d1wright
February 18th, 2014, 18:35
Since I didn't find this bit of info in the forum, I served myself a game using "localhost" as the host address in a second and third launch of FG to figure out what other folks were seeing when I shared out FG Notes.
Note that these instructions refer to FG 3.x and won't exactly match the appearance and behavior of FG 2.x versions.
If you haven't tried "localhost" to practice with FG, you need to give it a try. GREAT feature.
I take extensive notes in Word during gaming sessions. It's a lot easier to organize and keep track of what's going on in a campaign from session to session and players don't always have access to past chatlogs. I don't want to be "that guy" who just shows up clueless at the beginning of each session and I really like keeping track of the ongoing story.
But for those times when I'd like to share some notes with the group or just cut and paste the room description into a note to pop it up every time "that guy" gets confused on whether there's a table in the room, I like to use the Notes icon found in the options at the right of the FG screen. We'll call it the FG task bar. It has a lot of interesting options for recording info in the game and it's tied to your login ID so the info you save there will be there for you next session. Downside is that you can't access them without being connected to the GMs server. Thus, my external Word notes.
You'll also see in the FG task bar, the Images & Maps. If the GM has shared them out previously, you can pull up past images without him having to share them again.
...Stay on target...
So here's how the Notes icon works. Click on it and then find the brown "/" circle icon on the bottom. It will reveal the green "+" circle which allows you to create notes.
Click on the green "+" and you'll see a new note template pop up. It's fairly self explanatory with title and a body section to fill in.
The lock icon at the top allows you to either edit your note or keep it safe from making accidental changes.
The Public checkbox indicates whether anyone else can see your note if you've already shared it out. Everyone sees the note exactly as you do in real time when this is checked. They won't see you resize the window or move it around, but they will see what you type as you type it. Others actually never see that you've resized or moved a window UNLESS you resized it BEFORE initially sharing it (see Share below). It's always the default center location for them unless they resize or move it on their own. They can also close or minimize your note on their end and miss out on all of your vital updates. However, if they minimized it and you make a change, it will "glow" the minimized icon to let you know it's been updated. It will only glow in this manner when the "public" is checked.
You'll also see a "P" circle next to your note in the Notes FG icon if the note is currently set to "public" whether it's actually shared yet or not.
You can initially Share your note by right-clicking on it and selecting share. Selecting "public" does not actually share the note. Once shared, you can't take it back. Just modify the text and update it. There are some resizing idiosyncrasies between players and GM. If a player shares out a note for the FIRST time that session after resizing it, everyone will see the new resized window. If the players close their note but the GM doesn't, any new resizing will not appear to the other players. It will appear to the other players as the current size the GM has it CURRENTLY sized to. Everyone, including the GM, must close the note in order for the initial player to share a resized note. Just a nuance, just ignore it.
Once shared, if you close your note, the GM and Players will continue to see it until they also close it. Once a player closes the window, they can't retrieve it unless you Share it to them again.
Player and GM differences
GMs ARE able to manipulate your note whether it's public or not. Add text, delete text, share it out again...
GMs CAN see your notes under their Notes icon in real time as you create them.
GMs CAN also, egads!, delete your notes right out from under you if they wish. Quit sharing out proprietary GM information! Bad Player! Bad!
Other players canNOT manipulate your notes at all. They will also NOT see it under their own Notes icon. All they can do is minimize your note or close it. If they minimize it, it reopens if you reshare it again. If they closed it, resharing it will pop it open for them as well.
Unfortunately, as with the chat window text, there is NOT any way to format your notes with italics, bold, or underlining. Seems the only place a GM could format that I've seen is under the NPC's icon using the "Other" tab to create NPC notes and text. But even the formatting there doesn't transfer to the chat window. But this icon is a post for another lazy day...
In final parting, have fun with your notes and try not to be "that guy".
Note that these instructions refer to FG 3.x and won't exactly match the appearance and behavior of FG 2.x versions.
If you haven't tried "localhost" to practice with FG, you need to give it a try. GREAT feature.
I take extensive notes in Word during gaming sessions. It's a lot easier to organize and keep track of what's going on in a campaign from session to session and players don't always have access to past chatlogs. I don't want to be "that guy" who just shows up clueless at the beginning of each session and I really like keeping track of the ongoing story.
But for those times when I'd like to share some notes with the group or just cut and paste the room description into a note to pop it up every time "that guy" gets confused on whether there's a table in the room, I like to use the Notes icon found in the options at the right of the FG screen. We'll call it the FG task bar. It has a lot of interesting options for recording info in the game and it's tied to your login ID so the info you save there will be there for you next session. Downside is that you can't access them without being connected to the GMs server. Thus, my external Word notes.
You'll also see in the FG task bar, the Images & Maps. If the GM has shared them out previously, you can pull up past images without him having to share them again.
...Stay on target...
So here's how the Notes icon works. Click on it and then find the brown "/" circle icon on the bottom. It will reveal the green "+" circle which allows you to create notes.
Click on the green "+" and you'll see a new note template pop up. It's fairly self explanatory with title and a body section to fill in.
The lock icon at the top allows you to either edit your note or keep it safe from making accidental changes.
The Public checkbox indicates whether anyone else can see your note if you've already shared it out. Everyone sees the note exactly as you do in real time when this is checked. They won't see you resize the window or move it around, but they will see what you type as you type it. Others actually never see that you've resized or moved a window UNLESS you resized it BEFORE initially sharing it (see Share below). It's always the default center location for them unless they resize or move it on their own. They can also close or minimize your note on their end and miss out on all of your vital updates. However, if they minimized it and you make a change, it will "glow" the minimized icon to let you know it's been updated. It will only glow in this manner when the "public" is checked.
You'll also see a "P" circle next to your note in the Notes FG icon if the note is currently set to "public" whether it's actually shared yet or not.
You can initially Share your note by right-clicking on it and selecting share. Selecting "public" does not actually share the note. Once shared, you can't take it back. Just modify the text and update it. There are some resizing idiosyncrasies between players and GM. If a player shares out a note for the FIRST time that session after resizing it, everyone will see the new resized window. If the players close their note but the GM doesn't, any new resizing will not appear to the other players. It will appear to the other players as the current size the GM has it CURRENTLY sized to. Everyone, including the GM, must close the note in order for the initial player to share a resized note. Just a nuance, just ignore it.
Once shared, if you close your note, the GM and Players will continue to see it until they also close it. Once a player closes the window, they can't retrieve it unless you Share it to them again.
Player and GM differences
GMs ARE able to manipulate your note whether it's public or not. Add text, delete text, share it out again...
GMs CAN see your notes under their Notes icon in real time as you create them.
GMs CAN also, egads!, delete your notes right out from under you if they wish. Quit sharing out proprietary GM information! Bad Player! Bad!
Other players canNOT manipulate your notes at all. They will also NOT see it under their own Notes icon. All they can do is minimize your note or close it. If they minimize it, it reopens if you reshare it again. If they closed it, resharing it will pop it open for them as well.
Unfortunately, as with the chat window text, there is NOT any way to format your notes with italics, bold, or underlining. Seems the only place a GM could format that I've seen is under the NPC's icon using the "Other" tab to create NPC notes and text. But even the formatting there doesn't transfer to the chat window. But this icon is a post for another lazy day...
In final parting, have fun with your notes and try not to be "that guy".