Software, Computers, Video Games and D&D UtilitiesGeneral discussion on computer software and hardware, PC and console games, and RPG utilities such as eTools, PC GEN, etc.
I've been running a 4e game for a while now, and I use my laptop as my GM screen.
As such, I've spent a decent amount of time examining the various digital assistant offerings out there. I've mainly been using Virtual Combat Cards, MasterPlan, and OneNote to do what I want to do.
All are excellent offerings. However, none of them have exactly the feature set I want while running a fight. Since I prefer to fix rather than complain, I went about writing my own (being a programmer myself).
The first version is done, and I'm putting it up here for the world to examine, use, curse at, and lampoon.
Requires .NET Framework 3.5 installed (if you have the Character Builder or Monster Builder installed, you have this)
Can paste 'Copy to Rich Text' data from the Monster Builder on DnDi (button above the list on Compendium window, also button on individual detail screen).
Full initiative tracking.
Allows common HP/XP House Rules options to modify monsters (Dropdown titled 'Mod': Demi = 1/2hp+2/3xp, Semi = 1/4hp+1/3xp, Minion = 1hp+1/4xp)
Displays full statblock on the main window. No need to bounce around looking for information (main reason I wrote this).
Text-entry field for notes on each combatant (will be adding custom status/ongoing tracking later...for now, this suffices)
It is still a work-in-progress, but I figured I'd throw this version out into the wild for perusal.
Please let me know what you like, hate, or want. I'll be monitoring this thread.
Thanks!
__________________ "Munchkin? I'll show you MUNCHKIN! I flip over, grab the ground, and throw the PLANET AT YOU!"
Last edited by Mortaneus; 30th September 2009 at 07:16 PM..
I can open it, but... nothing happens. I mean, I get the window and I see what it looks like, and I can access the dropdown menus and everything, but it's all grayed out. Selecting "New Encounter" doesn't actually let me do anything.
Sorry, needs documentation. Haven't had time yet.
You add entries to the battle from the Compendium window. Not the DnDi compendium, the Compendium->Open Compendium option on the menu bar of the utility (probably should have picked a better name). There is an 'Add to Battle' button on there.
You simply select an entry, and hit 'Add to Battle'. The dropdown on the 'Add' button shows a queue of what you're adding. You can click on the dropdown to remove an entry from the queue before it gets to the main screen, if you change your mind. When you exit the compendium, everything in the queue added to the current roster.
You can't start the fight until there are entries.
Sorry for the confusion.
Adding to the 'To Do' list: Freaking documentation.
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A bit more info for the technically minded:
Everything drives off the Compendium window. It contains a list of all monsters/PCs that the program knows about, and it is what you use to assemble a battle.
When you load the program, it looks for a file called 'Compendium.dnd4' in the same directory as the EXE. If it finds it, it loads it. It's simply an XML file with a different file-type, so it isn't listed when loading an encounter.
When you quit the program, it saves the updated compendium to the file I mention above.
The easiest method for adding new entries to the Compendium (and the method I use) is to paste them from the Monster Builder. I'll eventually get around to adding 'Import from DnDi compendium' functionality, but haven't done so yet.
Also note that all stat data is ALSO saved in the .XML files created when you Save an encounter. When the encounter file is loaded, it checks the current compendium for entries with the same name/level as what is in in the encounter file. If it finds a compendium entry, it uses that in preference to the encounter entry. If it doesn't find it, it adds the entry to the compendium.
Basically, this means that even if the current compendium you're using doesn't have the stats for the stuff in an encounter file, it'll just get it from the encounter instead.
It still tries to use the compendium first, though.
Finally, you may notice that Skill data goes missing when you paste from the Monster Builder. There's nothing I can do about that right now, as it's a bug in the 'Copy to Rich Text' option in the monster builder. It simply doesn't pull Skills. For proof, copy an entry from the monster builder and paste it in to Word/Wordpad. The skills won't be there either.
__________________ "Munchkin? I'll show you MUNCHKIN! I flip over, grab the ground, and throw the PLANET AT YOU!"
Oh wow, I would love to use this. Anychance of a Mac version? Guessing not with having to use the Monster Builder as a base. Guess I can try it out on my VMWare. Anychance of screenshots?
Oh wow, I would love to use this. Anychance of a Mac version? Guessing not with having to use the Monster Builder as a base. Guess I can try it out on my VMWare. Anychance of screenshots?
Cheers,
E
Unfortunately, I'm not a Mac person anymore. Don't have the tools, and without Monster Builder, this project loses some of its appeal.
As far as screenshots, sure. HERE, HERE, and HERE.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2WS-Steve
The import feature from the monster builder is really sweet! Nice job.
Thanks! Actually, being able to import like that was one of the two main reasons for writing this...the other was having the full statblock displayed on the screen with the initiative.
__________________ "Munchkin? I'll show you MUNCHKIN! I flip over, grab the ground, and throw the PLANET AT YOU!"
I've updated the link above. I just created version 1.1, which fixes a few things, and adds a bunch more functionality on the Library screen (no longer called compendium....too much confusion there).
If you need any help with the programming, let me know. More than willing to help!
Thanks for the offer.
At the moment, I'm keeping it to myself, but I'll probably drop the source out there at some point (after a few revisions and refactorings, so I won't die of embarrassment from someone trying to read the mess that currently exists).
__________________ "Munchkin? I'll show you MUNCHKIN! I flip over, grab the ground, and throw the PLANET AT YOU!"
Looks awesome! I will download it and try it out for my next session, going to be a few weeks though as RL is getting in the way of regular play sessions.
New version is up, though it's just a fix to a bug The Eye (of rpg.net fame) discovered.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Eye
Maybe it's just me, but when I add a PC to the library, and then try to edit that PC later, it gives me an error message (something like "that file already exists") when I exit the editor screen and doesn't save the changes.
This problem is fixed. You should be able to change statblocks normally now.
You can download the new version here:
Combat Manager v1.2.1
(URL disabled, a new version is now available below)
__________________ "Munchkin? I'll show you MUNCHKIN! I flip over, grab the ground, and throw the PLANET AT YOU!"
Last edited by Mortaneus; 10th September 2009 at 06:38 AM..
Got to play around with it today and I think it is going to be awesome to use in game. Though having to input all the monster info for my campaign is going to be a pain, currently running WotBS 4e and not a lot of generic monsters there.
One question, is there an easier way to import PC data then manually entering it for each character? An option to copy from the character builder would be awesome!
Got to play around with it today and I think it is going to be awesome to use in game. Though having to input all the monster info for my campaign is going to be a pain, currently running WotBS 4e and not a lot of generic monsters there.
One question, is there an easier way to import PC data then manually entering it for each character? An option to copy from the character builder would be awesome!
Thanks.
At the moment, there isn't any easy way to enter PC info, though I plan to add that functionality at some point in the future. Probably effect tracking will come first, though.
Truthfully, I don't enter much PC information when I use it. Mostly names, level, init bonus, defenses, and HP (for my reference). Unless you're tracking the PCs a lot more than I am, that should suffice for now.
__________________ "Munchkin? I'll show you MUNCHKIN! I flip over, grab the ground, and throw the PLANET AT YOU!"
True, I would probably add in Passive Perception/Insight if there is a spot for that. Would mean I could totally get rid of my little init cards! Heh, my only gripe now is that there is no Mac version for this and the WotC programs Guess I will survive and this totally makes my life easier and probably saves me a bunch of paper too, as I was printing out the Tactical Encounters so that I could have a separate reference for them. This will take care of that, now if only I could import maps from PDFs >.< Heh. Though I am looking forward to condition tracking, any thought of having a pop up to remind the DM to roll for (save ends) conditions at the end of the monsters turn? That would be a major help since I seem to forget those types of things.
True, I would probably add in Passive Perception/Insight if there is a spot for that. Would mean I could totally get rid of my little init cards! Heh, my only gripe now is that there is no Mac version for this and the WotC programs Guess I will survive and this totally makes my life easier and probably saves me a bunch of paper too, as I was printing out the Tactical Encounters so that I could have a separate reference for them. This will take care of that, now if only I could import maps from PDFs >.< Heh. Though I am looking forward to condition tracking, any thought of having a pop up to remind the DM to roll for (save ends) conditions at the end of the monsters turn? That would be a major help since I seem to forget those types of things.
Oh, save reminders (and such) are definitely on the to-do list.
For the passives, you could enter those on the 'Senses' line, and they should show up in the PC's statblock.
__________________ "Munchkin? I'll show you MUNCHKIN! I flip over, grab the ground, and throw the PLANET AT YOU!"
I just want to say that this thing is awesome. If I continue to work on mine, it'll only be from the academic standpoint of learning WPF instead of using it.
I just want to say that this thing is awesome. If I continue to work on mine, it'll only be from the academic standpoint of learning WPF instead of using it.
Well, don't let me discourage you. The more the merrier!
Also, good idea working on your WPF skills...it's an interesting critter, though I've found that WPF in VB.NET 2008 is a lot less user-friendly than developing with Windows Forms.
Any recommendations for getting into it?
__________________ "Munchkin? I'll show you MUNCHKIN! I flip over, grab the ground, and throw the PLANET AT YOU!"
![[4e] Combat Tracker Utility](http://www.enworld.org/forum/iconimages/software-computers-video-games-d-d-utilities/d-d-4th-edition-combat-tracker-utility_ltr.gif){kind=tracking}
Guess I will survive and this totally makes my life easier and probably saves me a bunch of paper too, as I was printing out the Tactical Encounters so that I could have a separate reference for them. This will take care of that, now if only I could import maps from PDFs >.< Heh. Though I am looking forward to condition tracking, any thought of having a pop up to remind the DM to roll for (save ends) conditions at the end of the monsters turn? That would be a major help since I seem to forget those types of things.
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