Summary Panel Redesign

[Jamz]

As I use a Surface 3 Pro as well I was wondering what you were saying, then when I looked at your screenie's I understood, you really do scale up, I run default noscaling.

However for me I use the panels as "quick glance" only, when it comes time for skill checks, weapons, spells etc. I switch over to that tab, which may be why reading the panels is not such an issue, however I do like the view with it scaling somewhat. Going to play with this a little.

I started with no scaling (btw, you can right-click properties and turn it on/off for individual programs), I was like, wow, I can see EVERYTHING. Problem was, I need to use the pen now, everything was too small to click. and really, just to small in general. It's much nicer when a program scales itself for HDPI (see latest Photoshop as example).

Personally, I like to keep the In-Play tab up, it's where most of the action is. Occasionally flip to spell tab to cast or Specials tab to get details on something, and I would like to just view somewhere in a summary or such to know my attack/damage numbers easily.

What I get instead is.
Round 1
<InPlay>check power attack
<weapons tab>attack

Round 2
<InPlay>check smite
<conditions>check flanking
<weapons tab>attack
<InPlay> record damage

Round 3
<Weapons tab> hmm, that's not right
<InPlay>uncheck smite
<Weapons tab> oops, still not right
<conditions>uncheck flanking
<weapons tab> attack
<specials tab or paladin tab>check mercy/LoH dice, roll
<InPlay>heal damage

If we could reduce tab flipping some, I'd be a happy camper. A conditions summary tab WITH checkable boxes would be lovely. I constantly need to go to that tab for flanking, charging, defense, etc. Combined with text reflow for weapons tab, I could pretty much sit on the In-Play tab most of the time...

 

[charlieluce]

What Jamz said. That's exactly how I play as well, mostly in the In-play tab with side trips to Spells, Adjustments, and Conditions as circumstances warrant, and I depend on the Summary panels a lot.

Which brings me to a kind of related thing - when I bring up information on a magical item like a scroll or wand, the spell description comes up, but not the Range or Duration, which is often what I need to double-check, so I end up having to look it up in the SRD anyway.

 

[Kaleb]

I like the redesign except for the font size. if you use a 1800x1600 screen resoultion the font size is too small. Would it be possible to add a tab to set the font size?

 

[Pollution]

A new 'Experimental Options' section is shown in the list of hero settings, allowing you to show a large statblock view as a replacement for the "Basics" summary panel. Tell us how you think you would use this feature! (Please note: Using this option is not recommended unless you're using the Hero Lab 6.0b beta.)

the statblock is AWESOME! The overall redesign of the summary panels is great as it stands, but the Statblock is the real winner here IMO.

This makes me not have to really search for info on a character, it's RIGHT THERE. I love it.

I'm also assuming that it updates? So when I mark that the bard has used his ability that day for blasting people with profanity and setting them on fire, that it will be reflected as used in the statblock? Cause that would be nifty. (I'd check it, but I'm at work)

Seriously though, the statblock for PF is amazing. I'd love to see this integrated into SR 4/5 as well as maybe WoD? (Those are what I play at this point)

 

[Aaron]

the statblock is AWESOME! The overall redesign of the summary panels is great as it stands, but the Statblock is the real winner here IMO.

This makes me not have to really search for info on a character, it's RIGHT THERE. I love it.

I'm also assuming that it updates? So when I mark that the bard has used his ability that day for blasting people with profanity and setting them on fire, that it will be reflected as used in the statblock? Cause that would be nifty. (I'd check it, but I'm at work)

Seriously though, the statblock for PF is amazing. I'd love to see this integrated into SR 4/5 as well as maybe WoD? (Those are what I play at this point)

I'm glad you enjoy the statblock, improving the output has been one of my major projects for the last several months. However, it unfortunately doesn't update in the manner you suggest. What I think it is well suited for is editorial work, confirming that the NPC built matches (as closely as possible) that provided in the books.

 

[EricaOdd]

The breakdown/calculation popup doesn't show for saving throws. I get a popup for AC, skill bonuses, CMB, and CMD, but not Fort/Ref/Will.

 

[Exmortis]

I'm glad you enjoy the statblock, improving the output has been one of my major projects for the last several months. However, it unfortunately doesn't update in the manner you suggest. What I think it is well suited for is editorial work, confirming that the NPC built matches (as closely as possible) that provided in the books.

One thing that would be awesome for HL to have is a button beside any spell with a duration. When pressed the spell will go into a pop up window with the proper duration based on the spell and the level of the character. This window shows the duration in hours, minutes and rounds, rounds are for fractions of minutes. The windows has an hour, minute and round counter button, essentially everytime that one of the buttons is pushed it counts down the durations of all spells in the window, removing ones that have expired or changing the duration to big red lettering "EXPIRED".

This would make duration tracking so much easier, could even extend it to abilties and other such things. This is one thing that HL does not assist with tracking, durations of spells, abilities, effects, conditions etc.

 

[Aaron]

The breakdown/calculation popup doesn't show for saving throws. I get a popup for AC, skill bonuses, CMB, and CMD, but not Fort/Ref/Will.

Yeah, I know. It's planned for the future. More transparency is something I always like to add. A couple years ago the only one of those which had a calculation display was the AC, and I have slowly been adding the others.

 

[Aaron]

One thing that would be awesome for HL to have is a button beside any spell with a duration. When pressed the spell will go into a pop up window with the proper duration based on the spell and the level of the character. This window shows the duration in hours, minutes and rounds, rounds are for fractions of minutes. The windows has an hour, minute and round counter button, essentially everytime that one of the buttons is pushed it counts down the durations of all spells in the window, removing ones that have expired or changing the duration to big red lettering "EXPIRED".

This would make duration tracking so much easier, could even extend it to abilties and other such things. This is one thing that HL does not assist with tracking, durations of spells, abilities, effects, conditions etc.

Since we capped the previous "requested feature" thread, this might be a good one for starting a new incarnation of that.