E-TOOLS > Development of the Tool > Productive Comments Only

[Xaltar]

E-TOOLS > Development of the Tool > Productive Comments Only

I am starting this thread as I see several existing threads with various information and reviews.

The purpose of this thread is to maximize the development of this tool. Sure it has its limitations and some people already don't like it. If you want to post opinion or other comments then please do so on one of the various other threads.

For this thread, lets keep directly to the facts and try to divide up the work. If you are currently working on a utility, interface, or design modification, then please post your status here.

Please post all relevant web site links here as well so that this forum can be the one source that we can easily reference.

 

[Xaltar]

E-TOOLS Link:

ET Helper - Allows for the import/export of custom information and database backup. (Davin Church)

http://www.dallas.net/~davin/

 

[drowdude]

E-TOOLS Link:

ET Helper - Allows for the import/export of custom information and database backup. (Davin Church)

http://www.dallas.net/~davin/

Anyone try this out yet?

 

[Davin]

Anyone try this out yet?

You mean, besides me? (Thanks Xaltar for the link!)

Yeah, there are a lot of folks over on the Fluid boards playing with it and posting their customizations. Technically it's still in beta, but it seems to be doing quite well.

Did you have any questions about it?

 

[EricNoah]

Anyone try this out yet?

Yes. It's the single best thing to happen to eTools, ever. No lie.

I already have an import file on my site (the FR languages). Check my sig.

This program will make collaboration and sharing really really easy. I can't wait to see the next parts of it.

 

[smetzger]

I don't have e-tools yet. However, If at all possible I will allow my RogueGenerator program to read and write files that e-tools understands.

RogueGenerator is a program for random NPC determination. Although, I have not seen the e-tools random NPC functionality, I am sure that the functionality that I am putting in RogueGenerator will be much more flexible.

 

[Davin]

However, If at all possible I will allow my RogueGenerator program to read and write files that e-tools understands.

That's a fine plan, but I don't think it'll work. ET Helper is designed to read and write the ET database. But characters in eTools are stored in separate binary files and not in the database itself. So if you're wanting to build a character for importing into an eTools character file, I think you're going to have to wait until someone comes out with a character file import utility (as opposed to a database import utility).

 

[Xaltar]

Eric,

I downloaded your Forgotten Realms monsters and monster races. Very nice. Too bad it isn't so easy to include all of the creature portraits.

 

[Ranger One]

Just to let you know Davin, I just completed the FR Deities and Domains and your new version of ETHelper kept all the links intact as far as I can tell. FR spells are next to complete my little project.
Good work.

 

[Feaelin]

On that note...

Something I've been wondering about is whether we need to apply some "organizing" to the various additions being made. Everyone is (understandably) working on whatever interests them, or they need for their character/campaign(s). That makes perfect sense. However...how can we avoid "duplication of effort"? I would say, everyone could just announce what they're working on, and others could hold off on those components that someone else is covering, but I've all too often seen such announcements, and the person ...run out of time or for some other reason not get it done.

Also, I've been madly downloading the various submissions so far, and I'm having a tough time figuring out how to keep track of it all. . Any thoughts on organizing the data, other than just dumping everything into the database or the e-tools directories? When I get a FRRaces package from source A, and one from source B, is where I can see there being problems. If I spot a mistake in one, admittedly I can fix it pretty quickly, but the "appropaite" thing to do is also let the package author know so he can fix his package (for the benefit of others). The problem is, I don't see a ready way to identify the package authors. ...I want to know who to blam...er, praise!

(Hmm. I have lots of questions here, I think I'll pile them up, and yall sort 'em out.

Lastly: What happens if I import two different versions of a the same ET Helper set? For example, I plan to be doing a set for my home-brewed campaign setting, which I'll give to my players, but since I doubt that I will get it done in one version, I'll release multiple versions, each probably having a superset of the prior release's data. Do I need to have them completely delete the prior set before importing the new one? Will duplicate records be ignored or duplicated?