Image Export Issue

[Nickademus]

So I did some testing of this, and I'm not sure if it is intended or just a slight in the design.

When an image in a campaign is exported, it loses some modifications. The mask and tokens are removed from the image's section in the db. The shortcut pins and grid remain though. (Obviously the encounter tokens remain as they are saved in the battle not the image.) Is this intended? Can we not place tokens or setup a complex mask ahead of time.

I know that the mask of a campaign image is deleted if the image's dimensions are changed by even a pixel. Not sure if this related. It also might have to do with the fact that the mask and tokens reference image files where the grid is just data and the pins reference db elements.

[ddavison]

Nickademus, the intended process is that you create an encounter (or several) and pre-link the tokens on the encounter(s) with where they will all be located on the map when that encounters starts. When you export, the map will be clear but the encounters know where everything goes once you activate them.

[Griogre]

To follow up on the masking, it is expected that after you make the module, you will open the module in your running campaign with the PCs and *this* is the campaign where you will actually change the mask since you can't change the mask in the original campaign you exported.

[Nickademus]

So if I want to have a corpse or broken cart in the road for an encounter, I have to make an NPC and attach the token to it, then add it to the encounter and place the encounter token on the map.

Seems a lot of work for setting up a battlemap ahead of time. And no, I don't want to add environment tokens at the time I open the image and load an encounter. I might as well add the placement of monsters at that point.

And what of the images that aren't for encounters? I have an image of a tavern with tokens for the patrons in a module. The patrons all vanish when I export. I also have an image that acts as a table for a tavern game. All the playing pieces disappear (completely from the module, mind you) when I export. I actual am in the habit of opening the module'd db file and pasting the image entry that contains the token information back in. I know the modules work just fine with generic token information. FG just doesn't put there during export.

[Andraax]

Just drop the corpse or broken cart or whatever directly onto the map - in your campaign. It will get saved with the campaign info.

[Griogre]

So if I want to have a corpse or broken cart in the road for an encounter, I have to make an NPC and attach the token to it, then add it to the encounter and place the encounter token on the map.

Seems a lot of work for setting up a battlemap ahead of time. And no, I don't want to add environment tokens at the time I open the image and load an encounter. I might as well add the placement of monsters at that point.

And what of the images that aren't for encounters? I have an image of a tavern with tokens for the patrons in a module. The patrons all vanish when I export. I also have an image that acts as a table for a tavern game. All the playing pieces disappear (completely from the module, mind you) when I export. I actual am in the habit of opening the module'd db file and pasting the image entry that contains the token information back in.
I doesn't sound like you are dropping your game tokens and environmental tokens onto the "Exported tokens" box in the module export window? This will make them available without you having to attach the tokens to an NPC.

[Nickademus]

I don't think you understand the problem. I do export the tokens and they are available. They are just deleted from any image they were placed on. Encounters save image positions for creatures and place the tokens there upon loading. Any token that isn't included in an encounter is deleted from images.

[Nickademus]

Just drop the corpse or broken cart or whatever directly onto the map - in your campaign. It will get saved with the campaign info.

I'd rather not make these modifications in the game campaign, as that is why I made an adventure module. Besides, the tokens disappear from the image when the module gets updated due to this issue (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?24260-LMoP-Tokens-removed-after-each-update&p=211984&viewfull=1#post211984).

[Griogre]

I don't think you understand the problem. I do export the tokens and they are available. They are just deleted from any image they were placed on. Encounters save image positions for creatures and place the tokens there upon loading. Any token that isn't included in an encounter is deleted from images.

We may be talking past each other, sorry; but yes I think I understand your issue. I can't help you with the tokens not staying on the map - but I wanted to be sure you knew you *could* include your environmental tokens/game tokens in the exported module. They won't stay on the image but they will be in a separate bag with the name of in your tokens. Half a loaf, I know. If you are familiar with the Savage Worlds Card deck mechanics that is why they are done the way they are.

You can include tokens in an exported module by drag and dropping them like in the image below:
https://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m222/Griogre/ExportTokens_zpsxzg4ludy.jpg

Or you can just make a token folder in your campaign and copy all the tokens you want to export into the folder. The only difference is that stuff in the folder is always host only tokens. Drag and drop tokens can be shared or host only.

This token issue is the same issue that stops Zeus' Enhanced Images (3 layers) extension from exporting all layers. It's something that has been around a long time. Maybe Zeus can "encourage" Smiteworks to fix it sooner... ;)

[Nickademus]

but I wanted to be sure you knew you *could* include your environmental tokens/game tokens in the exported module.

Yes, I'm aware of this. I have the tokens in my modules. I just want them to stay on the images. At this point I just copy the image entry from the campaign db.xml and paste it over the module's image entry in the db.xml. It seems odd to me that FG can't just do the same during the export.


This token issue is the same issue that stops Zeus' Enhanced Images (3 layers) extension from exporting all layers. It's something that has been around a long time. Maybe Zeus can "encourage" Smiteworks to fix it sooner... ;)

I had actually been wondering how this affected that extension. It seems to me that a lot of the intent of the extension is to let people make maps with tile tokens. I'm surprised no one has made an extension yet to change how the export works. It would just need to copy the <tokens> attribute from the image in campaign to the new image in the module.

[Trenloe]

I'm surprised no one has made an extension yet to change how the export works. It would just need to copy the <tokens> attribute from the image in campaign to the new image in the module.
You can't change the export to make this work. So you can't do this in an extension. The base FG API/code needs to be modified to support this, as the API blocks access to the sub-db-nodes in the images portion of the database so you can't use LUA to export additional image details.

[Nickademus]

Ah, that makes sense. Export-copy-paste it is. Thanks.