Does Screen Monkey Lite accept the example scripts that come with it? I just downloaded SM and got everything to work with it. Then I tried the /initdice command and all I'm getting is "Command Unknown". I'm thinking it is disabled (because otherwise you could write code to do things the authors do not want done without having paid). Is it?
Also, I am thinking of buying the full blown version of SM. Are there any restrictions on using it to generate money (ie: NOT SELL IT - but as a DM refing games. I was thinking of maybe chump change so I can buy myself drinks and things [ie: $1.00-$5.00 for a four hour session]). So - can someone do that? Or are there restrictions to doing such things?
Last, but not least, have you thought about making Screen Monkey having layer? So multiple maps could be laid one on top of another? In this way the bottom most layer would be the floor/ground, on top of that could be trees, buildings, etc...., on top of that could be a fog layer, etc.... Characters (PCs, and NPCs) could be given a Z-index layer so if they are flying they would be above the fog layer.
Ok - now it's the last thing: Has anyone ever suggested using icons as a way to build the map? In other words - you ask how large the map is to be and background color. Then you can load in icons (like trees, wall segments, building icons, etc...) in and you lay them out on the screen and give them a layer (background map is always zero(0), ground layer is always one(1)). Allow an icon to be on multiple layers (so a tree would be layer 1-40 [so 1=1ft, and 40=40ft]). In this way, a person could quickly set up different scenarios by just moving the icons around. (So like in a dungeon you could have a 1x3 grid object that is just duplicated over and over for a straight corridor or maybe an "L" shape that you just rotate and place.) The output would still be flattened to be sent to the broswer - but some icons could then be under other icons (like under trees). All the GM would have to do is to lock the update, move the higher level icon, move the icon under it, and then put the higher level icon back - or there could be a multi-click hierarchy where one click selects the highest level item, two clicks the next one down on the stack and so forth. Just an idea. :-)
Comments
For using the miniatures as a map making tool, yes, its been proposed.