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Chapter O: Overlays
This document describes the various ways in which overlays can be applied to a VASL board by users. There are currently three different methods:
- Using BoardPicker (the ‘traditional’ method).
- Using the Draggable Overlays buttons on the toolbar.
- Using the VASL Overlays Extension.
Each of these methods provides different functionality and results for the user and is described in detail below.
The BoardPicker window is accessed when adding a new board to an ASL Map, either from the Start a New Game option on the VASL File menu or when using the Pick New Boards for this Scenario option from the ASL drop down menu:
From the BoardPicker window, click on the Add Overlays button:
Using the Add Overlays dialog enter the necessary data.
For Overlay, use the identifier on the scenario card. When this is not available, use the two digit file identifier for the terrain type (see list) plus a number indicating the specific overlay to use: for generic terrain such as grain and brush it is usually an indicator of the size of the overlay in hexes; for specific terrain such as buildings it is a particular number. See note about Rice Paddy overlays under Special Notes.
For Hex 1 and Hex 2, use the information on the scenario card. Most overlays require both hexes to be provided but many single hex overlays only require one (there are exceptions where single hex overlays require both, usually in the case of buildings).
The Preserve Elevation option allows you to place a standard overlay on a hill or valley hex and have the underlying elevation of the board hex remain in effect. The green, level 0 Open Ground hex colour, on most overlays will be made transparent when using Preserve Board Elevation.
To remove an existing overlay, enter its name in the Overlay box and click Add with both Hex 1 and Hex2 empty.
After clicking Add, the ‘Enter blank hexes to delete’ will be replaced with text describing the success or failure of adding the overlay. If it is added, the Overlay will appear on the board image in the Boardpicker window.
After clicking OK on the BoardPicker window, any overlays added will appear on the map image int the Map window.
Once placed BoardPicker overlays cannot be selected on the map, nor moved or rotated in any way. They can only be removed and a new overlay placed. Almost all BoardPicker overlays will work with the LOS engine and will impact the LOS Check results. They will remain visible during LOS Checks.
All overlays accessible via BoardPicker depict terrain features are adjust the visual appearance of the map and adjust LOS Results as per the rules for the depicted terrain.
To be accessible via BoardPicker, the overlays must first be downloaded from VASL.info (at https://vasl.info/overlays.htm) and then extracted from the downloaded zip file into a directory/folder named ‘Overlays’ which must be a sub- directory/folder under the boards directory.
When playing an opponent online, both players must have the overlays installed on their devices in order to see them.
There are two Draggable Overlay buttons on the toolbar, one for overlays for standard maps; the second for Deluxe board overlays. Both function in exactly the same way.
The button with the Orchard image is for standard maps; the other is for Deluxe overlays.
Clicking on either button will open a window with a series of tabs across the top. Each tab contains a different set of overlays. Some tabs contain multiple panels accessed from a side panel on the right-hand side. If no side panel is visible, pull from the right-side border to see if one exists.
To add a Draggable Overlay to a map, left-click and drag an image from the window and release it at the desired location on the map.
To remove a draggable overlay, use the right-click menu or the CTRL-D hotkey on the selected item.
The right-click menu will display all the functionality available to the overlay and the associated hotkeys.
Once placed on the map, Draggable Overlays can be selected with left-click and moved around the map. Some may be able to be rotated or otherwise altered, using the right-click menu or hotkeys.
Most of the standard draggable overlays will now work with the LOS engine and may or may not stay visible during a LOS Checking depending on whether they impact the LOS.
Draggable Overlays depict both terrain features and other play aids (such as OBA zone-of-effect). Most of the terrain Draggable Overlays are one hex in size.
Draggable Overlays are an inherent part of VASL and no installation or setup is required.
The VASL Overlays Extension, once downloaded and installed, is accessible via an Overlays button on the toolbar:
Clicking the button will open a window displaying key instructions and a list of available overlays on the right hand side. Clicking on one of the terrain types will open a list of the available overlays and will display the currently selected overlay.
The visible overlay can then be selected and dragged onto the map. It will first appear on the map in a reduced size and must be re-sized (via right-click menu or hotkey). It can then be moved into its preferred position and, in most cases, rotated as required. Depending on the terrain type, other functionality is available via the right-click menu or hotkeys.
To remove an overlay, use the right-click menu or the CTRL-D hotkey on the selected item.
At present, none of the overlays in the VASL Overlays extension work with the LOS Engine and will not stay visible during a LOS Check nor have any impact on the results of such a check.
In the case of overlays added via the BoardPicker method and overlays added from the VASL Overlays Extension, both the BoardPicker and Overlays Extension overlays match the physical overlays released in ASL products [EXC: there are some custom overlays in each of these methods]. They are not necessarily a complete match however, and both options are missing overlays. It should not be assumed that an overlay available in one method is available in the other.
To be available to players, the VASL Overlays Extension must be downloaded from VASL.info (at https://vasl.info/extensions.htm) and then installed by adding them to an extensions directory. This directory must be set in VASL Preferences by clicking File then Preferences and using Select to set the Extensions directory.
Every extension in the Extensions directory will be loaded by VASSAL when the VASL module is opened. A list of such extensions is displayed in the Chat Window at that time.
All three methods can be used at the same time to add transformations to a VASL map. There is no conflict between them although each has different functionality and effects.
More importantly, each acts independently of the other. An overlay added via BoardPicker will not be visible to a player who only has the VASL Overlays Extension installed, and vice versa. For the BoardPicker and VASL Overlays Extension overlays to work both players must have them installed.
New Rice Paddy Overlays have been added to two of the BoardPicker overlay files. These new files will download automatically if players have a previous version installed.
The first file is ovr3 which contains a very large Rice Paddy overlay matching the ASL overlay numbered ‘3’. The original image is still available and can be added by using ‘3’ as the overlay name in BoardPicker. In addition, new versions of overlay are available in this file, all of which now work with LOS, and are available to distinguish between Drained, Irrigated, and In Season Rice Paddies.
To use the Drained image, use ‘31’ as the overlay name. For the Irrigated image, use ‘32’. And for the In-Season image use ‘33’.
The second file is ovrRP which contains generic Rice Paddy images of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 hex sizes. The original images are still available and can be added as currently by using ‘rp’ + number as the overlay name in BoardPicker. In addition, new versions of these overlays are available in this file to distinguish between Drained, Irrigated, and In Season Rice Paddies. The In Season overlays will work with LOS.
To use the Drained image use ‘rp’ + number + (1 for Drained, 2 for Irrigated, or 3 for In Season). Thus, rp23 will display a 2-hex In Season rice paddy overlay, while rp42 will display a 4-hex Irrigated rice paddy overlay.
Additionally, the large Rice Paddy overlays in ovr3 have been added to the ovrRP file and can be accessed by using 104 as the first number in the above formula. So rp1042 will display the Irrigated version of the large overlay and rp1043 will display the In Season version.
The images used in the new BoardPicker rice paddy overlays match those currently available in the VASL Overlays extension.