Designing a VASSAL Module to be “Future
Proof”
v1.0 – September 2023
Websites Related to VASSAL Module Graphical
Design
SNAPHEX
(https://snaphex.com/snap_counter)
– A very nice counter designing website with a bunch of
options. The inspiration for my own counter designer.
HEXGRID
(http://hamhambone.github.io/hexgrid/)
– A very nice hexgrid designing website. Very useful to use
in redrawing a wargame map into a digital copy for use in VASSAL.
Wargame Counter Generator (v1.0)
– My own attempt at coding a counter designer, inspired by
SNAPHEX. This is something I worked on primarily in September 2023
to help develop counter images for VASSAL modules; so that it is
easier for the “average” user to quickly develop a
consistent visual style for their counter artwork, without having
to download/install/purchase/learn graphic editing programs or
search for artwork to use.
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Let's examine a few hypothetical use cases for a VASSAL Module, to
help us as we lay out specifications for our own module:
EXAMPLE GAME MAP DIMENSIONS
Avalanche Press' John Prados' Third Reich –
three 8.5" x 22" map boards, total of 25.5" x 22"
map area (561 in2)
GMT Games' Barbarossa:
Army Group Center, 1941 – four 34" x 22"
maps (C, D, H and I), total of 68" x 44" map area (2,992
in2)
DISPLAY SIZES AND MAP IMAGE SIZES
Below are two tables to give you an idea of what you can expect
from future displays:
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Display Constrained to a Constant 100 PPI
NOTE: This
is the resolution of a 23” HDTV Monitor which displays very
little visible pixels to a computer operator at 8 inch viewing
distances.
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Resolution
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Screen Size (Diagonal)
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Area
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HDTV – 1980 x 1080
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23”
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226 in2
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4K – 3840 x 2160
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43”
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790 in2
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8K – 7680 x 4320
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85”
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3,087 in2
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16K – 15360 x 8640
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175”
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13,070 in2
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Display Constrained to a Constant 50 inches
(1,068 in²)
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Resolution
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PPI
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HDTV – 1980 x 1080
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44
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4K – 3840 x 2160
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88
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8K – 7680 x 4320
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176
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16K – 15360 x 8640
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352
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From studying the above, it appears that aiming for a minimum map
resolution of 200 PPI will "future proof" your VASSAL
module.
The big issue then becomes one of “how far do we want to
look ahead?” – and when you look at map sizes, it becomes
ugly fast:
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John Prados' Third Reich (25.5" x 22")
Map
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PPI
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File Dimensions
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File Size (1 Layer)
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200 DPI
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5100 x 4400
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85.6 MB
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300 DPI
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7650 x 6600
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192.6 MB
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400 DPI
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10200 x 8800
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342.4 MB
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Barbarossa: Army Group Center, 1941 (68"
x 44") Map
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PPI
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File Dimensions
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File Size (1 Layer)
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200 DPI
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13600 x 8800
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456.5 MB
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300 DPI
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20400 x 13200
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1 GB
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400 DPI
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27200 x 17600
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1.8 GB
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It's clear that for smaller games, you can go up in resolution
while not affecting file size too much; but for “monster”
games, you become constrained very fast.
Remember that Java Virtual Machines by default generally only can
access about 900 MB of RAM; so, so... 10K by 10K pixels (400~ MB) is
roughly as big as your map can get for VASSAL, before you start
hitting RAM issues.
Also, you're going to need at least four times that memory if
you're editing the map, so that you can have multiple layers in
photoshop – that's 1.6 GB of RAM – you're getting very
close to the 2 GB per process limit that older 32-bit programs have –
not all of us can afford the latest 64-bit graphics programs.
COUNTER SIZES
For game counters, we're not as constrained, as shown by the table
below:
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1/2 Inch (12.7mm) Counters (3W Games)
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PPI
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File Dimensions
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File Size (1 Layer)
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200 DPI
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100 x 100
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40 KB
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300 DPI
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150 x 150
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89 KB
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400 DPI
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200 x 200
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157 KB
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5/8 Inch (15.875mm) Counters (Schutze Games)
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PPI
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File Dimensions
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File Size (1 Layer)
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200 DPI
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125 x 125
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62 KB
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300 DPI
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188 x 188
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139 KB
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400 DPI
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250 x 250
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246 KB
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3/4 Inch (19.05mm) Counters
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PPI
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File Dimensions
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File Size (1 Layer)
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200 DPI
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150 x 150
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90 KB
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300 DPI
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225 x 225
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200 KB
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400 DPI
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300 x 300
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353 KB
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Honestly, I would go to 400 x 400 (626 KB) or 500 x 500 (1 MB)
counter sizes; because we only need to make one copy of each counter
– we don't need to have 25 copies of Infantry 1-1 chits like
with a physical game.
Which would you rather have in a VASSAL game?
The smaller one (75x75) is perfectly adequate for current
(1920x1080) monitors, particularly at 100 PPI resolution, but will
become increasingly constrained as PPI inches upwards, and won't look
as good when “stack zoom” is used in VASSAL.