-
Please note: In an effort to ensure that all of our users feel welcome on our forums, we’ve updated our forum rules. You can review the updated rules here: http://forums.wolflair.com/showthread.php?t=5528.
If a fellow Community member is not following the forum rules, please report the post by clicking the Report button (the red yield sign on the left) located on every post. This will notify the moderators directly. If you have any questions about these new rules, please contact support@wolflair.com.
- The Lone Wolf Development Team
User created content
- Thread starter tkolhoff
- Start date
Nigel Fogg The Wayfarer
Well-known member
Oh, that would be good. Thanks.
Same E-Mail address I PM'd to you previously. Does that mean I should take the other "add-ons" out and only use your "whole kit and kaboodle" file?
FYI, A friend of mine who I talked into getting HL was making progress on getting Ultimate Magus to work. I'll check on his progress and if he does have it working, I'll send it on to Cheeseweasel.
chiefweasel
Well-known member
The weasel site is back up and running. Everything should be good now.
chiefweasel
Well-known member
What file did you download? It looks like there is a missing file that might go with it as well that has the other information in it.
I've been wrestling with this all night lol. It seems like I fix one issue and another crops up. If I just add every file that I download, i get duplicate errors, but if I try to delete the file giving the errors I get syntax errors... I just want to bang my head against a wall, many times lol. Lawful, can you send ME your kit and kaboodle zip? lol, my email address is yon@cableone.net Maybe if I just delete ALL my .user and .dat files and just add ONLY what you send, I won't have these problems cropping up *grin*
I am seeing the same thing. I haven't gone through every file, but so far these don't work:
BoED - Feats
CAdv - Dread Pirate, Spellthief, & Ninja
Complete Champion Compile
CMag - Feats & Unseen Servant
CWar - Feats & Prestige Classes -- looks like most or all of these won't work, probably because the Feats aren't
The ones that work:
AaEG - all
AoM - War Wizard (C 5-22-10) (not sourced)
BoED - Fist of Raziel & Sword of Righteousness
CAdv - those not listed above work
CDiv - Feats (C 5-25-10)
CWar - Weapons (C 4-22-10)
RotW - all (some are dependent on others so its best to add them all. These files aren't sourced. I went through each file and added a source for everything, and changed the names of the Psionic powers so that they have (RotW) in the name instead of the level (ie 3 - spellname). If you want these updates let me know.)
BTW, what's the difference between .dat and .user, as in why would you use one over the other?
BoED - Feats
CAdv - Dread Pirate, Spellthief, & Ninja
Complete Champion Compile
CMag - Feats & Unseen Servant
CWar - Feats & Prestige Classes -- looks like most or all of these won't work, probably because the Feats aren't
The ones that work:
AaEG - all
AoM - War Wizard (C 5-22-10) (not sourced)
BoED - Fist of Raziel & Sword of Righteousness
CAdv - those not listed above work
CDiv - Feats (C 5-25-10)
CWar - Weapons (C 4-22-10)
RotW - all (some are dependent on others so its best to add them all. These files aren't sourced. I went through each file and added a source for everything, and changed the names of the Psionic powers so that they have (RotW) in the name instead of the level (ie 3 - spellname). If you want these updates let me know.)
BTW, what's the difference between .dat and .user, as in why would you use one over the other?
Last edited:
dragonladytoo
Well-known member
I installed the new HL and now it dumped all my user created add ons 
Is this what everyone else is experiencing?
Is this what everyone else is experiencing?
Sorry fellas, would have replied to this earlier, but I was driving back from GenCon the last 2 days.
Yes, unfortunately the files I wrote are best used as an all or nothing group, there are lots of interconnections that I have written in and built upon as I have gone along. I wish it weren't so, but that is what happens when you write files organically. Probably the simplest thing is to send me a PM with your e-mail and I can send you a Zip file with all my current files.
As for the other question, .dat was the original files the editor created, at some point it switched over to .user files. I don't know why, but I have not noticed a difference. In fact, if you open a .dat with notepad and then "save as" with a .user at the end, it switches the type over to the other with no problems (although don't forget to remove the original .dat to avoid duplications).
Yes, unfortunately the files I wrote are best used as an all or nothing group, there are lots of interconnections that I have written in and built upon as I have gone along. I wish it weren't so, but that is what happens when you write files organically. Probably the simplest thing is to send me a PM with your e-mail and I can send you a Zip file with all my current files.
As for the other question, .dat was the original files the editor created, at some point it switched over to .user files. I don't know why, but I have not noticed a difference. In fact, if you open a .dat with notepad and then "save as" with a .user at the end, it switches the type over to the other with no problems (although don't forget to remove the original .dat to avoid duplications).
Welcome back, crazy man! That's one heck of a road trip!
There is no difference between the behavior of ".dat" and ".user" files for most game systems. The difference only arises for game systems where you have *both* ".dat" *and* ".user" files. That means D&D 4E and any other user-created game systems. In those cases, ".dat" files are considered "core" files if an error occurs during loading, with a recompile attempted that excludes the ".user" files.
We switched to assigning all user-created files a ".user" extension when we released the Authoring Kit. Anyone who created their own ".dat" files for other game systems prior to that time can continue using them with the ".dat" extension without any issues.
We (Rob, Colen and I) tend to edit most of our data files in an XML editor. When we do so, we use the XML comments mechanism rather than the comments mechanism that you can access from within the editor, and like to create a pattern of indentation that makes the data easier to read within an XML editor.
When you save a file in the HL editor, all that information and organization is stripped away. So, distinguishing the files meant to be edited in an XML editor (.dat) and the files intended to be edited in the HL editor (.user) means that the editor can be set up to only open .dat files in read-only mode (which means that if I change something on the Class tab, I can test it without using the new class wizard to create a class to test with, by opening one of the existing classes as read-only file).
Also, as I understand the mechanism, if HL detects some problem in a .user file while compiling its files that it can't resolve, it can shut out all the .user files and load HL in safe mode. That way, a user who isn't familiar with XML editing can fix the errors, and get their files back in working order.
So, there is actually no difference between the contents of a .dat file and a .user file, but in general, the users should only be working with .user files. Just change the file extension if you still have any .dat files in your system.
When you save a file in the HL editor, all that information and organization is stripped away. So, distinguishing the files meant to be edited in an XML editor (.dat) and the files intended to be edited in the HL editor (.user) means that the editor can be set up to only open .dat files in read-only mode (which means that if I change something on the Class tab, I can test it without using the new class wizard to create a class to test with, by opening one of the existing classes as read-only file).
Also, as I understand the mechanism, if HL detects some problem in a .user file while compiling its files that it can't resolve, it can shut out all the .user files and load HL in safe mode. That way, a user who isn't familiar with XML editing can fix the errors, and get their files back in working order.
So, there is actually no difference between the contents of a .dat file and a .user file, but in general, the users should only be working with .user files. Just change the file extension if you still have any .dat files in your system.
Not a problem. It's actually kind of a good exercise for me as I'm still learning the mechanics of Hero Lab. Incidentally, even when I place every file from the cheeseweasel site into the d20 folder, I get errors. It might be time for you and chiefweasel to resync your files.
chiefweasel
Well-known member
You also have to remember that the user created files may have errors in them. They are not official files from Lone Wolf.
Now with this in mind there is a lot of organizing we can do as a community to help avoid some of this. It seems like more and more folks are wanting to, or are, getting into the file creation process. This is great but as you can see errors crop up, people have different styles, work is being duplicated, and so on. I now that now there are 2 file respositors, which is great, but it does cause some syncing issues. I'll get with Shadow and see if there is something that we can work out. One things that would really help is a standardized user file naming process. I tried to introduce something some time ago when I started the repository but it wasnt accepted in the community. So I would like to put forth a new naming convention:
example DD35_Complete_Adv_feats_081410_v1
explanation:
DD35 = the system the file is for, here it would be for D&D 3.5
Complete_Adv = book this is from, here it is the complete adventurer
feats = what specific item from the book is included
081410 = the date of the file creation
v1 = version of the file
thi sis just a suggestion but i think that we as a community need to develop a standard which will help everyone and make things easier for all of us as a whole.
Now that I am back from Gen Con I can devote some more time for the repository and try to come up with some standards that we can agree upon. I'll talk to the Lone Wolfs folks as well and see what could be done from there end. I have some ideas but I want to run it through them first before I try to pull something together.
Now with this in mind there is a lot of organizing we can do as a community to help avoid some of this. It seems like more and more folks are wanting to, or are, getting into the file creation process. This is great but as you can see errors crop up, people have different styles, work is being duplicated, and so on. I now that now there are 2 file respositors, which is great, but it does cause some syncing issues. I'll get with Shadow and see if there is something that we can work out. One things that would really help is a standardized user file naming process. I tried to introduce something some time ago when I started the repository but it wasnt accepted in the community. So I would like to put forth a new naming convention:
example DD35_Complete_Adv_feats_081410_v1
explanation:
DD35 = the system the file is for, here it would be for D&D 3.5
Complete_Adv = book this is from, here it is the complete adventurer
feats = what specific item from the book is included
081410 = the date of the file creation
v1 = version of the file
thi sis just a suggestion but i think that we as a community need to develop a standard which will help everyone and make things easier for all of us as a whole.
Now that I am back from Gen Con I can devote some more time for the repository and try to come up with some standards that we can agree upon. I'll talk to the Lone Wolfs folks as well and see what could be done from there end. I have some ideas but I want to run it through them first before I try to pull something together.
ShadowChemosh
Well-known member
Yea we really have to do a re-sync of all the Pathfinder stuff as I would say 80%+ are now broken due to the Sources change issue. Unfortunately I have not had time yet to pull down all the pathfinder versions from your site and apply the fix. At that time I should also sync all the d20pfsrd files to you also. Just yea have not had the time yet.
I have been enforcing the File name standard on d20pfsrd by changing the file names that I am given by the community. I also do a quick load test to see if it will load with no other .user files. I then check to make sure their is a Simple Thing for Version History at least and a ToDo list also. If either one is missing I try and add a quick note.
Also I have been adding the Version number to the Description of the book that shows up in the Sources. Thought that made more sense for non-editors to see, but adding it to the .user file is not bad either. Though worried about then someone could load the same book twice causing errors as they are now different file names.
Just some thought here. I have a FTP server. Could storing a copy of the .user file on it that Cheifweasel could then access allow us to sync better? Maybe some freeware software that can compare date/time on the FTP server's .user files and notify you when they are changed? Then when you get time just suck it off the FTP site and upload to your site. Just an idea here is all........
Ok so another question here as I am not an HTML expert. Can you have links from your site to my FTP server instead? I mean these are very small files actually so bandwidth is not an issue. Then when I post any updates to d20pfsrd all I would have to do is update the file on the FTP server and bam you are now synced with the latest version without any work on your side at all? Thoughts?
chiefweasel
Well-known member
I know HTML pretty well and can post links to anywhere that is needed. I would like to talk to your web guy though, maybe i could set up a mirror site for the D&D materials and you could do the Pathfinder. I have several ideas but they require multiple people to perform. Just a couple ideas I have are:
Need a team that will decide of user community standards
Need matching repositories
Need a separate repository for each game system
A group that will test files before they are published
things like this would make getting files and using them smoother. I really think that the user community should be approached like any computer community. Like EEE or IANA, something like that. For anyone who wants to talk about it, i suggest contcating me and we can set up time to talk over Ventrilo or Skype, something like that. I am wiling to help organize us to provide a better user created product for all users.
We have to bear in mind though that Lone Wolf can not be apart of this process due to licensing issues they might have. So everything will fall to us.
Comments?
Need a team that will decide of user community standards
Need matching repositories
Need a separate repository for each game system
A group that will test files before they are published
things like this would make getting files and using them smoother. I really think that the user community should be approached like any computer community. Like EEE or IANA, something like that. For anyone who wants to talk about it, i suggest contcating me and we can set up time to talk over Ventrilo or Skype, something like that. I am wiling to help organize us to provide a better user created product for all users.
We have to bear in mind though that Lone Wolf can not be apart of this process due to licensing issues they might have. So everything will fall to us.
Comments?