# [4e] Combat Tracker Utility



## Mortaneus (Aug 27, 2009)

(cross-posted from RPG.net)

I've been running a 4e game for a while now, and I use my laptop as my GM screen.

As such, I've spent a decent amount of time examining the various digital assistant offerings out there.   I've mainly been using Virtual Combat Cards, MasterPlan, and OneNote to do what I want to do.  

All are excellent offerings. However, none of them have exactly the feature set I want while running a fight.  Since I prefer to fix rather than complain, I went about writing my own (being a programmer myself).

The first version is done, and I'm putting it up here for the world to examine, use, curse at, and lampoon.


DnD4e Combat Manager Page


The specifics:

Windows XP and later only
Requires .NET Framework 3.5 installed (if you have the Character Builder or Monster Builder installed, you have this)
Can paste 'Copy to Rich Text' data from the Monster Builder on DnDi (button above the list on Compendium window, also button on individual detail screen).
Full initiative tracking.
Allows common HP/XP House Rules options to modify monsters (Dropdown titled 'Mod': Demi = 1/2hp+2/3xp, Semi = 1/4hp+1/3xp, Minion = 1hp+1/4xp)
Displays full statblock on the main window.  No need to bounce around looking for information (main reason I wrote this).
Text-entry field for notes on each combatant (will be adding custom status/ongoing tracking later...for now, this suffices)

It is still a work-in-progress, but I figured I'd throw this version out into the wild for perusal.  

Please let me know what you like, hate, or want.  I'll be monitoring this thread.

Thanks!


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## Mortaneus (Aug 27, 2009)

More updates from the RPG.net thread here:




> I can open it, but... nothing happens. I mean, I get the window and I see what it looks like, and I can access the dropdown menus and everything, but it's all grayed out. Selecting "New Encounter" doesn't actually let me do anything.




Sorry, needs documentation. Haven't had time yet.

You add entries to the battle from the Compendium window. Not the DnDi compendium, the Compendium->Open Compendium option on the menu bar of the utility (probably should have picked a better name). There is an 'Add to Battle' button on there.

You simply select an entry, and hit 'Add to Battle'. The dropdown on the 'Add' button shows a queue of what you're adding. You can click on the dropdown to remove an entry from the queue before it gets to the main screen, if you change your mind. When you exit the compendium, everything in the queue added to the current roster.

You can't start the fight until there are entries.

Sorry for the confusion.

Adding to the 'To Do' list: Freaking documentation. 

---------

A bit more info for the technically minded:

Everything drives off the Compendium window. It contains a list of all monsters/PCs that the program knows about, and it is what you use to assemble a battle.

When you load the program, it looks for a file called 'Compendium.dnd4' in the same directory as the EXE. If it finds it, it loads it. It's simply an XML file with a different file-type, so it isn't listed when loading an encounter.

When you quit the program, it saves the updated compendium to the file I mention above.


The easiest method for adding new entries to the Compendium (and the method I use) is to paste them from the Monster Builder. I'll eventually get around to adding 'Import from DnDi compendium' functionality, but haven't done so yet.


Also note that all stat data is ALSO saved in the .XML files created when you Save an encounter. When the encounter file is loaded, it checks the current compendium for entries with the same name/level as what is in in the encounter file. If it finds a compendium entry, it uses that in preference to the encounter entry. If it doesn't find it, it adds the entry to the compendium.

Basically, this means that even if the current compendium you're using doesn't have the stats for the stuff in an encounter file, it'll just get it from the encounter instead.

It still tries to use the compendium first, though.


Finally, you may notice that Skill data goes missing when you paste from the Monster Builder. There's nothing I can do about that right now, as it's a bug in the 'Copy to Rich Text' option in the monster builder. It simply doesn't pull Skills. For proof, copy an entry from the monster builder and paste it in to Word/Wordpad. The skills won't be there either.


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## Erywin (Aug 27, 2009)

Oh wow, I would love to use this. Anychance of a Mac version? Guessing not with having to use the Monster Builder as a base. Guess I can try it out on my VMWare. Anychance of screenshots?

Cheers,
E


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## 2WS-Steve (Aug 28, 2009)

The import feature from the monster builder is really sweet!  Nice job.


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## Mortaneus (Aug 28, 2009)

Erywin said:


> Oh wow, I would love to use this. Anychance of a Mac version? Guessing not with having to use the Monster Builder as a base. Guess I can try it out on my VMWare. Anychance of screenshots?
> 
> Cheers,
> E




Unfortunately, I'm not a Mac person anymore.  Don't have the tools, and without Monster Builder, this project loses some of its appeal.

As far as screenshots, sure.  HERE, HERE, and HERE.



2WS-Steve said:


> The import feature from the monster builder is really sweet!  Nice job.




Thanks!  Actually, being able to import like that was one of the two main reasons for writing this...the other was having the full statblock displayed on the screen with the initiative.


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## Mortaneus (Aug 28, 2009)

I've updated the link above.  I just created version 1.1, which fixes a few things, and adds a bunch more functionality on the Library screen (no longer called compendium....too much confusion there).

You can find it here:

DnD4 Combat Tracker v1.1


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## evildmguy (Aug 30, 2009)

Looks interesting so far.  Thanks!  

If you need any help with the programming, let me know.  More than willing to help!  

edg


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## Mortaneus (Aug 30, 2009)

New version is up!

Find it here:

Combat Tracker v1.2


*Version 1.2 Feature List*

Main Screen

Rewrote Initiative List logic for greater consistency
Modified XP display on Initiative list to show XP/Lvl for 5 PCs if no PCs present in list
Added 'Inactive' section to initiative list
Added popup-tooltips to many items
Made 'Load Encounter' clear current encounter first, and added 'Import Encounter' to load without clearing
Modified Reserve group to sort PCs above NPCs
Modified HP display to show HP even on inactive targets
Library Screen

Added new filter to Library Window for Role 
Added edit message to prevent overwrite of other entries when changing names
Moved PCs to top of list by adding *'s before their names
Fixed multiselect problem between main list and add list
Placed 'Add to Battle' buttons on top of both lists for ease of use
Statblock Screen

Added PC checkbox linked to 'Hero' option on Role dropdown


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## Mortaneus (Aug 30, 2009)

evildmguy said:


> Looks interesting so far.  Thanks!
> 
> If you need any help with the programming, let me know.  More than willing to help!




Thanks for the offer.  

At the moment, I'm keeping it to myself, but I'll probably drop the source out there at some point (after a few revisions and refactorings, so I won't die of embarrassment from someone trying to read the mess that currently exists).


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## Erywin (Aug 30, 2009)

Looks awesome! I will download it and try it out for my next session, going to be a few weeks though as RL is getting in the way of regular play sessions.

Cheers,
E


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## Mortaneus (Aug 31, 2009)

New version is up, though it's just a fix to a bug The Eye (of rpg.net fame) discovered.



			
				The Eye said:
			
		

> Maybe it's just me, but when I add a PC to the library, and then try to edit that PC later, it gives me an error message (something like "that file already exists") when I exit the editor screen and doesn't save the changes.




This problem is fixed.  You should be able to change statblocks normally now.

You can download the new version here:

Combat Manager v1.2.1
(URL disabled, a new version is now available below)


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## Mercule (Aug 31, 2009)

I've been putzing with something along these lines in WPF, too.  I just don't have much time.  I'll check yours out, though.


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## Erywin (Sep 1, 2009)

Got to play around with it today and I think it is going to be awesome to use in game. Though having to input all the monster info for my campaign is going to be a pain, currently running WotBS 4e and not a lot of generic monsters there.

One question, is there an easier way to import PC data then manually entering it for each character? An option to copy from the character builder would be awesome!

Cheers,
E


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## Mortaneus (Sep 2, 2009)

Erywin said:


> Got to play around with it today and I think it is going to be awesome to use in game. Though having to input all the monster info for my campaign is going to be a pain, currently running WotBS 4e and not a lot of generic monsters there.
> 
> One question, is there an easier way to import PC data then manually entering it for each character? An option to copy from the character builder would be awesome!




Thanks.  

At the moment, there isn't any easy way to enter PC info, though I plan to add that functionality at some point in the future.  Probably effect tracking will come first, though.

Truthfully, I don't enter much PC information when I use it.  Mostly names, level, init bonus, defenses, and HP (for my reference).  Unless you're tracking the PCs a lot more than I am, that should suffice for now.


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## Erywin (Sep 2, 2009)

True, I would probably add in Passive Perception/Insight if there is a spot for that. Would mean I could totally get rid of my little init cards! Heh, my only gripe now is that there is no Mac version for this and the WotC programs  Guess I will survive and this totally makes my life easier and probably saves me a bunch of paper too, as I was printing out the Tactical Encounters so that I could have a separate reference for them. This will take care of that, now if only I could import maps from PDFs >.< Heh. Though I am looking forward to condition tracking, any thought of having a pop up to remind the DM to roll for (save ends) conditions at the end of the monsters turn? That would be a major help since I seem to forget those types of things.

Cheers,
E


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## Mortaneus (Sep 2, 2009)

Erywin said:


> True, I would probably add in Passive Perception/Insight if there is a spot for that. Would mean I could totally get rid of my little init cards! Heh, my only gripe now is that there is no Mac version for this and the WotC programs  Guess I will survive and this totally makes my life easier and probably saves me a bunch of paper too, as I was printing out the Tactical Encounters so that I could have a separate reference for them. This will take care of that, now if only I could import maps from PDFs >.< Heh. Though I am looking forward to condition tracking, any thought of having a pop up to remind the DM to roll for (save ends) conditions at the end of the monsters turn? That would be a major help since I seem to forget those types of things.




Oh, save reminders (and such) are definitely on the to-do list.

For the passives, you could enter those on the 'Senses' line, and they should show up in the PC's statblock.


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## Mortaneus (Sep 8, 2009)

It's been about a week since I last updated the version of this application.

Well, the wait is over:
Version 1.3 is up!
(link disabled, see v1.3.1 below! It handles the latest Monster Builder changes!)

Updates:

Layout re-do of the Main screen
Added Effect tracking (manual removal, currently)
Added Power Usage tracking (also manual, for the moment)
Added Global Notes field (not saved)
Miscellaneous bug fixes

Here's a screenshot (you can see the many changes):







Enjoy!


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## Mercule (Sep 8, 2009)

I just want to say that this thing is awesome.  If I continue to work on mine, it'll only be from the academic standpoint of learning WPF instead of using it.


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## Mortaneus (Sep 9, 2009)

After a mad scramble to make sense of the wacky changes that were made to the RTF format, I think I've got it locked down.

Get the new version here:

DnD4e Combat Manager v1.3.1
(URL disabled, a new version is available below)


Updates:

Now handles 'small font' and 'large font' format of new version of Monster Builder.
Propertly imports skills (weren't being copied-to-RTF in previous MB)
Properly imports and saves Immunities (weren't included in previous MB)
Properly imports and saves Source book info (wasn't included in previous MB)
Added functionality to Statblock display to show recharge as dice, as in standard statblocks

Enjoy!


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## Mortaneus (Sep 9, 2009)

Mercule said:


> I just want to say that this thing is awesome.  If I continue to work on mine, it'll only be from the academic standpoint of learning WPF instead of using it.




Well, don't let me discourage you.  The more the merrier!  

Also, good idea working on your WPF skills...it's an interesting critter, though I've found that WPF in VB.NET 2008 is a lot less user-friendly than developing with Windows Forms.

Any recommendations for getting into it?


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## Oompa (Sep 9, 2009)

Going to try this shizzle


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## Oompa (Sep 9, 2009)

Amazing


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## Mortaneus (Sep 10, 2009)

Another new version is up!

DnD4e Combat Manager v1.3.2
(URL disabled, look below for new version)

Changes:

Effects will now automatically drop off targets if they are of the 'Until start/end' variety.  (automatic power recharge, saving throws, etc are in the works)
Changing the selection on the main list with the arrow keys now works
Both Global and Individual notes are now saved with the encounter


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## Mortaneus (Sep 10, 2009)

Oompa said:


> Amazing




Thanks!  I'm glad that other people are getting some use out of this thing.

It's certainly making my game easier to run.


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## Mercule (Sep 10, 2009)

Mortaneus said:


> Well, don't let me discourage you.  The more the merrier!
> 
> Also, good idea working on your WPF skills...it's an interesting critter, though I've found that WPF in VB.NET 2008 is a lot less user-friendly than developing with Windows Forms.
> 
> Any recommendations for getting into it?



I'm a web developer, so I'm actually more interested in Silverlight.  WPF is mainly because there's so much synergy between the two and I wanted to be able to save the encounter output to a local file.  I'm really just starting to learn this generation of UI, myself.  Usually, I pick a game-related need and start putzing with a computer-based solution just so I have something interesting to work on.  

Coming from HTML/ASPX, the markup doesn't throw me so much, though it is different.  I'm having a harder time with asyncronous calls and being able to modify the UI from the code-behind.  I was really happy with "LINQ In Action" from Manning Press (manning.com) and have been considering getting the "Silverlight in Action" early access book for SL3 (PDF chapters available as the author finishes them).  Otherwise, I've been flailing about and using Google/Bing/MSDN as needed.

So, what do I do behind the screen, other than run encounters?  I'd say build adventures, but I'm using the SoW AP this time, rather than homebrewing.  After using your app this week, I can honestly say my biggest time constraint is drawing the darn battle maps for the minis.


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## Mortaneus (Sep 10, 2009)

Mercule said:


> I'm a web developer, so I'm actually more interested in Silverlight.  WPF is mainly because there's so much synergy between the two and I wanted to be able to save the encounter output to a local file.  I'm really just starting to learn this generation of UI, myself.  Usually, I pick a game-related need and start putzing with a computer-based solution just so I have something interesting to work on.
> 
> Coming from HTML/ASPX, the markup doesn't throw me so much, though it is different.  I'm having a harder time with asyncronous calls and being able to modify the UI from the code-behind.  I was really happy with "LINQ In Action" from Manning Press (manning.com) and have been considering getting the "Silverlight in Action" early access book for SL3 (PDF chapters available as the author finishes them).  Otherwise, I've been flailing about and using Google/Bing/MSDN as needed.
> 
> So, what do I do behind the screen, other than run encounters?  I'd say build adventures, but I'm using the SoW AP this time, rather than homebrewing.  After using your app this week, I can honestly say my biggest time constraint is drawing the darn battle maps for the minis.




Hrm...interesting.  I may have to see if I can chase those books down.

Personally, I'm coming at it from the other side.  I'm a professional business-logic developer, mostly, and am now starting to pick up stuff on the interface side of the fence.

As far as the mapping side of things, my group uses a 1 1/4" square grid printed on a poster-size piece of paper (about $10 at Kinko's).  We then got a big sheet of 1/8" thick plexiglass from Home Depot (cost about $30), and we use dry erase markers on it over the grid.  It works beautifully. I can usually sketch out a map in under a minute or two, and the marks come off with a basic whiteboard eraser.


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## Oompa (Sep 10, 2009)

I am getting an error, when i press "roll all initiatives"

The error is in dutch so i dont know if you can read it


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## Mortaneus (Sep 10, 2009)

Oompa said:


> I am getting an error, when i press "roll all initiatives"
> 
> The error is in dutch so i dont know if you can read it




Hrm...I'm not getting any errors...

What did you have loaded when you hit it?  What is the content of the message?  I'm sure I can get an auto-translate or something.


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## Oompa (Sep 10, 2009)

Mortaneus said:


> Hrm...I'm not getting any errors...
> 
> What did you have loaded when you hit it? What is the content of the message? I'm sure I can get an auto-translate or something.




I will post the actual error when i get home, i just deleted the old file that you start the program with and used the newer one (kept the library file).
Character import worked fine, but when i roll the initiative button it keeps giving me the error and the option to ignore it or shut the program down.

Ignoring the error will get me the same error again right away..


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## Oompa (Sep 10, 2009)

In dutch, off to bed 




> Zie het einde van dit bericht voor meer informatie over het aanroepen
> van JIT-foutopsporing (Just In Time) in plaats van dit dialoogvenster.
> 
> ************** Tekst van uitzondering **************
> ...


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## Mercule (Sep 11, 2009)

Mortaneus said:


> Personally, I'm coming at it from the other side.  I'm a professional business-logic developer, mostly, and am now starting to pick up stuff on the interface side of the fence.



Well, then, return question:  Know any good books/sites for WCF?  Somehow, liking to play with new UI tech got me moved to the new SOA team and I'd never done even an asmx before.  I'm learning, but it's trial by fire and I'm expected to be the "go to" guy for this stuff.



> As far as the mapping side of things, my group uses a 1 1/4" square grid printed on a poster-size piece of paper (about $10 at Kinko's).  We then got a big sheet of 1/8" thick plexiglass from Home Depot (cost about $30), and we use dry erase markers on it over the grid.  It works beautifully. I can usually sketch out a map in under a minute or two, and the marks come off with a basic whiteboard eraser.



I have some Tac-Tiles, which are awesome.  It takes too darn long to draw the maps.  I have a poster-sized tablet of inch grid paper that I'm going to try to draw on in advance of next game.  We'll see how it goes.


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## Mortaneus (Sep 11, 2009)

Oompa said:


> In dutch, off to bed




Ahh...I think I found it.  Turns out the individual notes weren't being initialized properly.

The next version will have a fix (look for it shortly).

Thanks again!


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## Mortaneus (Sep 11, 2009)

A new version is up!

DnD4e Combat Manager v1.3.3
(URL disabled, see below for new version)

Changes:

PCs will no longer drop to the 'Inactive' category, so that proper death save timing will be obvious.
Fixed a crashing problem due to the new 'save notes' code.


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## Mercule (Sep 11, 2009)

Here's a question about the app:  Is there a way to persist PC data (hp, specifically) between encounters?  When the fighter is only down 3 hp, she doesn't usually blow a healing surge.


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## Mortaneus (Sep 11, 2009)

Mercule said:


> Here's a question about the app:  Is there a way to persist PC data (hp, specifically) between encounters?  When the fighter is only down 3 hp, she doesn't usually blow a healing surge.




That one is tricky...it would basically involve reworking the 'Reserve' status quite a bit.

I had someone ask me for the same thing over on RPGnet.  I'm going to have to think on it.

Thanks for the feedback!


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## Mortaneus (Sep 14, 2009)

A new version is up!

DnD4e Combat Manager v1.4
(URL disabled, new version below)

New changes:

Added automated saving throws (will prompt)
Added automated power recharge (will prompt)
Modified minimum window size to accommodate smaller desktop widths


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## Erywin (Sep 14, 2009)

Awesome. I game this Sunday and really looking to finally trying this out during a game! I will update you with how things go. Thanks for all the hard work and promptness of updates!

Cheers,
E


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## mac1504 (Sep 14, 2009)

I also wanted to add that I am going to be running a game this Friday, and plan on using this utility. Thanks for what seems to be an easy to use combat tracker- I love the ability to copy and paste in monsters from the builder. However, I too would like to see it being able to keep track of healing surges, action points and hit points past the individual encounter.

I will post back after Friday on how my experience with it went.


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## Erywin (Sep 21, 2009)

Ok had the first chance last night to really try this out in a fight! I have to say that it saved me ALOT of time as a DM running multiple badguys. I was able to keep track of initiative and abilities very easily, I could spend more time describing the fight than worrying about what abilities I could use next! This is a DM's treasure trove of awesomeness! Thanks for all the hard work and I can't wait to see what you have in the works for it.

Cheers,
E


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## Mortaneus (Sep 22, 2009)

I finally got a chance to get back to this, and a new version is up!


DnD4e Combat Manager Page


Changes:

Added dropdown on Effect screen with pre-loaded effect names
Effects with the name 'Marked' are now unique per target.  Adding a new one will overlay a prexisting one.
Inactive combatants will no longer prompt to recharge powers
Reworked the Rich Text import logic for more accurate checking of what it is reading.  For example, the Skeleton power Speed of the Dead will no longer get eaten by the Speed line.
Fixed a few problems with the updating logic for the power list on the individual statblock window.
Bloody condition will now show on equal to or less than Bloody value, rather than less than.


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## fuzzlewump (Sep 22, 2009)

This is very nice Mortaneus, keep up the good work!


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## Mercule (Sep 22, 2009)

Still loving the app.  One thing we noticed last night, though, is that a Readied character can get lost in the shuffle if their action isn't triggered.  For example, when using index cards, I'd just rotate the character's card and, if they were still readied on their next turn, I'd ask them if they wanted to remain readied or factor in again -- or just ask them what they wanted to do for their turn.

I'm not totally sure what I'd like to see done, but it would be nice to have some sort of placeholder for a readied character.  I think putting them back into the initiative for their normal turn would be my top pick, but I could see a pop-up like the conditions save being appropriate, too.  Not sure if the same should be done for Delayed characters or not -- I probably wouldn't, but it makes sense to at least consider.

The other thing I noticed was that the Initiative and Damage tabs look so similar that I found myself occasionally changing an initiative when I meant to be applying damage.  I caught myself when I went to click "Damage", but there wasn't an undo for that field.  Either having cntl-Z or Esc cancel a change or altering the layout a bit (maybe put the initiative textbox on the right of the buttons) would be helpful.

No big issues, but some feedback on a couple of minor things.  Thanks for all the work.


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## mac1504 (Sep 25, 2009)

Mercule said:


> Still loving the app.  One thing we noticed last night, though, is that a Readied character can get lost in the shuffle if their action isn't triggered.  For example, when using index cards, I'd just rotate the character's card and, if they were still readied on their next turn, I'd ask them if they wanted to remain readied or factor in again -- or just ask them what they wanted to do for their turn.
> 
> I'm not totally sure what I'd like to see done, but it would be nice to have some sort of placeholder for a readied character.  I think putting them back into the initiative for their normal turn would be my top pick, but I could see a pop-up like the conditions save being appropriate, too.  Not sure if the same should be done for Delayed characters or not -- I probably wouldn't, but it makes sense to at least consider.
> 
> ...




I've been meaning to stop by all week to report on my experience of using Mortaneus' Combat Tracking Utility, and I have to say that most of my experience can be summed up by Mercule's post. 

I'm not sure how to fix the readied action part either, but I found on two accounts screwing up the entire initiative order due to this. And I also found myself making the mistake of overwriting initiative with damage and vice versa. I like Mercule's suggestion, and would also suggest just having the initiative rolls locked in until a reset is pressed.

Otherwise, I love the utility- it makes combat much more enjoyable, and my players were quite shocked when I told them that I would be running initiative (historically, they've always been in charge of that).

Keep up the good work!


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## CAFRedblade (Sep 30, 2009)

I've been trying this wonderful program out with my group.  And while I've run into the readied action issue/reset once, mostly by accident.  I was wondering if it was possible to save an encounter in progress and reload it later with all the information intact.  I tried it in version 1.33, but it only saved the Encounter group, not the current progress.  Thankfully I took a photo of the current progress.  Maybe I'm not saving it correctly, or it's not implemented, or even possible?


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## Mortaneus (Sep 30, 2009)

Currently, the only information that is saved with encounters is the specific list of participants (with statblocks), notes, and custom names.

Actual HP/Status information is reset between encounters.  I'll have to look into what would be involved in being able to save everything.

On a different note, I'm currently looking into the Ready problem.  The main issue is that the Ready action is a really weird action...it's not quite a delay, and not quite a real action...you maintain your current place in the initiative, but your initiative is also in a state of flux at the same time.

What will probably wind up happening is that Ready will cease being an initiative status, and will instead become a special state that a combatant can be in...which will be cleared by them starting their turn, either from their initiative coming up again, or by the user hitting 'Move To Top' on their initiative.

I originally implemented it as a variant of Delay for ease-of-use, but that's not really quite the case.

Hopefully I'll have something soon.


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## Mortaneus (Sep 30, 2009)

A new version is up, and in a new place!

Yep, I created a webpage for it...on the RPGnet Wiki.  

You can find it here:

DnD4e Combat Manager Page

I'll be keeping it current there from now on, though I'll probably continue posting to this thread to notify of updates.


New Version: 1.4.2

(Mostly changes requested by various people in this version.  Enjoy!)

Changes:
    *  Reworked Initiative and Damage tabs to be more distinctive
          o Changed initiative and damage/heal entry boxes to be numeric up-down boxes
          o Added 5 and +5 to damage/heal tab for fast values
          o Added Surge and Maximum to damage/heal tab for fast values
          o Removed Slay button to make room (just hit Max then Damage and it'll do the same thing) 
    * Added Feat line to Stat Block
    * Altered Ready functionality to conform to the rules (it doesn't remove from the initiative structure anymore, just marks as *Rdy*. This will clear when next turn starts, or is moved to start of list)
    * Several overhauls and cleanups to 'Start of Turn' functionality
    * Changing a statblock in the library will now update current combatants
    * Changed 'Undo Turn' button to 'Back Up', and reworked functionality (still doesn't undo damage/healing dealt)
    * Moved 'Remove Fighter' button to Initiative tab
    * Removed 'Roll Initiatives' and 'Reset Encounter' buttons from main screen. They are menu options under the 'Combat' menu, and don't need to be front-and-center, since they're only accessed twice a fight.


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## Mercule (Oct 1, 2009)

Awesome!  Those all sound like great changes.  I'll let you know how it works.


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## CAFRedblade (Oct 1, 2009)

Sweet Mortaneus, thanks.
I can't wait to try this out for my game next week.  
Just finished tonight's game using 1.41.

Oh, quick question.  Any chance we can copy a PC from the Character Builder into the tracker using RTF or something else?
I  thought I'd ask if it was possible.


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## Mortaneus (Oct 1, 2009)

CAFRedblade said:


> Sweet Mortaneus, thanks.
> I can't wait to try this out for my game next week.
> Just finished tonight's game using 1.41.
> 
> ...




That's an oft-requested feature, and one I'm going to work on when I get time.  Specifically, I'm going to add a feature where you can import a PC from the .dnd4 file that the Character Builder saves.

However, please keep in mind that while I can get a lot of information from that file, I cannot get the actual descriptions of powers, as those are not _in_ the file.  Those are kept internal to the Character Builder app.

Nothing I can really do about that right now, unfortunately.


----------



## Erywin (Oct 1, 2009)

Awesome! Nice to see another update for this amazing program. Will try out the new version on Sunday and report back. So far it has made my DMing immensely easier, especially once the number of NPCs gets past 3 or 4. Keep up the great work.

Cheers,
E


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## CAFRedblade (Oct 1, 2009)

Perhaps we should request a Copy to RTF button in the Character builder...


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## Erywin (Oct 2, 2009)

Oh was wondering if there might be a way that you could implement this idea. What I am looking for is the ability to, when rolling for initiative, the ability to input PC initiative rolls. Basically my players like to roll their own initiatives and having to reassign each one individually among the list is a bit of pain.

Cheers,
E


----------



## Mortaneus (Oct 2, 2009)

Erywin said:


> Oh was wondering if there might be a way that you could implement this idea. What I am looking for is the ability to, when rolling for initiative, the ability to input PC initiative rolls. Basically my players like to roll their own initiatives and having to reassign each one individually among the list is a bit of pain.
> 
> Cheers,
> E




Actually, my players do that as well, and I wrote it with that in mind.

Here's how...once you have all the monsters and PCs in the initiative list, and they're all in reserve status, you can then click on a given combatant and manually input their initiative total on the initiative tab.  Simply doing that counts as a roll, and it'll move them to the starting combat round once you click away..

After entering all the initiatives for the PCs, you can then select 'Roll all Initiatives' from the combat menu.  This will roll all the _remaining _combatants in Reserve status, while leaving the previously input values intact.


----------



## Erywin (Oct 3, 2009)

Durr, well that is awesome. I was just doing it backwards, hitting Roll Initiative then manually editing the PCs values... Thanks for the help!


----------



## Mortaneus (Oct 4, 2009)

A new version is now up, and it includes one of the most oft-requested features...import from the Character Builder!

DnD4e Combat Manager v1.5

Changes:

Importing from Character Builder now active! (look for the CB Load button the library window and on the StatBlock edit window)
Cleaned up the Damage/Healing number-box logic 
Second Wind and Action Point will now automatically appear as powers for PCs/Heroes 

A quick forewarning for everyone...the import from the Character Builder _will_ be missing some information...mainly the descriptions of powers.  

Sorry, but there's not much I can do about that.  Those are simply not in the file, and are kept internal to the Character Builder app.  I don't have access to them to import them.  If you want them in a PC's statblock, you'll have to enter them manually, or cut-and-paste from the compendium.


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## luide (Oct 4, 2009)

Hi,
just wanted to say I've used the combat manager now in few encounters and it has been very useful for me.

I like the changed damage/healing and initiative logics.

Edit:
Issues fixed so need to keep em here anymore


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## Mortaneus (Oct 4, 2009)

luide said:


> Hi,
> just wanted to say I've used the combat manager now in few encounters and it has been very useful for me.
> 
> I like the changed damage/healing and initiative logics.
> ...




Huh...not sure what's causing that....sent you a PM.


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## mac1504 (Oct 5, 2009)

Mortaneus said:


> A new version is now up, and it includes one of the most oft-requested features...import from the Character Builder!
> 
> DnD4e Combat Manager v1.5
> 
> ...




New version looks great- and I've already imported my whole party with no issues.

One question- is there a way that you could program it to allow the user to enter in the data for the individual powers, and have that information display in the summary section on the left hand side?

I am really loving this program, and it has allowed our combats to run much more smoothly at the tables. Thanks again for your work!


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## Mortaneus (Oct 5, 2009)

mac1504 said:


> New version looks great- and I've already imported my whole party with no issues.
> 
> One question- is there a way that you could program it to allow the user to enter in the data for the individual powers, and have that information display in the summary section on the left hand side?
> 
> I am really loving this program, and it has allowed our combats to run much more smoothly at the tables. Thanks again for your work!




Summary section on the _left_?

Which section are you talking about? What screen?


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## Mortaneus (Oct 5, 2009)

A new version is up, mostly bug fixes this time.

DnD4e Combat Manager v1.5.1

Changes:

 Corrected problem when importing certain beholders eye-powers
 Negative skill totals should now correctly import without +- problem
 Fixed a problem with certain older Character Builder formats (the "(" in an XML name problem)
 "End of Source's Next Turn" effects should now properly end if the source delays
 Modified settings to attempt to account for increased system-font size (this may or may not fix the problem)


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## CAFRedblade (Oct 6, 2009)

Thanks Mort,
Can't wait to give this a go this Wednesday.
CAF


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## mac1504 (Oct 6, 2009)

Sorry- meant the right hand side. I see that you can copy and paste into the edit screen of that screen (the first time I tried it, after downloading it, I was unable to enter in anything).

Downloading the new version now!


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## Mortaneus (Oct 7, 2009)

A new version is up.

DnD4e Combat Manager v1.5.2

Changes:

 Updated for new version of Monster Builder
 Added support for multiple-file-select when opening encounters, and when importing from Character Builder from the Library screen.  The 'CB Import' button on the actual StatBlock-edit window is still only single-file-select, for obvious reasons.

Note: The monster-type keywords (such as Undead, Fey, etc) will be missing when pasting from the new Monster Builder.  It does not include these in the Rich Text (probably a bug on their part), so these details will be missing when pasted to this application.  

They also reversed the order of the action details for powers, so 'At-Will' and 'Encounter' are now first, followed by 'Standard' or 'Minor'.  This will also be reflected in newly pasted monsters.


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## Admiral Caine (Oct 23, 2009)

Hi! I just found this thread and it looks like a great tool! I hope you keep up on it's development!


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## Mortaneus (Nov 11, 2009)

After a long wait, a new version is up!

DnD4e Combat Manager v1.5.3

Changes:


 PC hit points will no longer automatically refresh when the fight is done (popular request, this one)
 Added 'Party' Menu with new Short/Extended Rest options (to handle non-resetting PC health)
 Added 'Select Current' hotkey to quickly pick the currently active fighter
 Modified hotkeys for quicker access
 Unlocked some frame-separators to allow for more customization of the main window


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## Obryn (Nov 11, 2009)

Wow - I hadn't been watching this sub-forum, but I will give this a try soon.  This sounds pretty awesome.

-O


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## fuzzlewump (Nov 12, 2009)

Again, great program, use it every time I DM.

I have a feature request. I think there should be one of two things:

1. Hotkeys for common effects. A button to add automatically: "Ongoing 5 Damage" "Ongoing 10 Damage" "Marked by *current combatant*" "Dazed, Save Ends" that kind of thing. These could hang out somewhere on the main screen, or even sitting in the dialogue that comes up after pressing 'Add' on the effects area. Or, preferably if possible and you think it would be useful...

2. Customizable hotkeys for adding effects. This way, if you know your party has certain effects that are used often, like Ongoing 5 Fire Damage, or Dazing(save ends) or whatever, they'll be at your finger tips quickly.

Also, would it be possible and useful to make Regeneration and ongoing damage automatic?

Thanks for reading and great work.


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## Milo Taproot (Nov 19, 2009)

This tool is fantastic!
I recently started a new game and I have used this to track combats. After two sessions I don't think I would want to go back to running without it. 

After session number three, in a couple of weeks, I will post some specific feedback and suggestions;  that is if you want them.


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## N8Ball (Nov 20, 2009)

Wow, this really is a pretty great app.

Mortaneous, you've outdone yourself already, but it just keeps getting better!

I figured out how to execute a readied characters reentry in to the initiative order using the "Move to top" button, but I'm still fuzzy on how to do a delayed characters reentry.

A readied action resets initiative before the trigger, which the program does perfectly with the "move to top" button, but Delayed actions set the new initiative just after the event you decided to respond to.  So how do I do that?

Char A has initiative 25 and delays
Char B has initiative 21 and takes his action
 -> Char A reacts to B's action and take his turn here
Char C has initiative 10 and takes his action

I think A should have a new initiative of 21 (after B) or maybe 20?
As far as I can tell the easiest way is to "move to top" and then "arrow down" A's initiative one point after B's turn.  

The problem with that is that using the arrow may move him too far if there are more people acting at 21. I guess it just depends on the situation.

Anyway, very minor issue and probably me just missing something.  Keep up the great work!


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## Mortaneus (Nov 21, 2009)

N8Ball said:


> Wow, this really is a pretty great app.
> 
> Mortaneous, you've outdone yourself already, but it just keeps getting better!
> 
> ...




You use the 'Delay' button.  This takes character A completely out of the initiative sequence, and places them in 'Delay' status at the bottom of the list.

Then B would take their action, and you would press 'Next Turn' to move onto C, indicating that B is done.  However, A decides to jump in at this point, so select A from the Delay list and do a 'Move to Top', which would push C out of the top spot back down to 2nd in line, and bump A to the top.


This was actually a bit tricky to get right, specifically with regards to 'Until Start of Next Turn' effects.  The program actually handles them, though.  For example, let's say that last turn C used a power that lasts until the start of their next turn.  You press 'Next Turn' on B, and it moves on to C.  At this point, the effect would end.  However, by having A jump to the top of the roster, C's turn has not effectively not YET started, thus backing things up.  If you try this in the program, you'll notice the effect reappears until C's turn actually starts.

Delays are the reason that I took so long in getting effect-tracking into the program...it's a bloody nightmare to deal with.  Look up Delay in the PHB some time, and read the impact on ongoing effects.  It's fairly messy, and is a pain to code.


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## Mortaneus (Nov 21, 2009)

fuzzlewump said:


> Again, great program, use it every time I DM.
> 
> I have a feature request. I think there should be one of two things:
> 
> ...




The issue with hotkeying such effects is that the list of possible effects is HUGE.  I was originally planning on adding nearly everything you could think of as lists of radio buttons, checkboxes, and data entry fields on the 'Add Effect' window.  I actually got about halfway there.

However, I simply couldn't find any way to arrange them that didn't turn that screen into a massive overflow of information, and made finding anything a nightmare.  I mean, seriously, it made this look user-friendly:







I eventually wound up trashing the whole thing, and simply turning the effect-name box into a freeform dropdown with a lot of premade entries.

My next major project is looking to be the addition of 'preset' effects for each source, so that you can enter 'Defense Penalty -1 until start of source's next turn' effects for your Invoker using Visions of Blood, or 'Marked until the end of source's next turn' for your fighter.  Then, when entering effects, those will always be on the list on the effect screen when that character is the source.  You'll be able to do the same for monsters (though setting them up will still be a manual process).


That being said, I am still considering ways to do regen and ongoing damage, but to do so, I'd also have to properly code for resistances, which isn't easy.  Additionally, I'd also have to properly handle regen that can be temporarily disabled, such at that possessed by some types of undead.

Perhaps at some point it'll happen, but it probably won't be soon.  Sorry.


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## Panthanas (Nov 21, 2009)

Mortaneus said:


> Perhaps at some point it'll happen, but it probably won't be soon.  Sorry.




Hey, don't sweat it.    This program is amazing!  I use it for my 4E WotBS Campaign and combat runs pretty smoothly.  I actually prefer the Free-Form drop down for custom effects.

I love that I can create the custom WotBS creatures in the Adventure Tools and paste them right into the combat tracker.  Good stuff, and incredibly easy to use!

Additionally, one of my players runs a FR 4E game (we alternate every other week or so) and he uses the program too.

Thanks for all of your work!  It's really appreciated around my game table!


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## CAFRedblade (Nov 26, 2009)

Ah Mort, excellent thoughts about the penalties.  There are a number of 
effects which apply negative modifiers to PC's and Monsters, and it would be great if I could even have a space to type in the current modifier value.
Also, any progress on the idea of saving the current encounter mid-stride so to speak.  Perhaps taking a snap shot of the current settings versus full values as a separate file that can be re-added later to the default saved encounter?  Just some musings.


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## Mortaneus (Nov 27, 2009)

CAFRedblade said:


> Ah Mort, excellent thoughts about the penalties.  There are a number of
> effects which apply negative modifiers to PC's and Monsters, and it would be great if I could even have a space to type in the current modifier value.
> Also, any progress on the idea of saving the current encounter mid-stride so to speak.  Perhaps taking a snap shot of the current settings versus full values as a separate file that can be re-added later to the default saved encounter?  Just some musings.




Negative attack modifier?  It may be possible, but it won't be reflected in the statblock, as the basic bonuses are part of the text of the powers, and parsing those is quite difficult.

As for saving the entire encounter, as is, it's on my to-do list.  It'll probably be coming in the near future, truthfully.  It'll be a modification to the current 'save encounter' logic, so that it saves EVERYTHING, not just the framework of the encounter.

It's actually pretty simple, except for one thing...importing another encounter into the current one.  I'll have to think about how to merge two (possibly ongoing) encounters into one in the code.  It should be doable, but will require some care.


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## Mortaneus (Nov 29, 2009)

The new version 1.6.0 is up!

You can find it here:  DnD4e Combat Manager Page


Changes:

 When 'Save Encounter' is used on a currently active encounter, all combat data is now saved.
 Added Right-Click menu to the main initiative list for quick access of Move-to-Top, Ready, and Delay options.
 Added a tabbed section to the Statblock-edit window to give more room for data.
 You can now manually preset effects that a PC or Monster can generate, and they will appear on the 'Add Effect' window.  These must be manually set up on the Statblock-edit window on one of the new tabs, and will be saved normally.  This will allow commonly created effects to be pre-entered for the major combatants of an encounter, saving the GM some typing time when adding effects during play.
 'Notes' tab has been added to the Statblock-edit window for entry of Tactics, Monster Knowledge, etc.  It will appear in the statblock summary, and is saved as normal.
 Improved parsing of Aura powers from rich text (mainly to handle weird formats, such as the Kyuss monsters)
 Fixed a bug with adding effects to PCs before combat begins


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## SkidAce (Nov 29, 2009)

Mortaneus said:


> Changes:
> 
> When 'Save Encounter' is used on a currently active encounter, all combat data is now saved.




THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

Now it is extremely usefull for my PBP game.

again, thanks.


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## Mortaneus (Nov 29, 2009)

SkidAce said:


> THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.
> 
> Now it is extremely usefull for my PBP game.
> 
> again, thanks.




Hrm...just realized one problem...if the combat is NOT currently ongoing, it won't save PC damage.

I'll have to fix that in the next version.

In the meantime, you should be able to work around that by rolling initiative for the party before saving.  You can then end the encounter after reloading, and it should keep the hit point info, since it'll technically be 'ongoing' when you save it.


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## SkidAce (Nov 29, 2009)

That won't be a problem for a while...my PBP game is painfully glacial.


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## _NewbieDM_ (Dec 11, 2009)

What a great program.  I used it this week for the first time in my game and I love everything about it.  The fact that you can paste the rich text from the monster builder and load characters form the character builder make this invaluable to me.

Thanks for making it and continuing to update it!


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## Mortaneus (Dec 18, 2009)

A new version is up, mainly just a quick fix to a bit of 1.6.0 functionality.

You can find it here:  DnD4e Combat Manager Page

Changes:

* When saving, all PC status information will be saved, regardless of out-of-combat status 


*Big change:*
Now, I have ALSO placed the source code up on the page, freely available for any and all who want to mess with it.  It is looking like I may not have much time in the near future to mess with it, and continue updating it, so I'm tossing it out there for whomever wants to play around with the code, see how it works, and possibly make it do all sorts of new and wonderful things.  Feel free to do with it as you want, though please toss me an attribution if you use it for your own project.  

I admit that it's messy, and not well commented.  It was primarily created for two reasons:  1) So I could manage my DnD combats without pulling out my hair and going through notepads like candy, and 2) To figure out VB.NET

It has done both of these things, and I'm satisfied. Unfortunately, it was NOT written with legibility by others in mind, so it's fairly hack-ish inside.  Just a warning.  

I may get back to it at some point, but it'll likely be a while.  Enjoy!


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## evildmguy (Dec 18, 2009)

Mortaneus,

Thanks for sharing the source code!  

I pulled it into .NET and it has files missing.  I was wondering if you would be able to put them in there?  

resources.resx
application.designer.vb
assemblyinfo.vb
resources.designer.vb
settings.designer.vb

I have a few other errors but I they are related to these missing files.  

Thanks for the great program!

edg


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## _NewbieDM_ (Dec 18, 2009)

Man, this has become my program of choice at the table, I'd hate to see it fall by the wayside.

On that note, I have a question... is there's no way for the program to pull the text of the pc powers off the compendium or character builder file, rather than me filling them by cut-n-paste?


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## evildmguy (Dec 18, 2009)

yeah, my hope was that I would be able to take the code and write the ability to import from the compendium into it.  Like _NewbieDM_ I didn't want to have to do that all by hand!  

I am hoping he has the other files so I can look into that.  

edg


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## _NewbieDM_ (Dec 18, 2009)

I'm also hoping for some good documentation. I'm trying to sell people on how good this is, but it lacks good documentation to teach people how to really use it.

I accidentally stumbled on the fact that you can assign what conditions characters and monsters cause, then just have them a click away during a fight.

A good, robust instruction manual would be great.

Oh, and telling it whether we are starting combat in a surprise round or not.


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## Mortaneus (Dec 18, 2009)

evildmguy said:


> Mortaneus,
> 
> Thanks for sharing the source code!
> 
> ...




Ah, crap...updated.

They should be in there now.


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## Mortaneus (Dec 18, 2009)

_NewbieDM_ said:


> Man, this has become my program of choice at the table, I'd hate to see it fall by the wayside.
> 
> On that note, I have a question... is there's no way for the program to pull the text of the pc powers off the compendium or character builder file, rather than me filling them by cut-n-paste?




The character builder file simply doesn't have them in it.  That information is kept internal to the character builder application itself, and it might actually be encrypted.

It IS possible to pull them from the Compendium, though that can be tricky, and isn't a simple bit of coding to do.

Of course, with the source out there...if someone else wants to take a crack at it, feel free.


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## evildmguy (Dec 18, 2009)

Thanks for the update!  

edg


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## soulkeeper (Dec 31, 2009)

Marking this to get any follow ups. I also would hate to see it go away.  If anyone develops further, please post here.

I have found this tool to be one of the best.


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## Mercule (Jan 17, 2010)

I was considering adding a switch that'd let you double-click on an encounter to open it from Windows Explorer.  Any preferences on where to post it?  Any issue if I stuck on, say, CodePlex?

Note to whomever: Even though this isn't a big deal to add, it's not going to happen tomorrow.  I have a fair amount of other stuff that takes higher priority.  My question should probably be taken more as a "what if" than anything resembling active pursuit.


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## SarahDarkmagic (Jan 28, 2010)

*Some Documentation/Tutorial*

I created a beginner's tutorial for using the combat tracker with a screencast and screenshots.  I would love to keep creating these tutorials but I know it might be a good idea to have centralized documentation somewhere else as well.  If it's ok, I can add some of the information to the wiki page or where ever is convenient as my way of contributing back.  Thanks so much for the great product!


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## Errant (Jan 31, 2010)

Only just found this app two days ago and used it to help run a game yesterday. I just have to say: this is brilliant! 

Took me a little while to figure out I had to install Adventure Tools before so I could load in monsters/NPCs but once I got going I found it very intuitive. The screen layout made it very easy to manage things. I think SarahDarkmagic will make it a breeze for new users in the future. If you can add that to the Combat Manager page somewhere I'm sure it'll prove handy.

I gather you can't bring up PC basic attacks or their powers in the Manager, thats a pity but I got around that by opening the Character Builder in the background & using alt-tab to check the relevant character sheet when ever needed.

Is there a way to remove a monster from an encounter though without rebuilding the entire encounter? I thought that would be handy for managing encounters on the run. I figured out how to bump creatures to the reserve so they're not part of the initiative order but the perfectionist(?) in me would have preferred to get the odd monster I loaded accidentally off my screen entirely.

Once again, brilliant work! I think I'll be using this tool in every 4E game I ever run. I hope Wizards sees it & buys the rights to use it as part of their official adventure tools set - just so you can get a nice financial reward for your efforts Mortaneus.


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## Mercule (Jan 31, 2010)

Errant said:


> Is there a way to remove a monster from an encounter though without rebuilding the entire encounter?



On the "Initiative" tab, there's a button labeled "Remove Fighter".  That should do the trick.


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## ArcaneSpringboard (Feb 3, 2010)

_NewbieDM_ said:


> I'm also hoping for some good documentation. I'm trying to sell people on how good this is, but it lacks good documentation to teach people how to really use it.
> 
> I accidentally stumbled on the fact that you can assign what conditions characters and monsters cause, then just have them a click away during a fight.
> 
> ...




How do you assign what conditions the monsters and PCs cause?  I see how to assign conditions, but I don't see  how it's a click away?

Oh, and does anyone know if there is a way to have the program roll the attacks and damage dice?


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## Errant (Feb 18, 2010)

Mercule said:


> On the "Initiative" tab, there's a button labeled "Remove Fighter".  That should do the trick.




Awesome, thanks Mercule!

Any reason this tool isn't in the Enworld downloads section? 

I only found it through a lucky google hit, I hate to think how many people have missed out on this because their search engines bombed out.


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## Leorix (Feb 20, 2010)

> How do you assign what conditions the monsters and PCs cause? I see how to assign conditions, but I don't see how it's a click away?
> 
> Oh, and does anyone know if there is a way to have the program roll the attacks and damage dice?



You assign conditions by opening the Statblock Library and editing the creature. Then select the Generated Effects tab and add any effect or condition you may need to use. As for dice rolling, the program can roll initiative and saves but not attacks & damage.


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## Mercule (Feb 20, 2010)

Errant said:


> Any reason this tool isn't in the Enworld downloads section?
> 
> I only found it through a lucky google hit, I hate to think how many people have missed out on this because their search engines bombed out.



I didn't know ENWorld had a downloads section, but I really don't spend as much time here as I did five years ago.

I would imagine Moritaneus would need to give his blessing, but I haven't the foggiest where it would go from there.  Personally, I'd love to see it on CodePlex or SourceForge so there was a central place for some of us to keep working on it without ending up with 50 versions.

I won't do it w/o his sign-off.  But, if he says "go", I'll happily put the project on CodePlex.


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## Prizdar (Feb 22, 2010)

I was wondering how hard it would be to add a second window for players.  I  have another monitor I use for my players to shows maps, handouts, and combat rules.  I would like to display initiative order and conditions but not all the stuff I use as a DM.  I do not want to be updating 2 programs as well.


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## Mercule (Feb 22, 2010)

I don't think it'd be too bad to add another window.  The problem would be in having the data shared between them.  That could take some significant rework.


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## Prizdar (Feb 23, 2010)

Mercule said:


> I don't think it'd be too bad to add another window.  The problem would be in having the data shared between them.  That could take some significant rework.




If I wanted to try it myslef what program would I need to do it?


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## Mercule (Feb 23, 2010)

Prizdar said:


> If I wanted to try it myslef what program would I need to do it?



Visual Studio 2008: Microsoft Express Downloads

This app is written in VB, so download accordingly.  Personally, I'm a C# guy, so I'm gonna recommend you get that download, too, especially if you've done Java or some flavor of C.

Lots of info here: The Official Microsoft WPF and Windows Forms Site

Even more here: The Official Microsoft ASP.NET Site

I recommend the asp.net site learning tab, even if you aren't planning on doing web development.  The backing language is the same and, strangely, the web guys built a better site. 

The main trick to adding the extra window will be in either moving the data objects to shared location and/or setting up events to keep the windows in sync.

I'm looking at adding a WPF front-end to it, as a learning exercise.  WPF has some pretty cool data binding that'd pretty much handle the updates automatically.  Unfortunately, I have so little "free" time, right now, that it'll be months before I could actually get it done, if ever.

Giving tips and looking at specific blocks of code takes considerably less time, though, so feel free to ask, if you get stuck on something.


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## Prizdar (Feb 23, 2010)

You the man.  I'll let you know how it goes.  With 2 little ones it will take some time!


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## Mindblank (Apr 7, 2010)

First I'd like to thank Mortaneus for a really awsome app. I've scoured the net for different combat managers and tried out several, but this one really shines, and now I use it in every 4e session I run.

Here are a few things that I've missed while using the app:
Are you are planning to add stealth checks to the app?
Some sort of logging would be nice if you need to backtrack or roll back something.

Also, how will the app be able to handle the new power format that will be implemented in Monster Manual 3 if you import creatures from Adventure Tools?

Regards / Mindblank


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## Prizdar (Apr 13, 2010)

Mindblank said:


> First I'd like to thank Mortaneus for a really awsome app. I've scoured the net for different combat managers and tried out several, but this one really shines, and now I use it in every 4e session I run.
> 
> Here are a few things that I've missed while using the app:
> Are you are planning to add stealth checks to the app?
> ...




The developer stopped working on this a little while back.  I am worried about the new format myself.......


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## Ferghis (Apr 14, 2010)

SarahDarkmagic said:


> I created a beginner's tutorial for using the combat tracker with a screencast and screenshots.



Does not load for me.


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## Farland (Apr 19, 2010)

I just found this program, and I really like it.  I do have a question, though:  Does the program keep track of the number of surges a character has and how many remain when surges are used or expended?


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## Mercule (Apr 19, 2010)

Farland said:


> I just found this program, and I really like it.  I do have a question, though:  Does the program keep track of the number of surges a character has and how many remain when surges are used or expended?



Not out-of-the-box.

I suppose you could add each surge as a daily power, but it's a hack and I suspect it'd feel that way.


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## Farland (Apr 19, 2010)

Aww, that's too bad.  That's the only major lack I've found so far with this program, but it's a big lack.


----------



## Podtxt (May 7, 2010)

I saw that you have lots of monsters actually loaded in statblock library. How to do it? I know that loading files directly from Monster Builder is possible, but there's any way to get official monsters, from Monster Manuals for example?


----------



## mac1504 (May 8, 2010)

Podtxt said:


> I saw that you have lots of monsters actually loaded in statblock library. How to do it? I know that loading files directly from Monster Builder is possible, but there's any way to get official monsters, from Monster Manuals for example?




All of the official monsters from the two Monster Manuals (among other sources) are in the DDI Monster Builder. Just right click on the monster's entry name, and select the option 'Copy as Rich Text'. Over in the Combat Tracker Utility's Statblock Library, click on the paste button and the monster's stats will appear in the list. From there, you can add them to the battle list, or make editing changes by clicking on the 'Change' button on the top bar.

Hope that helps.


----------



## Podtxt (May 8, 2010)

Thank you! I guess i missed that.


----------



## bryanlo (May 27, 2010)

Any news from Mort? Wonder if he still plays!


----------



## CarlosDosBrickos (Jul 20, 2010)

I've just discovered this famtastic tool. 

However I've also discovered that it only seems to work for older Character Builder sheets. More recent sheets don't include HP, saves, Initiative etc. 

Has the output of the Character Builder files changed, or am I doing something stupid?


----------



## fuzzlewump (Jul 21, 2010)

Great program, of course.

The new update to Adventure Tools (that puts every monster in the new format introduced in MM3) makes this program incompatible with the rich text of any monster with the new format. "DarkSir," a contributor is working on fixing that issue if he can find the time.

If you depend on this program, like I do, don't update your adventure tools until the fix is up and confirmed!

http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/DnD4eCM#Version_1.6.1a


----------



## BlindGeekUK (Jul 23, 2010)

I just downloaded it and found the same problem as Carlos. I use VB 2005 at work so downloaded and hacked the source to work in that dev studio. From my testing, the problem is that the monster powers are no longer terminated with the # symbol that the code looks for. I've built my own fix for this, and for various other tweaks to make it run really nicely on a umpc.

I'm handling the moster powers as:

ElseIf sType = "" Then
                    ' Type/Size/Keywords
                    sType = line
                    'ElseIf line.Trim.EndsWith("#") Or line.ToLower.Trim.StartsWith("aura") Then
                    '    ' Power Detail Line
                    '    If PowerList.Count > 0 Then
                    '        PowerList.Item(PowerList.Count - 1).Power_DetailImport(line)
                    '    End If
                Else
                    ' First line of power - create
                    Select Case line
                        Case "Traits", "Move Actions", "Standard Actions", "Minor Actions", "Free Actions", "Triggered Actions", "Other Powers"
                            sLastType = line
                        Case Else
                            If sLastType = "Senses" Then
                                If sSenses <> "" Then sSenses = sSenses & ", "
                                sSenses = sSenses & line
                            Else
                                If line.ToLower.Trim.StartsWith("@") Then
                                    PowerList.Add(New Power(line, sLastType))
                                    itraitcount = 1
                                Else
                                    If PowerList.Count = 0 Then
                                        PowerList.Add(New Power(line, sLastType))
                                        itraitcount = 1
                                    Else
                                        If itraitcount >= 2 Then
                                            If line.ToLower.Contains("effect:") Or line.ToLower.Contains("attack:") Or _
                                               line.ToLower.Contains("miss:") Or line.ToLower.Contains("hit:") Or line.ToLower.Contains("vs.") Then
                                                PowerList.Item(PowerList.Count - 1).Power_DetailImport(line)
                                                itraitcount = itraitcount + 1
                                            Else
                                                PowerList.Add(New Power(line, sLastType))
                                                itraitcount = 1
                                            End If
                                        Else
                                            PowerList.Item(PowerList.Count - 1).Power_DetailImport(line)
                                            itraitcount = itraitcount + 1
                                        End If
                                    End If
                                End If
                            End If
                    End Select
                End If


----------



## CarlosDosBrickos (Jul 24, 2010)

In aproximate order:

Yay Mort (for building this fine thing).

Yay Darksir! (he fixed the Character builder issue here)

Boo Wizards! (And boo me): after downloading DarkSir's update and confirming that it fixed the Character Builder issue, I updated my Adventure Tools before checking back here and... broke the monster import. Aargh!

Yay BlindSir for working on this latest fix in any spare time he has, and yay BlindgeekUK for his fix.

Boo me (again) for not undertanding word one of Blindgeek's code, or what to do with it. Someone please take pity on a hapless non-programmer, and compile this into an .exe that a luddite like me can use. I promise not to download any more Wizards updates!

Seriously, many thanks for all those involved in creating and updating this great tool, it's much appreciated.


----------



## bryanlo (Jul 28, 2010)

BlindGeekUK said:


> I just downloaded it and found the same problem as Carlos. I use VB 2005 at work so downloaded and hacked the source to work in that dev studio. From my testing, the problem is that the monster powers are no longer terminated with the # symbol that the code looks for. I've built my own fix for this, and for various other tweaks to make it run really nicely on a umpc.




Anyway you can release a new executable, or how can I include your fix into my own copy? Am hoping to use it this weekend for a one-shot for some new players.


----------



## DarkSir (Jul 29, 2010)

I've posted an update to the Combat Manager on the wiki, and left instructions for how to let me know if anything doesn't work.  I've found one bug (Vuln is getting stuck with Resist in some cases) that I will correct in a 1.6.1c -- But if any other monster abilities or bits aren't importing, I just need to know which monsters, so I can make corrections for a bit of the template that I didn't know about.


----------



## CarlosDosBrickos (Jul 30, 2010)

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Downloaded, testing, seems fine so far. Perfect timing!


----------



## DarkSir (Jul 31, 2010)

Version 1.6.1c has been posted.  It can be found here:  http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/DnD4eCM


* Fixed a Monster Builder import glitch with monsters who had non-aura Traits.
* Added "Mark Until Source's Next Turn" to the context menu for the combatant list.
* Reformatted the combatant list so the numbers are appended a bit more uniformly.  Example "Hill Giant-1" is now "Hill Giant - 01" .  This will keep large numbers of monsters from being sorted improperly, if there are 10 or more of them.
* Recharge powers now show up with the dice symbols, rather than "Recharge 4" or "Recharge 6".

These were a couple of features that I've either wanted, or seen people request.  Still on the lookout for monsters that fail to import properly.  So far, so good.


----------



## AJCarrington (Jul 31, 2010)

Wonderful tool - thanks to all for your hard work and efforts!!

AJC


----------



## Mindblank (Aug 1, 2010)

*XP bug*

Hi,
many thanks for continuing the work on this most excellent tool. Since people have taken up on Morteanus' original work I thought I'd mention the XP bug. The combat manager doesn't calculate monster XP above 999 correctly. A monster with 1000 XP will show as 1 XP. A monster with 30 000 XP will show as 30 XP, and so on.


----------



## DarkSir (Aug 1, 2010)

Mindblank said:


> Hi,
> many thanks for continuing the work on this most excellent tool. Since people have taken up on Morteanus' original work I thought I'd mention the XP bug. The combat manager doesn't calculate monster XP above 999 correctly. A monster with 1000 XP will show as 1 XP. A monster with 30 000 XP will show as 30 XP, and so on.





Where are you seeing this problem, exactly?  I just tested it, and monsters are importing with the correct XP, and they're adding the correct XP if I add them to the list in the library, and the correct XP carries over to the front page when I add those monsters to the encounter.

The one thing I can think of is:  Do your computer's language and region settings set your number formatting to something other than "X,XXX,XXX" or "XXXXXXX" for numbers of 1000 or higher?

If you could send me a screenshot or something, I'll be happy to look closer at the issue


----------



## DarkSir (Aug 1, 2010)

I've confirmed that it does mess up, if your regional setting formats numbers in a way other than XXX,XXX,XXX or XXXXXXXXX.  Not sure how to deal with that, but I'll see what I can do.


----------



## Mindblank (Aug 2, 2010)

Sweet, good luck!


----------



## Mavrik (Aug 4, 2010)

Just another post saying.. great product... out group use it, very quick... nice to use, drove me back from my mac just to use it at the table 
If someone ported it to my ipad )))


----------



## DarkSir (Aug 10, 2010)

Version 1.7.0 has been posted at http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/DnD4eCM

Features:

    * Badly formed monster powers in Adventure Tools could cause Combat Manager to crash. This isn't guaranteeing that they're all fixed, but I did fix a couple of glaring ones.
    * Power Points for Psionic PCs that will work much like Action Points. These will import from the Character Builder file, and can also be added to any entry in the library. This may change in the future to not take up so much space in the Powers List.
    * Ongoing damage pop-up. At the beginning of any turn that has an effect with the word "Ongoing" in it, it will pop up, reminding you to apply ongoing damage. This feature can be disabled in the Options.
    * Fix equipment naming on import. Magic Weapons currently show as "Dagger Lifedrinker Weapon +1" or Leather Armor Magic Armor +1" These will now show as "Lifedrinker Dagger +1" or "Magic Leather Armor +1"
    * Magic Equipment now shows in the Powers List, and can be disabled/enabled like other powers.
    * Right-click > enable and right-click > disable for powers in the power list.
    * Right-click > View Compendium Entry for powers and items on characters imported after 1.7.0. Only works if you're logged into your D&D Insider account.
    * Copy initiative list to clipboard from the Encounter menu.
    * Stopped the Short Rest from resetting action points.
    * Added a Short Rest with Milestone that WILL reset action points.

Comments and suggestions, as usual, are always welcome.


----------



## bryanlo (Aug 11, 2010)

Awesome, thank you thank you! 

BTW anyway you can format the display of the statblock to MM3 style?


----------



## DarkSir (Aug 11, 2010)

MM3 style statblocks are coming.  Just gotta work some problems out, first.


----------



## bryanlo (Aug 12, 2010)

DarkSir said:


> MM3 style statblocks are coming.  Just gotta work some problems out, first.




Nice, thanks for the heads up!


----------



## vanexxo (Aug 30, 2010)

Hi there. I've just downloaded and installed last version of this app. While I've encountered no problem pasting monster from Adventure tools, if I try to 'CB Load' a Character from Character Builder I've got this error:

Character "", exadecimal value 0x27, can not be used in a name. Line 3198, position 56.

Here follows the detail from win (italian version )

System.Xml.XmlException: Il carattere ''', valore esadecimale 0x27, non può essere utilizzato in un nome. Riga 3198, posizione 56.
   in System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.Throw(Exception e)
   in System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseElement()
   in System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseElementContent()
   in DnD4e_Combat_Manager.Statblock.ImportCharFromCBXML(Object& p_reader)
   in DnD4e_Combat_Manager.Statblock.LoadFromCBFile(String filename)
   in DnD4e_Combat_Manager.StatLibraryView.pbCBLoad_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
   in System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.RaiseEvent(Object key, EventArgs e)
   in System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleClick(EventArgs e)
   in System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleMouseUp(MouseEventArgs e)
   in System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mea)
   in System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
   in System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
   in System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.WndProc(Message& m)
   in System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
   in System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)


************** Assembly caricati **************
mscorlib
    Versione assembly: 2.0.0.0
    Versione Win32: 2.0.50727.4952 (win7RTMGDR.050727-4900)
    Base di codice: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework64/v2.0.50727/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
DnD4e Combat Manager
    Versione assembly: 1.7.1.0
    Versione Win32: 1.7.1.0
    Base di codice: file:///D:/AdunanzA/Incoming/D%26D/DnD4e%20Combat%20Manager.exe
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.VisualBasic
    Versione assembly: 8.0.0.0
    Versione Win32: 8.0.50727.4927 (NetFXspW7.050727-4900)
    Base di codice: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.VisualBasic/8.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.VisualBasic.dll
----------------------------------------
System
    Versione assembly: 2.0.0.0
    Versione Win32: 2.0.50727.4927 (NetFXspW7.050727-4900)
    Base di codice: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Windows.Forms
    Versione assembly: 2.0.0.0
    Versione Win32: 2.0.50727.4927 (NetFXspW7.050727-4900)
    Base di codice: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Drawing
    Versione assembly: 2.0.0.0
    Versione Win32: 2.0.50727.4927 (NetFXspW7.050727-4900)
    Base di codice: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Runtime.Remoting
    Versione assembly: 2.0.0.0
    Versione Win32: 2.0.50727.4927 (NetFXspW7.050727-4900)
    Base di codice: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Runtime.Remoting/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Runtime.Remoting.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Windows.Forms.resources
    Versione assembly: 2.0.0.0
    Versione Win32: 2.0.50727.4927 (NetFXspW7.050727-4900)
    Base di codice: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms.resources/2.0.0.0_it_b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.resources.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Configuration
    Versione assembly: 2.0.0.0
    Versione Win32: 2.0.50727.4927 (NetFXspW7.050727-4900)
    Base di codice: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Configuration/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Configuration.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Xml
    Versione assembly: 2.0.0.0
    Versione Win32: 2.0.50727.4927 (NetFXspW7.050727-4900)
    Base di codice: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.dll
----------------------------------------
System.XML.resources
    Versione assembly: 2.0.0.0
    Versione Win32: 2.0.50727.4927 (NetFXspW7.050727-4900)
    Base di codice: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml.resources/2.0.0.0_it_b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.resources.dll
----------------------------------------
mscorlib.resources
    Versione assembly: 2.0.0.0
    Versione Win32: 2.0.50727.4952 (win7RTMGDR.050727-4900)
    Base di codice: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework64/v2.0.50727/mscorlib.dll



Then the program exit and no character is imported. 
Running Windows 7 pro 64


----------



## bryanlo (Sep 1, 2010)

Are you using the latest version of the character builder? I think also that DarkSir will need the file.


----------



## mac1504 (Sep 5, 2010)

I am getting the same type of error as vanexxo when loading some character files into the statblock library. I have not been able to find a common theme among the two out of the six .dnd4e files I have that are getting the following error when loading them into the statblock library:


See the end of this message for details on invoking 
just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.

************** Exception Text **************
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at DnD4e_Combat_Manager.Statblock.ImportCharFromCBXML_LootTally(Object& p_reader, Hashtable& p_items)
   at DnD4e_Combat_Manager.Statblock.ImportCharFromCBXML(Object& p_reader)
   at DnD4e_Combat_Manager.Statblock.LoadFromCBFile(String filename)
   at DnD4e_Combat_Manager.StatLibraryView.pbCBLoad_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.RaiseEvent(Object key, EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripButton.OnClick(EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleClick(EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleMouseUp(MouseEventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.FireEventInteractive(EventArgs e, ToolStripItemEventType met)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.FireEvent(EventArgs e, ToolStripItemEventType met)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mea)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ScrollableControl.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)


************** Loaded Assemblies **************
mscorlib
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4952 (win7RTMGDR.050727-4900)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v2.0.50727/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
DnD4e Combat Manager
    Assembly Version: 1.7.0.0
    Win32 Version: 1.7.0.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Users/Rob/Documents/My%20Dropbox/DnD4e%20Combat%20Manager%20v1.7.0/DnD4e%20Combat%20Manager.exe
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.VisualBasic
    Assembly Version: 8.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 8.0.50727.4927 (NetFXspW7.050727-4900)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.VisualBasic/8.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.VisualBasic.dll
----------------------------------------
System
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4927 (NetFXspW7.050727-4900)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Windows.Forms
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4927 (NetFXspW7.050727-4900)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Drawing
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4927 (NetFXspW7.050727-4900)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Runtime.Remoting
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4927 (NetFXspW7.050727-4900)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Runtime.Remoting/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Runtime.Remoting.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Configuration
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4927 (NetFXspW7.050727-4900)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Configuration/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Configuration.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Xml
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4927 (NetFXspW7.050727-4900)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Core
    Assembly Version: 3.5.0.0
    Win32 Version: 3.5.30729.4926 built by: NetFXw7
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Core/3.5.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Core.dll
----------------------------------------

************** JIT Debugging **************
To enable just-in-time (JIT) debugging, the .config file for this
application or computer (machine.config) must have the
jitDebugging value set in the system.windows.forms section.
The application must also be compiled with debugging
enabled.

For example:

<configuration>
    <system.windows.forms jitDebugging="true" />
</configuration>

When JIT debugging is enabled, any unhandled exception
will be sent to the JIT debugger registered on the computer
rather than be handled by this dialog box.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I am currently running the most up to date version of the ddi character generator (build 2254563) and am using v1.7.0 of the combat manager program.

Any asssistance would be appreciated.


----------



## bryanlo (Sep 21, 2010)

Any news DarkSir?


----------



## bryanlo (Nov 30, 2010)

Hey looks like someone is still updating it. Still gotta wait for Export on the CB. And hopefully there will be an export function in the MB. But glad to see this is still being worked on. Am using index cards at the moment. 

DnD4e Combat Manager v1.7.2
[edit]Version 1.7.2
Minor bugfix update, until Character Builder adds export capabilities.
Fixed the URLs not importing in powers that disappeared from 1.7.0 to 1.7.1
Fixed issue of combatants dying during their own turn not triggering next turn properly.


----------



## DarkSir (Nov 30, 2010)

Yeah, I'm still here.  Just got a little distracted with getting married   But I'm awaiting the CB export release, to see what can be done to keep the Combat Manager viable 

-- Jason


----------



## Gorok (Nov 30, 2010)

Jason,

First of all, thank you, thank you for keeping up support on this tool!  I use it for every one of my 4E sessions, and have found it to be invaluable!

A small favor to ask while waiting for the new online CB export to be cleared up.  Could you please add the following item to your tool:  Have the number of available healing surges for PC's, as well as the number used.  Right now, I'm faking these out by adding fake daily "powers" called "Healing Surge 01", etc. equal to the PC's total, and showing them as "Used" as they are expended (quite tedious to do this for each PC).

Thanks!


----------



## bryanlo (Dec 1, 2010)

*Congratulations on getting married!*

So glad you're back - while the index cards work, nothing beats Combat Tracker. 

You ever thought of asking for donations? I'd be willing to Paypal you some money, tho depends on what happens with the CB and MB.


----------



## DarkSir (Dec 2, 2010)

I hadn't really considered donations, but I certainly wouldn't turn them down! 

I just like keeping the project going.

Addendum:  I'm working on adding healing surge tracking, as requested.  Here's a screenshot.  I'll be releasing it as soon as I test it a little bit.


----------



## Gorok (Dec 2, 2010)

Looks good from this perspective.  Thanks for the quick response!


----------



## DarkSir (Dec 2, 2010)

I've also done a bit of squeezing on the Statblock View window, so that it SHOULD all fit on a mini, whether the max vertical resolution is 576 or 600. I've also made the minimum vertical size 576 for the other two windows, so it can be resized to fit on mini displays.

Lastly I've added an About menu, so it's easier to see what version you're running.


----------



## bryanlo (Dec 3, 2010)

You got a paypal, Jay? There's 20 bucks coming your way.


----------



## DarkSir (Dec 3, 2010)

jay at bub dot org.  And thank you


----------



## bryanlo (Dec 3, 2010)

DarkSir said:


> jay at bub dot org.  And thank you




Sent! I don't know how much a steak dinner is in the States, but I hope it covers it!


----------



## mac1504 (Dec 4, 2010)

There's a little more on the way from me. I'm very grateful that someone has kept this program updated!


----------



## bryanlo (Dec 4, 2010)

I'm curious, how much IS a steak dinner?


----------



## DarkSir (Dec 4, 2010)

Usually between $10 and $20   Depends on the steak

An update:  I'm working on MM3 style displays.  If I can get that lined out, I'll be posting 1.7.3 today.


----------



## DarkSir (Dec 5, 2010)

Version 1.7.3 is released here: http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/DnD4eCM

Several Updates
* Added healing surge tracking.  Note: Using the "Surge" button does not actually expend a surge.
* Adjusted the size minimums of the windows to fit mini PCs.
* Completely replaced the RTF Statblock windows with HTML displays, to allow an "authentic" statblock view.
* Added a inbedded power-view panel.


----------



## mac1504 (Dec 5, 2010)

I love it so far! Very nice work, especially the embedded compendium viewer window on the bottom right.

I still have to spend some more time with it, but it looks great.


----------



## DarkSir (Dec 7, 2010)

Version 1.7.4 is here: http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/DnD4eCM

Added a bit more information to the powers as they are imported for PCs


----------



## DarkSir (Dec 8, 2010)

I've also created a facebook page for update information, if anyone wants to know about or advertise us 

DnD4eCM | Facebook


----------



## Traveon Wyvernspur (Dec 8, 2010)

Just want to say thanks for keeping up on this great combat tracker. I've been using it to run my campaign for a couple of months now and love it. It really speeds up the game and it's so helpful to keep track of everything.

I'm not sure if there's a way to import over the characters from the new online DDI character builder or not, but hopefully that will be available soon. I've just been using the older downloaded version to import my PC's characters over.


----------



## DarkSir (Dec 8, 2010)

Yeah, as soon as the new Character Builder has a real export function, I'll make sure Combat Manager can import it, as well as still being able to import from the old CB files.


----------



## DarkSir (Dec 21, 2010)

And in one of the best bits of news I've had all week, the Exported characters in the Online Character Builder WORK with the Combat Manager, no update necessary.


----------



## mac1504 (Dec 21, 2010)

DarkSir said:


> And in one of the best bits of news I've had all week, the Exported characters in the Online Character Builder WORK with the Combat Manager, no update necessary.




They certainly do; very nicely in fact. Although I found that if I straight up export a character I had prior to the update, it does not seem to load the powers into the saved file or into CM. If, however, I load the character, save it, and then export it, all of the powers come along with it. 

The formatting of the powers is a bit different from the old version ( no (description) listed under the power's name), but it doesn't seem to have any effect on the functionality of the CM.


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## bryanlo (Dec 22, 2010)

That's great news! 

Any way to get another window just to display the initiative order?


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## DarkSir (Dec 22, 2010)

Yeah, I'm working on that.  Please take a look at the discussion page of the wiki.  I'm soliciting some input on that very thing.


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## bryanlo (Dec 23, 2010)

Great, just joined the discussion.


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## DarkSir (Dec 30, 2010)

Been working on a site that's not JUST the wiki. A place I can archive old versions, post news bits and such. I'll still be posting here and on the wiki, and RPG.net and such, but I'd like to have a site to refer people to, especially for real support and the like.

http://www.dragonpro.com/index.php?option=com_jdownloads&view=viewcategory&catid=2&Itemid=53


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## Traveon Wyvernspur (Dec 30, 2010)

Very good idea! I would suggest perhaps a video or videos on "how to" do things or a manual on basic operations for people who are new to it. How to run an encounter on it, tips and tricks, and advanced type of things.

Along the lines of the video, I know Sarah Darkmagic did a small one about this program here: http://www.sarahdarkmagic.com/category/tags/tools
You could reference that or make your own.

Oh and one other thing you might want to think about to keep people informed/up to date as to when you've put out updates is a twitter account that people can follow you on and then just send out a quick tweet when something new/exciting happens with the program. I'd follow you and the D&D community on twitter is pretty large, so I'm sure that the audience there would love to follow you and use your program as well.


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## DarkSir (Dec 30, 2010)

Tutorials and the like are definitely on my list of things to do.  I just saw Sarah Darkmagic's tutorial recently.  I think it's a great idea.


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## Traveon Wyvernspur (Dec 30, 2010)

Added another edit to my comment towards the bottom about twitter, I saw that you posted right before my last edit. 

I'm sure you have a lot to do, just tossing things out there that could help promote your program and perhaps make it easier/better for people to use. Thanks for hearing me out.


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## DarkSir (Dec 30, 2010)

Also a good idea.  Done. [MENTION=41255]dnd[/MENTION]4eCM


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## Edz16 (Dec 30, 2010)

Amazing app.  Im new to the thread.  Has there been any mention of an ipad version? That would be crazy wicked and i would pay real cash to have it.


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## DarkSir (Dec 30, 2010)

Sadly, not currently.  The program was written for Microsoft .NET 3.5, which currently limits it to Windows systems.  I'm working on some things that would allow some information from the Combat Manager to be accesssible by an iPad or smartphone, but the main combat manager is probably stuck on Windows systems, at least for now.


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## Edz16 (Dec 31, 2010)

A couple other suggestions:

1.  An integrated dice roller, something easy to use to create dice expressions like 3d6+7.  My recommendation would be something like RPG Calc HD for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store.  It doesnt have to be something the user has to use, just there for those of us who would want it.  My suggestion would be in the bottom right pane.

2.  Show the defenses of the pc/monster on their bars in the initiative pane (Top Left).  That way the dm can see without having to click on that person what their defenses are.

Again great app!


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## DarkSir (Mar 1, 2011)

Version 1.7.5 is released here: http://www.dragonpro.com/index.php?option=com_jdownloads&Itemid=30&view=view.download&catid=2&cid=4

    * Added AC, Fort, Reflex, and Will to the Initiave List panel, so defenses can be seen without switching combatants.
    * Corrected Surge values for Dragonborn.  Now adds their constitution modifier.
    * Made the Initiative Tab the default, rather than Stats.
    * Surprise Round is now off by default.  It can be selected before combat in the Options menu.
    * Auto-displaying of power descriptions is also now an optional setting (default Off).  If on, it will auto-display the compendium entry of a power when clicked in the power list.
    * Added the ability to right-click a power and select it as that combatant's "active stance".  Only one can be set per combatant at a time, and the new one will overwrite the old.  This can be done with Any power, as the character file doesn't distinguish stances from other powers.
    * Leader class healing powers (class features, such as Healing Word, Healing Spirit, or Inspiring Word) now auto-duplicate or triplicate when you import.  This adds multiples of the powers to be used during an encounter.


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## bryanlo (Mar 1, 2011)

Great an update! Looking forward to the multiple desktop feature, got a spare LCD now.


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## DarkSir (Mar 1, 2011)

That will be part of the 1.8 release, I hope.  The plan is to a tiny webserver out of it, when it's activated.  Then any device that wants to can display what you have set up.  I plan to test it with Android, iPod Touch, Chrome, Firefox, and IE.

Then for the second display it will just open a web window that you can put on a second display. 

At least, that's the plan.


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## bryanlo (Mar 2, 2011)

Awesome once that is out another donation will be winging it's way to you. Did you get your heater fixed?

Also this thread really should be in the 4e forum.


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## DarkSir (Mar 2, 2011)

Yeah, it should be.  And yeah, the furnace fix wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been, thankfully.


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## S'mon (Mar 3, 2011)

AFAIK it was me that came up with 1/2hp "Demis" called such and with 2/3 XP, so cool to see them in a 4e utility program!


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## DarkSir (May 5, 2011)

Version 1.8.0 is released here

New Features


Secondary Display via any web browser. 
Heavily configurable Initiative Listing can be displayed on any device on the network (or anywhere, if you set up port forwarding on your router or firewall).  Some configuration options can be set in the new Options > Configuration > Secondary Display screen, including the HTTP Port to listen on, whether or not to display hit point values for Heroes and/or NPCs, Inititave Value Display, Current Round Display.
Look and Feel modifiable in the index.html file that is included, via the stylesheet.
Display name for individual combatants can be changed by right-clicking on any combatant, or changing the name above the center panel.
Individual Combatants can be hidden via the context menu, as well.
Note:  I am not completely happy with the webserver itself.  It occasionally stops working, and occasionally has trouble stopping (both when stopped manually and when closing the program).  I may have to rewrite it completely, but I wanted you all to be aware that I know it's not perfect.


Support for Traps, Hazards and Puzzles
        Rolls added for Blaster, Obstacle, Puzzle and Warder.

        Tab added to allow for Descriptions, as well as the Trap, Hazard and Puzzle lines of the statcard.

Bug Fixes


Settings now persist from one use of the application to the next.


Combatants who are Delayed will now automatically re-enter the initiative list in their old position, if they do not act before their position comes around again.


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## El Condoro (May 6, 2011)

I'm sorry to be such a noob but this app looks great - if I could work out how to get monsters from D&DI into it (in RTF or any other format). Are there instructions somewhere on how to do it, please? I see the CB Load and Paste buttons in the StatBlock but can't work out how to get the info out of the Compendium. Cheers


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## DarkSir (May 6, 2011)

At the moment, the RTF Paste feature only works with the old Adventure Tools (not the new online version).  I'm working on being able to import monsters directly from the Compendium.


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## DarkSir (May 6, 2011)

Has anyone else noticed that the compendium isn't very consistent with its monster display?  Anything from older sources still have the old monster formatting, even though the monster builder updated all of them when MM3 released.  This is going to make importing a royal pain.


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## talwynor (May 7, 2011)

I love the manager - thank you for all your work!  Regarding the new webserver - where do I point my browser in the secoondary display (in this case, an ipad)?


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## DarkSir (May 7, 2011)

You'll need to know the IP address of the computer you're running the software on.  You can get this by going to Start > Run> cmd

then typing 'ipconfig' without the quotes.  

The address is at http://<IP Address>:9000 (unless you change the port in the config options)


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## Prism (May 9, 2011)

talwynor said:


> I love the manager - thank you for all your work!  Regarding the new webserver - where do I point my browser in the secoondary display (in this case, an ipad)?




I needed to open up port 9000 inbound on my windows firewall (advanced settings) to allow the connection

However I have found the webserver a little temperamental when refreshing the board and after a while on my machine it seems to hang. Great idea though


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## DarkSir (May 9, 2011)

Yeah, those are some of the problems that have me frustrated with the webserver.  I've got a few updates that are pending, very soon.  Hopefully they'll help.  I  may STILL have to recode the webserver entirely, but I'm hoping not.


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## DarkSir (May 9, 2011)

I've also added a firewall opening and closing routine.  So you shouldn't have to open the local firewall ports anymore, once I release 1.8.1


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## DarkSir (May 17, 2011)

Version 1.8.1 is released!

Find it Here

Changes:


* Traits no longer display twice.  They show up under Traits, where they're supposed to, and not at the bottom of the statblock.

* Death Saves now track properly until a short or extended rest.

* Action points now accumulate properly after Milestones (and go away at an extended rest)

* Support for Companion Characters

* Extra coloring for Companions and Traps in the Init List

* Added a coloring option that will show monsters on a white background instead of a red background, unless they're bloodied.  This feature is off by default.

* Added the ability to modify the max healing surges (goes away at extended rest) -- This will allow the Blood Drinker Encounter Power to give a Vampire PC another healing surge.

* If the ongoing damage option is selected, and the combatant has an effect that contains the string "regen", a Regeneration popup reminder will come up at the beginning of their turn.
* Added a permanent effect type.  This does NOT go away between fights.  Minor drawback:  It may only be removed while there is an ongoing encounter.  I'll try to clean this up in the future.

* Status effects may now be hidden from the secondary display.  There is a toggle on the Effect screen, as well as the preset effects section.

* Hidden characters and Status Effects show up in light grey text on the primary display instead of white text.

* Several minor fixes for the secondary display, as well as an updated HTML template that was given to me, that works a LOT better than the one included previously. (Thanks to Jeff P.)

And last but certainly not least:

* Added a Copy button to the Statblock Library. Will overwrite the old creature if you don't change either the name, level or one of the role pulldowns.  Otherwise, copy monster.


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## DarkSir (Dec 23, 2011)

DnD4eCM 1.8.2 is released!  Find it here: here

Small update before 1.8.3

* New effect preset: Damage Penalty
* Fixed: Status effects not disappearing correctly when source dies.
* Fixed: Extra healing surges now go away after a short rest, and will fully heal the pc if they have more surges than their max.
* Better handling of companions (during rests, and display on the secondary display)
* Monsters that are revived from death no longer still show as dead on the secondary display.
* Import monsters from compendium.  This is a "sorta" import.  There's no good way to try to import actual abilities from the compendium, because there are too many different formats.  They've changed the display format several times, but not updated the older entries.  What this does is pull in the important information:  Name, Level, Role, Secondary Role, Hit Points, Experience, etc.  Then pulls everything else in as a "note" which is displayed instead of the regular sheet.  Works for pulling quick default monsters in, but isn't as featured as an actual monster created in the edit screen or imported from the old monster builder. ted from the old monster builder.


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## Lidfrid (Feb 25, 2012)

hi, congratulations for the tool, is the most complete i've ever seen so far.
But when i try to import a monster with more than 999 xp, it puts the xp on the closest number...

example

Monster with 6780 xp = 7 on Combact Manager
Monster with 1200 xp = 1 on Combact Manager

And sometimes i can't import PG neither...

what do CB and AT requires this tool??


Thanks again!


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## DarkSir (Aug 8, 2012)

1.8.3 is here! http://dragonpro.com/index.php?option=com_jdownloads&Itemid=30&view=view.download&catid=2&cid=9

Featuring import from .monster file created by Adventure Tools (offline and online)


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## DarkSir (Jan 21, 2014)

New version available, featuring fixes from grantemsley:

Webserver updates
Surge updates

Sorry for the delay in getting it released

http://dragonpro.com/index.php?option=com_jdownloads&Itemid=30&view=view.download&catid=2&cid=12


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## Jan van Leyden (Jan 21, 2014)

Ummh, bad time for an update. Tonight is game night. Will update tomorrow.


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## Jools (Jan 27, 2014)

Kudos to you for continuing this project. I love this thing.


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## Jan van Leyden (Sep 29, 2014)

[MENTION=14854]DarkSir[/MENTION]: the Dragon Pro web site seems to be inaccessible right now, and the download links you gave us redirect to the more or less empty stat page as well. Is this a temporary hiccup or do I have to lament the demise of my favourite 4e tool?


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## Mortaneus (Oct 18, 2014)

Holy crap...this thing is still somewhat alive???

Major kudos, DarkSir.  Five years of support is a lot more than I ever expected when I first tossed it together.


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