Module Export Overwriting with empty file

[csowders]

I'm trying to convert to "best practices" development campaign and playing campaign. So far I've successfully created 4 chapters as unique modules. I can load and unload on-demand but several times the latest chapter (module) file size is losing everything when I go back to make edits to the development version. File size drops from ~44MB to 113KB.

At first I thought it was because I had the same module loaded in both Development and Playing campaigns, but this morning I know the module was unloaded in both campaigns before I ran another test. I loaded the development campaign, made a small edit, exported it with all the same names/settings and got the small file size.

This has happened to me at least three times. If I didn't have backup files I would have lost everything. What am I doing wrong? I'm ready to go back to putting everything into a single play/develop file even if it is approaching 700 MB.

[Zacchaeus]

I don't have a definitive answer for you. I'd need to see one of your development campaigns and resulting module to maybe diagnose the problem. A file size of 44Mb suggests a lot of images - you are selecting images to export right? And the images are in the images list in the campaign you are exporting from?

[csowders]

You are correct. My campaign has lots of images and some are pretty large. I always click the box to export everything. I keep all images in the image folder of the module, if that's what you mean.

[Zacchaeus]

You are correct. My campaign has lots of images and some are pretty large. I always click the box to export everything. I keep all images in the image folder of the module, if that's what you mean.

No I mean that in your creation campaign you have added the images into the campaign. That is you have opened the image in assets and clicked on Create Image record to add them into the campaign and so they are listed in the campaign when you click the images button on the right. And that if you are linking those images you are linking them from that list. But you are saying that most of what you are exporting isn't exporting but you don't really say what is missing. Is it story entries or what is it that isn't getting exported?

[csowders]

I've loaded the images in the correct FGU folder and then used assets to get them to appear in the campaign image list with all the other images. If I link them, I'll pull from that list. The reduced file size isn't coming from not getting my images imported correctly. For instance; the module in question was created and working with 8 maps/images I put in the campaign. I was using this module without issue just 2 nights ago. Today I wanted to develop/create a few things that were impacted by what the party did Tuesday. Even though I unloaded the module in the play campaign and loaded in the development campaign, when I did my test (described above), I exported and the file size was 113 KB. There were only 2 images in the list and those images only had a box with a red X, no image, although the encounter pins showed up.

Not sure I'm answering your questions, but those are my experiences. I'm an old school GM and technology is passing me by, so adjusting to FGU is a challenge at 60 years old.

Let me summarize how I thought Dev vs Play campaigns were supposed to work. Maybe I've got the workflow all wrong and creating my own problems.

1. Open Development Campaign
2. Enter all the data (story, maps, encounters, parcels, etc.) linked as necessary
3. Export all the above as a module
4. Unload module
5. Time to play
6. Open Play Campaign
7. Load the module exported in #3
8. Don't make any changes to the module while playing
9. End play, unload module
10. Time to adjust module based on player actions
11. Open Development Campaign and load the same module
12. Rinse and repeat the above steps

Am I close?

[Zacchaeus]

The problem is opening the module you created in the creation campaign. Don't ever do that.

You can only export that which is created in a campaign; you cannot export what is in a module. So your first ten steps are fine. When you want to edit the creation campaign you only open that campaign and then make any edits directly there in that campaign. Then export everything again. If you open the created module in the creation campaign you'll have duplicates of everything and you will inevitably edit that which you didn't mean to edit (that is you'll edit something in the module rather than in the campaign) and when you export it won't be there since you didn't edit the right thing.

So your creation campaign is dynamic - you can edit and change things but the module is static; you cannot change what's in the module except by re-exporting from the creation campaign.

[csowders]

I may not be using the right terminology. A picture's worth a thousand words.

50098

When I say campaign, I'm referring to one of these "campaigns".

The size of my campaign is very large, so I've been arranging sections in "chapters" which I equate to modules. I don't how else to divide it up. Here's where I load modules in both the play and development "campaigns".

50099

What can I do better.

[Zacchaeus]

You have the right terminology. You have a development campaign where you develop modules. This campaign is only used to create modules - you never open any modules that you have exported from that campaign in that campaign. So in Tran-Develop you have stuff and you export that stuff into Chim-Tran Chapter 2, Chim-Tran Chapter 3 etc. The modules only ever get opened in your play campaigns Chimera Tranquility - Play. As I said before you never open any exported module in the creation campaign - you only have stuff in that campaign that you want to export. So Chim-Tran Chapter 2 etc will never get opened in that campaign.

If you want to hit me up on Discord (I'm Zacchaeus on there too) I can talk you through things a little more and I might be able to solve your issue. At the moment I'm making all sorts of assumptions about what you have done and what level of knowledge you have of how to go about what you are trying to do.