Owlbear Rodeo 2.0 Beta Patch 6

In this patch we have some big updates with the launch of Owlbear Rodeo extensions, big changes to the fog tool, enhanced options for image importing and more.

Mitch McCaffrey

• 4 min read
Owlbear Rodeo 2.0 Beta Patch 6

Extensions

From the first design of Owlbear Rodeo 2.0 we knew we wanted extensions to be a big part of the new site. Today we're happy to finally share with you all the initial wave of extensions which includes an all new dice roller and initiative tracker.

For a detailed breakdown of the new dice roller check out our deep dive blog post here.

For a demo of the initiative tracker in action see the end of our beta patch 4 blog post.

To get these new extensions we've updated the Asset Packs section in the profile page with two new cards. To reflect this change we've also renamed this section from Asset Packs to Starter Sets.

The dice and initiative tracker can be added from the new Starter Sets section in the profile page

Once you've added the extensions you will see them in the new extensions section of the profile page.

Here you can view, delete or favorite your extensions.

A favorited extension will be enabled by default when you create a new room.

The new Extensions view allows you to manage installed extensions

Each room you create can have a different set of extensions installed.

You can manage this either when you create a new room or by using the extras menu while in a room to change extensions later.

When creating a new room you can choose which extensions to use
After creating a room you can manage the extensions for that room

The one thing we haven't shown yet is how to install 3rd party extensions. As part of the launch of extensions we're starting with the two 1st party extensions shown above and will expand this in the coming months.

The reason for this is so we can both test the new extensions system before handing it over to external developers and allowing us more time to build out documentation for the new system.

Enhanced Fog Tools

In this patch we're also introducing a complete technical overhaul of the fog tool.

In beta patch 1 we explored the challenges with the new Owlbear Rodeo 2.0 fog system's support for pixel accurate cut-outs and smooth shapes versus the ease of use of Owlbear Rodeo 1.0s single-layer mode.

Since that patch the fog tool has been split into two distinct modes where the polygon and brush tools supported automatic cutouts but the shape tools (hexagon, circle, etc) acted independently and weren't affected by this system.

Now with patch 6 the all fog tools can now support a single and multi-layer mode that makes fog creation as easy as ever.

In single-layer mode drawing any shape with the fog tool will automatically cut out shapes that already exist.

In multi-layer mode you can draw shapes on top of one another just like before.

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Single-layer mode makes creating complicated cut-outs simple. Map source Mike Schley

Along with this we're bringing in more options to manage fog shapes once they've been drawn.

A new trim and join context menu item have been added to allow you to cut out one shape from another or to merge existing shapes together.

These options make it easier than ever to create complicated fog areas in a precise way.

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Trim makes it easier to edit a shape after it's been created. Map source Mike Schley
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Join makes it easier to build a complicated shape with multiple smaller shapes. Map source Mike Schley

Enhanced Image Drag and Drop

Drag and drop is one of the easiest ways to add images to Owlbear Rodeo, since 1.0 we've supported drag and drop of images from any site that has cross site sharing enabled. Unfortunately since we released 1.0 some big sites have disabled image sharing preventing drag and drop support.

In this patch we've deployed an image proxy service that adds back support for these sites which should make drag and drop a lot more consistent.

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Using the Avrae Discord bot to create a new character image for Owlbear Rodeo

Other Changes

  • Actions such as copy, paste, hide, lock and delete will now affect any attached items by default.
  • Fixed crashes caused by using Google translate in Chrome.
  • Fixed support for some special characters in custom room names.
  • The movement ruler will now be hidden if the character it moves is also hidden.
  • Fixed shortcuts for tool modes when in the collapsed view.
  • Fixed a bug causing shortcuts to still be active when using the search field.
  • Fixed a bug causing an invalid node error with rich text.

What's Next

In the immediate term we'll be working on building the documentation for both the extensions system and the main site. With the goal of having the next patch be the launch of 3rd party support for extensions.

While I've been spending all my time on these new features Nicola has been hard at work fixing bugs and working on the stability of the site. As we approach the new year that will continue to be our focus.

This patch represents many months of work for us so we're really happy to finally let you all try it out.