Really hoping new update fixes:

[kbs666]

Originally Posted by rob

Regarding the assertion that namespaces would be simple, my response is simply: Sure, it's not hard if you want something that works extremely well for a couple specific use cases and fails utterly for the way the myriad GMs actually WANT to use Realm Works.

Programmers don't usually realize - want to accept? - that they are given a very strict framework and forced to adapt everything they do to operate within that rigid framework. That's the EXACT OPPOSITE of the way end-users think. They want something that adapts to how THEY operate. Yes, even the programmers out there have wildly different approaches to GMing and creating their worlds, and most of them would balk at the notion of having to conform to a very specific - and different - way of doing everything just to have namespaces.

To a significant degree, we successfully adapt to the way different users operate within Realm Works, as the product works extremely well for a very diverse range of GM approaches. Achieving that, however, is FRICKIN' HARD. With some regularity, programmers comment that we should do things X way, because that would make things easier. Typically, it would make things easier for that user and the way they want to work, but it would be at the expense of large contingents of other users who think and work differently. Programmers also have a habit of saying that doing X should be easy, but they overlook this fundamental problem that it's only easy if we force all users to conform to a very specific way of using the product, which users aren't going to respond well to.

Believe me, hearing this stuff from programmers never ceases to frustrate the hell out of me.

?
Adding a field to the DB, a dropdown after the suffix and adding a bit of logic that all defaults to "global" constrains anyone who doesn't want to use it how?

Look, I like this product and use it a lot and am one of your biggest boosters but I am also not just a programmer with 25 years experience. I'm a project manager with more than a decade in this sort of thing. I'm used to making end users happy and know the difference between something that sounds easy and something that is easy. You may not want to make the change for other reasons, I know of several, further cluttering the UI and the difficulty of explaining the concept to users are two, but bashing an honest suggestion over an area that is going to keep coming up once the CM goes live seems like a poor plan.

[Exmortis]

Originally Posted by Exmortis

Thought I would add:
When filling a dungeon, or complex, or structure with many location topics, I pre make a few dozen or so. So my level 1 of a dungeon has 9 LoC1 copies, then I move to pre make 9 LoC2 copies and so on (each just an empty topic). So you see 9 copies of each topic (I pre make anywhere from 9 to 36 depending on size, and often spread out over all levels ready for renaming). I do this because without fail many early rooms need to link to a room further on, or even a different level. So in the event of stairs in room 1 on level 1 to room 1 on level 2 (this will mean a link between rooms), I will move a premade topic to level 2 of the dungeon, open it up in a new tab, name it, give it a prefix and maybe even a suffix, and save it. close that tab, and then set the link from room 1 on level 1 to room 1 on level 2. This saves me a ton of going back and setting links, It is already done.

Added a screenie to outline this.

[kbs666]

Now I'm even more confused.

Why type all this?

Surely every module you do has a map with all the locations marked on it already right?

When I do something like this the first thing I do is get the map in RW and put pins into all the locations and create topics from there. I assume you're working from either the PDF or physical modules so that should be no problem. Once you do that you shouldn't need all of that "loc2 copy copy copy copy copy copy" stuff.

It seems like you're making more work for yourself, IMO. You create all the blank topics, then you have to rename them, then you have to go and add your pins to the map later assuming I understand your workflow.

[AEIOU]

@kbs666: I seem to work opposite from you. For me the map is always last thing I work on as it's the least essential. I've found it to be a lot faster to focus on specific tasks in series iteratively rather than trying to do it all at once for every topic. It takes me several passes but in the end it's more consistent and I'm not burned out half-way through anymore. I'm just one data point but I'm sure there are others that do it differently from both of us.

[Joe]

@exmortis

I am unable to reproduce your linking issue in the latest build, and it sounds like you're no longer experiencing it either. Is this correct?

Additionally, are you still experiencing the text selection behavior you described on page 1? I attempted a basic reproduction of that issue and it seems to work just fine for me. If you're still seeing this behavior, there must be more specific steps that I need to do. Perhaps I will need a copy of your database and you can point me to some problem data.

[Exmortis]

Originally Posted by Joe

@exmortis

I am unable to reproduce your linking issue in the latest build, and it sounds like you're no longer experiencing it either. Is this correct?

Additionally, are you still experiencing the text selection behavior you described on page 1? I attempted a basic reproduction of that issue and it seems to work just fine for me. If you're still seeing this behavior, there must be more specific steps that I need to do. Perhaps I will need a copy of your database and you can point me to some problem data.

I provided my database, and it never happens in a previous worked on topic.

It happens after I have copied and pasted the text from another source (web, PDF, word etc.) into a new topic, then select text to apply formatting. If you were to take any of the topics in my database and select text to apply formatting I know it will work. But what I have happen is on a new topic, and it happens the first time I select and want to apply formatting, once it works, it never fails. But the 1 in 3 new topics will have the issue I defined.

I have gotten so used to it, I now know instantly when it will fail. and I simply use the undo, and select the text again. Rinse, repeat until it works. Then in that specific topic it always works.

The linking crash has now I believe gone away, I have handed about 20 new topics, all with a manual link or more and not a single crash.

[Joe]

@exmortis can you perhaps provide me with a problematic source then? I am attempting to paste in text from a pdf, then splitting it up into snippets and formatting it as you describe, and don't see any problems.

Which option are you using with the special paste? Unformatted text? Unformatted text as a single paragraph?

[Exmortis]

@kbs666:

My work flow does not include map pins.

Why? Good question.

My entire design for this was the idea that none, and I mean none, of these works would ever be used in their original form. I just want them initially in that form, so no mater what the future holds, I have a common base. It is original.

I play pathfinder and always in a realm of my design, I have not GM'd a canned world since I was in my 20s. So, knowing this, that I will play these in a custom game world (Daede or Telon) and not in 1st, 2nd, 3rd or beyond D&D, but Pathfinder. They will get reskinned.

On top of that they will not happen on the same world map as they come. I will adapt the adventure to my custom gamer work, ToEE will not happing in Greyhawk, it will be reskinned as the Fallen Temple of Vol Tuniel in the region of The Wardship of the Sleeping Moon, on the continent of Thestra (as an example).

So, since so much will change, it is best to leave that when I import the realm and skin it. many of the things I do are for linking in the future.

Like AEIOU I work from the individual locations out for my adventures. I work from the initial location out for my game worlds. I will pin the map when I reskin the adventure.

The other thing is organization for import. I want to import it all under one category main topic, not spread all over the categories. I work with RW much the same way you worked with the books in the past. This all came about when they made the massive change with views and took away the completely separate World Almanac and Story Almanac. It really caused me some serious grief, and it took many hours of work to unscrew the outcome. So when I decided to archive my favorite adventures into RW as a realm, I thought long and hard about how I (since it is designed for me to use) want to import and reskin for use in any world, any rule system I may be playing in the future.

You work the map to the locations, I work the locations to the map. Patato vs potato.

[Exmortis]

Originally Posted by Joe

@exmortis can you perhaps provide me with a problematic source then? I am attempting to paste in text from a pdf, then splitting it up into snippets and formatting it as you describe, and don't see any problems.

Which option are you using with the special paste? Unformatted text? Unformatted text as a single paragraph?

Well the PDFs were all bought from Drivethrurpg.com.

I can confirm it was an issue with cut and paste information from:
The Temple of Elemental Evil
Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil
Against the Slave Lords

I simply Select, copy, paste (CTRL+ALT+V) to a snippet in a new topic (i.e. no text just title).
I then copy, plate, break text up between many snippets.
Then I select and format.
This where random text gets formatted, not what I select.

I will try and see if I can capture this somehow.
I can provide the PDF(s) if you like?

[Farling]

Originally Posted by Joe

@exmortis can you perhaps provide me with a problematic source then? I am attempting to paste in text from a pdf, then splitting it up into snippets and formatting it as you describe, and don't see any problems.

Which option are you using with the special paste? Unformatted text? Unformatted text as a single paragraph?

Is it also useful to know the PDF display program from which the text is being copied? I think I've seen slightly different behaviour from different PDF display programs.