Gen2 Touchscreen MapCase

The Origin

During Covid, online VTT have quickly evolved driven by a fierce competition and a demanding audience asking for an immersive plateform. Many great tools have been devellope in this way but something that was missing became increasingly obvious over time, via our webcams we lost the precious connection we where nourishing during live game.

In one hand, forced by the lockdown many of us really enjoyed the power of the VTT tools and could barely import those tools at the table : immersive digital maps, automatic management of the fog of war, clear line of sight, mangement of darkvision and the list goes on. But in the other hand, no physical medium was capable of truly combining, without any limitations, the best physical role-playing game accessories, combined with the efficiency of VTT.

Driven by my high standards, I have developed my Gen2 Touchscreen MapCase, which boasts a full, seamless and limitless experience that fusion the best of the Digital and physical world of TTRPGs.

Overview

The Gen2 Touchscreen MapCase is designed to be a interactive touchscreen that give visual aid that supports the arbitration of all possible visibility rules, with the aim of reducing the GM’s mental workload and providing players with clear information about the environment. 

Combined with the right software, The Gen2 Touchscreen MapCase will have a major and positive impact on Two of the three pillars of TTRPG : the Pillar of Exploration and the Pillar of Combat. 

The following aspect of the Gen2 Touchscreen MapCase serve those Pillars.

Unlimited terrain and miniatures

The choice of touchscreen technology makes all the difference here. Infrared (IR) touchscreen technology is currently the most widely used in the TTRPG community. Software developers and end users have demonstrated creativity and ingenuity in working around the limitations of this technology, but that only served to hide the elephant in the room: the IR touchscreen MapCase is not suited to handle the Pillar of Exploration which can involve an unlimited number of terrains, nor the Pillar of Combat which can involve multiple miniatures.

Infrared touchscreen frames detect touch by detecting interruptions in the horizontal infrared beams projected a few millimetres above the screen . When multiple objects block the same beam path, the system cannot reliably distinguish their positions, creating “ghost” touches or missed inputs. In TTRPGs, this can cause inaccurate token movement and frustrating gameplay interruptions. These behaviors in the IR framework typically start to occur when there are more than four miniatures in play. As soon as one mini is dropped on the board, it is detected as ''active'' touch-point.

PCAP (Projected Capacitive) technology detects touch through a grid of capacitive sensors rather than intersecting infrared beams. Each touch point is measured independently, allowing accurate multi-touch tracking. You can place as many miniatures and terrain pieces as you like; as long as PCAP technology does not detect variations in the electrostatic field caused by the conductive properties of the human body, none of the placed objects will be detected as an “active” touch point thereby creating an environment capable of accommodating an unlimited number of terrains and miniatures.

 Automatic management of the fog of war

In an environment built around a digital map and a variety of terrain types, the “Fog of War” feature will be handled by the virtual tabletop software. I personally use Arkenforge because of its simplicity and the speed with which I can get support and submit feature requests.

By pinning the locations of the terrain pieces on the Gen2 Touchscreen MapCase, you can use a point-and-click tool to create barriers that cast shadows and dynamically limit what characters can see during exploration and combat. 

By interacting exclusively with the highly conductive Hero base, players’ perspective is updated in real time, providing a better view of the environment and, as a result, more information to inform tactical decision-making. 

To protect the Game Master's preparations, Arkenforge may limit player interaction to a digital token representing their character. The digital token contains character attributes that affect their visibility. A player cannot accidentally interact with an area located in the fog of war and reveal its contents 

Simple visibility management based on players' choices

As a game master, I often find myself having to cut certain elements because they’re too difficult to convey to the group, or because I already have plenty of other elements and rules to juggle. Often, the first thing I cut to simplify my message to the players is describing what they see—I use a single description that applies to the whole group.

As a result, crucial decisions regarding character race selection or the type of light sources are simply not taken into account for the sake of simplicity. 

Combined with the right software and in my example Arkenforge, the Gen2 Touchscreen MapCase lets you determine at a glance who sees what, how far, and why. The complexity resulting from the variety of player stat blocks becomes extremely easy to manage. 

Improved tactical choices

When all the factors mentioned above come together to create a dynamic visual aid, the information conveyed through the players’ perspective flows much more quickly and objectively. A consensus is established between the game master and the players.

This enhances the tactical aspect of combat, thereby increasing the impact of a decision without overburdening the game master.

• The projection of the fog of war around terrain and walls clearly determines which enemies qualify for half-cover, three-quarter cover, or full cover.
• Players whose understanding of combat is limited to what they can see have much more to fear from enemies who choose ''Ready Action'' right after they move out of sight. Intelligent monster can be play smarter without revealing what the players perceive.
• The information that can be gathered during the exploration phase of an enemy stronghold takes on a whole new significance by knowing the number of enemies and the layout of their retreat options.
• The choice of light sources and how they are used becomes much more critical for characters without darkvision. A human who plants their torch on the ground to draw a second weapon from its sheath will be forced to fight within the beam of their torchlight.
• Cantrip light, regular torch ,hooded lantern, campfire and all the vision-impacting object and spells will have a greater impact for everyone and anyone without slowing down the pace of the game

With the Gen2 Touchscreen MapCase, What you see is what you get!

High-End Smart Design

Point by point, allow me to  break down the feature of the Gen2 Touchscreen MapCase, which come together to create a high-end, well-thought-out and optimised design 

Breathable MapCase

Chimney effect allowing heat to escape vertically via ventilation slots cut into 85% of the inside perimeter. These vents allow heat to escape upwards.

Mechanical ventilation that pressurises the interior of the MapCase with fresh air and up to 700 cm² opening beneath the map case to optimise screen cooling. Combined to the ventilation slots, the risk associate to the Heatbox issue is eradicated!

Conductive Hero Base

The simplicity of the Hero base’s design is matched only by its reliability and minimalist aesthetic. Consisting of a solid copper disc, the base contains no mechanical components that might wear out over time.  The only additions are a piece of conductive felt and an insulating felt. 

The electromagnetic detection area of the copper token has been reduced from 26 mm in diameter of the Hero base to 8 mm in diameter, thereby improving the accuracy of the base. 

100% compatible with or without the miniature base

The best screen protector available 

 🪞 - Anti-glare Surface                                                                                               🔨 - Tempered glass
 🫆 - Anti-fingerprint
 🛡️ - Scratch-resistant
 🧊 - A thermally conductive material that promotes heat dissipation

A design focused on ergonomics

The handles, which are recessed into the frame, maintain a minimalist aesthetic whilst allowing for easy handling without the need for handles that protrude from the frame. This design choice saves valuable space on the table.
 

The LCD screen is positioned 6mm below the glass surface, resulting in a parallax effect. However, that parralax effect is mitigate by the use of digital tokens where the digital maps are displayed. Even with a great view angle, you clearly see where your character is by confirming the presence of the digital token with the grid.

The Gen2 touchscreen MapCase is very slim for its class. At 6.35 cm high, it strikes an excellent balance between airflow beneath the screen and a viewing angle that isn’t too narrow for gamers who prefer to remain seated. 

Built to Last

The mitre joints are reinforced with wenge, which provides a striking contrast and enhances the strength of the corners. The contact surface for the wood glue is quadrupled by adding a side joint that bonds the long sides of the fibres, creating a highly durable bounds.  

The rear panel holds the screen securely in place at the centre of the MapCase cavity thanks to the screw-fixing system, which is designed to be compatible with the VESA mounting system. The screen cannot be moved inside the MapCase.

A 4 mm gap surrounds the screen to prevent it from coming into direct contact with the MapCase frame. This stops any energy generated by an impact from being transmitted to the screen, much like the moat surrounding a castle

The Screen is locked to the rear pannel. The rear pannel is locked to the wooden enclosure. The construction is sturdy, robust and designed to act as a shell.

A wooden protective cover is designed to protect the screen from any potential damage during transport or storage. It provides additional protection for your investment. The cover is securely held in place by four brass latches.

Customisable

To ensure your MapCase is exactly to your taste, it is available in three different types of wood. All of these woods are native to North America. Walnut is mainly grown in the Appalachian region of the north-eastern USA. Maple, reminiscent of the Canadian flag, is available as planks. I will endeavour as far as possible to prioritise bird'seye feature. Yellow Birch, meanwhile, is the iconic tree of Quebec. Its heartwood is orange-brown, whilst its sapwood is a golden blonde.

You can also personalise the front right-hand corner of your Gen2 Touchscreen MapCase with a laser engraving of your choice, provided it fits within an area measuring 40mm x 200mm

PCAP Touchscreen Specs sheet

• 4K resolution / Ratio 16:9
• 10 Touch Point ( 1 touch point = one active human interaction )
• Response time 8ms
• Brightness 500 nits
• Viewing Angle 89/89/89/89
• No computer integrated in order to keep the price lower. 
• Power 100-240VAC 50/60Hz - Compatible Worldwide
• Temperature : Operating: 0 °C to 50 °C ; Storage: -10 °C to 60 °C
• Humidity : Operating: 20% to 80%; Storage: 10% to 95%
• Impact resistance grade : IK-07 (Hero base weight 41g)
• Dust and waterproof grade : Front grade IP60

Heat Management Experiment

The management of heat dissipation caused by the use of the PCAP screen was monitored using five temperature probes positioned at key locations beneath the screen. Once the probes were in place, the MapCase was closed and mounted on its 6.35 mm-high feet.

• Probe 1 : Located on the electrical connection power inlet
• Probe 2 : Centered on the motherboard
• Probe 3 : Directly opposite the motherboard
• Probe 4 : Top left corner of the screen
• Probe 5 : Bottom left corner of the screen

• During a 6-hour period of use, the internal temperature of the MapCase did not exceed 30 degrees Celsius. 
• The temperature of the room in which the test took place was 20 degrees Celsius.
•  The temperature range recommended by the manufacturer of the PCAP screen is between 0 and 50 degrees Celsius.

Stretch Goal

We're not using stretch goals — here's why:

We’ve poured everything into making Gen2 Touchscreen MapCase the best tabletop touchscreen display possible.

Instead of holding back features or upgrades for stretch goals, we made the decision early on: everyone gets the full experience, no matter how much the campaign raises. We didn’t want to gate parts of the system behind arbitrary milestones — that would have meant watering down Gen2 Touchscreen MapCase, and that’s just not our style.

We know stretch goals are often used to drive hype and sharing, and yes — we’re probably missing out on that. But we’d rather let the quality of the product speak for itself.

If you believe in that approach — no compromises, no locked features, just the best possible version from day one — we’d love your help getting the word out. Share Gen2 Touchscreen MapCase with your party, your group chat, your favourite RPG server. 

Timeline

Shipping

To keep costs low, shipping will be collected after the campaign in the pledge manager

We will be shipping Gen2 Touchscreen MapCase worldwide. Shipping costs will be dependant on the final weight of the product and how many packages we ship. The more backers we get, the cheaper shipping will be. So, we'll collect shipping in our pledge manager to make sure you get the best deal on shipping!

Calculating and charging shipping after the campaign will allow us to negotiate with shipping providers to give you the best possible prices.

Trinity Tier

The Trinity Tier is an initiative designed to offer a higher level of reward than hardware alone could provide. By including software and digital maps and arts, you’ll have everything you need to get started with the Gen2 Touchscreen MapCase.

Thank you to Arkenforge and Morvold Press for agreeing to create this reward tier with me.

Arkenforge

Since the release of a video showcasing a miniature revealing the Fog of War in 2021 using the IR Touchscreen Overlay, Arkenforge has continually refined the integration of touchscreen technology with its software. There are, of course, plenty of other software options that work with the hardware I’m featuring; however, as I find Arkenforge straightforward and it’s also easy to find support on their Discord server, I decided to go with them and I haven’t looked back!

Here a word from Nathan of Arkenforge :

''Arkenforge exists to make your in person games as fun and immersive as possible. Our software allows DMs to build their own animated maps, or import ones from their favourite creators. They can manage music, ambience and sound effects, and keep track of their campaign notes, all in a single offline platform. Most importantly, they can show their players maps on a separate screen with fog of war without needing to juggle browser windows or manage multiple logins. Arkenforge is unique in its native Touch support, which allows you to control your digital tokens through a physical touch screen - blending physical and digital in the most immersive way possible!''

Morvold Press

Here a word from Morvold Press :

''Hi, I’m Jeff with Morvold Press, and I’ve been working for years to provide quality resources for DM’s to bring the highest level of immersion for their players -- hundreds of massive, high-detail maps, beautifully illustrated NPC portraits and tokens, magic items, scenes and much more. My goal is to give you the resources to provide the highest-quality game you can, without requiring multiple subscriptions, expensive store purchases or limited libraries.''

Soulmancer

The Soulmancer is a homebrew class for Dnd 5.5e which I have developed and balanced over the past six years. He is a Spiritual Warrior who feed his power from the souls of others, antoganize by demons and other soul-eater monster. 

His mechanical identity is full caster class that does not have cantrip nor spell slot. Cantrip are replaced by weapon attack that can leash mana and mana is used to fuel a spell point system. Including 3 archetypes & 30 signatures spells.

This class is designed for players who enjoy resource management and gambling. To my knowledge, no other homebrew class offers this unique integration of spell mechanics specific to the Soulmancer! Along with the Gen2 Touchscreen MapCase, this is a little gift from me, into which I have poured a great deal of care and passion.