Character Tool Instructions?

Discussion of your thoughts & requests, help for users and game specific configuration files for Character Tool

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jay
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Re: Character Tool Instructions?

Post by jay »

Trying to standardize this is very difficult, as not even the FW for the same game use the same properties. CT/IT are the only apps that share the same internal data structures.

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Azhrei
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Re: Character Tool Instructions?

Post by Azhrei »

+1

As Jay says, two frameworks for D&D4e can have different property names not to mention that different game systems are likely to have vastly different properties.

Some standardization is good, but going too far becomes a problem. Remember that MT is meant to be used with any game system. As long as you can express game rules via properties and macros, MT can model it. That means CT (and others) need to be similarly flexible. And that flexibility makes standardization very difficult if not impossible.

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jay
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Re: Character Tool Instructions?

Post by jay »

CT deals with this difference by allowing you to enter a mapping between MT properties and CT properties. But not all of the data can transfer in bot directions so it is fairly limited.

capt_j_dawson
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Re: Character Tool Instructions?

Post by capt_j_dawson »

Hey all, First I wanted to say thanks for posting this thread. I had just came across maptools recently and I'm trying to learn it.
Your post so far have helped answer questions I had. (I'm surprised that the FW does not provide the character tools the info it needs to know what properties are available/needed.) So thanks a lot to everyone that has posted some help for us beginners.

I assume there is no ability to select race or class, track spells, or add equipment implemented at this time. I also assume that if I want to add extra columns to a character sheet, I will need to learn abeille and make a totally new character sheet. Is that correct?

I am hoping that once I have a good handle on all this I can hand it too my players and have them create their characters with little guidance from me.

Thanks,
J

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jay
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Re: Character Tool Instructions?

Post by jay »

To which game settings file are you referring? The D&D 3.5 file didn't get that far before 4e came out. Pathfinder is basically the 3.5 file.

capt_j_dawson
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Re: Character Tool Instructions?

Post by capt_j_dawson »

I would like to use the pathfinder ruleset in my next game. (and so that is the set I was looking at.) If the 3.5 file is more developed then I would have no problem using that instead

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Re: Character Tool Instructions?

Post by skylark28 »

Forgive me if this is covered somewhere...

Brand new starting up, running a 4E D&D camp
trying to use character tool to set up the characters

Capt J D asked a similar question

I assume there is no equipment loaded in yet? I can not add any equipment (armor, weapon) to the character yet.

I've done multiple searches for information, but nothing yet.
So is there some method for adding a data file to make the equipment available?

Even under the property table, I can't type anything in. It LETS me type, but when I hit enter, it disappears.
:roll:

Edit: ok, I found how to add equipment. It took a lot of search engine tries, but finally found about the button. Man, that button is tiny! :mrgreen:

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jay
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Re: Character Tool Instructions?

Post by jay »

capt_j_dawson wrote:I would like to use the pathfinder ruleset in my next game. (and so that is the set I was looking at.) If the 3.5 file is more developed then I would have no problem using that instead
The Pathfinder file is almost exactly like the 3.5 file, I've just fixed the scripts for skills to work with the Pathfinder rules.

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jay
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Re: Character Tool Instructions?

Post by jay »

skylark28 wrote:Even under the property table, I can't type anything in. It LETS me type, but when I hit enter, it disappears.
:roll:
Which table can you type into? It should work or I've got a bug somewhere.
skylark28 wrote:Edit: ok, I found how to add equipment. It took a lot of search engine tries, but finally found about the button. Man, that button is tiny! :mrgreen:
Sorry about that, if I make them any bigger it messes with how much stuff I can show on a single sheet.

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Sol Invictus
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Re: Character Tool Instructions?

Post by Sol Invictus »

jay wrote:CT deals with this difference by allowing you to enter a mapping between MT properties and CT properties. But not all of the data can transfer in bot directions so it is fairly limited.
Ah! This is interesting? How can I set up the mapping of the properties? Where? Or do I need to learn Java to do that?

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jay
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Re: Character Tool Instructions?

Post by jay »

There is a properties file that you can create that maps MT property names to scripts that are run against the CT/IT properties. The file is stored in the property directory and is called mtPropertyMap.properties. It's contents looks like this:

Code: Select all

MTPropertyName=ct.property.name
MTPropertyName2=JavaScript:: // Calculate value using java script
ACForce=if(getIfExists("root.equipped.armor.lightArmor", TRUE()), 0, 1)

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Re: Character Tool Instructions?

Post by neofax »

You can take a look at the 4E files as there used to be one that mapped over to Veggiesama's framework.
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jay
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Re: Character Tool Instructions?

Post by jay »

Good idea! Here's the file neofax is talking about.
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mtPropertyMap.zip
Veggiesama's framework mapping
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Sol Invictus
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Re: Character Tool Instructions?

Post by Sol Invictus »

Thanks! I will have a look at that. Might be an idea for future CT versions to include a feature into the program that enables the user to map properties quick and easy. Maybe involving a "Save as" or "Export" option.

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jay
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Re: Character Tool Instructions?

Post by jay »

That is something I need to add to the game settings file editor. The problem with putting it into CT is that it is different for every game and every framework for that game. So if you played multiple games you would need to have multiple sets of them.

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