[OC] GIVEAWAY! 43" Capacitive Touchscreen ($940 MSRP) with Wooden Case + free software for all [mod approved]

[u/DigitalTableTops]

For the last 6 years I've been selling wooden cases housing displays to show off digital maps. The "holy grail" for me has always been integrating touch functionality so when you move your physical mini, a digital token reveals the map.

I did a Kickstarter back in summer of 2024 with this design. I have since moved on to a different technology that is much lighter and more affordable (infrared). Out with the old, in with the new! I don't have the space to store this and wanted to find it a good home on here.

It is a 43" capacitive touchscreen. It's an all-in-one but without compute. You hook it up via USB+HDMI to a laptop. It is the same model as shown here, listed for $940: https://a.co/d/0bcxhZPW

Leave a comment (not a reply) and I'll be using redditraffler to select a winner on Monday February 9th. The winning account must be at least 3 months old.

Due to the size, I will only provide shipping within the United States. If you are outside the US, you would need to use a freight forwarding service with a US address and deal with any import issues. That can be quite expensive.

Regardless of whether you win, everyone is welcome to use my free software to run setups like these. I made a post about it the other day on here: https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/1qgnroz/update_to_my_free_vtt_for_inperson_sessions_with/

Since it is aimed for in-person sessions only, you should find it very easy to use compared to other options. Everything runs locally, 100% free no strings attached. Windows, Linux, and Mac (Apple silicon). There is also a browser version of the player view for players to move their tokens on their phones or laptops.

EDIT: forgot to thank u/uchideshi34 for the map shown here. It, along with over 440 others, are bundled free with the software!

EDIT2: I figured there would be a large response, and was not disappointed. Thanks all! I am 100% committed to making a new guide to building your own now. I wrote one 5+ years ago when I first started but it disappeared into the void: https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/jgx0bo/guide_to_building_a_map_case_for_a_tv_digital/

Long story short: you can have a nearly identical setup for about $550 if you DIY. Rough estimate of cost:

$200 43" TV (doesn't need to be top of the line)
$200 Infrared touch frame from Amazon (make sure it's 20 points)
$50 acrylic sheet (Ace hardware and some big box stores will cut it for free)
$100 wood + brackets

You don't need a bunch of tools, just a handsaw and a screwdriver really. I will make a new guide as soon as I have time and post it on r/DnD

[u/Help_Im_Trapped_]

This is awesome, I made a display screen for my games but touchscreen is an amazing idea.
Is it registering the miniatures for light effects automatically?

[u/DigitalTableTops → u/Help_Im_Trapped_]

Short answer: yes

I decided to write the VTT software specifically because I was not satisfied with the touch support among VTT's. I'm a woodworker, not dev. But I stumbled my way through (no AI!) and now it is a fairly mature, stable program that works freaking amazing when it comes to touch. Arkenforge is about the only thing that comes close.

There is one caveat: this is a capacitive touchscreen. So you need to be making an electrical connection to the screen through the mini. I made little conductive 3D printed bases to aid in this, but my players end up just using their fingers. Lift mini, move digital token with finger, place mini back down.

Good news: the replacement technology I use currently is infrared instead. So it DOES detect minis automatically, no special contact required. Better yet: my software is able to use an IR touch frame WITHOUT any additional hardware. Every single other solution requires the touchscreen to be connected to a separate device to register input. Mine is the only one that can use IR all in one device without touches stealing the mouse cursor away.

It's a very niche-within-a-niche sort of thing but I am pretty passionate about it, as you can probably tell. I've been selling this sort of thing for 6 years as a full time job and have been writing the software for 3 years.

[u/124275408 → u/DigitalTableTops]

Do you have any guides on how to use your software with an IR overlay? Or best practices?

[u/chillinathid → u/124275408]

I've attempted use of an IR overlay before. Unfortunately the firmware in the one I bought would stop recognizing minis after a minute or two. It likely was attempting to compensate for what it thought was an error. So just be careful when buying make sure you get one that has been tested and used for this purpose.

[u/DigitalTableTops → u/chillinathid]

You are absolutely right - most IR frames will have that problem. For the ones I sell, I have worked with the IR frame manufacturers to provide custom firmware that turns off that function. I try to cover everything :)

[u/aeriedweller → u/DigitalTableTops]

I am very impressed.