Character Sheets

[Kinnakeeter]

Originally Posted by rob

Hero Lab supports a large range of game systems, and every gamer has a different idea of what the "right" character sheet design happens to be. Look at how many different character sheets have been produced by various third party companies over the years, let alone all of the custom sheets created by fans. Regardless of what we did, some would like it and others would hate it. So the best solution is to give users the power to create their own. Yes, there is some learning curve involved, but the mechanism uses a well-established standard that many people are already familiar with.

At first, this will be frustrating, since you want something *now*. However, after a little while, a number of users will put together some custom sheets and share them. Once that occurs, you'll be able to use those sheets or tailor one you like to your own purposes.

That's not my point, though. My point is that there was never any usable output from the beginning. The program is wonderful but half of the usability is in being able to create character sheets that are legible and helpful in a game. Unfortunately, the output that the program generates is not so. I can't just use a stat block and the printed output is ludicrous and sometime incomprehensible. I need more comprehensive information and I don't have the luxury of using a laptop for games. I talked to you personally at GenCon once about this.

I've had my copy of the program since 2007. I was lucky enough to get a free license from an RPG giveaway and have simply kept upgrading. However, I actually walked away from using HeroLab because of the output issue, even after I spent money upgrading to get all the Pathfinder datasets. I've been waiting for years, silently reading threads commenting on this, and sometimes responding. All this time we've been told something along the lines of "We're working on this", but now all we get is something we can't even manipulate in the program. At least your dataset editor is part of the program and is easier to use. For me, this is useless and, frankly, is a deal-breaker. I'm extremely disappointed.

[Nanan00]

The character sheet output is a bit of a disappointment as it neglects many things such as names of custom items still including enhancement stuff spamming to the end of the name block yet those enhancement bonus items are not reflected in the weapons stats such as a longsword with flaming/frost should be 1d8+x + 1d6, the problem is the extra damage dice items are not showing up.

eg.: from the .por file, does HL not even track some enchantments?

+3 Keen Frost Rapier +18/+13 (1d6+11/15-20/x2)

where is the 1d6 frost damage?

[Adam.Ormond]

What saddens me is that the upgrade invalidated my license, and now I have to wait for "early license reassignment".

[rob]

Originally Posted by Adam.Ormond

What saddens me is that the upgrade invalidated my license, and now I have to wait for "early license reassignment".

Are you perchance using the same Hero Lab license number on two different computers? That would definitely cause the upgrade to report that error. If so, then you need to use a separate license number on each computer. When you purchase Hero Lab, you are given access to a FREE secondary license for use on a second computer. All you need to do is obtain the license number and put it to use, which can be done from the License menu within the product (Obtain Secondary License).

Hope this helps...

[Adam.Ormond]

Originally Posted by rob

Are you perchance using the same Hero Lab license number on two different computers? That would definitely cause the upgrade to report that error. If so, then you need to use a separate license number on each computer. When you purchase Hero Lab, you are given access to a FREE secondary license for use on a second computer. All you need to do is obtain the license number and put it to use, which can be done from the License menu within the product (Obtain Secondary License).

Hope this helps...

I have two licenses already. One for one of my desktops, and one for one of my laptops.

As far as I can tell, I need my license unlocked. I'm leery to upgrade on my laptop, as then I'd have zero working copies.

[Adam.Ormond]

Under my License Associations, it indicates my original license was Issued on 4/3/2011, and reassigned on 4/3/2011. I don't remember installing the application twice, nor activating it twice on the day I bought it.

My second license was issued on 5/6/2011, and has not been reassigned. I just upgraded, it the website now says my second license was reassigned today.

[CapeCodRPGER]

I am having the same issue, lic. issues after update. Great job, Lone Wolf, you are tops.

[CapeCodRPGER]

I got my lic. issue taken care of. I can't find how you can customize the character sheet in an easy way. I go to custom output and click help and tells me about all these file types, ect..

I just want a simple tab where I can choose what gets printed out on the sheet. Or drag and drop, or something like that. I don't have the time nor do I want to learn how to reprogram HL.

When they said custom character sheets this is not what I had in mind.

[chava]

I think (and I suck at programming, so don't take me at my word) that you need to write the xml file for how you want the output to look first, then you can select the output that you (or someone else) has designed.

Which is why I'm waiting for someone who understands the HeroLab lingo and xml to make a character sheet and be kind enough to share it with the community.

Hopefully, I'm be able to use my ranks in Computer Science: Monkey See in order to smush it into more of what I like.

[CapeCodRPGER]

Thats just great, so it turns out you do need programing experence to set that character sheet the way you want.

I already have a 40 hour a week job and famiy to take care of my time in addition to what little RPG time I can manage to get in. I don't have time to learn how to program to get a character sheet to look like the way I want to. Nor should I have to learn to program for something like this.

When Lone Wolf came here and said that custom sheets would be possible with the next update I figured they meant it would be an easy interface to set it the way you like.

But I guess thats too much to ask.