Tokens!

[Thorbrand]

I am testing the demo before making the purchase and I think have understand how FG works for the most part and probably be able to create a full campaign. However, I am unable to use tokens, create tokens in anyway.

What am I doing wrong? I have read the user manual and watched the videos, it looks simple enough but I can't do anything with it.

How well does Hero Lab convert to FGII?

[wbcreighton]

However, I am unable to use tokens, create tokens in anyway.

What am I doing wrong? I have read the user manual and watched the videos, it looks simple enough but I can't do anything with it.

First off FG can't be used to create tokens. Tokens are just image files, that you need to put into the correct folder. The easiest tool I have found to create tokens is Token Tool which is a free program ( part of the Maptools suite ). With Token tool you just load an image and zoom in or out on it, then save it. You just need to put the saved image into the Tokens folder of the campaign you want to use it in.



How well does Hero Lab convert to FGII?
I haven't used it but am told that it works very well for Pathfinder.

[Griogre]

I don't believe you can make tokens for the demo, so I don't think you are doing anything wrong. Tokens are kept in separate files in FGs Data Apps folder on the server which I don't think the demo uses at all. In the full or ultimate version the GM can create and organize tokens in a token folder.

The Hero Lab conversions seems to work pretty well, but I haven't used it personally. You can read the thread here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15025

[Thorbrand]

Ok so there are no tokens to use in the demo? So which Maptools are we referring to here?

[wbcreighton]

You can find the program here:

https://www.rptools.net/index.php?page=tokentool

https://www.rptools.net/index.php?page=downloads#TokenTool

It is a free java based program that is quite simple to use.

[Thorbrand]

Thank you for the information. I google'd maptools and a bunch came up. I will download that tonight and start playing with it.

[Griogre]

There are tokens in the demo I believe. They should just be the letter tokens A-Z. Click the token box on the bottom right of the FG desktop to open the token box. I don't have the demo so its possible you might have to open a token module first. The latest practices is to put tokens in modules to save on memory space but I'm not sure if the demo works that way.

[calseeor]

Howdy all,
I tried to understand what was said about where to put new tokens but I'm confused. I downloaded a token pack. The document for the tokens I got says "Copy the images from each folder to the ../token/host folder inside your Fantasy Grounds location on harddrive." however I can't find any sort of /token/(anything) folder structure. My FG folder path is "C:\Program Files (x86)\Fantasy Grounds II" with nothing deeper. I also do not see any fodler structures for campaigns as mentioned in this thread.
Could someone point me in the right direction? I'm sure it's simple and I'm just missing it.

Thank you,
--Eryk

[dr_venture]

The document for the tokens I got says "Copy the images from each folder to the ../token/host folder inside your Fantasy Grounds location on harddrive." however I can't find any sort of /token/(anything) folder structure. My FG folder path is "C:\Program Files (x86)\Fantasy Grounds II" with nothing deeper.

When FG is installed the files that make up the program itself are installed in the Programs directory. However, the files that it uses to run the games and that are specific to your installation of the program are *not* kept there... in fact, you'll find you won't mess around with those files/folders at all. If you're on XP (and I'm going from memory here, as I'm on Win7 now) you can find the FG folders/files in location *similar* to this:

C:\documents and settings\[your_name]\Application Data\Fantasy Grounds II

In Win7, you can find the data folder here:

C:\Users\[your_name]\AppData\Roaming\Fantasy Grounds II

[Moon Wizard]

The installer also adds a link to the "Application Data Folder" in the Start Menu under the Fantasy Grounds II Start Menu group.

Cheers,
JPG

[calseeor]

Thank you both. :)

[ddavison]

If you are comfortable running some scripts, there are several examples posted that will show you how to automatically create a host of tokens from various miniatures product images available on the web. Search for "automated" and "tokens", I believe.

[JohnD]

Does anyone have some standard packages that have been made available?

I would hate to reinvent the wheel and all unless absolutely necessary (plus I would make any that I put together available for download as well).

[Griogre]

The problem, JohnD, is that some of the scripts collect copywrited material. While its legal to collect it yourself - it isn't legal to distributed it. I know it probably seems frustrating that your hear this a lot when you are new here but one of the reasons FG is successful is because RPG companies are willing to trust Smiteworks with their IP because they don't distribute or condone the distribution of company's property they don't have a right to.

[wbcreighton]

Does anyone have some standard packages that have been made available?

I would hate to reinvent the wheel and all unless absolutely necessary (plus I would make any that I put together available for download as well).

The best place to start is with Devin Night's top down tokens.

They are all free !

https://www.immortalnights.com/tokensite/tokenpacks.html

[JohnD]

Excellent; thank you!

[JohnD]

OK so can someone explain where I put these tokens to differentiate between the ones I want available to me as the DM, as opposed to ones freely selectable/viewable by players?

I assume the player token for combat is their portrait and the tokens are all used for NPCs... or am I off?

[Dakadin]

They should go into a tokens directory within your FG Application Data Folder. For GM only tokens create a host directory within this directory. For player tokens create a shared directory within the tokens directory. You can also create subdirectories in each of these directories to organize your tokens.

[JohnD]

They should go into a tokens directory within your FG Application Data Folder. For GM only tokens create a host directory within this directory. For player tokens create a shared directory within the tokens directory. You can also create subdirectories in each of these directories to organize your tokens.
1. Thanks... I think the fog is starting to split.
2. D'oh... already put them all into one giant folder undoing the benefits of separation.
3. Are player portraits what the PCs use on the combat map as their tokens?
4. Thanks again! More questions likely incoming.

[Trenloe]

3. Are player portraits what the PCs use on the combat map as their tokens?
You can use your portraits, but you don't have to.

Note: the following is for the 3.5E ruleset and might not represent all available rulesets!

If you have a new character with a blank portrait, drag a portrait to the blank character area at the top-left of FG. Then click on the image to see the character sheet, the will be a blank circle in the top right - this is the token that will be used when the GM drags this PC to the combat tracker.

If you want to use the portrait, click-and-drag the portrait image onto this circle and it will change to a small version of the portrait. If you want to assign a different token (for example, a top down token), then click-and-drag the desired token from the tokens bag onto the cirlce in the character sheet. You can change a previously assigned token too.

[JohnD]

Thanks so very much... words cannot do justice to the amount of help I'm getting here. I really appreciate it!

[wbcreighton]

1. Thanks... I think the fog is starting to split.
2. D'oh... already put them all into one giant folder undoing the benefits of separation.
3. Are player portraits what the PCs use on the combat map as their tokens?
4. Thanks again! More questions likely incoming.

You can create a Tokens subdirectory in a campaign folder ( that includes subdirectories that organize your tokens). That way when you open the campaign only the tokens you need for that campaign are included. I believe having too many tokens can be a computer memory issue ( similar to using a large jpeg map that hogs memory ).

For example:

Campaigns => Attack of the Zombies => Tokens => Zombies ( put your zombies tokens here)

[Griogre]

As wbcrighton says, you can also create a tokens directory in your campaign directory. Tokens placed there are treated the same as if they were placed in the host token folder so if you have a token you want the players to access you should put it in your shared folder instead.

[FSHSchmo]

So I purchased the full version of FGII and have been learning about it. I downloaded the 4E parser and updated it to the beta version, scraped, etc and have the info in my FG campaign now under NPCS. My question is I scanned and labeled my tokens out of my DM kit but have no idea how to link the two together? What I mean is when I open NPC 1 in my library it uses the NPC 1 token.

[Griogre]

If, when you parse, you have a token directory the tokens will be included into the module. The trick is matching the naming convention the parser expects with the token names.

If you go to your parser temp folder after you have parsed at least once you will see a token folder. You need to take all your scanned tokens for the DM Kit and place them into this folder. You will need to rename each token so it exactly matches the name in the db.xml file for the token.

For example the first monster in the DM Kit is a Dragonborn Solder. If you open the db.xml file you see him. The last "tag" for him is:


<token type="token">tokens/4E Dungeon Master's Kit/dragonborn soldier.png@4E Dungeon Master's Kit</token>

The parser expects this token to be called dragonborn soldier.png

So all lower case with spaces and a png graphics file but you can look at the db.xml file to tell for sure.

So a few points. You should probably create separate folders for parsing for every module monster manual you make unless you really want to be constantly moving tokens around. Next since you are using scans make sure you image file sizes are reasonable or you could run FG out of memory if you open a couple of monster manuals.

I use 32 pixel squares for medium size monsters but a lot of people use 50 pixel squares for mediums. I'd suggest for the Monster Vault and DM Kit "pogs" go no larger than 50 pixel squares for medium, 100 for large, 150 for huge.