2009)

That periscope stand is awesome! Best for portability yet!

I could imagine lugging that around.


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## darjr (Nov 25, 2009)

Premier Mounts | PTM-320 Tilt/Pivot Mount for LCD | PTM-320

I can't seem to find the one that folds up and can be used as a normal monitor stand as well. Still looking.


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## darjr (Nov 25, 2009)

Freestanding Low Profile LCD Stand for classrooms, courtroom, meeting rooms, special Display and Point of Sale

It was similar to the above but had a longer stand and a longer arm.


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## seanpecor (Nov 25, 2009)

Ki Ryn said:


> Inspired by this thread, I've constructed my own tabletop projection rig. I'm using the same BenQ projector (and I really appreciate the info on it) but with a "Periscope" stand that better suits my lack of tools and mechanical knowhow.




Nice job! Do you have some felt underneath the weight to prevent table scratches? I'm looking forward to hearing how stable it is, especially on a plastic folding table that gets bumped alot. If it doesn't wiggle around when that happens, I might try making v2.0 of my map mount using 1" aluminum tubing to mimic your basic concept. My main concerns are stability during table bumps, and if the center pole would be very intrusive for the DM's line of sight to each player. So I'm looking forward to your action shots! Video would be cool too 

We've been using my projection map cube for our weekly game and everyone loves it. We've also used it for some "pickup" LFR gaming nights. It is a major improvement to the gaming experience. 

So far, one DM is using Fantasy Grounds II and it has been working very well. The other DM just used MS Paint and it works surprisingly well too 

Sean


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## 0-hr (Nov 25, 2009)

I usually put a hand towel beneath the weight - though felt is a good idea too. I did notice a lot of vibration from table bumps. The single pole seems to magnify that, though the towel did a good job reducing the jitter. If the jitter was too severe at the game table, I was thinking of adding another (30") extension pipe and just setting the thing on the floor. The extensions connect together well and seem solid enough to support that.

It will probably be a few weeks before we use this in actual gaming, but I'll report back when we do. I did some measuring today and found that the map projected can range up to 30x40 when the extension is up all the way. At the lowest setting, it's about poster-sized (I was aiming for the same height as yours for the default). 


I'm currently looking at using GIMP for my map display software (on Vista). It can do a full screen image without any other junk in the way, and it has layers (to do Fog of War).


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## Nebulous (Nov 25, 2009)

Mark said:


> I've been following this and think it's fantastic!  I'd love to see even more videos, even if they are just a montage of short clips, of the various maps in actions, as they are revealed, the other advantages that the system/setup has, etc.  (I guess a "training film" of sorts.  )  Thanks for sharing this, making us all jealous, and causing us all to consider throwing money into a similar project!




I second seeing more clips!  i'm jealous too, although i actually have a dedicated gaming basement where i could put either a ceiling mounted or table mounted contraption like this.  It just comes down to cost and that i suck with power tools.  I'd almost considering commissioning you to build it for me!  (i also live in the area)


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## GlassJaw (Nov 25, 2009)

darjr said:


> Freestanding Low Profile LCD Stand for classrooms, courtroom, meeting rooms, special Display and Point of Sale
> 
> It was similar to the above but had a longer stand and a longer arm.




This mount is pretty cool.  You could put this right on your gaming table.  This is probably the direction I would go, at least at first.


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## catsclaw227 (Nov 25, 2009)

seanpecor said:


> We've been using my projection map cube for our weekly game and everyone loves it. We've also used it for some "pickup" LFR gaming nights. It is a major improvement to the gaming experience.
> 
> So far, one DM is using Fantasy Grounds II and it has been working very well. The other DM just used MS Paint and it works surprisingly well too



Did you bring this to the LFR games at All Fun N' Games?  I have been needing to get there and start playing a bit of LFR.  I like a lot of the gamers there, but my time has been limited.


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## Mark (Nov 25, 2009)

Even though it stands on its own, maybe running a line to the ceiling and an eyebolt would be a good safety measure.


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## Garmorn (Nov 25, 2009)

Both of these stands look really good.  

For soft ware I will probably use Campaign Cartography as it has the most flexibility and I already own it.  It is a full function CAD program made for RPGs.


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## Hippy (Nov 25, 2009)

Ki Ryn said:


> Inspired by this thread, I've constructed my own tabletop projection rig. I'm using the same BenQ projector (and I really appreciate the info on it) but with a "Periscope" stand that better suits my lack of tools and mechanical knowhow.
> 
> Here's an image of the setup:
> 
> ...



Awesome setup!  I am jealous.  What I like about what you have is the portability of the whole thing.  I am lucky enough to have a dedicated game room fully finished in my basement, but I want to expand it in the future to allow for a bigger table to be used and more room to move around. (When someone needs to get up, others need to get up and move too...or think real skinny )  Your pole mount systems would allow me the flexibility to adjust for any configuration change to room size in the future!  

Could you provide any information on how you constructed it?  materials costs, etc.  Plans.. if any needed.

Again awesome!

Hippy


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## 0-hr (Nov 26, 2009)

The periscope mount uses 3 parts for sale at mountdirect.com:

1 NPL Series Projector Ceiling Mount ($45)
1 NPL Long Adjustable Column Extension Pipe (range of extension 35"-42") ($50)
1 NPL Extension Elbow ($20) 

Those parts all just screw together. The only custom bit is the 25 lb weight I bolted it to for a stand. I have a friend with acess to a machine shop at work and so he was able to have the weight drilled and the stand bolted on. You could probably do something in wood if you wanted (maybe attached to the map board?). The mount is made to screw into a ceiling so it's not hard to attach to stuff - just need something that isn't going to get knocked over.

One word of warning, my projector (and I assume most) warns NOT to use it oriented downwards like I do. I'm guessing maybe the heat dissipation isn't good at that angle? Anyway, proceed at your own risk.


I've looked at different software options and my current favorite is Map Tools. It can do a nice full screen showing nothing but map, can add a grid, and does decent fog of war without having to run both a GM and Player version. It's also free   http://rptools.net/


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## falcarrion (Nov 26, 2009)

if having the projector pointing down is a problem. Then have it horzontal refecting the pic with a mirror onto the board below. Make sure the mirror has the refective surface in the front instead of the back side like most mirrors.
Otherwise you will get ghosting.


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## seanpecor (Nov 27, 2009)

catsclaw227 said:


> Did you bring this to the LFR games at All Fun N' Games?  I have been needing to get there and start playing a bit of LFR.  I like a lot of the gamers there, but my time has been limited.




Yep, we game at AFnG every Monday from 6p-10p and we've been using the map. There are definitely a ton of great gamers there, to be sure. The LFR Tuesday and Wednesday night meetups usually have 3-4 tables going.

Sean


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