Microsoft Surface • Collecting General • The Acaeum

The Acaeum Forums • Collecting General

Microsoft Surface
	Page 1 of 1

Author

misterspock
Sage Collector
Acaeum Donor

Posts: 2763
Joined: Sep 25, 2007
Last Visit: Feb 22, 2026

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 1:19 am

Here's an interesting blog and video tutorial on SurfaceScapes for D&D
http://blogs.msdn.com/surface/archive/2 ... rface.aspx

GamesGuy
Prolific Collector

Posts: 353
Joined: Feb 19, 2003
Last Visit: Oct 04, 2023
Location: CA

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:00 pm

That's unbelievable for such an early development.

This is close to what my group 'envisioned' back in the early 80s but we had no idea how to do it.

Thanks for sharing this.

(My only 'gripe' is that it's a really small gaming table.)

-------------------------------------------------

benjoshua
Long-Winded Collector
Acaeum Donor

Posts: 3718
Joined: May 30, 2007
Last Visit: Aug 04, 2026
Location: USA Georgia

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 7:35 pm

misterspock wrote:Here's an interesting blog and video tutorial on SurfaceScapes for D&D
http://blogs.msdn.com/surface/archive/2 ... rface.aspx

That is amazing. Very cool. This technology could also conceivably be used to DM games where players are all over the country or all over the world.

Truth is worth finding and life is too short to work for money.

Invincible Overlord
Verbose Collector
JG Valuation Board
Acaeum Donor

Posts: 1624
Joined: Aug 19, 2008
Last Visit: Aug 21, 2023
Location: Chicago, IL

Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 2:10 pm

benjoshua wrote:
That is amazing. Very cool. This technology could also conceivably be used to DM games where players are all over the country or all over the world.

We can to that now. It just doesn't look as cool:

1) I believe the program we used years ago was called Screen Monkey. The GM was able to set up a terrain area, and icons for all the PC's and NPC's. It seemed to have worked. It also had a random number generator built into the program, and a small window/box for text.

2) Teamspeak for the voice server (I don't think that Ventrilo was available back then).

RPGâ€™s, D&D in particular has had a major influence in my life. Itâ€™s bonded me together with life long friends...itâ€™s that bond in life not just as friends, but in our jokes, our mannerisms, and what we find funny. Invincible Overlord

Invincible Overlord
Verbose Collector
JG Valuation Board
Acaeum Donor

Posts: 1624
Joined: Aug 19, 2008
Last Visit: Aug 21, 2023
Location: Chicago, IL

Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 2:13 pm

Also, to amend with what GamesGuy said earlier, try fitting 6 "gamer-sized" people around a 30 inch playing area.

This needs to be a 60 inch screen.

Unfortunately its base price starts at $13,000.00.

Icar
Prolific Collector

Posts: 105
Joined: Feb 23, 2005
Last Visit: Oct 24, 2015

Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 2:41 pm

Wow.

I don't quite understand how the miniatures interact with the screen, do they have special bases?
What happens when the party splits up to go after something off-screen?

I wonder if D&D could ever be truly programed.

GamesGuy
Prolific Collector

Posts: 353
Joined: Feb 19, 2003
Last Visit: Oct 04, 2023
Location: CA

Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 8:43 am

There's a tiny little sticker on the bottom of the miniatures (called a 'smart tag') that is easy for the cameras to see and identify.

Under that screen is a webcam, basically, which is focused on what's going on 'on the surface' of the table. It can identify 'touch' as well as objects with smart tags.

It's a very cool technology, but I think it has a ways to go before it's applicable to widespread apps.

However; this may be a killer app for Surface. It sure likes they have put some real design work into the presentation and Admin screens.

-------------------------------------------------

The Acaeum Forums • Collecting General

Page 1 of 1