Documentation on how to

Atlictoatl · Post by **Atlictoatl** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 4:29 pm

Hello!

RPTools look great, but after watching a number of tutorial videos, reading every bit of document I can find, and looking around on the forums here, I'm missing the most basic bit of data:

How do I import data into the Image_Explorer and Token_Tree? Since the program is running as a Java app, it is not at all clear to me where the root file structure is or how to configure the app to load files from a particular location on my harddrive.

I'd love the assistance, and this might be a good thing to add to the documentation and First MapTool Tutorial video.

Thanks!

brad · Post by **brad** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 4:53 pm

Hello Atlictoatl and welcome to MapTool. I guess I am not completely sure what you are asking. There isn't an Image Explorer or a Token Tree in MapTool. It almost seems like you are asking how to put images into the Map Explorer window. The Map Explorer window just lists what images you have on your various layers. If you are asking how to get images into your Resource Library, that is covered in the First tutorial. If you are asking how to drag images onto your map, that is covered in the Image and Layers tutorial.

If the above doesn't cover what you are asking, could you be more specific.

jsharen · Post by **jsharen** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 4:57 pm

You can look under your personal folder for the current user on windows Atlictoatl, under there you will find a .maptool directory.

If you drill down through through the resources tabs you can see the default tokens located there.

A simpler way of organizing things is to use the Add Resource library entry in the file menu (I think its the file menu going from memory here) and add a directory. Then everything you have in that directory will be shown in the library.

One of the tutorials goes through this, and as per its recommendation, let the software finish indexing before you do anything.

Hope this helps and gives you the direction you're looking for.

Jared

Full Bleed · Post by **Full Bleed** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 6:58 pm

File>Add to Resource Library

Then choose the path to where you have all of your tokens/images located.

As mentioned above, MT will then begin indexing all of the images you have in the path and it will remember that path.

Atlictoatl · Post by **Atlictoatl** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 7:07 pm

At risk of being argumentative, the First tutorial references the Resource Library. Watching it again, I've realized that the Add to Resource Library option mentioned in the tutorial is called Add Image Explorer Path in version 1.2b32 of MapTool (which was the latest version I thought I could download), and so it appears I can now build my Resource Library despite there no longer being anything referencing a Resource Library in 1.2b32.

That's hardly an intuitive UI change. With novice users, you'll run into some problems with the interface of the program in the First tutorial being divergent from what people downloading the product for the first time will get. If 1.2b32 *is* the latest product, I'd personally recommend changing that File Menu option back to mentioning the Resource Library. Not only because that's what is in the Tutorial, but because just browsing through menu options I would have intuitively thought to try that, whereas adding an Image Explorer Path was easily skipped over as nonintuitive languaging.

Thank you for your assistance, everyone. Your insistence that there was such a File Menu option led me to watching the tutorial again, and I eventually figured it out.

RedDog · Post by **RedDog** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 7:19 pm

Most people are using the 1.3 beta builds because the majority of them are very stable for beta releases and pack some really nice features. b35 is good; b38 looks to be good so far; and I expect b39 to be pretty solid.

Because of that, much of the conversation in the forum as well as brad's (most excellent) tutorials are based on 1.3. It won't be long before 1.3 is released as production, so it will eventually come around.

One or two of the community members are also working to update the wiki for 1.3, although it is a pretty big task.

The RPTools community is a good group of people who are very willing to help others. I would suggest giving b35 a try. If you can't find the answer on something, someone will likely be able to nudge you in the right direction.

Full Bleed · Post by **Full Bleed** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 7:23 pm

Atlictoatl wrote:At risk of being argumentative, the First tutorial references the Resource Library. Watching it again, I've realized that the Add to Resource Library option mentioned in the tutorial is called Add Image Explorer Path in version 1.2b32 of MapTool (which was the latest version I thought I could download), and so it appears I can now build my Resource Library despite there no longer being anything referencing a Resource Library in 1.2b32.

Yeah, the tutorials are for 1.3 so you may find some inconsistencies. Feel free to ask any questions you run into. People around here a quick to assist.

I'd suggest you download 1.3b34 from the Download Zip Archive and use it.

It's a very stable 1.3 build for new players to start with... but it does have some differences from the docs and videos (mainly regarding macros.)

Full Bleed · Post by **Full Bleed** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 7:30 pm

RedDog wrote:I would suggest giving b35 a try.

I advise against b35 because the new lighting starting with b35 really isn't ready for prime-time in my opinion, and it changes things from what's in the tutorials. There were also several macro bugs.

You can see in the b38 build threads that people are still waiting for lighting issues introduced in b35 to be addressed.

Atlictoatl · Post by **Atlictoatl** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:08 am

Very generous responses, thank you!

Azhrei · Post by **Azhrei** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 2:06 am

Brad, are the tutorials clearly marked as being for the 1.3 development builds? And most of them are pretty basic so they are likely good for a range of releases, but perhaps a quick review of which versions the tutorials apply to is in order? And then a note add to the download page that specifies the version constraints...

Full Bleed · Post by **Full Bleed** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 2:35 am

Azhrei wrote:Brad, are the tutorials clearly marked as being for the 1.3 development builds? And most of them are pretty basic so they are likely good for a range of releases, but perhaps a quick review of which versions the tutorials apply to is in order? And then a note add to the download page that specifies the version constraints...

The build number and version numbers for the tutorials are clearly marked on the videos.

And there is a Warning up about the rapid changes going on now too. I think Brad's done his due diligence in this area.

Big_Mac · Post by **Big_Mac** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 10:21 am

B28 is very stable and every thing in Brad videos works great on that version. I have been using b28 since just after it was release and never an issue.

brad · Post by **brad** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:49 am

Azhrei wrote:Brad, are the tutorials clearly marked as being for the 1.3 development builds? And most of them are pretty basic so they are likely good for a range of releases, but perhaps a quick review of which versions the tutorials apply to is in order? And then a note add to the download page that specifies the version constraints...

Yeah, the header of the MapTool tutorial page says "MapTool version 1.3 Tutorials", each tutorial description ends with the version and build number, and there is the rapid progress warning that Full Bleed mentioned. What I think might happen is I have the whole "Basic Series" or the whole "Advanced Series" zipped up for one big download. So, I am betting that some people just go straight to the collection downloads, to save time, and don't bother to read anything. I think when I make my final versions, I will include the MapTool version on the title page of each tutorial as well.