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Difference between revisions of "Dynamic Lighting"

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{{mbox | text = This feature is only available to paid subscribers-- both Mentor and Supporter levels. If this is something you’re interested in, please visit the [https://app.roll20.net/account/supporter/ Supporter Page].}}
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Roll20 currently have two '''Dynamic Lighting''' systems, which are not interchangeable.
  
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==Legacy Dynamic Lighting==
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'''[[Legacy Dynamic Lighting]]'''('''LDL''') is the original system, previous referred to as just "Dynamic Lighting", and is what people talk about in any guides or videos made before April 2020. It will eventually be removed when [[UDL]] is good enough.
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* [[Advanced Fog of War]](AFoW) - A part of LDL
  
[[File:Dynamic_Lighting.jpg|right|Dungeon Art by [https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/set/50/diy-dungeon-blank-pack Greg Taylor], Token Art by [https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/set/2/devin-token-pack-1-characters Devin Night]]]
 
  
Dynamic Lighting is an advanced map lighting tool currently available to Mentor & Subscriber users. It calculates line of sight on the fly as tokens are moved across the tabletop.
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Roll20 have announced that [[LDL]] will be retired on '''May 18th 2021'''. More info: '''{{blogs|retiring-legacy-dynamic-lighting-what-you-need-to-know/ LDL retiring - What you need to know}}'''
  
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==Updated Dynamic Lighting==
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'''[[Updated Dynamic Lighting]]'''('''UDL''') is the new DL system Roll20 have been working on to develop as a replacement for LDL, and it was first made available in May 2020, and as of Feb 2021, still have some unresolved issues.
  
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* '''[[Updated_Dynamic_Lighting#Explorer_Mode|Explorer Mode]]''' is UDL's equivalent to [[AFoW]]
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* '''{{Darkness}}''' is a tool that can be used to manually reveal or hide visible areas while using UDL. [[Fog of War]] is the free version of this tool, which is compatible with [[LDL]]
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* '''[[Convert Lighting|Convert Lighting Tool]]''' - for one-way converting Lighting settings & tokens in a game from [[LDL]] to [[UDL]]. Recommended to be used on a copy of your campaign, as you can't change things back with a single click.
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<br>
  
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==General Info==
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On both [[Tokens]] and the [[Page Toolbar]], the setting for LDL and UDL are on separate pages, as not to confuse people.
  
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With '''Update 1.0''', they also emphasized that ''"We will still support Legacy Lighting for a while, but we feel it’s only fair to let you know that'' '''we will be deprecating our support for the Legacy system sometime in the future'''. ''"'' No timeline for phased out [[LDL]] was announced.
  
== The Dynamic Lighting Layer ==
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Roll20 have said that we will get '''at least''' three months' notice before [[LDL]] is removed.<sup>[https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/9713101/]</sup>
  
[[File:DL_Layer.jpg|thumb|left]]
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===API===
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{{pro only}}
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Some [[API]], such as [[TokenMod]], support both LDL and UDL. There are still some UDL settings that API cant currently access.
  
In addition to the Map &amp; Background Layer, the Object &amp; Token Layer and the GM Overlay Layer is the Dynamic Lighting Layer. This fourth layer’s purpose is for laying down lines and shapes that will serve as walls and/or obstacles that will block out light or line of sight.
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Check '''[[API:Script_Index#Dynamic_Lighting]]''' for list of some API that focuses on DL.
  
<div style="clear: both; height: 10px;"></div>
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A number of API automatically detect which DL is used, and acts accordingly.
 
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<br>
== How to Activate Dynamic Lighting ==
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[[Category:Dynamic Lighting]]
[[File:DLinset.png|thumbnail|Dynamic Lighting & Fog of War checkboxes under Page Settings.]]
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Open up your [[Page Settings]] and check the checkbox to activate Dynamic Lighting for that page. ''You can use Fog of War In combination with Dynamic Lighting, but one is not dependant on the other to function.''
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If you or your players suffer from sluggish dynamic lighting render results you might want to consider checking the option '''Only Update on Drop'''. What this option does when checked is that the tabletop only redraws the dynamic lighting ''after'' a token has been picked up and placed elsewhere on the map. This can lessen the render burden for users running on slower connection speeds or when a GM is working with a very large or complex map.
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== How to Add Light Obstructions ==
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[[File:DL_Walls.jpg|thumb|left|Using bright colors can help in setting up your light boundaries, the boundry lines are only visible on the dynamic lighting layer.]]
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While on the Dynamic Lighting Layer, you can use all of the drawing tools available to create lines and shapes to draw walls, columns, doors, etc. You can also utilize color to help differentiate different types of light obstructions (ex. lime green for stationary dungeon walls and bright red for doors).
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Use the drawing tools to draw outlines of all the walls and other pieces of the map that you want to block light. We suggest using the Polygon Tool for best results. Remember that any drawings or tokens added to the dynamic lighting layer are invisible whenever the dynamic lighting layer is not selected. You can use this fact to put overhead or other 'invisible' lighting sources on a map by placing light emitting tokens onto the Dynamic Lighting layer.
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<div style="clear: both; height: 10px;"></div>
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== Adding Light ==
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Now that you have your obstacles drawn out on the Dynamic Lighting Layer, you now have to add light to your Page. Light is emitted via tokens. You can manage this in '''Token Settings'''. Under the settings for Auras is the option '''Emits Light'''. This option allows you to enter a light radius amount and gives you a checkbox for '''All Players See Light'''. When the checkbox is left unchecked, the only player(s) who can see that token’s light emission are those who have assigned permission to that token.
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[[Category:Docs]]
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Revision as of 15:46, 27 February 2021

Roll20 currently have two Dynamic Lighting systems, which are not interchangeable.

Contents

Legacy Dynamic Lighting

Legacy Dynamic Lighting(LDL) is the original system, previous referred to as just "Dynamic Lighting", and is what people talk about in any guides or videos made before April 2020. It will eventually be removed when UDL is good enough.


Roll20 have announced that LDL will be retired on May 18th 2021. More info: LDL retiring - What you need to know(Blog)

Updated Dynamic Lighting

Updated Dynamic Lighting(UDL) is the new DL system Roll20 have been working on to develop as a replacement for LDL, and it was first made available in May 2020, and as of Feb 2021, still have some unresolved issues.

  • Explorer Mode is UDL's equivalent to AFoW
  • Udl-hide-icon.jpg Darkness Tool is a tool that can be used to manually reveal or hide visible areas while using UDL. Fog of War is the free version of this tool, which is compatible with LDL
  • Convert Lighting Tool - for one-way converting Lighting settings & tokens in a game from LDL to UDL. Recommended to be used on a copy of your campaign, as you can't change things back with a single click.


General Info

On both Tokens and the Page Toolbar, the setting for LDL and UDL are on separate pages, as not to confuse people.

With Update 1.0, they also emphasized that "We will still support Legacy Lighting for a while, but we feel it’s only fair to let you know that we will be deprecating our support for the Legacy system sometime in the future. " No timeline for phased out LDL was announced.

Roll20 have said that we will get at least three months' notice before LDL is removed.[1]

API

Some API, such as TokenMod, support both LDL and UDL. There are still some UDL settings that API cant currently access.

Check API:Script_Index#Dynamic_Lighting for list of some API that focuses on DL.

A number of API automatically detect which DL is used, and acts accordingly.