Import D&DI Creature in MM3 format
Submitted by Nebulorum on Wed, 2010-07-21 12:33
| Project: | Virtual Combat Cards |
| Version: | 1.4.0 |
| Component: | Code |
| Category: | feature request |
| Priority: | critical |
| Assigned: | Nebulorum |
| Status: | closed |
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Description
Wizards released some monsters in the new Monster Manual 3 format. This has rendered importing invalid. VCC needs to handle this new format, which will require:
- Import new format (both new and old format);
- Reformat stat block generation (to new format).
The idea is to have old important creatures in the original format. If you re-import the monster you get the new format. If the new format can't be extracted from entries in the old format, we may have to keep the old format.
#1
Things are a bit harder than they initially looked. Since the format is not really very stable and there are monsters with mistaken error.
I'll try to move the new import routine to something more flexible and robust. They idea is to capture the critical data and just accept anything in the data part that is not really relevant (like the power description). This should make the import capable of dealing some of the strange variances in the formats that we see on the compendium.
As for old versus new format. I'll try to make a hybrid format, I'll move all the data I can to the new format, but will keep the old data if needed.
#2
I'm happy to inform that most of the really hard work has been done. I have the basic logic for importing and rendering the stat block nearly done.
In a conformist strategy, VCC will try to read as little as it can. With the new MM3 format, monster are actually easier to read. This means features like #61: Track Combatant Power Usage, may finally see the light of day.
However not all is easy, the older format is still there, so the approach I chose is a hybrid stat block (see this post for some screenshots).
I think the new format is good. I'm not sure of the table in such a small area. Still need a couple of weeks of work to get thinks in place.
#3
Got the importing and rendering of stat blocks done. The new hybrid stat blocks are also done. This means monsters in the old format will have Aura and regeneration clearly visible.
Stat block generation template is now user editable. This will allow you to change them if needed.
Still need to do some good testing of the import logic, and make sure the stat block's table looks OK in smaller resolutions.
#4
Code review includes a series of improvements including:
Futher testing is still necessary.
#5
Included on version 1.4.0.
#6
Automatically closed -- issue fixed for two weeks with no activity.