Help - Component System

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Component System

Catalog and manage all the physical pieces of your board game

On This Page

→ Component Types → Creating Components → Managing Components → Playtest Settings → Cost Calculation → The Game Crafter Integration

Component Types

Cards

Playing cards, reference cards, and other card-based components organized into decks.

Key Properties:

  • Deck Name: Groups cards together (e.g., "Action Cards")
  • Front/Back Images: Card face and shared back design
  • Quantity: Number of copies
  • Size: Standard sizes (Poker, Tarot, Mini, Euro)
  • Orientation: Vertical or horizontal

Tip: Use same deck name to group related cards. Back image applies to all cards in deck.

Tokens

Small game pieces for resources, markers, or status indicators.

Key Properties:

  • Shape: Circle, Square, Rectangle, Hex (Pointy Top), Hex (Flat Top)
  • Color: Physical or printing color
  • Size: Dimensions (e.g., "1 inch circle")
  • Image: Optional custom token face
  • Material: Wood, plastic, cardboard

Common uses: Resource markers, victory points, status indicators, turn markers

Dice

Random number generators with standard or custom faces.

Types:

Standard Dice

d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20 with standard numbering

Custom Dice

Upload unique images for each face (perfect for action dice, symbol dice)

Example: Create a d6 with custom faces for Move, Attack, Defend, Special, Wild, Double actions

Boards

Game boards, player mats, reference cards, or any flat playing surface.

Key Properties:

  • Size: Dimensions (e.g., "20x20 inches", "11x17")
  • Image: Board layout visualization
  • Description: Board features and zones
  • Material: Cardboard, neoprene, etc.

Uses: Main game board, player mats, faction boards, score tracks, reference cards

Rulebooks

Multi-page instruction manuals with individual pages grouped by book name.

Features:

  • Each page is a separate component entry
  • Automatic page numbering
  • Pages can be individually named
  • Preview as booklet in playtest rooms
  • Navigate with arrow buttons

Example: Create "Core Rulebook" with Cover, Setup, Turn Sequence, Actions, Scoring, FAQ pages

Other Components

Catch-all for unique game pieces that don't fit other categories.

Common Examples:

  • Wooden meeples
  • Miniatures
  • Card sleeves
  • Storage bags
  • Game box
  • Dividers
  • Score pads
  • Packaging items

Creating Components

Step-by-Step: Creating a Card Deck

  1. Navigate to Components

    Open your project → Click "Components" tab → Click "+ Add Component"

  2. Select "Card" Type

    From the component type dropdown

  3. Fill in Details

    • Name: "Treasure Hunter"

    • Deck Name: "Action Cards"

    • Quantity: 3

    • Size: "Poker (2.5 x 3.5)"

  4. Add Images

    Paste URLs for front and back images. Preview appears below.

  5. Set Playtest Settings

    (Optional) Adjust scale, orientation, color tint

  6. Click "Add Component"
  7. Repeat for Each Unique Card

    Use same Deck Name to group them together

Step-by-Step: Creating Custom Dice

  1. Select "Dice" Type
  2. Choose Die Size

    Select d6, d8, d20, etc.

  3. Select "Custom" Style

    This reveals face image inputs

  4. Name Your Die

    Example: "Resource Die"

  5. Upload Face Images

    For d6: upload 6 images (one per face). Can leave blank for blank faces.

  6. Set Quantity

    How many dice you need

  7. Click "Add Component"

Step-by-Step: Creating a Rulebook

  1. Select "Rulebook" Type
  2. Name Your Book

    Example: "Quick Start Guide"

  3. Set Size

    Letter (8.5 x 11), A5, etc.

  4. Add Pages

    • Page 1: Cover (with cover image URL)

    • Click "+ Add Page"

    • Page 2: Setup (with setup instructions image)

    • Continue adding pages...

  5. Click "Add Component"

    Creates multiple component entries (one per page) grouped by book name

Managing Components

Viewing Components

Component Index: Organized by type and deck with statistics dashboard showing totals and manufacturing costs

Deck View: Click deck to expand and see all cards, back design, and card count

Book View: Click book to expand and see all pages with page count and cover image

Editing Components

  1. Click the "Edit" button on any component
  2. Modify any properties (name, quantity, images, playtest settings, etc.)
  3. Click "Update Component"
  4. Changes reflect immediately in component list, active playtest rooms, and cost calculations

Deleting Components

  1. Click the "Delete" button
  2. Confirm deletion
  3. Component is permanently removed (cannot be undone)

Note: Deleting a card removes only that specific card entry, not the entire deck

Playtest Settings

Components have special properties for the realtime playtest system:

Scale (X/Y/Z)

  • What it does: Adjusts component size on the virtual tabletop
  • Range: 0.1 to 10.0 (default: 1.0)
  • X: Width scaling
  • Y: Height scaling
  • Z: Depth scaling (for 3D representation)

Examples: Make tokens smaller (0.5), boards larger (2.0), adjust for realistic proportions

Color Tint

  • What it does: Applies a color overlay to component
  • Format: Hex color code (#RRGGBB)
  • Use cases: Color-code card types, distinguish token types, add visual variety

Default Orientation

  • Options: Vertical or Horizontal
  • What it does: Sets starting rotation on table
  • Typical uses: Cards vertical, panoramic cards horizontal, player mats horizontal

Live Adjustment

While in a playtest room, you can adjust these settings and save changes back to the component. Makes it easy to find the perfect size and appearance!

Cost Calculation

The component system automatically calculates manufacturing costs for budgeting and planning.

How It Works

  • Per-Component: Set "Cost Per Unit" for each component
  • Automatic Calculation: System multiplies cost by quantity
  • Project Total: Sum of all component costs displayed on Components page

Example Breakdown

54 Poker Cards @ $0.12 each = $6.48

20 Wooden Tokens @ $0.35 each = $7.00

6 Custom Dice @ $1.50 each = $9.00

1 Game Board @ $8.00 = $8.00

1 Rulebook (8 pages) @ $2.00 = $2.00

Total Manufacturing Cost: $32.48

The Game Crafter Integration

The Game Crafter is a print-on-demand board game manufacturer. Link components to The Game Crafter products for automatic pricing and easy ordering.

Linking Components

  1. Browse The Game Crafter catalog (in app)
  2. Find the product matching your component
  3. Click to link - system stores The Game Crafter item ID
  4. Pricing automatically updates
  5. Repeat for all components

Benefits

  • Real-time pricing from The Game Crafter
  • Automatic quantity discount calculations
  • Export component list for ordering
  • Track order status

Note: Requires a free The Game Crafter account to use integration features

Tips & Best Practices

Organization

  • Use consistent naming conventions
  • Group related components with same deck/book names
  • Add descriptions to remember component purposes

Images

  • Use high-quality, publicly accessible URLs
  • Host on Imgur, Google Drive, or similar
  • Use consistent image sizes (300 DPI for print)
  • Test links - preview should appear

Playtesting

  • Set scales before first playtest (start with 1.0)
  • Use realistic quantities to test piece counts
  • Adjust during playtests and save changes

Cost Management

  • Price components early for budget planning
  • Use The Game Crafter pricing as baseline
  • Consider quantity breaks for production
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