How to make a Token Module

[Zacchaeus]

Since the subject of where/when/how to store/present/keep tokens comes up fairly frequently here's a short video (https://youtu.be/hOC6icDH03U) on how to create your own token module.

[JohnD]

Thank you.

[jrh18]

I would also recommend that you compress your images before zipping them into the module. I use tiny png (https://tinypng.com/) to do that. I usually save around 75% on pngs and 25-50% on jpgs compared to what comes out of Photoshop or dungeon painter studio and the quality doesn't suffer. That makes the files that much smaller for transfer over the internet and in memory.

[mlesnews]

Thanks, Zacchaeus for putting this up!

[Kanbie]

This is actually helpful, I'll have to build token sets now :)

[JohnD]

Question.

I have all these tokens that are just sitting in my /Tokens/Host folder that have been assigned to NPCs throughout multiple modules and even for some ongoing NPCs in my actual campaign.

If I put the tokens in the module, I no longer need them in /Tokens/Host, so I remove them.

Does this "break" all the NPCs across multiple campaigns and modules that have already had those tokens assigned to them in that those NPCs will show up with blank/no tokem when I go to use them (meaning of course I will have to update all NPCs in the various campaign folders, as well as numerous NPCs in a multitude of modules)?

Thanks.

[Trenloe]

Does this "break" all the NPCs across multiple campaigns and modules that have already had those tokens assigned to them in that those NPCs will show up with blank/no tokem when I go to use them (meaning of course I will have to update all NPCs in the various campaign folders, as well as numerous NPCs in a multitude of modules)?
Yes. The NPCs will have letter tokens auto assigned as the original tokens assigned will no longer be available.

[Moon Wizard]

Yes, it will break the links. If you change the path (including placing them in a module), it breaks the reference. (similar to URLs)

Regards,
JPG

[JohnD]

Well that sucks. Good to know though... glad I asked. Thanks for the answers.

[Andraax]

When I'm making modules, I put the tokens I need for the NPCs in a "tokens" folder within the campaign I'm using for the module. When exported to a module, the tokens needed / used will be placed within the module so links do not break. This way, when I close the module, the tokens automatically go away as well.

[paladiusdarkhelm]

Duplicate post.

[paladiusdarkhelm]

Hi, Andraax. I feel like this is the method that would work best for me, since I don't want my NPC links broken if I happen to unload a token pack. Where do you put your token folder so that it allows you the option to include it in exporting it out as part of the module you are working on? I didn't see a way to only include some things in an area (like a certain folder under 'Images' vs. it including all local images not already assigned to a moduel). In this case - tokens.

[Andraax]

You create a folder called "tokens" in your campaign directory (the campaign you're making your module from...) Drop your needed tokens in there. Then make copies of any creatures you want, and drop the tokens (they'll be in a bag called "campaign") onto the new NPC records. When you export your module, check the "all" for NPCs, and your copied NPCs and their tokens will all be put into the module. When you open that module in your playing campaign, the tokens will be available and the NPCs will be properly linked to their tokens. When the module is closed, the NPCs and the tokens all go away.

[LordEntrails]

Hi, Andraax. I feel like this is the method that would work best for me, since I don't want my NPC links broken if I happen to unload a token pack. Where do you put your token folder so that it allows you the option to include it in exporting it out as part of the module you are working on? I didn't see a way to only include some things in an area (like a certain folder under 'Images' vs. it including all local images not already assigned to a moduel). In this case - tokens.
I'm pretty sure that Moon or someone has said that a token module does not need to actually be loaded in order for FG to find and use the tokens from a token module.

Token folders have two storage location choices "tokens/shared" and "tokens/host". I believe you can use sub-folders in both of them (I know you can in shared). If you add tokens to an NPC and you export that NPC, then the token will be exported automatically.

[paladiusdarkhelm]

Thanks to you both!

[Trenloe]

I'm pretty sure that Moon or someone has said that a token module does not need to actually be loaded in order for FG to find and use the tokens from a token module.
To clarify - if you have already linked a token from a module, then in future that module does not need to be activated in order for the token link to work. The token module name is part of the link, and token modules act differently than normal modules - the link is valid as long as the original token module is installed on the GMs computer.

[cdhyanchand]

Hi. I just tried creating a token module following the steps in the video and it seemed to go fine. Placed the mod file in the modules folder. Restarted FG. I can't find my tokens in either Modules or tokens. I feel like I am missing something. Thanks for your time.

[Trenloe]

Have you gone to the Tokens window and clicked the modules button - does your module appear there?

If not, how did you ZIP your token module? Use ZIP compression (not RAR or anything else). Make sure you ZIP from within the directory that you used to create the module files - not from outside the directory. Make sure you have "Hide file extensions for known file types" disabled in file explorer - otherwise you may have a file with .mod.zip double extensions, which FG won't see.

If you've done all of that, remove the image files from your token module and post the remaining .mod file here.

[cdhyanchand]

I did not see the module by opening the module through the tokens window. I used ZIP compression. I am not sure about the rest of it. I unzipped the mod file and it looks ok. I removed the images and have pasted it here.

[Trenloe]

I did not see the module by opening the module through the tokens window. I used ZIP compression. I am not sure about the rest of it. I unzipped the mod file and it looks ok. I removed the images and have pasted it here.
Thanks for supplying the module file - it has been ZIPped from outside the directory - as soon as you open the module you see the top level directory, you don't see the module files. ZIP from within the directory you used to put the files together.

[cdhyanchand]

Thanks Trenloe. I figured out how to do what you asked but it still didn't because I had made the second mistake of renaming the tokens folder "Spell Effects". It works fine now. - CD

[LordEntrails]

Don't let T.R.E.N.L.O.E's helpfulness fool you. It's accuracy is the give away. It's really an AI computer program bent on taking over the world.

That said, it really is great to have as a member of our community isn't it!

[cpseudo3]

Posted in another thread but this one has been active more recent.

Went through the steps above, all seems to work. Token Mod is read and can be activated. However, random bags are missing...any ideas?

[damned]

Posted in another thread but this one has been active more recent.

Went through the steps above, all seems to work. Token Mod is read and can be activated. However, random bags are missing...any ideas?

what are the names? dont use special characters in the names.

[cpseudo3]

Went through all the names, no special characters. Most follow a convention like ooze_green_jelly.png. I also compared the names to what is being used in the standard token mods and they match the same style.

[Zacchaeus]

Went through all the names, no special characters. Most follow a convention like ooze_green_jelly.png. I also compared the names to what is being used in the standard token mods and they match the same style.

You said random bags are not showing up; damned was referring to the names that you gave the bags - not the tokens. In a token module you can have folders with tokens in the folders. Those folders become the name of the bag. So if under the main folder you have folders called Birds and Bees then you will have two bags, one named Birds and the other named Bees.

So, what isn't showing up bags with tokens in them or the tokens themselves?

Tokens are named all lower case with no spaces or special characters. So Ooze Green Jelly would be oozegreenjelly.png. If there are special characters in the name such as apostrophes or brackets then those get replaced with an underscore. So Soldier's Pet (Bear) would become soldier_spet_bear_.png.

[Trenloe]

Tokens are named all lower case with no spaces or special characters. So Ooze Green Jelly would be oozegreenjelly.png. If there are special characters in the name such as apostrophes or brackets then those get replaced with an underscore. So Soldier's Pet (Bear) would become soldier_spet_bear_.png.
This is PAR5E functionality.

The FG application doesn’t rename token files, or expect a token attached to a creature to be named anything specific. Within FG any token can be added to a creature or encounter.

[Trenloe]

Went through the steps above, all seems to work. Token Mod is read and can be activated. However, random bags are missing...any ideas?
It can take FG a while to display all of the tokens and token bags, especially if the module has a lot of tokens. Sometimes it’s also necessary to close and re-open the module window.

[Zacchaeus]

This is PAR5E functionality.

The FG application doesn’t rename token files, or expect a token attached to a creature to be named anything specific. Within FG any token can be added to a creature or encounter.

Haha, well of course. Just as well your here Trenloe and not flying all over the world :)

[Gozer the Gozerian]

I've followed the OP video, but was not able to make it work on a Mac. I could follow the instructions right up until the zipping up process. There is a built in "compress file" function in Mac OS, and it created a file called "Archive.zip" I renamed it to the name I had specified on the .xml file, and then changed the file type to .mod, but my Fantasy Grounds is not seeing the module. Any advice?

EDIT: I was able to get help on the FG College Discord server, but wanted to post the solution here, in case someone else runs into the same issue that I did. It turns out that Mac OS was appending a hidden .zip to the end of the file, so FG was not able to recognize it as a .mod file. The solution is, before changing the file name, go into Finder/Preferences/Advanced and make sure that "Show all filename extensions" is checked. Thanks to Alex C for the assist!

27178

[Zacchaeus]

I've followed the OP video, but was not able to make it work on a Mac. I could follow the instructions right up until the zipping up process. There is a built in "compress file" function in Mac OS, and it created a file called "Archive.zip" I renamed it to the name I had specified on the .xml file, and then changed the file type to .mod, but my Fantasy Grounds is not seeing the module. Any advice?

EDIT: I was able to get help on the FG College Discord server, but wanted to post the solution here, in case someone else runs into the same issue that I did. It turns out that Mac OS was appending a hidden .zip to the end of the file, so FG was not able to recognize it as a .mod file. The solution is, before changing the file name, go into Finder/Preferences/Advanced and make sure that "Show all filename extensions" is checked. Thanks to Alex C for the assist!

27178

Whilst I couldn't show this on the video because I don't have a mac it is noted in the Wiki (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/index.php/Tokens#Creating_a_Token_Module) that there's a kink when zipping mac files.

[LordEntrails]

Windows has a similar setting as well. Depending on your windows version it something like View > Options > Show File Extensions

Which is also probably in the wiki!

[istark]

Thank you!

[TXCBoy36]

Is there a video on the best way to actually creating some tokens? I have been able to modify this .mod file but I am not sure how to create new tokens to put into this folder before converting it back to a .mod file.

Sorry for the post, I found my answer on the RP Tools website, there is a tool there called TokenTool which is a free download and it allows for the creation of tokens....hope that helps with creating tokens to be used in your game session.

https://www.rptools.net/