Feature request

[Quintain]

I'd like it if Hero Lab could open more than 1 portfolio simultaneously, accessible via tabs across the top lik a browser.

[Farling]

Is this for PC or iPad?

On PC, you can already open a second copy of HeroLab, and you can switch to it using the Windows task bar.

The problem with adding tabs across the top of HeroLab is that it would use up valuable screen space having that extra row.

[Ualaa]

Tabs would be fine on my desktop, at home. But I much prefer separate instances of Hero Lab on the laptop, with the taskbar set to disappear until mouse over.

I'm not saying a Tab feature is not a good idea; even if it were implemented, that wouldn't prevent anyone from having multiple instances of Hero Lab open at once.

I generally have: The PC group, Summoned Creatures (with that option checked, for the extra enable/disable options), and The Bad Guys... which is a preview of what I can import for combat/tactical manager. It's easy to use the Summon Monster Creatures 'encounter library' and check the boxes for Augment Summoning, then save that Portfolio for inputting to the combat portfolio.

[Mathias]

Also, other than listing them along the top as tabs, instead of along the right-hand side as dashboard entries, how would this differ from importing those characters all into a single portfolio? Having them as dashboard entries also gives you the quick reference information, like their current hp.

If they were set up as tabs for entire portfolios, how would you envision the individual characters being handled? Would you want to be able to switch to a specific character within another portfolio?

[charlieluce]

I agree with Farling and Ualaa regarding laptop screen space. I don't want different portfolios in tabs across the top; that just opens the way to things like wanting drag-and-drop between portfolios and before long it's just a more complicated way to have one big portfolio. Multiple instances works just fine.

I would, however, really like to be able to import multiple portfolios at once. Saving all the characters in a portfolio out to individual portfolios might be nice as well, but is probably too tricky to be worth implementing.

[Quintain]

I use portfolios as a method of logical organization. Being able to switch between portfolios and their inherent groupings rapidly speeds play. This cannot be done via the dashboard entries.

As far as switching between portfolios, returning to the last used character would be the ideal, imo.

Separate instances of hero lab just increases the amount of memory footprint required for each logical grouping of characters. Most people are used to the multi-tab format of browsers enough for this sort of interface to be very natural.

[psych777]

Originally Posted by Farling

On PC, you can already open a second copy of HeroLab, and you can switch to it using the Windows task bar.

i see this mentioned now and again but every time i try to open a second herolab the exe crashes (of the second opening) and i'm left with just the first copy open. is there a setting somewhere i need to change to be able to run two copies at once?

[Silveras]

Originally Posted by psych777

i see this mentioned now and again but every time i try to open a second herolab the exe crashes (of the second opening) and i'm left with just the first copy open. is there a setting somewhere i need to change to be able to run two copies at once?

None that I know of.

That sounds like something you should report in a support ticket.

[Mathias]

Originally Posted by psych777

i see this mentioned now and again but every time i try to open a second herolab the exe crashes (of the second opening) and i'm left with just the first copy open. is there a setting somewhere i need to change to be able to run two copies at once?

There's Tools...Diagnostics...Enable Debug Tracing, which prevents you from opening a second copy if it's turned on, since otherwise both copies would be trying to write to the same debugging log file at the same time, but as I understand, that one stops you from opening the second copy, rather than crashing.

[Azhrei]

Originally Posted by Mathias

There's Tools...Diagnostics...Enable Debug Tracing, which prevents you from opening a second copy if it's turned on, since otherwise both copies would be trying to write to the same debugging log file at the same time, but as I understand, that one stops you from opening the second copy, rather than crashing.

That's a reasonable way of handling it.

The app could also use the task id or other number to make the filename unique.

Or don't open the file in O_EXCL mode and then both can write to it at the same time -- although you'd need the task id or some other value written with each line in the log or you wouldn't be able to tell them apart!