Summary Text and Printing...

[ShadowChemosh]

So playing around it seems that the if their is a "Summary Text" entered for an ability this is what gets printed on the character sheet instead of the ability description. Which is really nice as I can shorten info to be more readable.

A script I am working on gives a race a breath weapon. I copied one of the existing breath weapon scripts and it appears to all be working correctly, but it has a line that creates a nice bit of text that goes into field[abSumm].text.

I thought this would then get printed on the character sheet to show the correct DC and damage dice as the character levels. This does not appear to be the case. I even tested using the Sorcerer Bloodline(Celestial) which adds Heavenly Fire. The script again looks like it should print a nicely formatted summary of the ability including level bonuses, but it doesn't. All I get is the standard ability description.

Here is the script I am using for the breath weapon:

~Final Phase 20,000/1
var energy as string
var Line as number

energy = "(energy)"
if (root.tagcount[BloodEner.?] <> 0) then
   energy = root.tagnames[BloodEner.?]
endif

~our value is our total class levels
field[abValue].value = round(herofield[tLevel].value/3,0,1)
Line = 5 * herofield[tLevel].value

field[abSumm].text = field[trkMax].value & "/day, Breath Weapon deals " & field[abValue].value & "d8 " & energy & " damage, Ref DC "& field[abDC].value & ", in a " & Line & "ft line."
debug field[abSumm].text
field[livename].text = "Breath Weapon (" & field[trkMax].value & "/day)"

Does field[abSumm].txt not do what I think it does? If it doesn't is their any way to get a nice level formatted bit of text to print on the character sheet?

Debug shows me the following is in the abSumm field. 1/day, Breath Weapon deals 2d8 (energy) damage, Ref DC 14, in a 30ft line. which is exactly what I would like to print to the character sheet.

Thanks

 

[Mathias]

There are two different sets of descriptive text in HeroLab. The first is the summary information. I tend to display the summary when I've only got a little space to print reminder text - for example, the Special tab. The summary text can be set in the editor on the top right of the page, and then modified as field[abSumm].text

Where there's more room to display the text, I use the full description, instead. The description is entered in the big box, and usually, I've just cut-and-pasted the text from http://www.d20pfsrd.com/. You can see the description text for a pick by mousing over the ? icon that should accompany most picks, or in the description information when you're selecting that thing from a list. The description text can be modified as field[CustDesc].text, but since the description can often be 20+ lines long, I've avoided modifying it in scripts, since it's so unweildy.

The printout, if the "Show Feat/Ability Descriptions" option is selected, shows the first three lines of the description text - which I have to admit, was a better option back in the d20 files, when there wasn't a pdf to copy from, and therefore the description text tended to be a paraphrase.

I'll revise this when I get a chance - there'll be mutually exclusive options for the character sheet - one will print just the summary text, and probably need only a line or two - so it'll take up a moderate amount of space, and the other will print all the description text, and probably extend the character sheet a few pages.

I don't know what to suggest for your ability - perhaps add more information to the livename?

 

[ShadowChemosh]

I'll revise this when I get a chance - there'll be mutually exclusive options for the character sheet - one will print just the summary text, and probably need only a line or two - so it'll take up a moderate amount of space, and the other will print all the description text, and probably extend the character sheet a few pages.

Little confused so I want to make sure we are on the same page. Are you saying that the field[abSumm].text is used to change the Summary Text, but that text change does not actually print to the character sheet?

Also it looks like getting this text to print to the character sheet is something that is coming?

Thanks

 

[Mathias]

The unmodified summary text is displayed on the class tab.

The modified summary text is displayed on the special tab.

The description text is displayed on the printout.

I'll be adding an option that will allow the user to choose betweeen the modified summary text or the description text for the printout.

 

[ShadowChemosh]

The unmodified summary text is displayed on the class tab.

The modified summary text is displayed on the special tab.

The description text is displayed on the printout.

I'll be adding an option that will allow the user to choose between the modified summary text or the description text for the printout.

Thanks. That option will definitely be a big selling point for my players. They want the sheets to be showing complete information so that they do not have to reference a book or do any calculations.

As the DM and the guy who has to input the new feats and/or house-rules I really like HL.