Utility - Character Importer

[NJCommanderX]

Thanks JKensai, at least I know it isn't just me.

Any updates JPG? I know you guys are busy with the NEW version of FG, so can appreciate if you haven't been able to swat this bug yet.

Thanks!

[JKensai]

So, I found mysefl with some debugging time and discovered something interesting. The very same char that I couldn't load with into FG Char Converter did load with PFRPG Creature Parser V1.0.0.15 and could be opened into the campaign and seemed to work ok although I noticed the attack block was munged up:

<atk http://<font color="#990000">tk</fon...g</b></font>">Kama +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Kama +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Nunchaku +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Nunchaku +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Quarterstaff +0 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Temple Sword +0 (1d6-1/19-20/x2) and Unarmed Strike +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) or Shuriken +4 ranged (1-1/20/x2)</atk>

... with the effect being that the entity had only two attack types. One big crazy one
Kama +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Kama +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Nunchaku +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Nunchaku +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Quarterstaff +0 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Temple Sword +0 (1d6-1/19-20/x2)

and

Shuriken +4 ranged (1-1/20/x2)

I don't know enough about what the FG2 schema is supposed to be for this but I tried changing all the "and" to "or" in the db.xml for the mod in case FG parsed this but that didn't seem to change anything. I guess I might need to reload the creature or something; I will play around with that.

Anyway, the important point here is that it seems that there's at least a path into FG2 for these non loading pathfinder chars but I still would like to get this char in as a PC somehow if possible using the converter.

thanks for any help

[Trenloe]

The very same char that I couldn't load with into FG Char Converter did load with PFRPG Creature Parser V1.0.0.15 and could be opened into the campaign and seemed to work ok although I noticed the attack block was munged up:

<atk http://<font color="#990000">tk</fon...g</b></font>">Kama +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Kama +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Nunchaku +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Nunchaku +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Quarterstaff +0 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Temple Sword +0 (1d6-1/19-20/x2) and Unarmed Strike +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) or Shuriken +4 ranged (1-1/20/x2)</atk>

Have a look at the text stat block exported from HeroLab - it sounds like HeroLab is adding multiple melee attack lines into the statblock.

Anyway, the important point here is that it seems that there's at least a path into FG2 for these non loading pathfinder chars but I still would like to get this char in as a PC somehow if possible using the converter.

The Fantasy Grounds DB entries for PCs and NPCs are quite different, so I'm not surprised that exporting the PC as an NPC text statblock and then importing as an NPC works when there are issues with the Fantasy Grounds xml output and using the Character Importer. Of course, this doesn't help you get your PC into FG.

[JKensai]

Have a look at the text stat block exported from HeroLab - it sounds like HeroLab is adding multiple melee attack lines into the statblock.


The Fantasy Grounds DB entries for PCs and NPCs are quite different, so I'm not surprised that exporting the PC as an NPC text statblock and then importing as an NPC works when there are issues with the Fantasy Grounds xml output and using the Character Importer. Of course, this doesn't help you get your PC into FG.

thanks Trenloe. that does appear to be the case... here's what the section looks like from herolabs statblock

Melee Kama +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and
Kama +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and
Nunchaku +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and
Nunchaku +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and
Quarterstaff +0 (1d4-1/20/x2) and
Temple Sword +0 (1d6-1/19-20/x2) and
Unarmed Strike +4 (1d4-1/20/x2)
Ranged Shuriken +4 (1-1/20/x2)
Special Attacks Flurry of Blows -1/-1

which ends up as

<atk type="string">Kama +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Kama +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Nunchaku +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Nunchaku +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Quarterstaff +0 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Temple Sword +0 (1d6-1/19-20/x2) and Unarmed Strike +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) or Shuriken +4 ranged (1-1/20/x2)</atk><fullatk type="string">Kama +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Kama +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Nunchaku +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Nunchaku +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Quarterstaff +0 (1d4-1/20/x2) and Temple Sword +0 (1d6-1/19-20/x2) and Unarmed Strike +4 (1d4-1/20/x2) or Shuriken +4 ranged (1-1/20/x2)</fullatk><spacereach type="string">5ft./5ft.</spacereach><specialattacks type="string">Flurry of Blows -1/-1</specialattacks>

when PFRPG Creature Parser V1.0.0.15 is through with it. I guess these should all be one line each?? Like this:
<atk type="string">Kama +4 (1d4-1/20/x2)</atk>
<atk type="string">Nunchaku +4 (1d4-1/20/x2)</atk>
etc.

...or something like that? I may play around with changing the xml but I suspect this won't do much as there's a binary file for the mod it seems that was created by the creature parser and I'm guessing this is what FG2 is reading. I'm not sure how the author of the utility is creating this file.

You mentioned that PC and NPC are quite different, is there a schema for these available somewhere? It would be fun to try and write a parser for this to import from HL to FG2.

thanks

[JKensai]

hey, I noticed a post elsewhere on the board that the mod file is really a zipfile sooo... I opened it up with 7-zip changed all the "and"s to "or"s in the attack block in the db.xml in the mod and wham it worked!

Now, what I really want to do is to import a PC but for that I think I'm going to have to figure out what the schema is (or find it on the site, still new to this place). If someone know please kindly point me in the right direction

thanks!

[Trenloe]

when PFRPG Creature Parser V1.0.0.15 is through with it. I guess these should all be one line each?? Like this:
<atk type="string">Kama +4 (1d4-1/20/x2)</atk>
<atk type="string">Nunchaku +4 (1d4-1/20/x2)</atk>
etc.

There are only 2 entries in the NPC sheet in FG (open any creature/NPC XML in a text editor to check) - attack and full attack. Therefore, there is only 1 <atk> entry with all available attacks in it (but each attack should be separated by "or" as this is the single attack entry and only 1 attack can be made with a standard action) and another <fullatk> that should have the melee entries combined with "and" so that a full attack action can do all attacks (e.g. 2 x claws AND bite).

I may play around with changing the xml but I suspect this won't do much as there's a binary file for the mod it seems that was created by the creature parser and I'm guessing this is what FG2 is reading. I'm not sure how the author of the utility is creating this file.

Well, I'm pretty sure I know how it's being created, as I'm the author!

It isn't a binary file, it is a zipped db.xml (and associated files) as all FG .mod (and .ext) files are. Change the extension from .mod to .zip and you can open it up and have a look. You can also see the resulting db.xml and definition.xml that go to make this .mod file in a directory in the same location as the text file you read into the parser.

However, to get back to your original issue/question - you need to change the statblock textfile that is exported from HeroLab to have only the attacks you are interested in. The input to the parser has to be a correct statblock - otherwise how does the parser know that the input data is wrong and that it has to make corrections? It doesn't, and can't - as it would probably break more than it tries to fix. The old addage applies here - "garbage in equals garbage out". Make changes to the statblock and make sure this is correct and then reparse with the creature parser.

You mentioned that PC and NPC are quite different, is there a schema for these available somewhere?

I don't think there's anything around that details it fully. The way I extracted it for the NPC/Creature parser was to examine a few creature records from the Pathfinder Essentials bestiary module included with the 3.5E ruleset - as mentioned above, change the .mod to .zip and you can view the db.xml with all the entries. For PC's look in the db.xml file for a campaign with some PCs present.

It would be fun to try and write a parser for this to import from HL to FG2.

Fun to write a parser to parse what exactly? We have the HL creature statblock (and statblocks from PDF scenarios etc.) to creature (NPC) parser (which I wrote) and the character importer with imports PCs from HeroLab. So, I don't think there's anything left to write a parser for?

P.S. Sorry to everyone for hijacking the character importer thread with questions about the creature importer. Although, they are slightly related (ish).

[Trenloe]

hey, I noticed a post elsewhere on the board that the mod file is really a zipfile sooo... I opened it up with 7-zip changed all the "and"s to "or"s in the attack block in the db.xml in the mod and wham it worked!

Now, what I really want to do is to import a PC but for that I think I'm going to have to figure out what the schema is (or find it on the site, still new to this place). If someone know please kindly point me in the right direction

thanks!

I was writing a long reply while you were posting this obviously...

As mentioned before - for importing creatures/NPCs from statblocks don't go down the route of editing the db.xml file after you've ran the creature importer, just make sure the statblock is right to start with - much easier, and you can save the statblock text file for later use when the creature importer is updated (like when I add NPC spell links when 2.9 is released).

For importing PCs, use the character importer utility that is what this thread is all about!

[JKensai]

I was writing a long reply while you were posting this obviously...

As mentioned before - for importing creatures/NPCs from statblocks don't go down the route of editing the db.xml file after you've ran the creature importer, just make sure the statblock is right to start with - much easier, and you can save the statblock text file for later use when the creature importer is updated (like when I add NPC spell links when 2.9 is released).

For importing PCs, use the character importer utility that is what this thread is all about!

Thank you again Trenloe for all the detail and info... and lol I had no idea you'd written the Creature Importer (thank you for that as well!) And btw I should have read the readme details

And sorry everyone for dragging this a little offtopic (sort of), my initial intent was to help debug the Character Importer which fails to load the very same char that the Creater Parser can load. I now realize that this doesn't mean much since the schemas are different.

As for writing yet another parser, I learn best by doing so I was wanting to try my hand at importing PCs into FG2 since for some reason moon_wizard's char utility doesn't work on many of the PCs I'm working with at the moment. It's my hope that in trying to build a parser, I might be able to figure out why the current char utility doesn't work (yet).

I'm also wondering if there's a way to roundtrip characters (e.g from HL to FG2 to HL and back again). In other words keep FG2 resources and their HL counterparts in sync.

And mostly I want to play in FG!

[Trenloe]

Hi!

I ran into an error the other day while trying to complete a convert/campaign load for a 1st level Pathfinder hafling Monk character.

Here is the output:
Conversion Start
Version: 2.8.1.K
Game System: PFRPG
Ruleset: 3.5E
Source Format: Hero Lab (.hlfg)
.Path: C:\Users\Pete\Documents\Hero Lab\portfolios\Shiafu.hlfg
Output to Xml: false
Import to Local Character List: false
Import to Campaign: true
Pathfinder Main Campaign.Path: C:\Users\Pete\AppData\Roaming\Fantasy Grounds II\campaigns\Pathfinder Main Campaign\db.xml
Replace existing character: false
Using module manager: true
.Module: 3.5E-basicrules.mod
.Module: 3.5E-magicitems.mod
.Module: 3.5E-spells.mod
.Module: PF-SRD-Basic-Rules.mod
.Module: PF-SRD-Spells.mod
Using local xslt: false
----Conversion Results----
Could not convert Shifu: StartIndex cannot be less than zero.
Parameter name: startIndex
--------------------------------------------------------------




Help?

Check your weapons - if you have shuriken with a damage of "1-1" remove them - it is probably this that is causing your issue.

[Trenloe]

Hi there – I’m wondering if you can help me with a strange error I’m receiving when running this utility to import chars into FG from Herolabs.

I’m running 2.8.1.K of FG-Char-Converter against an Unlimited license of FG2 with all of the latest patches. I create two 3.5E characters in HL with latest patches (por files attached, joe is created from scratch and kord is a stock hero from herolabs). The hlfg file for Joe loads into the stock campaign (“A Tale of Dinor”) with no problem but kord doesn’t load. The utility shows this result:

Conversion Start
Version: 2.8.1.K
Game System: 3.5E
Ruleset: 3.5E
Source Format: Hero Lab (.hlfg)
.Path: C:\Users\Public\Documents\_install\fg\Kord.hlfg
Output to Xml: false
Import to Local Character List: false
Import to Campaign: true
A Tale of Dinor.Path: C:\Users\Jim\AppData\Roaming\Fantasy Grounds II\campaigns\A Tale of Dinor\db.xml
Replace existing character: false
Using module manager: true
.Module: 3.5E-basicrules.mod
.Module: 3.5E-magicitems.mod
.Module: 3.5E-spells.mod
.Module: PF-SRD-Basic-Rules.mod
.Module: PF-SRD-Spells.mod
Using local xslt: false
----Conversion Results----
Could not convert Kord: StartIndex cannot be less than zero.
Parameter name: startIndex

Any help on sorting out what might be happening here is appreciated. Happy to debug as needed (I’m a skilled dev and learning Lua as we speak). Interestingly, other characters created from scratch, eg. for pathfinder, also fail to load with the same startindex error. I can provide these files too but I thought we could get sorted out on this conversion problem first (in case it’s helpful, the attached shifu por and hlfg file is one example of a pathfinder char that also won’t load with the same error).

All the files I mentioned are zipped into one attachment for your convenience.

thanks for your help!

The entry for "Flurry of Blows" doesn't have any damage listed, I think it might be this that is causing the issue.