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Custom .user file locations?

Ok, I want to weigh in with this one myself as well with a "+1", with caveats...

I have had this discussion a long time ago in a long dead thread. I play in a Pen-And-Paper group. Most of the guys have conniptions when I ask them to send me a copy of their character sheet, let alone mess around with anything like this. Half of the group couldn't find the ProgramData folder!

Having .user files stored by default in the "My Documents" folder and being able to link to something like Dropbox (or a file uploaded on a website!) is important.

I created some templates for the characters in the Pathfinder game I am running, and I create all custom magic items in the editor and distribute the file that way. It's tedious and I have had to spend significant time each week on the phone to each of the people, telling/retelling them how to import the file. I update the file quite often, so if I can simply upload it somewhere and have HeroLab check it's version/build number when you open a file that uses it (and downloads/imports it if necessary), it'd sure speed everything up.

In addition: In addition, the prgram seems to incorporate all .user files. In the "Configure Hero" screen, on the right is a lovely check list for all the published content that can be incorporated. A button somewhere on the Configure Hero screen that takes you to a window that lists all available files (and their locations if multiple locations can be browsed and selected for Dropbox and so on) and a check-box that enables and disables them would effectively be a way of doing this for user-created content. My player do not want to have my magic items, templates and other garbage cluttering up their character selections in other campaigns!
 
McTaff said:
In addition: In addition, the prgram seems to incorporate all .user files. In the "Configure Hero" screen, on the right is a lovely check list for all the published content that can be incorporated. A button somewhere on the Configure Hero screen that takes you to a window that lists all available files (and their locations if multiple locations can be browsed and selected for Dropbox and so on) and a check-box that enables and disables them would effectively be a way of doing this for user-created content. My player do not want to have my magic items, templates and other garbage cluttering up their character selections in other campaigns!
Click to expand...

The last item on every tab in the editor is named "sources". That's how you can create your own entries in that list on the configure hero form.
 
McTaff said:
That's what that is for..!
Click to expand...

Pardon me, but if I've got a data file FULL of things for one campaign, it would probably be a handy option to actually have a "Apply to all entries in this data file", with an additional option "Create all new records with this source option enabled".
 
I've been lurking on this thread for awhile. I came up with a partial solution for this problem.

I've been using Dropbox and a Simlink to sync my Pathfinder data for a while now. My Dropbox folder lives in a folder on my Desktop, but you can change paths for your destination. I still have to update each install of HL and then let it sync, but this works well.

ren "C:\ProgramData\Hero Lab\data\pathfinder" pathfinder.org

mklink /j "C:\ProgramData\Hero Lab\data\pathfinder" "C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Desktop\Hold\Dropbox\Characte rs\Hero Lab\HL data - pathfinder"

pause

Kizan
 
McTaff said:
I created some templates for the characters in the Pathfinder game I am running, and I create all custom magic items in the editor and distribute the file that way. It's tedious and I have had to spend significant time each week on the phone to each of the people, telling/retelling them how to import the file. I update the file quite often, so if I can simply upload it somewhere and have HeroLab check it's version/build number when you open a file that uses it (and downloads/imports it if necessary), it'd sure speed everything up.
Click to expand...
Use a .hl file instead. Its what LW itself uses to distribute its games like Pathfinder and its what we use in the community also. Go to "Tools->Launch HLExport".

If you have a web server you can then setup a "Powered by HL" feature like I did for the community. Then HL can check it for version and download and auto-install the update. I also do this for my personal games as it makes it really easy for my players to keep up on all my changes.
 
I have a question about the sources.

I created a source for a home brew campaign. Everything looks good, and I see the source listed under User Content in the Configure Your Hero box. When I either copy that .user file over to my other machine or use the HLExport to create a .hl file and then import that I either get blank for my custom source or the Unique ID for the source.

What am I missing? Is there another file that maintains the sources?
 
ShadowChemosh said:
Use a .hl file instead. Its what LW itself uses to distribute its games like Pathfinder and its what we use in the community also. Go to "Tools->Launch HLExport".

If you have a web server you can then setup a "Powered by HL" feature like I did for the community. Then HL can check it for version and download and auto-install the update. I also do this for my personal games as it makes it really easy for my players to keep up on all my changes.
Click to expand...

I don't have a webserver, but was thinking of setting one up (for a completely different set of circumstances). If I do, then I'm all over this like kids on fairy bread.

(Any chance you can work your magic on a video tutorial on some of this? I wasn't even aware of .hl files and how they are distributed.)
 
Id like to "bump" this thread in regards to changing the default locations. (not regarding the .hl files, which i think is a different topic altogether)

We're now living in an age of cloud based computing with things like google drive and dropbox. But even if we dont consider that, its still important to let people choose where they want to store their files. I know someone earlier mentioned SSD's. Backups are another reason too.

Yes, the symlink workaround works, but not everyone knows how to do that, and to have to run something as administrator is ok, but not great. Id like to know if there is in the works any plan to modify hero lab to do the following:

1. Allow for custom locations for data files
2. Allow the user to change their default location.

Thanks!
 
Me 3!

I got to weigh in on this as well. I use a SSD as well for my C drive, for the aforementioned reason. If I tell a program to install on a different drive I effing expect it to install on THAT HD!!!. I love the program, think its a marvelous tool for RPGing that I could only dream of in previous decades, but this blunder is really something you should attend to asap. To install to drives of your choice is so commonplace today that its essentially a given. :mad:
 
Mathias said:
The last item on every tab in the editor is named "sources". That's how you can create your own entries in that list on the configure hero form.
Click to expand...

Is there any work being done on getting data files in a custom location and not in %APPDATA% The linking works for now, but its a bit of a pain, and it doesnt always work on a mac.
 
I am curious if anyone knows how this works on Win 8.1? I had this working well with Windows 7, but I can't seem to find the files now with Win 8.1. Perhaps it's too early in the morning here. Ha Ha
 
As mentioned in the M&M board, I am trying to copy a .stock file into the ProgramData directory to make it accessible in the Stock File menu. In Win8.1, however. The problem is that even after I reveal the directory I cannot copy into it. I'm not even given the option to go into the Admin account -- it simply refuses to let me perform the task.

I've asked the Microsoft Community how (and if) I can do this. No response yet -- I will probably share it once I get one because this something that might have to be done every so often.

Since the problem is likely to persist in future versions of Windows, perhaps Version 5 of HL could provide an alternative location for .stock files to make adding fan-built ones (like the one I am trying to add) easier (or at least possible without undergoing extensive system calesthenics).
 
The solution, according to the Microsoft community, is to go into the Properties for the folder in question and take out the Rewad-Only status the program seems to install them to. That worked for me, though I couldn't detail exactly how I did.
 
AEIOU said:
All paths really need to be user definable. I was very close to requesting a refund when I installed and specified custom install and discovered that even though I directed the install to my D:/program files (x86) directory, a C:/programdata directory was also created and utilized.

Why? Because I use a SSD drive for C:/ which contains OS and static application files only. For those unfamiliar with SSD's, they dramatically speed up reads for file access so applications/programs gain a significant boost. The downside is that they have a limited number of writes to the device. Hero Lab forces a directory onto the C:/ and writes every time the program is accessed. Every time I use Hero Lab, a few bits die.... And that makes me sad.

SSD's are becoming more common for laptops and gaming systems. Cloud data support for centralized storage would be a huge plus for anyone using a desktop/laptop combo. I'd really like to see this limitation changed.
Click to expand...


Just to put aside any fears here, you have to write a tremendous amount of data to an SSD to kill it.

http://techreport.com/review/27909/the-ssd-endurance-experiment-theyre-all-dead

I worked it out once that a standard 128GB SSD needed in the order of 64TB of data written to begin to lose cells. Please consider just how much data that is.

The above link is a test run by a online source in an attempt to kill SSDs, and it proved they have remarkable endurance.

I run SSDs in all my systems, everything, I mean everything is installed and run off them, I see no reason why one would want to gimp their performance by running the OS on an SSD and then wait for apps to run off a convention HD. Back in the day, when I ran a 1st Gen Agility it made sense to do this, but even a value line SSD has a very long life, and is the single biggest performance enhancing part of any computer.

Crucial, Adata are my go to brands. I have two of each, and my lappy has been running a 512GB Crucial for nearly 4yrs, and still not a single redirected cell.

However, mileage may vary, like any device not all are created equal even within brands and models. But there is very little reason to worry that any program will kill your SSD. Reality here is, your swap and temp files used by the OS will create far more writes then most apps.
 
Just FYI this thread is 5 years old. So keep in mind your answering someone from tech 5 years ago. Things have gotten better with SSD drives in those 5 years. :)
 
Need to modify Data File Paths

mirtos said:
Is there any work being done on getting data files in a custom location and not in %APPDATA% The linking works for now, but its a bit of a pain, and it doesnt always work on a mac.
Click to expand...

Am bumping this thread. We still need data file paths editing in a day and age of cloud computing. Want to push Program Data Files to Dropbox.

:p
 
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