M&M 3rd ed. BBCode Export

[jmucchiello]

Is there a way to change the template (presumably XSLT) for this to customize the output? It would be nice if it supported [ list ][ *][ /list] and similar constructs.

 

[charlieluce]

It is possible to create your own Custom Output for a game system (yes, using XSLT); the basics are covered in the Help files that come with Hero Lab.

 

[Duggan]

You can also process the XML output. I have .Net and Python code if you want it.

 

[jmucchiello]

Yeah, that's what I ended up doing. Parsing the XML. Problem is the XML doesn't include "features" for vehicles or headquarters. Is this a known bug? They should just appear under "advantages" since they are the same thing.

 

[Duggan]

Sadly, that is an open bug.

 

[jmucchiello]

Of course the real annoyance is anyone who knows XML knows this is just an afternoon of programming and a smidge of QA time to fix.

Well, having worked with the XML now for a few days, I have few feature requests:

<power> elements should have a "base" attribute that names the base power. base="Damage" or base="Affliction". That info is non-existent except in the name attribute if you feel like parsing for it.

<power> should also have attributes for range/duration/action types: rangetype="close" duration="instant" action="standard" or rangetype="personal" duration="sustained" action="move" etc.

<advantage> tags should also have a "base" attribute. You can't easily search for "Close Attack" when name="Close Attack 3"

Why is "dc" an attribute of <attack> but not <power> and "range" is an attribute of <power> but not <attack>?

<attack> should have a defense attribute. defense="Parry".
<attack> should have a resistedby attribute. resistedby="Toughness"
<attack> should have a rangetype attribute. rangetype="perception"

<cost> should have a "base" attribute that tells you what the power costs outside of an array, ignoring any alternate powers, and ignoring the removable flaw. For example: "Damage 10 alternate effect Nullify 8" costs 11. In the xml you get <power name="Damage 10"><cost value="11">...<alternatepowers><power name="Nullify 8"><cost value="1">...</power>
Adding base would get us: <cost value="11" base="10">... <cost value="1" base="8">

<cost> should also have "perrank" or "perpp" attribute so you know how much the power costs per rank (or ranks per PP). For dynamic powers, this is important to know.

The <personal> section is missing <personalizations><personalization> for "Add New Personalization" found on the Personal tab within Hero Labs.

I'm sure I'll find more things missing or that would be helpful as I progress.

 

[jmucchiello]

Found a random bug (kinda) or two.

1) If you create an Affliction and add the Extra Condition extra. Fill out the 6 conditions, then delete the Extra Condition extra. The xml <elements> section will still have the 2 conditions in the name part:

<elements>
<element name="1st degree: Hindered, Dazed" info="Hindered">
</elements>

Once again, if there were a base="1st degree" attribute, this would be easy to deal with.

2) And why does the Removable flaw not show up in the <flaws> section of the power? It is only in the Summary.

 

[Duggan]

Just to clarify, the Removeable Flaw does show up in the Flaws if added as a Flaw. It's only the drop-down menu that doesn't get moved over. I don't have access to the source code, but using the debug windows, it's because the Flaw adds a Gizmo, as all of the Extras and Flaws do, while the menu entry only adds a Tag. Tags are an internal structure, and therefore don't get exported. You have to explicitly turn them into something that is exported.

Unfortunately, that's not something that can be modified in the Editor. It would need to be changed in the Authoring Kit files, which are not publicly available (since it has the entire game system).

 

[jmucchiello]

It doesn't matter to me why they are different. It only matters to me that the XML export is incopmlete. They claim they have a feature where you customize the character output using XML and that feature does not export the full character. That's a bug. We're paying customers. It should be fixed.

I would switch to the lead files but I'd have to recreate the game file data to make any use of it.

 

[Duggan]

*wry grin* I think you're the second person who's actually done anything with the XML, and M&M sales don't make up much of their margin. They're a small company, so they have to prioritize things like Pathfinder and the new Hero Lab Online to continue getting enough money to pay wages.

That said, we can keep filing bugs. Occasionally, they do put out fixes.

 

[jmucchiello]

Found another one:

When you use a custom descriptor, the XML output gives you:

<descriptors>
<descriptor name="- Custom Descriptor -"/>
</descriptors>

Of course the data is in the internal file:

<pick thing="pdsOther" index="490" batchindex="245" refcount="0" fieldcount="1" source="pwDescs">
<field id="pdsUserNm" text="My super special descriptor"></field>
</pick>

You just can't get it from the XML unless you parse the summary attribute.

 

[jmucchiello]

I looked at the XML exported for Fate Core. It's practically empty. It lists only the skills. None of the other parts of Fate like backstory, aspects, etc. I guess that's why it's free.

 

[Duggan]

Found another one:

When you use a custom descriptor, the XML output gives you:

<descriptors>
<descriptor name="- Custom Descriptor -"/>
</descriptors>

Of course the data is in the internal file:

<pick thing="pdsOther" index="490" batchindex="245" refcount="0" fieldcount="1" source="pwDescs">
<field id="pdsUserNm" text="My super special descriptor"></field>
</pick>

You just can't get it from the XML unless you parse the summary attribute.

FWIW, the relevant bit of code is in the "xopower" procedure, available in the editor:

~add all descriptors on the power
childnode = xml[node].addchild["descriptors"]
foreach pick in focus.gizmo from PowerDesc
grandchild = xml[childnode].addchild["descriptor"]
xml[grandchild].attr["name"] = eachpick.field[name].text
nexteach

Unfortunately, the ability to replace procedures is very limited due to that you have to change all of the references to them, so this is something that Lone Wolf would have to fix, and they haven't been doing a lot of that.