[1.3.b76] OTF Auras

[Imper1um]

While Auras are a powerful tool, there's a lot of Auras that are dynamic, I haven't thought of, or are on new spells/monsters I haven't seen yet.

As mentioned to Azhrei before, I want to add an Aura to a token without having the GM add it to the Auras Section... A custom Aura, if you will.

Zac

[Azhrei]

I had proposed that to the other developers but the feeling was that we had a feature freeze for 1.3 and we shouldn't violate that.

Personally I can see a lot of value to adding auras on the fly, but I also understand the need to lock down 1.3 and move on!

[aliasmask]

What I would really like is to have an image as an aura, centered on token, rather than just a color. You can come up with some really cool special effects. It could be just be a pattern fill with the offset calculated for the center of token, center of image. Image opacity could be a set property for the image or a part of the original image.

This would be cool for drawn shapes as objects.

[jfrazierjr]

I had proposed that to the other developers but the feeling was that we had a feature freeze for 1.3 and we shouldn't violate that.

Personally I can see a lot of value to adding auras on the fly, but I also understand the need to lock down 1.3 and move on!

I don't have a problem with making custom aura's but not with the current backend and GUI. If this were to be done, the first thing to do would be to split auras from lights which means some new UI anyway. I just know I was not going to do it.

In 1.4 aura's really need to be nothing more than templates which can be fixed to a token. Since templates will be real objects instead of just drawings, that is best way to accomplish the goal IMO.

Of course, I don't get the need(ie, in my games it just does not come up as an issue), but I keep hearing people say it's critical, so... I am up for someone doing it if it was done correctly (meaning removing from being a type of light). But there are other things to consider such as permissions(which is the point of the GM being required to create lights/aura's as it stands now.) <shrug>

[Azhrei]

I am up for someone doing it if it was done correctly (meaning removing from being a type of light).

Well, auras are sort of both. I like them being treated as lights because it means emanations and bursts (D&D/PF terms) can be determined using auras since VBL stops the aura. And auras being lights mean they don't go around corners. (Examples include silence and magic circle vs. evil for emanations, and bless for a burst. They are mechanically the same.)

In 1.4 we need something even more flexible so that it includes spreads. A spread works like light, but when it hits a barrier it wraps around it, continuing to count distance using 5-ft squares. (Examples of this would include fireball and entangle.)

But that's a discussion for another day.

[jfrazierjr]

I am up for someone doing it if it was done correctly (meaning removing from being a type of light).

Well, auras are sort of both. I like them being treated as lights because it means emanations and bursts (D&D/PF terms) can be determined using auras since VBL stops the aura. And auras being lights mean they don't go around corners.

Well.. this part is easy to do even now. This can be controlled by drawing order and/or getting the visible area and doing an intersect with the aura to get your "blocked" area to draw.

In 1.4 we need something even more flexible so that it includes spreads.

This.... not so much.... let me know when you start on this... I will pray for your sanity...

[Imper1um]

All I really want to do is...

Right-Click Token > Auras > Custom

Produces a popup that says

Type > (Circle, Square, Arch)
Size > [Text Box]
Color > [Text Box]
GM Only > Yes/No
Owner Only > Yes/No

OK/Cancel

[Azhrei]

Yeah, we've talked about it and it won't happen for 1.3.

It's a bummer, but that means pre-creating the auras you'll need prior to needing them.

Of course, a simple {Perl,shell,TCL,Python,whatever} script could pretty easily generate the syntax needed...