How it works

Everything you need to know to draw a sci-fi location plan, organize it by decks and export it to your virtual tabletop.

What it's for

The SF map editor is for drawing science-fiction location plans: ship decks, orbital stations, outposts, underground complexes, laboratories. The goal is simple: produce a clean map image, at the right scale, ready to drop in as a background in your virtual tabletop.

Everything happens in the browser. You don't need an account to get started: create a map, draw, export. Your maps are saved locally and remain yours.

Create a map

From <a href="/editeur-cartes-scifi/moi" class="text-accent hover:underline focus-ring rounded">My maps</a>, click New map. Give it a name, choose its dimensions in squares (width × height) and, if needed, a sub-grid.

The sub-grid (2×2 or 4×4) divides each square into sub-squares for placing symbols more precisely. It never appears in the VTT export: it's an editing aid, not part of the final map.

Draw rooms and connections

Draw rooms with the shape tools: rectangle, polygon, circle or freeform. The snap grid automatically aligns vertices to the grid for clean plans.

Link rooms together with the connection tool: a corridor drawn direct, at a right angle or curved, depending on the look you want. A customizable color palette lets you distinguish zones, sections or room types.

Multiple decks

A ship has several decks, a station several floors. Add a deck with the « ＋ » button in the tab bar. Each deck has its own plan: its rooms, its connections, its symbols.

Switch between decks via the tabs, and export each deck separately to drop it onto the matching scene in your virtual tabletop.

Symbols and notes

Place symbols on the plan from the library: airlocks, consoles, reactors, weaponry and more. They snap to the grid (or the sub-grid) for precise placement.

Each room can hold free notes: description, occupants, secrets. They stay on the GM's side: they help you prepare the scene and are not embedded in the exported image.

Export to a VTT

Click Export in the toolbar, choose the format (PNG, JPEG or WebP) and the square size suited to your table:

50 px per square — Fantasy Grounds
70 px per square — Roll20
100 px per square — Foundry, D&D Beyond
140 px per square — high-density Owlbear

Import the generated image as a map background in your VTT, then set the grid to the same square size: the rooms land exactly on the squares.

Saving and subscription

By default, your maps are saved locally in your browser, with no account and nothing sent to a server. They stay available on this device and this browser.

<a href="/editeur-cartes-scifi/abonnement" class="text-accent hover:underline focus-ring rounded">Patreon supporters</a> unlock cloud save (maps synced across devices), watermark-free export, deeper undo history and the advanced symbol library.

Frequently asked questions

The core of the editor is free and usable without signing up: drawing rooms, connections, polygons, circles, zones, symbols, per-deck layers and image export. Some advanced features (cloud save, watermark-free export, Pro symbols and extended history) are reserved for Patreon supporters.

Yes. The maps you create belong to you. JDR Ninja claims no rights over your creations. You can use them in play, share them or sell them without restriction.

Click Export in the editor toolbar. Choose the format (PNG, JPEG or WebP) and the square size suited to your VTT: 50 px for Fantasy Grounds, 70 px for Roll20, 100 px for Foundry and D&D Beyond, 140 px for high-density Owlbear. Then import the generated image as a map background in your VTT and set the grid to the same size.

Yes. Click « ＋ » in the tab bar to add another deck. Each deck has its own plan, its own rooms and connections. You can switch between decks at any time and export each deck separately.

By default, your maps are stored in the browser (localStorage), with nothing sent to a server. Patreon Pro supporters can enable cloud save to sync their maps across devices.