MSE - Easy Army Card Creator (V2.5) (New Glyph Cards)

[williamj35]

Anyone else tried getting this to work on a Mac with Wineskin? I can't get it to open the templates...

[Sertorius]

Hi Dalu,

Thanks again for the Valkrill hi-res card.

I have noticed that the alignment of the numeric values for movement, range, attack, and defense are a little bit left-misaligned by default. I went in to hi-res 'style' and tweaked this line under ###### LARGEMASTER:

move: (and range: & attack: & defense: )
left: { if to_lower(input) = "valkrill" then 1026 else 1020 }

...from 1026 to 1036, and found it aligned a little better. Seems like something easy to edit in the pasted code quoted below, if you wanted.

Also, anyone how can I get rid of the Marvel symbol field at bottom of the Abilities Text box? It gets in my way! I can't figure out how to separate it from the regular abilities text box parameters in the code without making the card go haywire.

Originally Posted by dalu

If it may help, I have formated the hi-rez Valkrill card to use it with MSE.

1) Install MSE and the Optional V2.4 High-Resolution Export Templates as explained in the OP.

2) Download this Valkrill card, and save it in your "Magic Set Editor 2\data\heroscape-hires-ds.mse-style\cardblanks" folder.

3) Go in the "Magic Set Editor 2\data\heroscape-hires-ds.mse-style" folder and make a backup copy of the "style" file.

4) Copy-paste this code to be the new content of the "style" file.

mse version: 0.3.8
game: heroscape
short name: H - DS
full name: Dungeon Set Styles (Hi-Res)
icon: card-sample.png
installer group: heroscape/HDS
position hint: 13

version: 2010-12-26
depends on: heroscape.mse-game 2010-12-26
depends on: heroscape-marvelsymbols.mse-symbol-font 2008-07-29

card background: white
card width: 1474
card height: 1384
card dpi: 300

styling field:
	type: boolean
	name: fog image
	description: Automatically add fog effect to card image?
	initial: yes

init script:
	
	caps := "yes"
	
	colorcheck := {
		if to_lower(input) = "jandar" then rgb(70,70,70)
		else if to_lower(input) = "valkrill" then rgb(40,40,40)
		else rgb(255,255,255)
	}
	abilheight := {
		if card.marvelsym != "" or set.chcg24 = "Include at bottom of text box" then 860
		else 916
	}

include file: /heroscape.mse-game/styleinclude


card style:
	
	chcg24:
		left:
			{
			if set.chcg24 = "Do not include" then -1000
			else if set.chcg24 = "Include in hitzone box" then 1190
			else if set.chcg24 = "Include at bottom of text box" then 446
			else -1000
			}
		top:
			{
			if set.chcg24 = "Do not include" then -1000
			else if set.chcg24 = "Include in hitzone box" then 796
			else if set.chcg24 = "Include at bottom of text box" then 1216
			else -1000
			}
		width: 84
		height: 84
		z index: 5
		render style: image
		popup style: in place
		choice images:
			jandar:	  /heroscape.mse-game/chcg24/jandar.png
			utgar:	  /heroscape.mse-game/chcg24/utgar.png
			vydar:	  /heroscape.mse-game/chcg24/vydar.png
			ullar:	  /heroscape.mse-game/chcg24/ullar.png
			einar:	  /heroscape.mse-game/chcg24/einar.png
			aquilla:  /heroscape.mse-game/chcg24/aquilla.png
			valkrill: /heroscape.mse-game/chcg24/valkrill.png

	disclaimer:
		left: 10
		top: 980
		width: 140
		height: 240
		z index: 4   
		font:
			name: Arial Narrow
			size: 14
			color: rgb(0,0,0)

	author text:
		left: 1300
		top: 980
		width: 140
		height: 240
		z index: 4
		font:
			name: Arial Narrow
			size: 14
			color: rgb(0,0,0)

	card type:
		left:	0
		top:	0
		width:	1474
		height:	1384
		z index: -4
		render style: image
		popup style: in place
		choice images:
			jandar:		cardblanks/jandar.jpg
			ullar:		cardblanks/ullar.jpg
			utgar:		cardblanks/utgar.jpg
			einar:		cardblanks/einar.jpg
			vydar:		cardblanks/vydar.jpg
			aquilla:	cardblanks/aquilla.jpg
			valkrill:	cardblanks/valkrill.jpg
			custom:		cardblanks/custom.jpg

	image:
		left:	{if styling.fog_image = "no" then 705 else -1000}
		top:	48
		width:	478
		height:	1031
		z index: 2
		mask: imagemask.png

	imagefogged:
		left:	{if styling.fog_image = "yes" then 705 else -1000}
		top:	48
		width:	478
		height:	1031
		z index: 2
		mask: imagemask_fogged.png

	hitzone:
		left:	1185
		top:	456
		width:	253
		height:	477
		z index: 4
		mask: hzmask.png

	########################################################### Ability Text

	abilities:
		left: 338
		top: 339
		width: 336
		height:
			script: abilheight()
		z index: 6
		font:
			name: Arial Narrow
			size: 24
			color: black
			scale down to: 12
		line height soft: 0.96
		mask: textmask.png

	#####LARGECOMMON

	generallogo:
		left: 427
		top: 87
		width: 102
		height: 118
		render style: image
		popup style: in place
		choice images:
			blank: /heroscape.mse-game/gensymbols/hex.png
			jandar: /heroscape.mse-game/gensymbols/jandar.png
			utgar: /heroscape.mse-game/gensymbols/utgar.png
			vydar: /heroscape.mse-game/gensymbols/vydar.png
			ullar: /heroscape.mse-game/gensymbols/ullar.png
			einar: /heroscape.mse-game/gensymbols/einar.png
			aquilla: /heroscape.mse-game/gensymbols/aquilla.png
			valkrill: /heroscape.mse-game/gensymbols/valkrill.png
			custom1: /heroscape.mse-game/gensymbols/custom1.png
			custom2: /heroscape.mse-game/gensymbols/custom2.png
			custom3: /heroscape.mse-game/gensymbols/custom3.png
			symbolcustom1: script: symbol_variation(symbol: set.symbol1, variation: "standard")
			symbolcustom2: script: symbol_variation(symbol: set.symbol2, variation: "standard")
			symbolcustom3: script: symbol_variation(symbol: set.symbol3, variation: "standard")

	name:
		left: 316
		top : 214
		width: 312
		height: 70
		alignment: middle center
		padding bottom: 0
		z index: 2
		font:
			name: Arial Narrow
			weight: bold
			size: 30
			color: rgb(255,255,255)
		line height soft: 0.9

	###### LARGEMASTER

	general:
		left: 389
		top: 297
		width: 182
		height: 34
		alignment: middle center shrink-overflow
		z index: 2
		font:
			name: Arial Narrow
			weight: bold
			size: 20
			color: rgb(255,255,255)

	species:
		left: 150
		top : 560
		width: 129
		height: 30
		alignment: middle right shrink-overflow
		z index: 4
		font:
			name: Arial Narrow
			size: 22
			weight: bold
			color: rgb(255,255,255)
			separator color: rgb(128,128,128)

	type:
		left: 84
		top: 611
		width: 195
		height: 30
		alignment: middle right shrink-overflow
		z index: 4
		font:
			name: Arial Narrow
			size: 22
			weight: bold
			color: rgb(255,255,255)
			separator color: rgb(128,128,128)

	class:
		left: 49
		top: 661
		width: 230
		height: 30
		alignment: middle right shrink-overflow
		z index: 4
		font:
			name: Arial Narrow
			size: 22
			weight: bold
			color: rgb(255,255,255)
			separator color: rgb(128,128,128)

	personality:
		left: 49
		top: 713
		width: 230
		height: 28
		alignment: middle right shrink-overflow
		z index: 4
		font:
			name: Arial Narrow
			size: 22
			weight: bold
			color: rgb(255,255,255)
			separator color: rgb(128,128,128)

	size:
		left: 102
		top: 760
		width: {177 - card_style.marvel_size_number.content_width}
		height: 60
		alignment: right shrink-overflow
		z index: 4
		font:
			name: Arial Narrow
			size: 30
			weight: bold
			color: rgb(255,255,255)
			separator color: rgb(128,128,128)
	
	marvel size number:
		left: 205
		top: 760
		width: 80
		height: 60
		alignment: right shrink-overflow
		z index: 6
		font:
			name: Arial Narrow
			size: 30
			weight: bold
			color: rgb(255,255,255)
			separator color: rgb(128,128,128)

	life:
		left: { if to_lower(input) = "valkrill" then 922 else 916 }
		top: 675
		width: 78
		height: 54
		alignment: top center shrink-overflow
		z index: 6
		font:
			name: Arial
			size: 40
			weight: bold
			color: rgb(255,255,255)

	move:
		left: { if to_lower(input) = "valkrill" then 1026 else 1020 }
		top: 781
		width: 106
		height: 60
		alignment: top center shrink-overflow
		z index: 6
		font:
			name: Arial
			size: 36
			weight: bold
			color: rgb(255,255,255)

	range:
		left: { if to_lower(input) = "valkrill" then 1026 else 1020 }
		top: 878
		width: 106
		height: 60
		alignment: top center shrink-overflow
		z index: 6
		font:
			name: Arial
			size: 36
			weight: bold
			color: rgb(255,255,255)

	attack:
		left: { if to_lower(input) = "valkrill" then 1026 else 1020 }
		top: 975
		width: 106
		height: 60
		alignment: top center shrink-overflow
		z index: 6
		font:
			name: Arial
			size: 36
			weight: bold
			color: rgb(255,255,255)

	defense:
		left: { if to_lower(input) = "valkrill" then 1026 else 1020 }
		top: 1072
		width: 106
		height: 60
		alignment: top center shrink-overflow
		z index: 6
		font:
			name: Arial
			size: 36
			weight: bold
			color: rgb(255,255,255)

	points:
		left: 886
		top: 1164
		width: 136
		height: 54
		alignment: top center shrink-overflow
		z index: 6
		font:
			name: Arial
			size: 36
			weight: bold
			color:
				script: colorcheck( card.card_type )

	########################################################### Abilities

	marvelsym:
		left: 384
		top: 1202
		width: 152
		height: 90
		z index: 6
		alignment: middle center
		symbol font:
			name: heroscape-marvelsymbols
			size: 120
			alignment: middle center

And voilà, that's all.
The new code allows usage of the Valkrill.jpg by MSE.
It also does some fine tuning work to align everything when using the new Valkrill card.

[dalu]

Originally Posted by Sertorius

Hi Dalu,

Thanks again for the Valkrill hi-res card.

I have noticed that the alignment of the numeric values for movement, range, attack, and defense are a little bit left-misaligned by default. I went in to hi-res 'style' and tweaked this line under ###### LARGEMASTER:

...from 1026 to 1036, and found it aligned a little better. Seems like something easy to edit in the pasted code quoted below, if you wanted.

You are right Sertorius,

It's better with your changes.
I already tweaked the values for myself when I created Orogoth (my only published custom).
If you think it's worth to be changed for everyone, I will edit my code.
As you can see, it's not too complicated to understand and modifiy some part of the code.

[dalu]

Originally Posted by Sertorius

Also, anyone how can I get rid of the Marvel symbol field at bottom of the Abilities Text box? It gets in my way! I can't figure out how to separate it from the regular abilities text box parameters in the code without making the card go haywire.

When you create a card, you must work with either the RotV, or the SotM or the DS style.
You must edit the corresponding style file to remove the marvel symbol field.

Example: removing the marvel symbol field for the RotV style cards.

1) Go in the "Magic Set Editor 2\data\heroscape-rotv.mse-style" folder and make a backup copy of the "style" file.

2) Open the "style" file with the notepad and delete the following lines (they are in the end, between 2 long ###### lines)

marvelsym:
left: 192
top: 601
width: 76
height: 45
z index: 3
alignment: middle center
symbol font:
name: heroscape-marvelsymbols
size: 60
alignment: middle center

3) Save the "style" file.

You can remove the same lines from other "style" files if you want.
If you work with a "style" without those lines, you will not have the "Marvel symbol field".
Also check if you don't need to delete the lines from the hi-res style file.

[Sertorius]

Originally Posted by dalu

When you create a card, you must work with either the RotV, or the SotM or the DS style.
You must edit the corresponding style file to remove the marvel symbol field.

Example: removing the marvel symbol field for the RotV style cards.

1) Go in the "Magic Set Editor 2\data\heroscape-rotv.mse-style" folder and make a backup copy of the "style" file.

2) Open the "style" file with the notepad and delete the following lines (they are in the end, between 2 long ###### lines)

3) Save the "style" file.

You can remove the same lines from other "style" files if you want.
If you work with a "style" without those lines, you will not have the "Marvel symbol field".
Also check if you don't need to delete the lines from the hi-res style file.

Yes, thanks, that worked. Somehow I had convinced myself that those last set of lines had some bearing on the ability box in general.

It is nice to have a copy of 'style' for the hi-res pasted in the thread above (in case of emergency) :P

[Sertorius]

EDIT: Disregard this. I realized that the SoTM and RoTV cards already do this.


Hi guys (again).

Over in this thread, we were discussing the inability of MSE to cope with the singular vs plural of the stat headings (such as Range 1 "Spaces" vs "Space"). I guess this could apply to ever stat except life (dice vs die, spaces vs space).

I don't know very much about the coding in 'style,' but would it be terribly difficult to add an editable field for these words instead of them being part of <card>.jpg? In other words, you could put "space" or "spaces" into an editable field depending on the range/move value. If this is possible and somebody could create the needed code relatively easily, I wouldn't mind doing the work to alter the <card>.jpg for each general (with permission of the original creators of those cards, of course) and posting them. I personally only use the hi-res template these days and just edit from that template, if that's more simple to start...

OR is this something I/we shouldn't really worry about, since cards like the Feral Troll break from earlier 'Scape practice and just do all plurals no matter what?

[Drewman-chu]

Is possible to create custom Star Wars cards use MSE? How would you go about putting Star Wars template into the program?

[Drewman-chu]

Sorry 2nd post

[GeneralRolando]

Originally Posted by Drewman-chu

Is possible to create custom Star Wars cards use MSE? How would you go about putting Star Wars template into the program?

I don't play Star Wars so I don't know what the cards look like, but yes you can make your own set. For example, you could use the Trading Card Heroscape Cards style sheet for the base and just edit each of the space positions. If you want to add another text section you can copy and paste another text block and edit as needed. For the picture you will need to make a new 'mask' which isn't too hard.

This is assuming you know how to do all this. It would take awhile and is a little intensive. It is in fact doable though. I have done similar work with my custom heroscape card formats. I plan to use the MSE program to make the cards for a game i'm creating myself.



I had to move all the stat boxes in the program style sheet. It's not too difficult if you have the time.

I don't know if there is a tutorial for this already but I s'pose I could make one if people are interested.

[josephlevin]

Hello!

I must say that despite some image importing difficulty, I am in serious awe of this program and I want to say thank you for making HS work with it!

I was wondering if there is any consistent way to make sure that the portrait image and the red/gray hit image import so that the majority of the figure is visible? I had to essentially create empty images for each in Photoshop that were twice as high as they were wide, and then play with the vertical positioning of the HS figure within such that they fit with minimal distortion in the MSE editor.

If it helps anyone, I was able to print cards to the correct size by simply making sure I explicitly select letter sized paper in my inkjet printer.

I am also wondering if there is anyway to add in custom "key words" and text associated with the key words? For example, if I type in the ability "tactician", the MSE automatically enters the descriptive text for that ability. I'd like to do the same sort of procedure for my custom characters.

Thanks, in advance, for your help, folks!

Take care!

[Sertorius]

When creating your images (both portrait and target), you want to

a) make sure they are .png files with a transparent background (you might be doing this already)

b) make sure the 'canvas size' is very large...at least 3x the dimensions of the image itself. For high-res images, my canvas is usually 5000x5000 or above. You can always zoom the MSE image target down to get it just right, but you can't expand it past a certain point.

Originally Posted by josephlevin

Hello!

I must say that despite some image importing difficulty, I am in serious awe of this program and I want to say thank you for making HS work with it!

I was wondering if there is any consistent way to make sure that the portrait image and the red/gray hit image import so that the majority of the figure is visible? I had to essentially create empty images for each in Photoshop that were twice as high as they were wide, and then play with the vertical positioning of the HS figure within such that they fit with minimal distortion in the MSE editor.

If it helps anyone, I was able to print cards to the correct size by simply making sure I explicitly select letter sized paper in my inkjet printer.

I am also wondering if there is anyway to add in custom "key words" and text associated with the key words? For example, if I type in the ability "tactician", the MSE automatically enters the descriptive text for that ability. I'd like to do the same sort of procedure for my custom characters.

Thanks, in advance, for your help, folks!

Take care!

[bmaczero]

I was wondering if there is any consistent way to make sure that the portrait image and the red/gray hit image import so that the majority of the figure is visible? I had to essentially create empty images for each in Photoshop that were twice as high as they were wide, and then play with the vertical positioning of the HS figure within such that they fit with minimal distortion in the MSE editor.

That's the way I suggest in the readme - just have lots of blank space so you can adjust the position, as you do and Sertorius said. It just occurred to me that a better way might be to navigate to Program Files/Magic Set Editor 2/data/heroscape-[style you are using].mse-style and open imagemask.png and hzmask.png with Photoshop. These images define the size of the image places in MSE, so if you position your images how you like within the white parts of the mask image, hide the mask, and then save and import, they should fall into exactly the right place with no resizing.

I am also wondering if there is anyway to add in custom "key words" and text associated with the key words? For example, if I type in the ability "tactician", the MSE automatically enters the descriptive text for that ability. I'd like to do the same sort of procedure for my custom characters.

Yes, there are in fact two ways. You can go to the Keywords tab within your MSE set and hit the icon at the top that looks like a key with a green plus over it. If you do this, the keyword you create will only work within the set your are currently editing. If you want to create keywords that work with all your custom Heroscape sets, go to Program Files/Magic Set Editor 2/data/heroscape.mse-game/keywords and open it in your favorite text editor (say, Notepad). You can just copy-paste an existing keyword and change the different fields (change mode to custom if you like to keep things organized).

Actually writing the keyword text so that it can do all that nifty squad/hero, male/female stuff requires some tricky scripting. Basically, in the reminder field any text you simply type is the text of the ability, but if you put curly braces {} around a block of text it acts as a script rather than literal text. The best advice I can give you on this is to copy an existing keyword that's similar to yours to get the basic idea. I might write up a description of some of the things you can do with these scripts later.

Thanks for the comment