BirdieMaps
patreon
Thanks for the Support & Upgrade News
🕑 Added 2025-07-06 18:47:01 +0000 UTCHey everyone!
First of all: I’m absolutely blown away by the overwhelming amount of positive feedback and support. So many of you reached out, left comments, and even subscribed to the Supporter Tier. Within just one day, my biggest fears were completely swept away. I was honestly speechless for the following days and can hardly describe how that felt. Thank you all for this experience!
Thank you so much for standing by my side during this time. Once my emotions settled and my mind cleared, I dove straight back into maps and code—and not just a little bit 😄. I spent 12 to 16 hours a day for at least a week, and I’m happy to announce: it’s done!
I successfully developed a BirdieMaps Management Tool—a powerful automation tool that handles everything after I finish creating a map. It automates the entire post-processing workflow, allowing me to focus much more on the creative part of mapping and everything I truly enjoy. With the repetetive process now automated, I can finally focus more on the creative heart of the project: designing beautiful maps and deeper FoundryVTT integration.
What changes for you?
Basically, nothing major. The only visible change is that I’ll now split community and themed packs into separate posts to make the tool work properly. That’s it!
Right now, I’m still adapting to the tool, testing for bugs and improving stability. If you notice anything unusual—like an empty folder, broken link, or a module that doesn't load—please let me know, either in the comments or via Discord.
What's next?
This tool is a huge time saver and has given me tons of experience across many areas of coding. I’ve learned to work with relevant APIs and even experimented with FoundryVTT scripts like bulk map imports.
I've also started building the foundation for a map database and, in the future, this could evolve into a web application where you can easily browse all my maps, with a direct install/download button. This would help solve the increasing complexity that comes with managing more and more maps.
Other exciting developments:
I figured out how to edit DungeonDraft files and even convert .dd2vtt files into Foundry scenes (yes, I built my own converter—woohoo!).
This gives me new creative options in DungeonDraft, like placing sound effects and light animations, which will be included in future Foundry scenes!
Foundry’s new area effects feature lets me add water filters or similar effects to specific map zones.
Teleporters (especially across city districts) can now be added directly from DungeonDraft.
Height-based vision: Foundry allows for more advanced wall settings than DungeonDraft. I’ve set cliffs to be visible only from certain angles or elevations. Doing this manually is tedious, so automating it is a big goal.
My plan remains: release 10 maps per month. Any time saved will be used to improve quality and introduce new features.
Thanks again for your incredible support—none of this would be possible without you!
– Birdie
Comments
BirdieMaps
Wow, thank you for such a heart warming message. :) “Your creativity makes spaces where people can sit around tables to connect, escape, and dream” – I’ll keep that line in my heart. It’s what I love about this hobby too: building worlds where we can forget reality for a while and create something meaningful together. Knowing that my maps have been part of your stories and even inspired you to create Shadar… that’s honestly the highest compliment. Thank you for supporting whenever you can, it truly helps more than you might think. Here’s the direct Discord link: https://discord.gg/B9QjT8tXKb , I just have to manually change your Tier this way. :)
Nefarfour
Thank you for creating maps. I keep coming back to your work because of how much life and energy it holds. The style and detail you use are so inviting. Each one feels like a space I could step into and explore, with stories waiting behind myriad doors. I’ve supported your mapmaking off and on through Patreon over the last year or so, whenever my budget allows. I’ve looked at other creators now and then, but I always find myself drawn back to your work. There’s something uniquely engaging in every map. Maybe it’s the color, maybe it’s the sense of magic without losing the grounding details, but it makes me want to build entire worlds around them. Hell, I’ve even been writing my own world called Shadar in the Pathfinder system. When I read your June 18th message, I was struck by your honesty. It was good for you to reach out to your community, and I just want to say: I see you. These times, with all the political crap and instability going on makes wanting to open up and trust difficult. Proud of you for doing that. I don’t know you personally, but your maps have been a part of the stories I tell with my players who I care about and that means something. It’s easy to forget, in times like these, how much good we bring to others by doing what we love and in support of those we love. Your creativity makes spaces where people can sit around tables to connect, escape, and dream. That matters. I’m really glad someone reached out to you. You’re right, we’re not meant to face all this crap alone. Thank you again for what you make and share. I’ll keep supporting when I can, and I as you can see from the support already coalescing around you, other folks want to share their support too. Also, all good news. Glad you’ve gotten your tools up and roaring at a better capacity for map creation. Excited to see the end results of that. Final note, how do you get to your Discord? Patreon has a terrible messaging platform.
BirdieMaps
Oh it's absoluteley worth it ! There are even converter for it. They convert your roll20 campaigns into FoundryVTT ones. If I had known this when switching away from roll20 i would have saved so much time. The entry can be hard for beginners. After a couple of sessions your going to notice how much of an advantage it is compared to roll20. :)
Perforator
Im mostly an Roll20 user but after hearing this i think I will slowly switch over to Foundry 😅
