NPC Engineer

[damned]

yep it's a great tool and greatly speeds up entering third party NPC's , I can't believe you have had so few downloads

everytime a new version is uploaded the download count resets.
but spread the word so that more people know about it.

[Maasq]

quick question if i have clicked the parse button do I still need to click the add to project button as it appears from the arsing screen the Npc is being added to a database file

I'm not sure I understand the question, so I'll give it my best shot. Shout me (here or Discord) if I have got the question wrong!

The 'Parse' module loads up the npcs.json file and uses this to parse to a module. If the NPC hasn't been added to it (using 'add to project') there should be no way it can be parsed. There's a change in data structure that only happens when the 'add to project' button is pressed, so there's no chance of an accidental blurring of data or of a bug adding it.

However - and this might be what is happening - whenever you add an NPC using 'add to project', it is permanently a part of that project. You are right; it is held in the database file (npcs.json). So if you add the NPC on Tuesday, but don't parse until Friday, that NPC will still be part of the parse. This is to allow people to work on a big project 'bit-by-bit'.

Does this answer your query?

Maasq

[hawkwind]

I have been pressing parsing button before pressing the Add to Project " Button

[Maasq]

Hey Hawkwind.

I just tested in case I'd done something by accident, and thankfully not. There is no way for a creature to be parsed until it has been added to a project. The converse is that if a creature is parsing, then you have added it to the project some time in the past.

When I add a creature, my order of button pushes is: Save NPC, Add to Project, Parse. I don't need to save the NPC first, but I like to have them around for testing purposes.

Maasq

[hawkwind]

ok for my next question......

I have parsed all the monsters in a pdf and created a mod file. I have then created a new campaign within 5e entered all the story and maps etc from the pdf and linked in all monsters/npc's and then pleased with my work exported it all as a new mod file. I open the mod file on another PC with FG installed on and the npc's are not there so my question is there away of merging the two mod files without do a lot of cut and pasting between the two db.xml files , you use to until quite recently, be able to open the monster mod in FG , drag the npc to the npc page and it would be stored in the resulting exported mod.

Could you parse from NPC engineer into a already existing mod?

[damned]

Hi hawkwind - from your description you didnt do what you used to do - eg you didnt drag the npcs into the npc tab and then use those for your encounters etc.

[hawkwind]

yep I worked that out later and ammended my post but forgot to press save apparently

[Laerun]

I am still very interested in inviting you and your current project to FGC to show this off.

[Maasq]

Hey folks

Hawkwind - I plan to build in that very functionality at some point, but I am working on a different addition at the moment. I am a little wary of it though, as it could easily render a module unreadable. It may be that there are too many variables to safely offer that as an option.

Laerun - still happy to take part

I'm currently working on a better edit box for the 'description' tab. this will negate the need for a pop-up window, so make it faster and more intuitive. More importantly, it will allow you to apply headings, bold, italic, etc and see how it looks. This is a monster piece of work in the language I use, so it'll take me a couple of weeks of tinkering with XML/RTF/plain text to make it work. Fingers crossed though - if I get it right it means my next module will be something reference manual related.

Maasq

[Laerun]

Sounds great, looking forward to hearing from you again. I was looking into having lunch party and demo you on in the third week of November...?