If you are playing Fantasy Grounds, changing the background can be a great way to customize your gameplay environment. The background can be changed to any image you like, whether it’s a landscape, a map, or even a piece of artwork. Besides, it can also help to set the mood for your campaign, and make it more immersive for your players. Changing the background is relatively easy to do, and can typically be done in just a few minutes.
To change the background, open Fantasy Grounds and go to the “Settings” menu. Under the “General” tab, you will see an option for “Background.” Click on the “Browse” button and select the image you want to use as your background. If you are having trouble finding an image, you can download one from the Fantasy Grounds website. Once you select the image, click on the “OK” button, and select the “Apply” button.
Once you have changed the background, you will need to restart Fantasy Grounds in order for the changes to take effect. Once you restart it, the new background will be displayed. You can change the background as often as you like, so feel free to experiment with different images until you find one that you like.
Accessing the Background Menu
To access the Background Menu in Fantasy Grounds Unity, follow these steps:
- Open the File menu.
- Select Preferences.
- In the left sidebar, expand the Graphics section.
- Click on Backgrounds.
Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + B (Windows) or Cmd + B (Mac) to quickly access the Background Menu.
The Background Menu will appear as a floating window, allowing you to customize the background image for your Fantasy Grounds Unity interface.
Choosing a New Background Image
There are two ways to choose a new background image for your Fantasy Grounds campaign. You can either use one of the built-in images that come with the software, or you can upload your own image.
To use a built-in image, simply click on the “Background” tab in the Campaign Manager window and then select one of the images from the drop-down menu. To upload your own image, click on the “Browse” button and select the image file from your computer.
Once you have selected an image, you can adjust its size and position to fit your campaign. You can also add a tint to the image or make it transparent so that it does not obscure the map or other elements on the screen.
Customizing the Background Image
Once you have chosen a background image, you can customize it to fit your campaign. You can do this by adjusting the image’s size, position, and transparency.
To adjust the image’s size, simply click on the image and drag the handles at the edges or corners. To adjust the image’s position, click on the image and drag it to the desired location. To adjust the image’s transparency, click on the “Transparency” slider in the Background tab of the Campaign Manager window.
In addition to adjusting the image’s size, position, and transparency, you can also add a tint to the image. To do this, click on the “Tint” color picker in the Background tab of the Campaign Manager window and select the desired color.
The following table summarizes the options available for customizing the background image:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Size | Adjusts the size of the image. |
| Position | Adjusts the position of the image. |
| Transparency | Adjusts the transparency of the image. |
| Tint | Adds a tint to the image. |
Importing Custom Backgrounds
To import custom backgrounds, follow these steps:
- Locate the Custom Backgrounds folder: On Windows, navigate to
%AppData%\Fantasy Grounds\Fantasy Grounds Settings\Settings.xml
On macOS, navigate to ~/Library/Application Support/Fantasy Grounds/Fantasy Grounds Settings/Settings.xml - Create a new folder: Inside the Custom Backgrounds folder, create a new folder for your custom background.
- Add your background images: Copy your desired background images into the folder you created. The images should be in JPG, PNG, or BMP format and have a resolution of at least 1920×1080 pixels.
- Edit the Settings.xml file: Open the Settings.xml file in a text editor.
Locate the <Backgrounds> section and add the following lines for each background you want to import:
- Save the Settings.xml file: Save the Settings.xml file and restart Fantasy Grounds.
- Select your custom background: In Fantasy Grounds, go to File > Options > User Interface. Under the “Backgrounds” tab, select the “Custom Backgrounds” folder and choose your desired background from the list.
<Background>
<Name>Custom Background Name</Name>
<Path>Custom Backgrounds\your-folder-name\background-image.jpg</Path>
</Background>
Adjusting Background Size and Position
Once you’ve selected your desired background image, you can adjust its size and position to fit your preferences. To do so:
Step 1: Fit the Image to the Window
Click the “Fit Image to Window” button to automatically resize the background image to fill the entire background area.
Step 2: Scale the Image
Use the “Scale” slider to adjust the size of the image relative to its original size. A value of 100% represents the original size, while values greater than 100% increase the size and values below 100% decrease the size.
Step 3: Set the Image Position
Use the “X” and “Y” fields to set the horizontal and vertical position of the image within the background area. Positive values move the image to the right or down, while negative values move it to the left or up.
Step 4: Fine-Tune the Position and Scale
| Action | Keyboard Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Move the image up or down by one pixel | Alt + Up or Down Arrow |
| Move the image left or right by one pixel | Alt + Left or Right Arrow |
| Scale the image up | Alt + Plus Key (+) |
| Scale the image down | Alt + Minus Key (-) |
These keyboard shortcuts provide precise control over the background image’s position and scale, allowing you to fine-tune its appearance as desired.
Setting Default Background
If you want to set a default background image that will be used for all new campaigns and adventures you create, follow these steps:
1. Create a Custom Background Image
The background image should be a high-resolution JPEG or PNG file. The recommended size is 1920×1080 pixels.
2. Save the Image to Your Fantasy Grounds Data Directory
The default data directory is located at C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Local\Fantasy Grounds. You can also create a custom data directory by going to the Settings > General tab in Fantasy Grounds and clicking the “Browse” button next to the “Data Directory” field.
3. Add the Image to the Fantasy Grounds Library
Open Fantasy Grounds and go to the Library tab. Right-click in the “Backgrounds” section and select “Add New Background”. In the “File” field, browse to the background image you want to add. In the “Name” field, enter a name for the background. Click the “OK” button to add the background to the library.
4. Set the Background as Default
Go to the Settings > General tab in Fantasy Grounds. In the “Background” field, select the background image you want to set as default. Click the “OK” button to save your changes.
5. Create XML for Custom Backgrounds
If you want more control over the appearance of your background, you can create a custom XML file and specify the background settings in the file. To do this, follow these steps:
- Create a new XML file using a text editor.
- Copy and paste the following XML code into the file:
- Replace the “[Image File Path]” placeholder with the path to your background image.
- Replace the “[Tint Color]” placeholder with the hex code of the tint color you want to apply to the background. For example, to apply a red tint, you would use the hex code “#FF0000”.
- Replace the “[Opacity Value]” placeholder with the opacity value you want to apply to the background. The opacity value ranges from 0 to 1, where 0 is completely transparent and 1 is completely opaque.
- Save the XML file in your Fantasy Grounds data directory.
- Open Fantasy Grounds and go to the Library tab.
- Right-click in the “Backgrounds” section and select “Add New Background”.
- In the “File” field, browse to the XML file you created.
- In the “Name” field, enter a name for the background.
- Click the “OK” button to add the background to the library.
- Set the background as default as described in step 4.
| XML Code |
|---|
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> |
Applying Background to Specific Campaigns
To apply a background to a specific campaign, follow these steps:
- Open the Campaign Properties dialog for the campaign you want to apply the background to.
- Select the Background tab.
- Select the background you want to apply from the Backgrounds drop-down menu.
- Click the Apply button.
- Click the OK button to close the Campaign Properties dialog.
- The selected background will now be applied to the campaign and will be visible to all players in that campaign.
Additional Notes
- You can apply different backgrounds to different campaigns.
- To remove a background from a campaign, simply select the None option from the Backgrounds drop-down menu in the Campaign Properties dialog.
- The following table shows the available background options:
| Background Option | Description |
|---|---|
| None | No background image will be applied. |
| Default | The default background image for Fantasy Grounds will be applied. |
| Custom | A custom background image will be applied. |
Creating Background Collections
To create a background collection, follow these steps:
- Click the “Collections” tab in the Fantasy Grounds client.
- Right-click and select “New Collection.”
- Enter a name for the collection and click “OK.”
- Right-click on the new collection and select “Import Collection.”
- Navigate to the background images you want to import and select them.
- Click “Open” to import the images into the collection.
- The images will now appear in the collection and can be used as backgrounds for your maps.
You can also create your own background images and add them to a collection. To do this, simply create a new image file in a graphics editor like Photoshop or GIMP, and save it in a format that Fantasy Grounds supports (such as JPG or PNG). You can then import the image into a collection as described above.
| Format | Description |
|---|---|
| JPG | A lossy image format that is widely supported. |
| PNG | A lossless image format that supports transparency. |
Using Background Transparencies
Background transparencies allow you to add an image to the background of your scene without covering up the tokens and other objects on the map. This can be a great way to add depth and atmosphere to your game, or to use as a visual aid for your players.
To add a background transparency, first click on the “Background” tab in the Scene Controls window. Then, click the “Add Background Transparency” button.
In the “Add Background Transparency” dialog box, browse to the image file you want to use as your transparency. You can also adjust the transparency of the image using the slider. Once you’re happy with the settings, click the “OK” button.
Your background transparency will now be added to the scene. You can move and resize the transparency as needed.
To remove a background transparency, simply click on it and press the “Delete” key.
Opacity
The opacity of a background transparency determines how much of the underlying map is visible through the transparency. A lower opacity will make the transparency more transparent, while a higher opacity will make it more opaque.
You can adjust the opacity of a background transparency by using the slider in the “Background Transparency” dialog box.
Tint
The tint of a background transparency determines the color of the transparency. You can use the slider in the “Background Transparency” dialog box to adjust the tint of the transparency.
| Tint | Effect |
|---|---|
| Red | Makes the transparency appear red. |
| Green | Makes the transparency appear green. |
| Blue | Makes the transparency appear blue. |
| Yellow | Makes the transparency appear yellow. |
| Cyan | Makes the transparency appear cyan. |
| Magenta | Makes the transparency appear magenta. |
| Black | Makes the transparency appear black. |
| White | Makes the transparency appear white. |
Troubleshooting Background Issues
1. Dark Background
If your Fantasy Grounds background is too dark, you can adjust the brightness settings in the Display Options menu.
2. Blurry Background
If your Fantasy Grounds background is blurry, you can increase the resolution of the image in the Display Options menu.
3. Background Not Displaying
If your Fantasy Grounds background is not displaying, you can check the following:
- Make sure that the background image is in the correct folder.
- Make sure that the background image is the correct size.
- Make sure that the background image is not corrupted.
4. Background Stretching
If your Fantasy Grounds background is stretching, you can adjust the scaling settings in the Display Options menu.
5. Background Not Centered
If your Fantasy Grounds background is not centered, you can adjust the alignment settings in the Display Options menu.
6. Background Too Bright
If your Fantasy Grounds background is too bright, you can adjust the brightness settings in the Display Options menu.
7. Background Too Small
If your Fantasy Grounds background is too small, you can increase the resolution of the image in the Display Options menu.
8. Background Downloaded from the Internet
If you downloaded your Fantasy Grounds background from the internet, you may need to convert it to a compatible format.
9. Advanced Troubleshooting
If you are still having problems with your Fantasy Grounds background, you can try the following:
| Troubleshooting Step | Instructions |
|---|---|
| Reinstall Fantasy Grounds | This will reset all of your Fantasy Grounds settings to their default values. |
| Contact Fantasy Grounds support | The Fantasy Grounds team can help you troubleshoot your issue. |
Best Practices for Background Selection
When selecting a background for your Fantasy Grounds game, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Consider the Setting
The setting of your game will have a big impact on the types of backgrounds that are appropriate. For example, a game set in a medieval fantasy world will have very different backgrounds than a game set in a modern urban setting.
Think About Your Character
The background you choose should help you develop your character and give them a unique backstory. Consider your character’s personality, motivations, and goals.
Don’t Be Afraid to Be Creative
There are no limits to the types of backgrounds you can create for your Fantasy Grounds game. Get creative and have fun with it!
Use the Background Generator
If you’re having trouble coming up with a background, you can use the Background Generator in Fantasy Grounds. This tool will help you generate a random background that you can customize to fit your character.
Here are 10 additional tips for selecting a background for your Fantasy Grounds game:
| # | Tips |
|---|---|
| 1 | Consider your character’s class and race. |
| 2 | Think about your character’s personality and motivations. |
| 3 | Don’t be afraid to be creative. |
| 4 | Use the Background Generator in Fantasy Grounds. |
| 5 | Look for inspiration in other fantasy games, movies, and books. |
| 6 | Talk to your GM about your character’s background. |
| 7 | Don’t be afraid to change your character’s background later on. |
| 8 | Have fun with it! |
How To Change Fantasy Grounds Background
Changing the background image in Fantasy Grounds can be done in a few simple steps.
1. Open the Fantasy Grounds application and select the “Settings” tab.
2. Click on the “Display” sub-tab.
3. In the “Background” section, click on the “Change” button.
4. Select the desired background image from your computer.
5. Click on the “Open” button.
6. The new background image will now be displayed in Fantasy Grounds.
People Also Ask
How do I change the background color in Fantasy Grounds?
To change the background color in Fantasy Grounds, follow these steps:
- Open the Fantasy Grounds application and select the “Settings” tab.
- Click on the “Display” sub-tab.
- In the “Background” section, click on the color swatch next to the “Color” label.
- Select the desired background color from the color picker.
- Click on the “OK” button.
- The new background color will now be displayed in Fantasy Grounds.
How do I add a custom background image to Fantasy Grounds?
To add a custom background image to Fantasy Grounds, follow these steps:
- Save the desired background image to your computer.
- Open the Fantasy Grounds application and select the “Settings” tab.
- Click on the “Display” sub-tab.
- In the “Background” section, click on the “Add” button.
- Select the custom background image from your computer.
- Click on the “Open” button.
- The new background image will now be added to the list of available background images.
