[extension] Spell Tokens Extension

[MrDDT]

I think it’s being seen more because of the indicator and widget options out. Now I’m starting to use it more it’s being seen.
At this time because of this and I have other ways of doing spells for the most part. I’m starting to want to use this ext less.
As I build more with widget effects I’m looking away from Spell Tokens and a more automated way to do spell effects. However there are still great cases I like to keep using spell tokens.
But if this is going to reorder randomly who is on top of who. Makes me not want to use it.

Honestly Fantasy Grounds needs to give us a way to set these settings. Because there will be some good cases of making images that need to be above widget layers and stuff and some tokens need to always be low while some should always be high.

[bratch9]

I think it’s being seen more because of the indicator and widget options out. Now I’m starting to use it more it’s being seen.
At this time because of this and I have other ways of doing spells for the most part. I’m starting to want to use this ext less.
As I build more with widget effects I’m looking away from Spell Tokens and a more automated way to do spell effects. However there are still great cases I like to keep using spell tokens.
But if this is going to reorder randomly who is on top of who. Makes me not want to use it.

Honestly Fantasy Grounds needs to give us a way to set these settings. Because there will be some good cases of making images that need to be above widget layers and stuff and some tokens need to always be low while some should always be high.

Agree the API is lacking. I'd like to see layers that can be set above the tokens, and lua control for show/no show, and access to the list of sprites added to a layer to move/rotate etc after initial create, and been able to have different show/no show per layer and per player. ( for things like multi-layer maps to allow one player upstairs while with other players in other places... and things like above token cobweb layers etc.. )

-pete

[MrDDT]

Agree the API is lacking. I'd like to see layers that can be set above the tokens, and lua control for show/no show, and access to the list of sprites added to a layer to move/rotate etc after initial create, and been able to have different show/no show per layer and per player. ( for things like multi-layer maps to allow one player upstairs while with other players in other places... and things like above token cobweb layers etc.. )

-pete

Exactly, I was even thinking last night that it would be nice to have things shown above the grid layer. So, you can give the illusion of depth correctly. But that goes right along with the other things you are saying.

Part of it I think was we've been struggling with some slowdowns in FGVTT for the last 1.5 years but it's starting to get better and now I'm looking at making it look better in maps and I see other VTTs doing things I want to do.

[bratch9]

Exactly, I was even thinking last night that it would be nice to have things shown above the grid layer. So, you can give the illusion of depth correctly. But that goes right along with the other things you are saying.

Part of it I think was we've been struggling with some slowdowns in FGVTT for the last 1.5 years but it's starting to get better and now I'm looking at making it look better in maps and I see other VTTs doing things I want to do.

FGU started with lower performance than classic, and has got worse. I've not noticed any improvement in performance, the move to webp has lowered performance. A lot of the windows you can see take actual time now to just open, even the right hand side bar got an initial stutter. I'm not sure what causes the performance issues. I do have some tests with convex hull outlines for the likes of spell tokens. I have code to split them by line and hence have a test system that splits a hull by the grid lines and calculates the area in each grid square. While the math to do this in lua can get expensive as the hull gets large, one of the major slow downs is just passing each cut bit of hull to the layer system. I dont know if the performance in this case is the likes of network traffic doing sync of each added layer item or if its the lua=>c#=>lua context flow. ( Considering I was testing just on host with no clients, I'd expect network to not be an issue... but adding to the items to the layer system does take a chunk of time if you do a few hundred on an update.. )

Its very clear that some effort towards other vtt features is required, but I'd prefer to see better 2D support for layers and a proper internal audio system. While I like the idea of 3D, I think the DM effort to setup/customise is too high. 3D is fine if you are going to have 3rd party payment for fully constructed modules. I think we have just seen the net result of 3D vtt failing !!

Until the likes of one of the 3D AI generator tools is fully integrated in to a VTT and even maybe a LLM to allow for quick text to generation, I'm not sure 3D will work. Its fantastic in the like of BG3 but that is a fixed world of custom art with years of development. Until we can sort of get to that vision with ease of editing I dont see 3D vtt been anything other than a cash cow grab.

I'd love to see proper audio, things like traps with triggers and responses, multi level maps that just connect. We need above layers for things like spider web, or just chandeliers above the current play area etc. Easy things like multi-state items, like open/closed trap/chest, or normal/tipped over table, or searched/not searched desks, or just disturbed rubble when a player moves over it.

I think with extensions we can do a lot of these things, 'sort of', and that is the problem at the moment. Just too much compromise to fit, making a near solution instead of a proper solution.

The LUA->c# api needs changes, I'd like to see every window class work via the api. ( Instead of the image window been a lot of hidden direct c# stuff. I think most other windows are simple and use lua, maybe assets display needs some extra exposed interfaces. ) I've not looked at the new radial->menu changes, but this used to have c# built pre-setup. In spell tokens I replace the rotate and add my extra target buttons, but could not remove default stuff off the radial that was not required.... and currently the spell tokens extension now has multiple rotate entries in the menu system, so I need to look into how to 'adjust/replace' those if it is even possible from lua.

Performance for me is more about response, than time to show. I would be happy with assets window, if it did not stall but show 'loading...' box while it processed the specific load image. I'm not sure how quick the 'lots of spells/power' character window is at the moment, as I've not tested that for a long time.

My 2p,
-pete

[Elrix]

Dumb question, since it looks to me like it is. But is this Diablo Bob extension that I saw Laerun present on Fantasy Ground Academy? That video is showing 4 years ago, and the video links are borken, which sort of makes sense as there were messages in this thread saying some issues with the DM Guild.

Here's what I was looking for: https://youtu.be/57sw7JZzrag?t=1929

[BaneTBC]

Completely separate products although they have some similar functionality. B9’s Spelk Token Extension deals with just that, DiabloBob’s Criticalky Awewome Essentials has similar token functionality while also doing other things like handling Polymorph/shapechange/wildshape stuff.

[madman]

Its very clear that some effort towards other vtt features is required, but I'd prefer to see better 2D support for layers and a proper internal audio system. While I like the idea of 3D, I think the DM effort to setup/customise is too high. 3D is fine if you are going to have 3rd party payment for fully constructed modules. I think we have just seen the net result of 3D vtt failing !!

Until the likes of one of the 3D AI generator tools is fully integrated in to a VTT and even maybe a LLM to allow for quick text to generation, I'm not sure 3D will work. Its fantastic in the like of BG3 but that is a fixed world of custom art with years of development. Until we can sort of get to that vision with ease of editing I dont see 3D vtt been anything other than a cash cow grab.

I'd love to see proper audio, things like traps with triggers and responses, multi level maps that just connect. We need above layers for things like spider web, or just chandeliers above the current play area etc. Easy things like multi-state items, like open/closed trap/chest, or normal/tipped over table, or searched/not searched desks, or just disturbed rubble when a player moves over it.


My 2p,
-pete

Well said. I think a lot of people feel this way.
Madman

[bratch9]

Dumb question, since it looks to me like it is. But is this Diablo Bob extension that I saw Laerun present on Fantasy Ground Academy? That video is showing 4 years ago, and the video links are borken, which sort of makes sense as there were messages in this thread saying some issues with the DM Guild.

Here's what I was looking for: https://youtu.be/57sw7JZzrag?t=1929

No this is not those extensions, those have all moved to forge now... from Rob2e.

Critically Awesome Essentials & One Click Druid
Enhanced Spell Window


I'm sure you can find others on the forge.

Hope this helps,

-pete

[Lawlesslisa]

Hello.

Is there a way to use this extension to add graphics to weapon attacks? Like a sneak attack or ranged bow attack?
I have some animations that I would like to use that are not spells.

Thanks

[MrDDT]

Hello.

Is there a way to use this extension to add graphics to weapon attacks? Like a sneak attack or ranged bow attack?
I have some animations that I would like to use that are not spells.

Thanks

You would have to manually drag those images onto the map and remove them each time. So pretty much no.

You should look into Generic Actions it has 2 exts in it. One of them is called Generic Actions Layers (all part of the same ext) and it will do what you want.

Feel free to message me on discord if you need help. GAL is sorta complex to setup, I highly suggest you contact me.