Character Builder Programing question

[sabrinathecat]

I haven't done any programming since Pascal back in High School (html doesn't count as coding).
So I'm a bit out of date (to put it mildly).

If I want to update the 4e character builder that I downloaded way back when, what do I need to learn? What language? Suggestions?

(Yes, it would be a monstrously huge undertaking, but I have the time...)

 

[D'karr]

I haven't done any programming since Pascal back in High School (html doesn't count as coding).
So I'm a bit out of date (to put it mildly).

If I want to update the 4e character builder that I downloaded way back when, what do I need to learn? What language? Suggestions?

(Yes, it would be a monstrously huge undertaking, but I have the time...)

All the "things" in the database for the offline character builder can be imported as XML. Look for CBLoader which will allow you to import into the builder custom items, classes, powers, etc.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

Depends on what you want to do. If you just want to add additional data to your OCB, the CBLoader would be the way to go, if you have a current DDI account.

But if you want to extend the functionality of the OCB you would have to invest more effort and lots of effort. You could essentially take the XML data form OCB/CBLoader and write your own application to read/edit/manipulate/display it. Starting from scratch you might take any language you want.

Still another avenue would be to look into PCGen. It's an open source Java application which started out as a 3.0 character generator relying on plain text files for data. AfaIK PCGen delivers some basic framewokr fo 4e characters but no data at all except some basic examples.

The main question for you proibably is: do you want to work with data or do you want to devlop software?

 

[sabrinathecat]

Basically I just want to add the material that was released since the downloaded CB was "retired" for the crappy online-only CB.
So, that's going to be just about everything including essentials, themes, 3 or 4 (if not more) books...

So... I guess that means learning xml.

 

[nogray]

Basically I just want to add the material that was released since the downloaded CB was "retired" for the crappy online-only CB.
So, that's going to be just about everything including essentials, themes, 3 or 4 (if not more) books...

So... I guess that means learning xml.

If you want to enter the stuff yourself, yes. If you just want the information, there are data files available that have the information already entered. CBLoader can just compile them. If you want more information, the Something Awful forums might have more information available, or you can send me a PM.

 

[sabrinathecat]

Thanks.
I still like the idea of building it myself, just to learn something.
Guess it's time to hunt youtube for tutorials.
Thanks.

 

[sabrinathecat]

OK, so it seems I'm crippled with respect to getting Windows 8 to behave rationally.
Someone (I'll avoid names to protect the guilty) was kind enough to give me links to download the old offline character builder to my new computer (so I won't have to constantly go to my old one which is slaved as an auxiliary resource).
Getting the first release of CB is no problem. It runs. Well, about as well as it did back then.
I also have an update from Oct2010, which in theory has all of the updates.
However, when I run it, the machine posted something about not having the authorization to create a folder for sample portraits, and 7-zip error 104 (whatever that means). This was silly. So I manually created the folder. Now I get a message about 7-zip error 106.
I've looked into trying to set up backwards compatibility, but that's not the issue really.

Can't get any farther into making Character Builder functional until this is fixed.
Aside from "Ditch windows 8 and install Windows 7" (which is both fatuous and unhelpful), does anyone have suggestions at this point?
(Yes, I could just continue using my slave machine, but that solution is inelegant).

 

[D'karr]

OK, so it seems I'm crippled with respect to getting Windows 8 to behave rationally.
Someone (I'll avoid names to protect the guilty) was kind enough to give me links to download the old offline character builder to my new computer (so I won't have to constantly go to my old one which is slaved as an auxiliary resource).
Getting the first release of CB is no problem. It runs. Well, about as well as it did back then.
I also have an update from Oct2010, which in theory has all of the updates.
However, when I run it, the machine posted something about not having the authorization to create a folder for sample portraits, and 7-zip error 104 (whatever that means). This was silly. So I manually created the folder. Now I get a message about 7-zip error 106.
I've looked into trying to set up backwards compatibility, but that's not the issue really.

Can't get any farther into making Character Builder functional until this is fixed.
Aside from "Ditch windows 8 and install Windows 7" (which is both fatuous and unhelpful), does anyone have suggestions at this point?
(Yes, I could just continue using my slave machine, but that solution is inelegant).

This is a common problem with Windows 7 and 8. The application by default tries to install into the Program Files or Program Files(x86) folder. Those folders are protected by windows and some applications don't handle the permissions properly.

I would recommend uninstalling completely, and reinstalling into a folder you create, like c:\cbuilder, or something like that. By doing this you will eliminate the majority of your problems.

PM me if you run into more problems and I'll see how I can help you.

 

[sabrinathecat]

Right-click on the .exe file and click on "run as administrator", yet another safety "feature" that does more to impair productivity than it does to safeguard computer systems.

By an odd quirk, somewhere along the line I got my old copy of Macromedia DreamWeaver MX to work. (yes, macromedia, because my version was released before Adobe bought the company, some 10 years ago)

So, it's weird, but now I have character builder functional, including the fan-made updates (which have only a few quibbles I could nit-pick but won't).

Thank you all for your help.
And thanks to those who saved me the trouble of trying to do this all by myself.
And especially thanks to he who put up with my seemingly interminable pesky PM messages.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

So it looks like I also have some clues as to how to make this work on my laptop....