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Iceman
August 7th, 2011, 22:43
Instead of linking to a JPG image file (such as a map or NPC portrait) can the program link to a PDF (such as a side adventure)???

Moon Wizard
August 8th, 2011, 03:56
FG can only link to material within the campaign database, which includes images, story records, NPC records, encounter records, etc.

External linking (web links, etc.) are on the wish list.

Cheers,
JPG

ronnke
August 8th, 2011, 05:18
How about incorporating PDF's into the campaign database in the same way images are done?

ImpInTraining
August 8th, 2011, 16:37
That'd probably blow up the size of your modules exponentially.

osarusan
August 18th, 2011, 12:29
Sure it would, but with broadband today that's not such a big problem. It would be great to be able to link pdfs, even have an MP3 or something playing on the game table. It would certainly make the program a lot more versatile!

StuartW
August 18th, 2011, 13:12
One of the problems with linking PDFs, if you want them to render within FG like JPEGs do, rather than open in a separate window, is the need to have integrated PDF rendering capability in the base FG product. This wouldn't be trivial to code, although Windows 8 might provide a program API that could do that for you.

Stuart

ImpInTraining
August 18th, 2011, 14:28
Couldn't it just provide some sort of 'hyperlink' to direct the pdf file to open external to the FG program, like via a browser or something? In fact, for that matter, why not allow hyperlinks to other web sites? That could take care of two birds with one stone. Let's say your game is based in current day Ontario, Canada... then you could have a hyperlink on your game to open up maps.google.com (or whatever) to that particular city and allow the players to use current map information to make their gaming choices. I've current-day used Boston myself for a couple games, and google maps have been invaluable. Love the street views too. :)

But as I was saying, if you can use hyperlinks in this manner, then there's nothing stopping you from posting a pdf to some ftp site, and just post the hyperlink to the pdf. Your browser should do the rest.

Doswelk
August 18th, 2011, 17:14
Couldn't it just provide some sort of 'hyperlink' to direct the pdf file to open external to the FG program, like via a browser or something? In fact, for that matter, why not allow hyperlinks to other web sites? That could take care of two birds with one stone. Let's say your game is based in current day Ontario, Canada... then you could have a hyperlink on your game to open up maps.google.com (or whatever) to that particular city and allow the players to use current map information to make their gaming choices. I've current-day used Boston myself for a couple games, and google maps have been invaluable. Love the street views too. :)

Thing is I do that now... manually.

I'd rather have the FGII programmers (all two of them?) working down the existing features rather than adding links to a pdf or a web site.

If PDF support was added it would need to be integrated otherwise why bother having a link to a pdf that just opens your pdf viewer and reads the pdf?

Iceman
August 19th, 2011, 03:20
Thing is I do that now... manually.

I'd rather have the FGII programmers (all two of them?) working down the existing features rather than adding links to a pdf or a web site.

If PDF support was added it would need to be integrated otherwise why bother having a link to a pdf that just opens your pdf viewer and reads the pdf?

While one of the many "definitions" of integrated could be a very exciting prospect, I will tell you why a link to a pdf directly or website/webimage would be beneficial. If I have a main adventure and the PCs enter an area that holds a side adventure, I dont want to spend all the time it takes to put the whole side adventure into FG unless they actually trigger the event. So I currently type in:

When the adventurers arrive, if it is after March 3rd and dark out, but before midnight, they hear a scream inside [trigger KILL EM ALL.PDF]
otherwise it just looks spooky.

If the adventure is triggered I then have to go find the PDF and jump to the map page. But if a map token linked to the PDF then the game keeps running very smoothly AND it gets REALLY cool if the link can go to a specific section of the PDF text, because then I can establish links which 'almost' integrate the PDF without much work on my part at all! Then, if they dont die right away I can spend the off-time typing in all those pesky critters inside and forgetting to put the treasure in like I always do.....

:bandit: