Making your own power cards

[Trolls]

Originally Posted by randolph

I'm actually 95% done with it as of last night, but I'm not going to stop you

By the way, Trolls, quindia, I've been crediting you as your ENWorld handles, let me know if you want me to use a different name.

I should have checked this thread before I got half way into it!
I expect you know what you're doing better than I do, so I'll wait and see how yours turns out
Thanks for giving it a go!

Using my ENworld handle is fine by me.

[quindia]

Originally Posted by randolph

By the way, Trolls, quindia, I've been crediting you as your ENWorld handles, let me know if you want me to use a different name.

Quindia is fine. It's my identity for everything I do online and much more recognizable than Clarence!

[randolph]

TL;DR If you're using any of the MSE templates I posted earlier, please re-download the attached package, it's much better. If you get errors while opening a set file made with the earlier version, view the fix in the SBLOCK below, and if that still doesn't work, I'll help you fix it.

In case of error...

The only type of error message you should get should be "unexpected key" errors. If this occurs:
1) Make a change to any card in the set, or create a new card (you can leave it entirely blank).
2) Save the set. The error should not happen again.

Some symbols you might have placed in the earlier version will not transfer elegantly to the new version. If you see this:
1) Select the affected field.
2) If the wrong symbol/text is in the field, delete it.
3) Mouseover the symbol field to see the new abbreviation-to-symbol mapping

Originally Posted by quindia

Quindia is fine. It's my identity for everything I do online and much more recognizable than Clarence!

You got it

Originally Posted by Trolls

I should have checked this thread before I got half way into it!
I expect you know what you're doing better than I do, so I'll wait and see how yours turns out
Thanks for giving it a go!

Using my ENworld handle is fine by me.

Done! I packaged all three MSE templates together in the attached file, including the necessary fonts.

Your (Trolls') template required some additional tweaks to the MSE game file:

Basically, anywhere a piece of power data was formatted using two font sizes, the game file needed an additional card field defined. As I was implementing your Action icons, I decided to actually implement a more intuitive abbreviation system for the icons of all of the templates, instead of continuing to use the Magic symbol abbreviations, so I ended up cleaning up the game files functions a lot more...

With the changes in place, the MSE game file fully supports all three templates without any field repurposing; however, the changes are not fully compatible with card sets made with the previous version of the template.

Edit: Updated version here.

[Khaalis]

NM - I got the files to work by updating the older files included in the new .zip.

However, I am trying to re-add my Dual Melee/Ranged symbol added into the new format and not having much luck. How would I go about adding a new range icon to the options?

[Lindorie]

I'm downloaded the MSE and randolph's templates to take a look myself, but does anyone have the pre-generated paladin and fighter powers in Randolph's, Quindia, and Troll's format? In pdf? [thanks]

I've told our group about these, and they are interested in playtesting with all the sets in front of them and seeing what they like about each.

[Allanon]

randolph, thanks for all the effort you've put into this. It works like a charm
Two quick questions though:

• what's the difference between a basic (m)elee attack and a (M)elee attack? Although the option is there both show the icon?
• Is it possible to make the titles in Quindia's Template scalable? Long titles like the warlock power "Curse of the Dark Dream" don't fit, and I shudder to think about names like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Stance" for future monks

For those interested in a comparison I've attached a Zipped PDF containing the 1st level powers of a fighter and a warlock.

To Trolls, Randolph, Quindia and all others thanks again for the effort in making/designing these cards. My group are going to love these cards.

[Khaalis]

Originally Posted by Allanon

randolph, thanks for all the effort you've put into this. It works like a charm

Ok, question. How did you get the Font to work on the Quindia style? Its not working for me. It defaults to a plain font.

Edit: NM. I shouldn't be trying to mess with this while at work. Too much multitasking. I had to install the Flare font. DOH!

[Trolls]

Very nice work randolph!

The only part missing is the black back of the titles. I managed to do that in my try by just creating another text box below the white one, but displaced by 2 pixels left and down. Is there a way to script it so the black text appears in place automatically?

Also, is the B character supposed to show a close burst symbol in the first notch? Nothing appears when I type it, but the cursor moves along as if something has been typed.

[Ashardalon]

I'll have to take a closer look at the templates, but I think I can answer some questions...

Originally Posted by Allanon

• Is it possible to make the titles in Quindia's Template scalable? Long titles like the warlock power "Curse of the Dark Dream" don't fit, and I shudder to think about names like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Stance" for future monks

Adding shrink-overflow to the alignment theoretically takes care of that. However, a bug in the current version can move long text outside the text box if used with nonstandard alignments such as center, which Quindia's template uses.

Originally Posted by Trolls

The only part missing is the black back of the titles. I managed to do that in my try by just creating another text box below the white one, but displaced by 2 pixels left and down. Is there a way to script it so the black text appears in place automatically?

To the font part of the title, add this:

			shadow color: rgb(0,0,0)
			shadow displacement x: 2
			shadow displacement y: -2

That should place the shadow you want correctly. Just fix the displacement if not. Do check that indention remains in tabs rather than spaces - I've found that code tags are notoriously inconsistent with keeping tabs.

[Beastman]

Originally Posted by quindia

Blue Card...

I like them and using them in MSE. Is it possible to get a silver and gold version (i want to make some item cards). Thanx...

I also tried to the Photoshop-Template and i like the background power-types. It would be cool to incorporate them into the MSE-template if possible (don't know if you can lay pictures behind the text and make them transparent so that the background of the card shows through). That would save some space in the Subtitle.

[quindia]

Edit: SIlver and Gold

[Khaalis]

Ok, tested the Randolph and Quindia formats on the 9 Cleric powers as presented in the "4E_PrRC_v2.1.pdf". These are sized at the classic 3.5"x2.5" for card sleeves (no backs, though that could be done easily enough). Each style is a different .pdf file to save on ink if you prefer one over the other.

EDIT: Added the Fighter cards for Randolph and Quindia.

[vagabundo]

I've used the templates above to make some condition cards.

I'm going to hand them out to players and they can hand them back once the condition is gone.

I'm not as interested in the power cards, they can manage that themselves.

Thanks for all the work.!!

[quindia]

Originally Posted by vagabundo

I've used the templates above to make some condition cards.

I'm going to hand them out to players and they can hand them back once the condition is gone.

Oooooo.... nice idea, Vagabundo! Anyone got an idea of a universal icon for condition cards? Is blue the best color? What does everyone think? That's something I'd be willing to make a (fairly) complete set of to post here on PDF.

Now I have to go out and buy blue card sleeves...

[Beastman]

[quote=quindia]Edit: SIlver and Gold [quote]

Perfect. Many thanx.

Have some problems incorporating them into MSE. Below is the script-file mod. the silver card is names scard.jpg and the golden one ycard.jpg. both files are in the data/dnd-quindia.mse-style directory with the other cards. The color-list in MSE does not list them.

any idea would be appreaciated. thanx again

################################################## ############ Extra scripts
init script:
template_suffix := [card: "card.jpg"]
template := { input + template_suffix[type] }
color_combination := { base_hybrid[shape][color_count]() }
mana_t := { "new" }
guild_mana := { "no" }
colorless_color := {
if card.card_color=="white" then "w"
else if card.card_color=="blue" then "u"
else if card.card_color=="black" then "b"
else if card.card_color=="green" then "g"
else if card.card_color=="grey" then "s"
else if card.card_color=="red" then "r"
else if card.card_color=="yellow" then "y"
else "c"
}

################################################## ############ Card fields

[Khaalis]

Originally Posted by quindia

Oooooo.... nice idea, Vagabundo! Anyone got an idea of a universal icon for condition cards? Is blue the best color? What does everyone think? That's something I'd be willing to make a (fairly) complete set of to post here on PDF.

Now I have to go out and buy blue card sleeves...

Just a few quick thoughts.

Ok, colors. I have to say after playing with this that we need to choose some more color options for the templates (assuming you are willing to make them.)

Using WotC Color Scheme we have:
Green = At-Will Power
Red = Encounter Power
Black = Daily Power

We also have the following TYPES that could use colors.

* Generic Class Features (e.g. Fighter's Combat Superiority)
* Conditions
* Items

Are there any other ideas for item to be place on cards?

We have templates for Blue, Gold, & Silver.

Personally I think we could use a White (or light gray) template for the Generic Class Features. Items we might want to split between the gold and silver, such as:

Primary Items = Gold
Secondary Items = Silver

EDIT: Possibly 2 (or more) new icons for magic items?

We could keep Blue for Conditions since it has been used, but I could think of different colors that might be more appropriate since some want to use blue instead of green.

[quindia]

Originally Posted by Khaalis

Just a few quick thoughts.

Ok, colors. I have to say after playing with this that we need to choose some more color options for the templates (assuming you are willing to make them.)

I will make any color templates people want. It takes me all of two minutes to change the colors of the cards in CorelDraw.

Maybe I'll wait a bit until we have some kind of standardized list and post them all together so they are not scattered across the thread.

[Khaalis]

Originally Posted by quindia

I will make any color templates people want. It takes me all of two minutes to change the colors of the cards in CorelDraw.

Maybe I'll wait a bit until we have some kind of standardized list and post them all together so they are not scattered across the thread.

Great idea. Then we just need to get them added into the MSE editor and we can all take cracks at generating cards. Do you have any personal preferences for card color associations?

[Khaim]

This looks great! Unfortunately, I have 0 experience with MSE, and I can't figure out how to load randolph's template. It's probably something simple. Help?

[rogueboy]

Originally Posted by randolph

I packaged all three MSE templates together in the attached file, including the necessary fonts.

OK, this may be a stupid question, but how do I make the fonts usable in MSE?

Also, Trolls' template doesn't replace any of the letters it accepts in the "Attack Method" notch (top left). Is there something I need to do to make this work? It's adding the symbols just fine on quindia's template.

Is there a way to move the image down on the card so that it is not blocked by the text? I'm trying to recreate the Passing Attack card Trolls posted just to get a feel for it, and I can't make the image take up less than the full image box, which I can't seem to resize or move.