Statblock -> RPTok conversion?

[Azhrei]

Has anyone here been working on converting the D&D3.5/PF statblock into a token file for lmarkus' campaign framework?

I'd like to have a web page (or similar) that I can paste a statblock into and then generate an RPTok that I can drag into my PFBeta campaign.

It would need to parse the statblock and identify which pieces can be represented in the RPTok, then generate the XML for the properties and any needed macros (?), and then provide a download link or something for such a statblock.

Ideally, this tool would cache statblocks that other people have done so that they could simply be selected from a list and then I wouldn't even need to copy/paste the statblock. As it is right now, I have to copy/paste text from the Paizo PDF for Curse of the Crimson Throne modules into VIM so that I can remove the unicode stuff and clean up the text. I don't do this for statblocks, but for room descriptions, trap details, treasure details, and so forth.

Having a statblock converter would be soooo sweeet. Between IMarv's monster database and a statblock converter, my time to build tokens would drop to almost nothing.

Anyone heard of or working on something like this?

[IMarvinTPA]

Not yet, but it would be tempting to do.

After I convert the monsters in the Bestiary, I should have code that could be adapted.

If not, I'll keep it in mind.

IMarv

[Hawke]

Man I'd kill for a 4E converter! Especially now that the monster token format is available in XML it'd be super easy.

I still am a fan for MapTool to support .xml drags... you drag the content.xml file from the rptok in and it creates a token w/ a default image. It'd be easier to manage than the zips when it comes to playing with a generator and seeing if it works.

[jay]

I'd be interested in adding something like this to CT. I'd like to be able to import both stat blocks and xml files. Then they can be saved into any MT framework that has a source file in CT as well.

[Azhrei]

I'd be interested in adding something like this to CT. I'd like to be able to import both stat blocks and xml files. Then they can be saved into any MT framework that has a source file in CT as well.

This actually makes the most sense as support for multiple frameworks could be obtained for the price of one. (Well, mostly. Some frameworks may not support all of the same fields as another framework and they may not be representable in CT in a way that the data could be converted to both.)

However, CT requires Java 6 and I don't have that, so for my (current) situation I'd prefer a Java 5 solution. Or if I end up working on this myself, it'll be a Perl solution.

[DMFTodd]

Resurrecting an old thread....

What type of file is a .rptok or .mtmacset? They don't appear to be text files... it looks like junk in Notepad.

Is there a way to create these files from an external program to be used in MapTools?

Or...I'm the author of DM's Familiar (http://www.paladinpgm.com/dmf). I want to export from DM's Familiar to create either a token or a macroset for import into Maptools. Is there a way to do that?

[neofax]

Not really. The easiest would be to write to CharacterTools file and have it create the token. Also, to view the files inside the .rptok, just unzip them.

[DMFTodd]

Ah, zip file, thanks.

The token file looks fairly complex and might be hard to create externally, but the macro file certainly looks easy to do. Should be possible to write a tool that takes character information from some source and turns it into a macro file. Then in Maptools drop a token on the map and import those macros to the token.

[IMarvinTPA]

The token files aren't that bad really. I'm already doing them from a database on http://www.imarvintpa.com/dndlive/

IMarv

[DMFTodd]

I'm learning all sorts of things today. I suppose those tokens work with this framework? Is there any documentation on creating the token file?

[IMarvinTPA]

I have not run across any documentation for the token file formats, fortunately, they're all zipped up, text, and images. It takes a little bit of effort (tedium) to reverse engineer, but it is very easy to do. I mostly took lmarcus's pre-made tokens, unzipped them, and started taking apart their contents.xml file and remade it with a script.

I think the hardest part was understanding that you need to wrap the image file in an XML file in the assets folder instead of just the image file itself. (But the MD5 is of the binary file, not the Base64 version of it.)

IMarv

[Azhrei]

I think the hardest part was understanding that you need to wrap the image file in an XML file in the assets folder instead of just the image file itself. (But the MD5 is of the binary file, not the Base64 version of it.)

IMarv

Trevor said this was a bug and the asset should be stored in binary format directly. Don't know if its' been fixed in b57 or b58, though -- I haven't looked.

PS: Glad to have you with us, Todd. I enjoy your posts on ENworld (and I've seen you at Paizo's boards too, right?).