Character Sheet for Campaign: Need Help

[mcgarnagle]

Hello,

First off, I'd like to say I know nothing about XML or editing them. It really is very confusing to me. However, I still would like to try my hand at mking a custom character sheet. It doesn't need to be anything fancy. Just something with the appropriate fields that can all be entered manually. I don't need much (or possibly any) fields that do adding or automatically fill when something else corrosponding to it is entered.

Here is a rough layout of what I need. This was all done in paints shop pro so I'm no where close to being at this point yet. This is only the first page of the character sheet. The other tabs will be similar to the ones that are with the default sheet with some minor modifications.

https://img171.imageshack.us/img171/2672/earthdawnsheet1oi8.png

So what I need to know is:

1. Is this even possible for someone with little to no experience with modifying XML?

2. If it is possible for me to do it on my own, where do I go to get started on the changes, and what do I need to make said changes?

Any help that anyone is willing to provide would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Foen]

If you have little or no xml pre-knowledge, but are a fast learner, you should be able to do this. If programming isn't you bag (just like artwork isn't mine), then you might need some help.

If you are doing this for a campaign, maybe one of the players has some skills you could call on?

In answer to your second question, the xml for character sheets is in the charsheet_<various>.xml files in the root directory of the ruleset. Unpack the example d20 ruleset to see what I mean (it will unpack into an examples sub-directory, if you run unpack.exe).

Cheers

Stuart
(Foen)

[GoOrange]

So what I need to know is:

1. Is this even possible for someone with little to no experience with modifying XML?

2. If it is possible for me to do it on my own, where do I go to get started on the changes, and what do I need to make said changes?

Any help that anyone is willing to provide would be appreciated.

Thanks!

1. Yes definitely. I'm in the same boat as you and have done similar things (with some great advice and help from people like Stuart and Josh).

2. The best place to start would be going to the library at the top of this website and read the first few sections in the ruleset modification guides. Follow the instructions to unpack the d20 ruleset like Stuart said and then make a copy of the unpacked ruleset in your ruleset folder (and change the name to whatever you want).

The next step is to get a decent text editor (I like using the freeware notepadd++, exactly which one you use doesn't matter, but something other than the microsoft notepad/wordpad will make your life easier).

When you're ready to go, start tinkering with the various xml files in your new ruleset folder. I'd suggest spending time just looking at the various files and what they contain, to try and get an idea of what is doing what. When you think you are ready, make a simple change and fire up the program to test it out. Before long you'll be making real progress!

[mcgarnagle]

Well, I've done as you suggested and I have to say I am so overwhelmed. I've opened the character sheet files and it seems far more complex than what I imagined it would be.

Is there any step by step tutorials available (preferably with screen shots) that could help me out?

[Sorontar]

Well, I've done as you suggested and I have to say I am so overwhelmed. I've opened the character sheet files and it seems far more complex than what I imagined it would be.

Is there any step by step tutorials available (preferably with screen shots) that could help me out?

I so wish there was as I am in the same boat, I have currently shelved my plan to do a Hero system sheet and do the easier bit of changing the desktop (even though I suck with arty stuff) and how in looks as thats just buggering around with images mostly.

With the charsheet it is difficult to visualize where all the borders and stuff are when you first look at it. I managed to replace the d20 logo with a Herosystem logo though :D

*goes to look for Dummies Guide to XML to see if that will help* ;)

[Griogre]

*goes to look for Dummies Guide to XML to see if that will help*
FYI a dummys book won't help with rulesets. XML for FG is trival because all it does is hold data in a structure. If you know the "tags" are case sensitive and you have to close every tag you open you know enough XML.

What you have to learn is what all the different tags do and how the data is read into and interacts with LUA and the FG.exe. That is the tricky part.

For most people who just want to game, using Toadwart's Generic Character Sheet ruleset is enough. If they got the rulebooks then a character sheet, battlemap and dice are enough for the players and GM.

[Toadwart]

That 'generic' charactersheet is about as simple as it gets. Feel free to rip it apart too. I find that's the best way to learn: make a small change to the xml, fire up FG and see what effect it has.
Being sure to always have a backup to go back to just in case you make a real mess of things. Sometimes even minor mistakes in the xml can cause FG to crash.

Other things to be aware of:
If you put a tag into the xml that FG doesn't recognise (including case differences. i.e. <Stringfield> is not the same as <stringfield>) then, in most cases, it will simply be ignored.
note: IF you ever delve into lua programming then you can make use of your own tags.

The Library link above is the first place to go to find out what tags are 'valid'. Go into the "Ruleset Reference" and look under elements.
Most of the time you will be dealing with "windowclass", "numberfield" and "stringfield" elements.
note: for numberfield/stringfield also look at numbercontrol/stringcontrol. The only difference between them is that numberfields/stringfields save their value into the database (db.xml). Numbercontrols/stringcontrols can have a value while FG is running but that value is discarded when FG closes.

[mcgarnagle]

I actually went looking for Toadwart's simple character sheet but could not find it. I wa ssigned into FUM too and tried the link in the other spread sheet. (I think a few days ago when I was looking, I found the FG1 sheet but not FG2). Any reason why I can't find it? Am I missing something?

Thanks for all the help and advice too, by the way!

Edit: Nevermind! found it!

[Toadwart]

I actually went looking for Toadwart's simple character sheet but could not find it. I wa ssigned into FUM too and tried the link in the other spread sheet. (I think a few days ago when I was looking, I found the FG1 sheet but not FG2). Any reason why I can't find it? Am I missing something?

Thanks for all the help and advice too, by the way!

Edit: Nevermind! found it!

No worries. Wish I had more time to play around with FG rulesets. Mossy wanted a similar treatment for NPCs/Items but I just haven't got around to it yet...

For anyone else looking for the FG2 version: its in a thread on these forums(https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6314 (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6314))
I *think* I emailed a copy to the FUM boys, but can't see it in over there. Will fire it off to them again.

[mcgarnagle]

Okay, so I've started to figure things out. I decided to experiment with an easier character sheet first before I try something more elaborate. But I've come across a few things I can't quite figure out.

Let me first start by saying that I'm using the generic character sheet as a jump point (it took a while but I think that it was certainly the best place to start, so thanks). Anyway, I can't seem to get some parts to workout and I'm not sure, but I think it might be the frames that are causing me some troubles.

https://img154.imageshack.us/img154/5218/genericcharsheetmainut3.png

Okay, so I want to tab from Base of Operations to Fighting at #1. This works okay. Then I want it to tab to Rank # located at #2 but it won't. I have the tags in there and the coordinates right but it just won't do anything when I tab.

Edit: I figured out this paragraph above but I'm still experiencing the problem below.

Also, If I click my mouse where #3 and #4 are located, I can start to type in a field there. I don't want those there, but can't find them in the XML. Like I said, I'm pretty sure this all has something to do with the frames that are with the generic sheet, but I could be wrong.

Edit: I'm not sure what I did, but this second piece is partially fixed. I can no longer click at number 3. I imagine as I go along, the other parts will become fixed...

[mcgarnagle]

I've been doing really well making my new character sheet but now I'm getting to a point where I'd like to try some more complex things. I don't know if this is possible or not, but any help I can get would be very welcome.

1. Is there any way to put a small thumbnail like image on a character sheet which can act as a link to a specific image if pressed? If so, any idea on what this entails?

2. The ruleset that I'm using uses the d100 system. Is there anyway of getting rid of all the other dice? The only thing I want are percentile dice that can be used when picked up (no having to right click on the d10 and then selecting %). On top of this, I need a d10 as well, with the option to roll many of them. It would almost work the best if the percentile dice were the default (and the only dice on the screen) and to access the d10's you need to right click.

This isn't really important, as you can get the % dice by right clicking, but if this is the vast majority of your rolls, it would cut out a lot of extra clicks.

3. How do I go about fixing up the modifier box in the bottom left? All I really need to do is fix what the box says inside. I don't want it to say modifier. Also, whenever there is a modifier within the box when the roll is made, I'd like it to say in the chat window for the result to say {your roll + X karma added = total %} where X represents the number in the modifier box.

4. I was also thinking of changing the fonts for the chat window. How do I go about doing this? I don't need to change the fonts anywhere else. If the fonts are changed, will the Emote, Story, and OCC still be a different colour?

5. Finally, for the radial menus, I need to change the font colour (and maybe even the font itself, but this isn't as important). I have a dark background for the radial menu and it is hard to read the font right now.


One last thing. I think this would be very difficult to do, so I can't really consider this as a realistic possibility, but I would prefer to use the modifier box, or create another, separate box beside it, for keeping track of scores. In this system, all rolls are made with percentile dice. All abilities, special powers, etc., have a corresponding adjective such as "Remarkable" or "Excellent". There are about 15 or so and each word is cross referenced on a table ranging from 1-100 (the percentile dice). Then, there are four categories of success represented by colours (White, green, yellow, and red with red being the highest).

What would be great, is to have this second box store an ability (for example, Remarkable or Rm). Then with the Rm stored in the box, the player or GM can roll and the program could automatically look up the result on the table and display the result as a colour in the chat window, such as a white, green, yellow or red rectangle.

This box would have to work in conjunction with the other modifier box, so that if a player put in 30 karma to add to their roll, and Rm in the second box, the result would add the 30 karma to the result. (making a roll of 55, a green result, into a roll of 85, a yellow result)

As I said, very complicated and more than likely out of the question.

Thanks for any help that can be provided, and sorry if these questions have all been answered before. I didn't search very hard. :o

[mcgarnagle]

I think I have the fonts down pat. But a couple more things need to be changed. The "new" box in the bottom right cornor of the story form, image form and the others... I needed to resize the graphic, but obviously the area where you click on the button did not resize with it. what file is this found in to be resized?

[mcgarnagle]

I'm currently trying to rip all the D20 stuff out of the NPC character sheet so that I can create my own NPC sheet in the same style and method as Toadwart's generic character sheet. However, I'm running into SO many problems. I really don't have the knowledge base on how to remove the stuff I don't need/want and still keep the general framework the the sheet working.

Think of it this way: I just need to delete all of the fields that make the D20 sheet (I.E. the name, speed, AC, attrubute fields, etc.) and then, using a graphic and stringfields, make my own personality page. I need the tabs to keep working, the token referencing to keep working, and also the NPC needs to show up on the personalities list. In other words, it needs to work the same, just look completely different.

Has anyone done anything like this? can anyone help me remove the guts of this sheet while keeping it functional?

Thanks!

[GoOrange]

I'm currently trying to rip all the D20 stuff out of the NPC character sheet so that I can create my own NPC sheet in the same style and method as Toadwart's generic character sheet. However, I'm running into SO many problems. I really don't have the knowledge base on how to remove the stuff I don't need/want and still keep the general framework the the sheet working.

Think of it this way: I just need to delete all of the fields that make the D20 sheet (I.E. the name, speed, AC, attrubute fields, etc.) and then, using a graphic and stringfields, make my own personality page. I need the tabs to keep working, the token referencing to keep working, and also the NPC needs to show up on the personalities list. In other words, it needs to work the same, just look completely different.

Has anyone done anything like this? can anyone help me remove the guts of this sheet while keeping it functional?

Thanks!

I've done the slightest bit of it, taking out a few things and adding in a few things with my Star Wars Saga Edition rules. I didn't completely strip it down, however, just removed a few entries, changed a few, and added a few.

The basic stuff should be pretty easy and I might be able to offer some useful advice. The tricky part for me comes into play when you start messing around with the combat tracker. Still, I may be able to help.

Where are you starting from - the basic unpacked D20 ruleset? Where are you running into problems with the NPC sheet? If you are at a loss as to what to do, can you describe exactly what you want to do first (what one thing do you want to remove first or what one thing do you want to put in etc.).

I've found general how-to advice is difficult to give out, but if you have more specific questions, I can try to help.

[Toadwart]

I haven't poked around with the npc stuff yet. However, maybe taking a different approach might be easier.
Have you considered creating a replacement npc sheet from scratch rather than trying to change the existing one?

[mcgarnagle]

I've done the slightest bit of it, taking out a few things and adding in a few things with my Star Wars Saga Edition rules. I didn't completely strip it down, however, just removed a few entries, changed a few, and added a few.

The basic stuff should be pretty easy and I might be able to offer some useful advice. The tricky part for me comes into play when you start messing around with the combat tracker. Still, I may be able to help.

Where are you starting from - the basic unpacked D20 ruleset? Where are you running into problems with the NPC sheet? If you are at a loss as to what to do, can you describe exactly what you want to do first (what one thing do you want to remove first or what one thing do you want to put in etc.).

I've found general how-to advice is difficult to give out, but if you have more specific questions, I can try to help.

I guess the part that I'm finding the most tricky is keeping all of the functions of the personality list page. The adventure_npc.xml not only contains the information on each NPC, but it also contains all of the data for organizing them. I need to know what can be removed in order to create a new NPC sheet, without removing the essential ingredients that is keeping the structure and routing of the files.

Once I get that cleared up, I would also like to keep some of the features that are already there. Universal ones such as the button that creates a voice ID for the GM. keeping it so that the sheet is resizable would be nice too, but I'm under the impression that anchors are needed in order to do this properly, which will probably prove difficult.


I haven't poked around with the npc stuff yet. However, maybe taking a different approach might be easier.
Have you considered creating a replacement npc sheet from scratch rather than trying to change the existing one?

I would love to take a crack at making something from scratch but I can guarantee that I don't have the knowledge or skills to take on something like this. If you have any suggestions on where/how to start, I'd love the assistance.

[GoOrange]

I guess the part that I'm finding the most tricky is keeping all of the functions of the personality list page. The adventure_npc.xml not only contains the information on each NPC, but it also contains all of the data for organizing them. I need to know what can be removed in order to create a new NPC sheet, without removing the essential ingredients that is keeping the structure and routing of the files.

You can delete most of the functions on the personality page. The personality list page I believe is handled by various identitylist* lua scripts in the scripts folder.

I'm looking at the adventure_npcs.xml file and most of what I see is just the various npc info, I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "structure and routing of the files."

You can easily go through and delete or replace most of the stuff in the adventure_npcs.xml file like the <columnstringfield name="organization"> section (but you need to make sure you fix other references to it later on in the same file).

If you wanted to, you could pretty much delete all of the entry fields on the current NPC sheet and replace them with your own. You'll get into trouble with the combat tracker, as it won't be able to find things it's looking for like AC, but that's something to be fixed at a later stage.


Once I get that cleared up, I would also like to keep some of the features that are already there. Universal ones such as the button that creates a voice ID for the GM. keeping it so that the sheet is resizable would be nice too, but I'm under the impression that anchors are needed in order to do this properly, which will probably prove difficult.

If you are just modding the d20 NPC sheet, it's easy to keep stuff that's there - just don't delete it! The button for voice ID is already taken care of. Resizing the sheet to a different fixed size shouldn't be too big of a deal, making it resizeable on the fly is beyond me at this point.

Maybe some of the others can give you an overall synopsis of how to edit the NPC sheet better than I can. I can try to help with specific questions like "How do I delete the HP field?" or "How do I add a section for non-lethal damage capacity?"


I would love to take a crack at making something from scratch but I can guarantee that I don't have the knowledge or skills to take on something like this. If you have any suggestions on where/how to start, I'd love the assistance.

Starting from scratch would be beyond me at this point. When I did the Star Wars Saga Edition rules, I just modified the base D20 page, taking out the D&D stuff that wasn't in the SW rules and added in the new things. This was pretty simple and was a good starting point for me. Big changes involving a system very different from d20 is definitely going to require more work.