The Dice Roller effect turns a screen into a set of animated dice you can roll manually or on a timer, with presets tuned to real games and a running total. It replaces physical dice for a video call, a classroom demo, or a big screen at a party where everyone needs to see the same roll.
Before you start
- A screen everyone can see, if you're replacing physical dice for a group — a shared monitor, TV, or projector beats passing a laptop around.
- A rolling method decided ahead of time. Game Presets lock several controls to match the real game; hand-picking dice type, dice count, or Auto Roll yourself needs Custom mode. Decide this before you sit down to avoid fighting the interface mid-game.
Set it up
- Open the Dice Roller effect and select the Advanced tab in the controls panel.
- Choose a Game Preset — Standard (2d6), Yahtzee, D&D Standard, and 16 others, grouped by category. Each one sets Dice Type, Number of Dice, and Auto Roll to match that game.
- To hand-pick dice type or count, set Game Preset to Custom first. Under any other preset, Number of Dice and Auto Roll are greyed out, and the Dice Type dropdown isn't shown at all — it only appears once you select Custom.
- With Custom selected, pick Dice Type and drag Number of Dice (1–12).
- Turn Auto Roll on and set Auto Roll Interval (2–20 seconds) for continuous rolling, or leave it off and use the on-screen Roll button — labeled with the current dice type, like Roll D20 — for one roll at a time.
- Turn Show Total and Show Roll History on or off for a running sum and a log of recent rolls.
- Select Go Fullscreen so the group can see the dice clearly.
You'll know it worked when the dice update — either after you select the Roll button or automatically at your Auto Roll Interval — and the Total badge in the top-right corner changes to match the new roll. With Auto Roll on, a countdown ring and a "Next roll in Ns" readout sit in the top-left between rolls, so you can see the timer running even when the dice are still.
What each control does
| Control | Range | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Brightness | 10–100 | Overall output of the screen behind the dice. |
| Color | swatch | Background color behind the dice, defaulting to dark navy. |
| Game Preset | 19 presets, plus Custom | Sets Dice Type, Number of Dice, and Auto Roll to match a game in one step, and locks those three controls to its values. |
| Dice Type | d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, Fudge | Which die is rolled. Fudge dice show -1, 0, or +1. Shown only while Game Preset is Custom — under any other preset the control is hidden, not greyed out. |
| Number of Dice | 1–12 | How many dice roll together. Greyed out unless Game Preset is Custom. |
| Auto Roll | on/off | Rolls automatically on a timer, or waits for the manual Roll button. Greyed out unless Game Preset is Custom. |
| Auto Roll Interval | 2–20 seconds | How often an automatic roll fires. Editable only while Auto Roll is on. |
| Dice Size | 30–120px | Size of each die — raise it for a screen viewed from across a room. |
| Show Total | on/off | Shows or hides the Total badge with the current roll's sum. |
| Show Roll History | on/off | Shows or hides the last 10 rolls at the bottom, with a Clear button. |
| Display Mode | Auto, Numbers Only, Dots Only | Dot faces exist only for d6 — every other dice type always shows numbers regardless of this setting. |
| 3D Mode | on/off | Gives each die a raised, beveled look instead of a flat one. |
| Color Scheme | 7 preset pairs, plus Custom Colors | Sets Dice Color and Text/Dot Color together. Custom Colors opens pickers for both, plus an optional thicker border. |
Common setups
- D&D d20 checks. Game Preset D&D Standard (1d20, Auto Roll off). Use the Roll D20 button for each check, or switch to Custom and set Dice Type to d20 if you want Auto Roll available too.
- Yahtzee night. Game Preset Yahtzee (5d6, Auto Roll off). Turn on Show Total to add up pips fast, and Show Roll History so nobody has to remember what the last roll was.
- Classroom probability lesson. Game Preset Custom, Dice Type d6, Number of Dice 2, Auto Roll on with Auto Roll Interval around 5–8 seconds, Show Total and Show Roll History both on so students can tally sums as they land.
- Party or raffle draw on a big screen. Game Preset Standard (2d6), which starts with Auto Roll already on, or Custom with a longer Auto Roll Interval (15–20s). Raise Dice Size to 100–120 and turn on 3D Mode for visibility from across a room.
Troubleshooting
Number of Dice and Auto Roll won't move, no matter what I do. A named Game Preset is selected, and both lock to that preset's values so it stays accurate to the real game. Set Game Preset to Custom and they become editable immediately, keeping whatever values the preset last set.
There's no Dice Type control in the panel at all. It isn't greyed out — it's hidden. The Dice Type dropdown only renders while Game Preset is set to Custom, so under Yahtzee, D&D Standard, or any other named preset it's absent from the panel entirely. Select Custom and it appears between Game Preset and Number of Dice.
Auto Roll Interval is greyed out. It only accepts input while Auto Roll is on. Turn Auto Roll on first — if the switch itself won't toggle, Game Preset isn't set to Custom (see above).
I set Display Mode to Dots Only but still see numbers. Dot faces only exist for six-sided dice. Any other Dice Type falls back to numbers no matter what Display Mode is set to. Switch Dice Type to d6, or accept numbers for other dice.
My Dice Color and Text/Dot Color picks disappear. The custom color pickers only take effect while Color Scheme is set to Custom Colors. Picking any of the other 7 schemes overwrites both colors with that scheme's own pair right away — set Color Scheme back to Custom Colors after picking your own, and leave it there.
Roll totals and history are gone after I reloaded the page. Roll History and every Dice Roller setting live only in that page load's memory; nothing here is saved to your browser. Screenshot or write down a total you need to keep before reloading or closing the tab.
Next steps
For another game-night tool with its own presets and history, try Bingo Caller. To post the winning roll or scores where everyone can read them, add LED Banner on a second screen.