4E Item Parser

[Crossems]

The OGL, SRD and GSL are basically just licenses to breath. You can't actually copyright a game mechanic. I deal with this constantly with the apps created by our company. At the same time where the parser fails is that it copies all the text over directly from wizards resources. If we had a resource that dealt with just the mechanics and left of the fluff text out that should comply with not only the OGL, SRC, and GSL, but overall U.S. copyright law as well.

Might also be worthwhile for wtoc (who are still selling their pdfs at a hefty price on drivethrurpg.com) to have a digital resource api available, or at least allow access to redistribute the xml of all their data (for those of us who have it) for others to make use of in the growing market of digital tabletop gaming.

Think I'll make a few inquires.

[Trenloe]

I agree that game mechanics can’t be copyrighted.

The issue with the FG 4E ruleset is that the standard descriptive text used in powers etc. is parsed to create the relevant FG automation. Hence the parser didn’t "fail" in the way it was implemented, it’s a requirement to have the whole text in FG records for the data to actually do something in the ruleset. Entries aren’t written in FG code, they’re standard descriptive text - which is covered by copyright, even though in this case it indirectly relates to game mechanics.

Who knows what WotC might end up doing. For a while it seemed they weren’t interested in AD&D FG conversion, but they changed their mind about that.

[raynbowbrite]

Does anyone know if this parser works with the files from the offline compendium or only the now non-existent online one?

[spite]

Unfortunately this will not work without the compendium to scrape. It would need to be reworked to use a different source like the offline compendium, and I am not sure it's developer would be still interested in doing that work.

[SB Ostling]

So there is no way for me to do this now? I have the offline compendium and would like to add the modules. I have just started using FG and am still getting used to the interface and everything.

[LordEntrails]

So there is no way for me to do this now? I have the offline compendium and would like to add the modules. I have just started using FG and am still getting used to the interface and everything.
There are currently no bulk loading tools available for 4E. You can enter everything manually (copy paste etc) or you could look to one of the tools for the other rulesets and see about writing your own. Basically what you have to do is convert from the format you have (I don't know if the off-line compendium data is accessible or in a usable format) and then convert it into FG xml format.

For someone who has done all that before it's 'easy'. For me, I would just enter by hand what I need when I need it.

Unfortunately, it comes down to you playing a system that is not particularly popular right now so their isn't much community support for it.

[Trenloe]

The main issue is that WotC specifically didn't release 4E under the OGL or any similar license. So you can't create community content for it - even if you wanted to.

[RavenAu]

hey.
I have this program and it wants me to log in, but when i hit the account button, it just takes me to a black page and dose not load anything.
any suggestions?

[spite]

I suggest reading even just this last page of posts. This tool will no longer work as the online compendium is no longer in existence

[RavenAu]

Dose any one know where i may fined the 4e mod?
Or any other way of getting them?

[LordEntrails]

Dose any one know where i may fined the 4e mod?
Or any other way of getting them?
As mentioned in previous posts; their is no way to get a 4E module file. No licenses for 4E were ever granted so personal modules were all that could ever be created. The content is still protected by intellectual property laws so it can not be shared. DDI (the Compendium this uses) no longer exists so this tool to create a personal module doesn't work.

[Ryuson]

Hey everyone. New to FG and seeking help for 4e. I understand that DDI is not longer available. I'm willing to manually enter in what I need to (my scope is small: feats, powers etc for 3-4 players) but is there a standard FG xml format? Or can you point out where I can find it? I'd like to do it in bulk (like populating an excel spreadsheet with the correct data structure and uploading it) but hopefully it's not too complicated (as I'm not that tech savvy.

[gamerhawaii]

To me, the easiest way to see the fields is to manually create one of each item you are interested in. Then look in the "db.xml" file in the campaign folder for that campaign. Or you can export to a module from the Library and then look at the exported module.

Where are you getting your information? Are you copying and pasting from somewhere? If so, then ideally a program that can take the pasted info and convert it to XML to paste into a module or to create a module. 5E has a similar program already but none exists for 4E to my knowledge.

[valeros]

Parser updated to help create smaller modules for FGU. The text files left behind by the original parser are required to use. (".mod" files will not work.)

Consider "beta" as I did not test extensively.

And as usual, not sure why but a few virus checkers will identify this as a virus (3 out of 72 on virustotal.com and 2 of 37 on metadefender.opswat.com.)

[spite]

That's exciting!
I am running into a quick issue though, on launch it tells me I need .NET Core installed. I installed the latest .NET core however the error persists and I am unable to launch.
Any ideas?

[kevininrussia]

I can verify this issue. I also installed .NET Core Runtime 3.1.4 and also unable to launch.

[valeros]

That's exciting!
I am running into a quick issue though, on launch it tells me I need .NET Core installed. I installed the latest .NET core however the error persists and I am unable to launch.
Any ideas?

Make sure to download the x86 version and not the x64 version. Hopefully that will fix it.

[kevininrussia]

Bingo, that was the solution. x86. Program launches now.

[damned]

Well done again Valeros

[spite]

I have installed x86, and still have the error. Not sure what I'm doing wrong :/

Nvermind! I sussed it :)

[Samop]

Is it possible to get back those .txt from the .mod file?

[spite]

Not legally, no. The online compendium that the Parser used to scrape is no longer available. I wouldn't know how to make it work with the offline compendium either so we're stuck :P

[VegaFontana]

I wouldn't know how to make it work with the offline compendium

With the power of Python Scripts!

Let's take time to expose a little context through a (too much) detailed backstory. See a few weeks ago a player (and long time friend) got to attend to a “computer programmation formation” held by his company to expand employee skills during these confined times.

They learned python and since I work in software development for 8+ years now I saw that as a cool opportunity to show him how useful it can be. The coding exercises he had to do in his formation were really dull and pointless so I offered him an “special assignments” little more exciting and challenging : scripts to convert data from the “offline compendium” to Fantasy Grounds modules.

https://i.imgur.com/dPtisxE.png

For those who never heard about the offline compendium, it was a way to access the online 4E compendium without internet. It was great for us since we have a tradition of playing in a large farmhouse without internet access (+ it had way better research feature). Nowadays since the online compendium has been shut down by WotC it became the only way to access all 4E data and many DM made the migration before the shutdown (here is a video for more details https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNDze9Ok5fE).

So, since I’m not a BBEG and I did not want to throw my newfound student to an unachievable task, I decided I would make the first two scripts to import NPC, POWERS and FEATS (that would later serve me as examples when teaching him how to it himself) and then ask him to make remaining scripts for non magical base ITEMS (others, armors, weapons).

https://i.imgur.com/7IB6S9b.png
full size: https://i.imgur.com/dKLVdlD.png

Turns out he had a blast doing it, and so did I. And as you can see above we managed to integrate even though the code quality is clearly not state of the art, it worked ! All 5000+ Monsters, 9000+ Powers, 3000+ Feats and non magical base items are available for us to play with. For the Westmarch game I recently launched, it’s really great. With these 6 modules you have everything you would need to start a campaign, for you as DM you have monsters to build encounters with. For your players, easy drag and drop powers, feats, weapons, armors and other basic items into their character sheets.

So here I am with a few scripts that could help many of those still playing 4E and are eager to use FG for it but are refrained because the lack of easily integrated modules. In the following days I will clean up and share these scripts, maybe make a tutorial on how to use them. So my question is a bit more for the moderators out here, would you allow me to post a link to these scripts here? And if so, since it might be great for a lot of 4E FG users, could you link these scripts on the first post of this thread?


tl;dr; I want to share the scripts I wrote and used to create FG modules from 4E Offline Compendium but I am not quite sure if it’s okay to do so.

[valeros]

VegaFontana, Very nice!

I am not the definitive source but from everything I have seen on these forums is that you can post your scripts. You just cannot post the actual 4E data.

And I would recommend just making your own thread so that it is owned by you and no one has to go through the 50 pages of old and no longer relevant info (and has a better and more meaningful thread name.)

The moderators have the ability to "sticky" your new post.

I hope a lot of people used the 4E offline tool.

Also, I am jealous that based on what you wrote above, you seemed to have not had nearly as much trouble as I did with this. :) I never posted the code (written in C#) partially because it is so bad and because it so much (I can't remember exactly but I think it was over 10,000 LOC.)

[VegaFontana]

you can post your scripts. You just cannot post the actual 4E data. [...]

Well this is it, I'll bundle these scripts in an executable and post them :)


I would recommend just making your own thread [...] he moderators have the ability to "sticky" your new post.

This makes a lot of sense yeah I don't know why I haven't thought about it, thanks!


you seemed to have not had nearly as much trouble as I did with this

Oh well code is kind of bad here too, and a bit long, often farfetched but in the end it creates the db.xml files.
The fact that I did it to teach things to a friend + the satisfaction when you see all the content showing up in FG have helped to create a good time for us :D

[LordEntrails]

Yes, scripts are fine, they are your creation (please post a license with them, a pet request of mine!). Only the data itself is protected as other people's IP.

And yes, please start a new thread, once the script is posted, one of us will sticky it for everyone.

[YellowAdder]

Well this is it, I'll bundle these scripts in an executable and post them :)


Please tell us that this is still happening! I didn't miss it somehow, right?

[VegaFontana]

Oh yes of course, but I want to do it right so that it's easy to understand how to make it work properly.

And this week has been huge between work, personnal life and running the game for my tables ^^'

But be sure it will arrive soon, I'd say between today and this weekend!

[VegaFontana]

I didn't miss it somehow, right?

You did not! But in case you might miss it now that it's live, here is the link to the post that displays how download and use these scripts:
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?60221-4E-Module-Generator-Offline-compendium-gt-Fantasy-Grounds&p=528376#post528376

[supercodepoet]

Is there source code for this item parser anywhere? I can not get the .exe to launch on Windows 10. I try and run the application and nothing happens. I have .NET 3.1 Runtime, as well as, other .NET runtimes installed.

Thanks

[lbw]

so I installed aspnetcore-runtime-3.1.32-win-x86.exe and when I try and run the parcer it keeps telling me I have to install it, is this the wrong one?

[gamerhawaii]

This parser was from when the D&D Insider was still active. You should probably use the parser from this thread instead https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?73753

[lbw]

So is there no way to get the 4E info to create our own modules for 4E in fantasy grounds?

[lbw]

ok ignore that, and why cant I delete a thread? LOL

[Meric Wolf]

Hello! Can we have a step by step rundown of how to install the parcer please? Because i downloaded it, unziped it, then it asked me to download and install a .NET app, which i did, and yet it is still asking me to download the thing as if i never did. So how do i install this parcer into Fantasy Ground Unity v4.4.1 STANDARD (2023-06-20) step by step please?

[Zacchaeus]

Hello! Can we have a step by step rundown of how to install the parcer please? Because i downloaded it, unziped it, then it asked me to download and install a .NET app, which i did, and yet it is still asking me to download the thing as if i never did. So how do i install this parcer into Fantasy Ground Unity v4.4.1 STANDARD (2023-06-20) step by step please?

I think this is the one you should now be using. https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?73753