Module exporting

[Maldev]

Hi all. I'm having trouble after creating new content [eg I edit a monster and have a module of monsters & items that I want to export it to]. I export using /export and select NPC's & Items, then Export.
When I check my mod file by reloading the module only the last added NPC is in the mod file. I have been trying to resolve it for a while now, but it is always the same result. I understand the export function replaces the mod file, but if I have say 10 NPC's in my mod file, open FG and edit a monster in the NPC section in the same group listing all my previous monsters, I would have thought the edited monster that is in the same group as the others and I hit export, wouldn't the entire group be resaved/exported to my mod file?
Clearly I am doing something wrong or missing something. Any help would be appreciated
Cheers Dave
I don't know if this screen shot will help.. FYI:When exported, only the Aarakocra Darter is exported.

[Zacchaeus]

I'm not sure exactly what you might be doing but a couple of things come to mind.

When you export come out of FG altogether and then create a new champaign and open the module in that to see if everything is ok. If you then want to add more stuff go back into your original campaign where you created things and add more and then re-export.

You can't 'Add' to a module that is open in a campaign, only in the campaign that you created the content in.

[Trenloe]

I understand the export function replaces the mod file, but if I have say 10 NPC's in my mod file, open FG and edit a monster in the NPC section in the same group listing all my previous monsters, I would have thought the edited monster that is in the same group as the others and I hit export, wouldn't the entire group be resaved/exported to my mod file?
You can only export data to a module that is in the base campaign, not in any other modules.

When you edited the NPC you would have created a copy in the local campaign database, hence why only that one NPC was exported. You can tell the difference between a module record and campaign data with the little icons after the record - no icon = campaign data, book icon = module data.

[LordEntrails]

Check out the Adventure Creation link in my sig, it talks about development campaigns and exporting. If Mr. Z and Trenloe's advice doesn't help. Let us know.

[Maldev]

Thanks for the replies guys.
So are you meaning that I can only grow a database of edited monsters & magic items in 1 campaign and if I want to use those edited monsters/items I have to run all my "D&D campaigns" in that 1 campaign?
Or is there a way to save off to another area as I grow that database and reload it each session into whichever campaign I am playing on a given night?

[Maldev]

Sorry how would I find "the Adventure Creation link in my sig" ?
Cheers

[Maldev]

Yeah I noticed those icons and eventually worked their meaning out. :p
I am using only 3 modules at present. A DM one, a player's Handbook and my database mod. Don't all my campaigns access the mods in my mod file, or am I missing something (again?)
What do you mean by "Base campaign"?

[Maldev]

I'm not sure exactly what you might be doing but a couple of things come to mind.

When you export come out of FG altogether and then create a new champaign and open the module in that to see if everything is ok. If you then want to add more stuff go back into your original campaign where you created things and add more and then re-export.

You can't 'Add' to a module that is open in a campaign, only in the campaign that you created the content in.

Thanks, I'll try this now

[Trenloe]

Sorry how would I find "the Adventure Creation link in my sig" ?
Cheers
See LordEntrails' signature - the links at the bottom of his post. Click on "Adventure Module Creation" which will take you to a forum thread. Read the first post and download and read the attachment in that post. This covers all of the questions you’ve asked (and more).

[Maldev]

Thank you..

[Maldev]

Brilliant! I seem to be able to Edit, export and modify my files so the database grows. Phew, I was starting to sweat after all those lost hours..
Thanks guys

[LordEntrails]

You're welcome. Happy gaming!

[mostcallmetim]

Alright, another question.

I'm making a homebrew monster manual of compiled monsters and NPCs I have found on reddit, pinterest, etc. I just learned about NPC Engineer which I should have been using day 1, but didn't know about it until today.

I noticed in other modules when you open them in the library they have options such as "Reference Manual, Spells, NPCs," Then clicking NPCs for example, will bring up a new window with "NPCs by Terrain, Alphabetical or CR"

How do I incorporate these options with my export?

[Zacchaeus]

Apart from reference manuals everything is exported in the same way, create the items, NPC, spells whatever and export. You can’t create reference manuals from within FG natively but you can use the Author extension to do so. https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?41833-Project-Author

[mostcallmetim]

But Zacchaeus when I export it, it's not going to automatically provide the options and organize the monsters by CR, Terrain Type, or Alphabetically... Won't I have to create seperate story entries and do that all myself?


As per the screenshot, this is what I wanted my module to have.
27170

[Zacchaeus]

i Probably didn’t explain that too well.

What you are looking to do (create indexes etc) cannot be done by exporting from FG. What you are seeing is a reference and you cannot create and export a reference from within FG. You can manipulate the exported xml to do it but you can’t create it in FG.

[DMTCSyd]

You can only export data to a module that is in the base campaign, not in any other modules.

When you edited the NPC you would have created a copy in the local campaign database, hence why only that one NPC was exported. You can tell the difference between a module record and campaign data with the little icons after the record - no icon = campaign data, book icon = module data.

I'm having a similar issue. I have created an adventure in my development campaign and exported that as a module. All good, that works fine and opens correctly in my live campaign. However, when I go into my development campaign, add new stuff to the adventure, and do the export again, none of that information is exported. When I open up the data in the development campaign, only the stuff I created for the original export has the module data icon - all the new stuff has no icon, so it is treated as campaign data and not exported. What am I doing wrong?

[damned]

You will need to Unload and Load the module ti see the changed data.

[Trenloe]

When I open up the data in the development campaign, only the stuff I created for the original export has the module data icon - all the new stuff has no icon, so it is treated as campaign data and not exported. What am I doing wrong?
You can only export data from a campaign, you can't export module data. That's what I was saying in the text you quoted. Don't load previously exported modules in your development campaign, unless you're going to copy records and then re-export. To avoid confusion, close all modules you're not using in your development campaign, so you only see the campaign data - which will be the data exported (if you select that record type in the module export window).

Make sure when you re-export from the development campaign that you select the record types you want to export - the selections you used previously will not be remembered.

And, as damned mentions, you may need to "Revert changes" in the campaign you've loaded your module into (load it into a test campaign, not the development campaign) in order for it to see new records.

[FundPirate]

(phew) This is seriously confusing...so.. is this right:
Step 1:

Create a 'development' campaign
Create 10 custom NPCs inside that campaign
Export them to a module.
Open that module in your game campaign.



Step 2: (To add new custom NPCs)

Re-open your development campaign.
Open the module containing the 10 custom NPCs
Manually copy them all(?) to create 'campaign material' vs module material
Create five new custom NPCs
Manually add the now 10 Copied NPCs and the 5 new custom NPCs to the same module
Open that re-exported module to have those new 15 custom NPCs in your game campaign



That seems very laborious with a good chance of missing things from the originally created module.
I do not see in the Right Click menu an option to 'Revert' modules, stories or NPCs in their respective windows so what purpose does that serve ...and how do I do it?
Am I missing a step or confusing something?

[damned]

Am I missing or confusing something?

Step 2

Reopen your development campaign
Create five new custom entries
Export the module and select all data types in the Export dialog that you have content for in that campaign - eg NPCs in this case)

[LordEntrails]

(phew) This is seriously confusing...so.. is this right:
Step 1:

Create a 'development' campaign
Create 10 custom NPCs inside that campaign
Export them to a module.
Open that module in your game campaign.

...

Edit to;

Step 2: (To add new custom NPCs)

Re-open your development campaign.
(nope)
(nope)
Create five new custom NPCs
(nope)
(changed to) Re-exported module then re-open your play campaign to have those new 15 custom NPCs in your game campaign


And you don't HAVE to do it this way, it's just a data management approach. You could just create those 1 NPCs in your play campaign, but then they would only by in that one campaign and it would not be as easy to re-use them in other campaigns. I do 99 percent of my work in Development campaigns because it allows me to re-use data, as well as keep content in my play campaigns to a minimum.