Fantasy Grounds 5E db.xml character cycler OBS widget

[shadzar]

Now this is in alpha stages prototype, end design is still in the works, but a simple HTML widget that can be used in OBS, or in any browser that will read the db.xml file in the same directory of it and give stats on the characters in cycling "cards". for OBS for streaming it means i will give the characters on screen for people to always have the data provided directly from your FG campaign files itself, with no work except for placing the file int he campaign folder and load it into an OBS BrowserSource.

Workshop seemed the only place to put this since it does interact directly with FG files and must be present in the "campaigns/XXX/" folder to operate.

EDIT (2018-11-19):
It seems many people misunderstand the purpose of this widget and think it will be something else similar to another existing "device". So here is a preview from the Instruction Manual to set things straight, so people who don't watch streams will understand why this was created in the first place. For those that do watch streamed games of RPGs, you will understand this matches what 60% or more of streams have and what this tries to achieve.

Like Fantasy Grounds, nowhere does this state everything will be always fully automated. It is a tool with the purpose of replacing having to update images of character stats between streams. It gets the newest info one time when the stream begins and then displays that for the duration of the entire stream. Next stream it loads the newest data at that time. It isn't a health bar that updates every action during play for every character.

Those automatic health bars... They are already built into the FG Combat Tracker.

So how big an interest is there for this to be developed further? Is there a use outside of OBS and streaming for this sort of thing?

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/245191910

EDIT: video 2 https://www.twitch.tv/videos/245579674

less ugly, more pretty was requested so... maybe this is better? https://www.twitch.tv/videos/245671445

now with transparent background to allow overlays to show through https://www.twitch.tv/videos/246104556

upside-down dead https://www.twitch.tv/videos/328897115

social media icons https://www.twitch.tv/videos/334427956

Suggestions made: (quickly feasible ones) *added
*Social media handles

• Discord
• Patreon
• Twitch
• Twitter
• YouTube

*inverted character image for unconscious characters
*static display BRB scene showing all characters in smaller cards. (new project Coming Soon™)

Suggestions that will not exist:
*Automatic reload. (see full video description https://www.twitch.tv/videos/337953150)

[LordEntrails]

Interesting, but I would think it might be better to just have a character health bar on each streamers portrait (for their character). You might include a star for inspiration and maybe effect icons, but that might be tough. (I think full stats are too much info, takes up way to much screen space. And viewers would probably want to be able to glance at the health of the PC's at any given time (though maybe they just view the CT?)

[Oberoten]

This is certainly interesting. Could and should be a good addition if we go the streaming route someday.

- Obe

[shadzar]

if inspiration is tracked in the db.xml then it would be possible, and you would be surprised how much info on a character, and how little, some streams offer.

if it is data in the db.xml there for a character, then it can be used.

Also not everyone shows the CT in streams, it really gets in the way of a stream more than it gets in the way of the game. for a player to just play then all the stuff on FG can be moved around, but real estate on a stream means you have to put FG in a corner of the full screen and have room for cam(s), bit boss thing to interact with your donators and subscribers, now playing list from spotify... and everything else in your overlay. Which this widget would be, outside of the FG real estate and in part of the rest of the overlay.

other things possible are you could replace the class names with icons, level numbers with a d20 with the level number facing up, etc...

VERY early stages since it functions, the "make it look pretty" should be the last in the design line because form follows function. and i has a chance for customization on a user by user case beyond the generic default.

There is still a setup file to be created also to pick which details about the character to provide, background options, font choices, etc.... but before getting into all that. i wanted to know if there was serious interest as i have wasted my time making widgets for people that they never bothered to use, or never let me finish, so i figured this time i would make something for NOBODY and see if anyone wanted it.

and the healthbars, well that functionality is currently proprietary to someone in another widget, so cannot be included; but this CAN show health as current HP / totalHP, again, if it is on a character with a token assigned in the db.xml it can be used. the sky is the limit.

This is certainly interesting. Could and should be a good addition if we go the streaming route someday.

- Obe

What things do you think you would include in the design from the available character info?

[shadzar]

latest and probably last version. already has a style sheet for it that can be edited, or obviously stick with the default style of fonts, etc.

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/246841785

[ItsCliffGaming]

Shadzar, is there a place to download this?

[st4lk3r87]

I'm very interested on this! I'd like to know where I can download it!

[LordEntrails]

Shadzar hasn't posted in awhile. You might drop him a PM so he gets an email and see if you can get a response. You might also check out his Twitch channel and see if you can reach him that way.

[mlesnews]

Hey shadzar, that is a wonderfully helpful widget, I'd be interested in seeing how this develops. Ideally, for me at least, I'd like to be able to choose [X] stats, along with a verbose or minimalist display of one or more players and DM block. Hopefully, our responses inspire you and we hope that you come back!

[shadzar]

there is a problem with recent updates for showing the character portrait, so since it is a main request for people with OBS overlays, i want to try to fix it before any full release.

IF it works fully in ANY form, it will appear first in use on https://www.twitch.tv/geoquester, when he is happy it is stable. hopefully it will work for FGC and not have to wait for FGU to function.

thanks for the interest from those here and contacted me on Twitch, i will get it worked out when i can have a chance to go over the new updates in FGC since last i was working with it.

then after it works properly, i will add more customization options so it isnt just bland looking and hopefully can match people's stream overlays, unless the default FG style is what is most preferred since it only works (almost) for FG.


never really left, just had other things take precedent since i can't fully test this alone with the free version of FG. August just got me so busy i forgot to check a few websites for anything until the recent FG updates were called to my attention and the twitch requests to hurry the frick up getting this out.

Please explain how you vision this minimalist vs verbose display?