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I've been working a bit on my online battle-mat system. A single-client only prototype is [http://jetpackshark.com/bmat/bmat.html up here]. It looks like crap, but has most of the core functionality that is needed on the client-side. This is totally prototype phase, so there will likely be a lot of changes to the UI.
Okay, I've got a [http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2015572/videos/bmatdemo/bmatdemo.m4v video demo] up. My web host doesn't play exactly nice with Node.js, which is what I opted to implement the server-side in. Core functions are done, the server and clients are all tied together via WebSockets, which means latency is pretty good (although Firefox isn't so great, and I dread how it looks in IE). I'll figure out a different host later. The video gives an idea of how it behaves.


//I've only tested in Chrome, keep that in mind.
//I've only tested in Chrome, keep that in mind.


:Very cool so far! --<strong>[[User:Wizardoest|Randy]]</strong> ([[User talk:Wizardoest|Talk]]) 18:59, 5 June 2011 (UTC)
:Very cool so far! --<strong>[[User:Wizardoest|Randy]]</strong> ([[User talk:Wizardoest|Talk]]) 18:59, 5 June 2011 (UTC)
Most of the server side plumbing is done; the next step is to get it integrated with the client. And then to test the ever loving hell out of it. --[[User:T3knomanser|t3knomanser]] 22:24, 5 June 2011 (UTC)
: Let me know how I can help with my designer skills. --<strong>[[User:Wizardoest|Randy]]</strong> ([[User talk:Wizardoest|Talk]]) 03:14, 6 June 2011 (UTC)
:: We'll talk about what you want to do. I'd really like to keep the UI very simple with minimal graphics, but there's one part where I can't do that- the figures. By hook or by crook, I'm going to need some top-down images, preferably SVG (I intend to make things scaleable eventually), but that's also a ''huge'' amount of effort. That's the biggest design challenge I can see. --[[User:T3knomanser|t3knomanser]] 21:52, 12 June 2011 (UTC)
::: Design is best when it is invisible, so I agree with keeping it simple. The figure images will be interesting to work on. --<strong>[[User:Wizardoest|Randy]]</strong> ([[User talk:Wizardoest|Talk]]) 13:37, 13 June 2011 (UTC)
:::: Yeah, if you feel more, "I want to just fiddle with the stylesheet a little," I completely understand. Something to think about though, if you make figures and do them in SVG, try and find spots where you can parameterize colors. That allows a lot of variety with less human effort. I'm even fine with making code to merge SVGs on the fly, so if you chunk out just a handful of figure modules and I combine them programmatically to get a large variety, that works too. --[[User:T3knomanser|t3knomanser]] 16:11, 13 June 2011 (UTC)
Jquery can provide a [http://jqueryui.com/demos/draggable/#snap-to snap-to-grid] feature for the Bmat.  --<strong>[[User:Wizardoest|Randy]]</strong> ([[User talk:Wizardoest|Talk]]) 19:56, 22 July 2011 (UTC)
: Yeah, I'm using that plugin, but I am not sure I want snap-to-grid. My goal is to emulate the actual experience of using a battle-mat as closely as possible. Actually, what would probably be good is to use a grid for snapping that's about 10 times smaller than the grid for display. You still get neat placement, but aren't constrained to grid squares.

Latest revision as of 21:34, 22 July 2011

Okay, I've got a video demo up. My web host doesn't play exactly nice with Node.js, which is what I opted to implement the server-side in. Core functions are done, the server and clients are all tied together via WebSockets, which means latency is pretty good (although Firefox isn't so great, and I dread how it looks in IE). I'll figure out a different host later. The video gives an idea of how it behaves.

//I've only tested in Chrome, keep that in mind.

Very cool so far! --Randy (Talk) 18:59, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

Most of the server side plumbing is done; the next step is to get it integrated with the client. And then to test the ever loving hell out of it. --t3knomanser 22:24, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

Let me know how I can help with my designer skills. --Randy (Talk) 03:14, 6 June 2011 (UTC)
We'll talk about what you want to do. I'd really like to keep the UI very simple with minimal graphics, but there's one part where I can't do that- the figures. By hook or by crook, I'm going to need some top-down images, preferably SVG (I intend to make things scaleable eventually), but that's also a huge amount of effort. That's the biggest design challenge I can see. --t3knomanser 21:52, 12 June 2011 (UTC)
Design is best when it is invisible, so I agree with keeping it simple. The figure images will be interesting to work on. --Randy (Talk) 13:37, 13 June 2011 (UTC)
Yeah, if you feel more, "I want to just fiddle with the stylesheet a little," I completely understand. Something to think about though, if you make figures and do them in SVG, try and find spots where you can parameterize colors. That allows a lot of variety with less human effort. I'm even fine with making code to merge SVGs on the fly, so if you chunk out just a handful of figure modules and I combine them programmatically to get a large variety, that works too. --t3knomanser 16:11, 13 June 2011 (UTC)

Jquery can provide a snap-to-grid feature for the Bmat. --Randy (Talk) 19:56, 22 July 2011 (UTC)

Yeah, I'm using that plugin, but I am not sure I want snap-to-grid. My goal is to emulate the actual experience of using a battle-mat as closely as possible. Actually, what would probably be good is to use a grid for snapping that's about 10 times smaller than the grid for display. You still get neat placement, but aren't constrained to grid squares.