RPTools.net

I'm sorry if this has been asked before. I did a lot of searching but have been unable to find an answer to this question.

Are there plans to make the RPTools CharacterTool compatible with the .dnd4e files from the official DDI Character Builder software?

The Character Builder is an exceptional tool for building a character, however it has no support for any platform other than Windows. I would like a tool that would allow me to make upgrades and changes without having to boot a Windows machine. I know that WotC has done a lot of work in making the character files compatible with third party software, including making the files XML based.

Any answer would be welcome!

I highly doubt it. The XML format is just a bunch of pointers. If you open one of the files up, you will have no way to determine any type of game mechanic. In any event, even if it were possible, it would in almost all likelihood be illegal.

Actually, a few months ago, the Character Builder had an update that modified the XML character sheet output. The change was in the April change notes. The relevant part was:



It sounds to me like it wouldn't be a problem to use that xml character sheet (not the actual character save file itself) as the basis for alternative formats. You could have an XSLT to display it on a web page, for example, or maybe convert it into the MT token XML format (creating a token with pre-populated properties), etc.

Well color me

I tend not to read the release notes(silly me), so was going by my original inspection of the XML format from way back when(Jan or so??)....

It would be phenomenal if support could be added to MapTool as well. Being able to take all of my groups character sheets and drop them right into MT to use them as token would make life infinitely simpler!

My group shared their character sheets with me via a site called iplay4e.com . They upload their character files to the site so I can download the character files on my own machine, open them in the DDI Character Builder, and print out their character sheets/power cards for myself.

I don't play 4e so I don't really have time to do a file conversion utility. The rptok file is too complicated for simple XLST so you would have to write code to implement this. If somebody were to do this in JavaScript I would be happy to add support into CT to call it.

The problem with the DDI builder that I have seen is not all the math is correct. If you give your character an implement (from what I've seen: a player of mine with this resource sent me a screeny of his character with DDI and I checked the math it was off based on the implement, I didn't pay attention to most other things as they weren't important then) it doesn't give the bonus to hit from the implement to implement keyword powers, thus I like myth-weavers.com free to register and the math is done for you when you plug in the numbers. Granted it doesn't have a feat search or anything extra spiffy, but still.

I've never had that problem with the Char Builder, and I've run a number of characters with implements.

Having never personally used the tool I don't know if maybe he missed a checkbox for "has implement" or something that realizes equipped gear but the math was off on his screen *shrug*

Oh, I totally believe you. I just wouldn't want people getting the impression that the math is always off for implements -- this is the first time I've heard of that happening, and I game with a lot of people who use the Builder.

Can somebody post a DDI xml file? Or email it to me if it is too big?

The DDI Character Builder's format isn't that bad. It has a section that stores the character's whole history (what feats were added or removed at what level), but it also has a summary section with just the current information.

I have a quick and dirty tool I use to build Rumble macro tokens from DDI's dnd4e files. It gets the basic stats (e.g. name, race, attributes, hit points) right, but I still have to provide some information myself. The save file doesn't store the basic information about a longbow's range and damage, for example, and you need that to build attack macros.

Check your mail, Jay. That attached character is from the latest DDI tool.

//Stitched//

Would you be willing to share that?

Have you checked the data in an exported character sheet, rather than the actual CB save file? Per the release notes from April (see above), it sounds to me like it was the character sheet that was updated to be more useful for 3rd party purposes, and might have more "final" display info like ranges, etc. Just guessing, I haven't looked at it myself.