Making your own power cards

Drawback · May 13, 2008

Knight Otu said:
Not exactly power cards, but monster cards have been part of this topic - I'm considering to resurrect a concept of monster cards I worked on previously based on the monster stat block. Is there interest in such a style?

It'll have several styles since the card dimensions can't be scripted - the above is just a test in a single style. Maybe another set of styles for longer texts.

I'd want that very much for my "special" monsters...

randolph · May 13, 2008

Knight Otu said:
It'll have several styles since the card dimensions can't be scripted - the above is just a test in a single style. Maybe another set of styles for longer texts.

Based on your examples, I believe this is doable as a single template in MSE (I'd have to try it when I get home).

Basic outline:
* Card height set to maximum expected height (current version of MSE can't script this)
* Use a three part card background:
1) Header (everything before the first monster power)
2) Body (monster powers)
3) Footer (everything after the final monster power)
* You can define fixed heights for Header and Footer. The Body field's height calls a function.
* Have a set of images for the Body, body1.jpg, body2, etc. The # refers to the number of power blocks.
* Define a style option for the template, "Number of powers," a pulldown with 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.
* The Body field's height function figures out how many pixels the body would be with the chosen number of powers.
* The Body field's image function picks its image based on the number of chosen powers.

Knight Otu · May 13, 2008

I guess I could have been clearer - what you're suggesting is what I'm already doing, more or less. :heh:

That's why there is that whitespace below. I only use one image for the power blocks (no reason for multiple images), and I currently have a styling option for 1 to 7 powers. I want to change the template so that there is no whitespace, though I'll have to see how it interacts with printing.

randolph · May 13, 2008

Knight Otu said:
I guess I could have been clearer - what you're suggesting is what I'm already doing, more or less. That's why there is that whitespace below. I only use one image for the power blocks (no reason for multiple images), and I currently have a styling option for 1 to 7 powers. I want to change the template so that there is no whitespace, though I'll have to see how it interacts with printing.

Ah, ok. There's no way to have MSE have actually scaling card sizes, because the card size is required to be defined before any functions (at least in the current version of MSE). If you just want to make sure there's no wasted whitespace, you'll have to go with that other option you mentioned - multiple styles.

erf_beto · May 14, 2008

Knight Otu said:
Not exactly power cards, but monster cards have been part of this topic - I'm considering to resurrect a concept of monster cards I worked on previously based on the monster stat block. Is there interest in such a style?
...
It'll have several styles since the card dimensions can't be scripted - the above is just a test in a single style. Maybe another set of styles for longer texts.

Aside from the colors (IMO), I like what you've done. I don't know if I'd use them, though. Compare Slam and StandinGround (Avalanche Titan): long text is crammed into small place but the simplest of entries takes up a lot of blank card space. I don't know if that can be fixed in MSE. It might become a problem when high level comes up, with many and more complex powers... But for original creations, they are great, no doubt in that.

I'm wondering, how difficult would it be to make a MSE template for cards that look just like the new Monster Manual statblocks? Something like four "cards" per page, and the back or side could have Monster Tactics and other descriptions... could even be used for PCs (pregens mostly), listing only basic attacks, feats, class/race features and possibly at-wills, leaving other abilities for Power Cards.

Ashardalon · May 14, 2008

erf_beto said:
Aside from the colors (IMO), I like what you've done. I don't know if I'd use them, though. Compare Slam and StandinGround (Avalanche Titan): long text is crammed into small place but the simplest of entries takes up a lot of blank card space. I don't know if that can be fixed in MSE. It might become a problem when high level comes up, with many and more complex powers... But for original creations, they are great, no doubt in that.

Yep. For instance, the pit fiend's summoning power is problematic. Large powers can theoretically be spaces out over multiple power blocks (hm, gives me an idea), but that problem was one that I had in ind when I mentioned longer texts.

erf_beto said:
I'm wondering, how difficult would it be to make a MSE template for cards that look just like the new Monster Manual statblocks? Something like four "cards" per page, and the back or side could have Monster Tactics and other descriptions... could even be used for PCs (pregens mostly), listing only basic attacks, feats, class/race features and possibly at-wills, leaving other abilities for Power Cards.

As mentioned a few times by randolph and me, the problem is that card dimensions aren't scriptable, while the statblocks would want that. Field dimensions are scriptable, and the height of the field content can be accessed, so it is possible to put down a correctly sized color background for the texts and powers - the problem is that you don't know how big you have to make the cards.

ianleblanc · May 15, 2008

I really like your monster cards minimalist feel but I would change the color (maybe red and white?). I would also try to keep them on 2.5 x 3.5 inches or in a horizontal layout (maybe the same size as DDM cards), keeping nice and se-metric card layouts goes a long way.

Looking forward to more!

beverson · May 15, 2008

I downloaded the cards labeled "Tirian", and I prefer this design to the others, but I'm not seeing a Tirian template for putting in the MSE...am I missing it?

Bagpuss · May 15, 2008

I downloaded the Tirian stuff for Magic Set Editor, but every time I try and create one I get the following error

Package not found: 'C:\Program Files\Magic Set Editor 2\data\D&D-symbol.mse-symbol-font'

I'm guessing it's because in the video you have a both a "D&D" and a "D&D Tintagel" card set, but I've only downloaded the "D&D Tintagel" set (which is all the video mentions), but it isn't free standing, and must reference that "D&D" set somewhere.

So where can I get the D&D-symbol.mse-symbol-font folder? and/or can you correct the bug so that the Tintagel set is complete in itself?

Bagpuss · May 15, 2008

Okay found the basic D&D stuff and install that but I've noticed that all the Black Symbols in the top left seem to be miss aligned. If you use BS or BM like in the tool tip. The aren't miss aligned if you do S or M like in the video.