how close is 3.5 to PF in FG?

[shadzar]

Not looking for game mechanics, just campaign folder files... If i were needing a Pathfinder campaign db.xml, would the schema and structure of the Tale of Dinor for 3.5 be the same as if it was Pathfinder? would it have the same relative character info and placement within the hierarchy?

or do i have to find someone with a db.xml for Pathfinder already to be able to get a working db.xml?

Does FG somewhere have a simple collection of db.xml for each official ruleset for developers to use?

[Trenloe]

It's very close. The main differences are around the NPC format with the type/size specification and the Base-attack-bonus (BAB), CMB and CMD entries. You'd be able to use Tale of Dinor for PF (especially with the Universal Module extension (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?41034-Universal-Module-Extension)) and the minor differences wouldn't cause too much of an issue.

[shadzar]

and you lost me since i play neither to know what half of that stuff is... :p

so with 5e the NPC and PC on the charsheet have the same structure, you are saying with 3.5 that would also be true, but PF the NPCs are built differently in the charsheet?

since charsheet is the only node i would be reading and working with, the others are discarded.

[LordEntrails]

In 5E, NPC objects do not have character sheets. Only PC objects have character sheets. By this I mean that PC and NPCs are separate objects types (in most systems) and have different attributes/fields for each. Now, from a GM/Player perspective, you might create a recurring villain or ally that we commonly call an "NPC" using a character sheet. But from a programming point, that is a PC object, not an NPC object. I think you'll need to be very careful in your language to prevent confusion.

I also suggest you just lay out what you are wanting to do, people around here have done a lot of things and might be able to direct you to a specific example or existing solution to help you out.

And no, their is no static collection of db.xml files since the code is always evolving. You can simple create your own for whatever ruleset you want just by creating a campaign using that ruleset.

[Trenloe]

@shadzar - as LE says, please let us know what you want to do. Because a lot of what you've said above is unclear and even contradictory. Let us help! Thanks.

[shadzar]

i am trying to do this (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?43091-Fantasy-Grounds-5E-db-xml-character-cycler-OBS-widget), but make it work for other non-5e rulesets.

this reads the db.xml pulls the data it needs from the nodes, imports and resizes the portrait assigned to the PC if one is present, and displays the output...

discarding the GM listed characters, of which NPCs DO exist in the charsheet section; and also discarding any character without a portrait/token set.

no, i cannot create a db.xml. i have tried and tried to create a campaign, but it doesnt save a db.xml even using /save.

[Trenloe]

no, i cannot create a db.xml. i have tried and tried to create a campaign, but it doesnt save a db.xml even using /save.
Do you only have the demo license? If so, this will happen (not save). However, if you have a standard or ultimate license, then you have a file permission issue.

[Trenloe]

discarding the GM listed characters, of which NPCs DO exist in the charsheet section;
They may be NPCs in a game standpoint, but they are PCs as far as FG is concerned. That was definitely confusing and contradicting what you were saying earlier. Thanks for clarifying.

[shadzar]

demo, free. its called different things in different places...

yeah, there is no such thing as a DMPC (spits after using that term and bleaches my hands from typing it), so a GM controlled (as holder/owner) PC is called an NPC for the nearly 40 years i have been playing RPGs :P

so that is why i was asking about the node schema. i don't think the template.xml's in the 3.5 and PF rulesets will help me much to recreate a dummy db.xml for PF or another ruleset to test with. and i couldn't find anything about the schema of the resulting db.xml on the wiki for every ruleset, unless i looked in the wrong place.

i just basically need to know what the array layout is for the charsheet of every supported ruleset to be able to make a compatible OBS widget for it. ;)

thus why i was looking for a repository of dummy db.xml for rulesets since only 5e, 4e, and 3.5 come with FG complete with db.xml.

[Trenloe]

i just basically need to know what the array layout is for the charsheet of every supported ruleset to be able to make a compatible OBS widget for it. ;)
That's a very big "just".

Your best bet is to look in the various ruleset sub-forums for example PC exports - a lot have them, some don't. These will be the same DB structure - once within the charsheet.id-XXXXX FG child framework. Exported characters have <character> as the first level down from <root> in the XML database - this would be the same level as charsheet.id-XXXXX in the FG database.

For example there are a bunch of 3.5E/PF characters here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?16459-Central-Character-Repository Have a look at the XML of these PCs to give the FG database structure for PCs for the 3.5E/PF ruleset.

If you want to make some PCs yourself - you can load up "Manage Characters" (even with the demo/free license), create some PCs with the data you need and export them to get the XML. Or, look in the <FG App Data>\characters directory - this is where PCs created in Manage Characters are stored.

So - you should be able to get access to the data you need through posted exported PCs or through using Manage Characters to create some dummy PCs.

[shadzar]

so the db.xml always builds the charsheet section the same as an exported character from the ruleset itself? so then all i need is a character and add 2 levels to the hierarchy to put it at the correct depth inside the db.xml for things :)

so if i can read an exported character, then i can read a db.xml for any given ruleset :D good, i dont have to mess with reading the templates in the ruleset, just make a bunch of dummy characters for each one.

this makes things so much easier. i can make a full dummy db.xml to test by just copy/pasting in a few characters to test the charsheet data to make sure to grab the right bits. that is what i needed to know!