- When will you release next version of HeroScribe?
- Can I add new icons to HeroScribe?
- How do I convert raster to vector?
- I downloaded an icon pack from HeroScribe.Org, how do I install it?
- I want to use two Icon Packs together, how do I do that?
- My icon is off-center, how do I true it up?
- Can I add new rooms and passages to the board?
- Can I use the "german" version of the board?
- Can I customize the existing icons?
- Can I add text to quests?
- Is there the x icon?
- How can I print quests?
- How can I manually edit XML files, and... should I?
- Does HeroScribe run on my OS?
- When I try to open HeroScribe, the Nokia PC Suite opens!
- HeroScribe cannot open any XML file!
- My question is not answered here!
When will you release next version of HeroScribe?
Unfortunately, we do not know. We could not find time to work on it in the past years, and cannot provide a release date for now.Can I add new icons to HeroScribe?
Yes you can! On the Icon Packs Section you will find many new monsters, rooms, furniture and traps to add in your Quests! Should you want your own icons on HeroScribe, please read carefully the instructions available on the Icon Packs Section.Adding raster images to HeroScribe would be highly unproductive: we spent time converting original HeroQuest icons from raster to vector graphics, and as a result the final product is the closest to the original one; that is why importing raster images would not allow the ultimate product top quality. Besides, some sort of tech-savviess is required because of the scripts needed to convert vector icons to HeroScribe format. That is why we will only accept vector icons for your Icon Pack.
How do I convert raster to vector?
The opensource way we suggest is Inkscape; just follow this simple tutorial in order to vectorize your icons.I downloaded some icon packs from HeroScribe.Org, how do I install them?
Every icon pack comes in a .rar file; you will need to extract it inside the HeroScribe setup folder (usually, C:\Program Files\HeroScribe) in order to enable it.I want to use two Icon Packs together, how do I do that?
Should you need two or more icon packs installed simultaneously, you will need to include image files from every icon pack (Raster, Sample and Vector, both European and American versions) and have them referenced under the same category in the ultimate Objects.xml (open the icon pack's Objects.xml and copy the reference between the <object></object> tags of the wanted icon inside the ultimate Objects.xml - remember to include the <object> tags, too). XML files can be open by any text editor, we suggest NotePad++.Practical instance: say you want to add Nazgul from Yon's icon pack (Yon's Objects.xml) and Beastman from Idomeneas' icon pack (Idomeneas' Objects.xml). You will need to copy the Nazgul reference from Yon's file, then paste it into the ultimate Objects.xml's end (please note: always between the <objectList></objectList> tags); here's the reference:
<object name="Nazgul" id="Nazgul" width="1" height="1" kind="yon">Afterward, you will need to do the same with Beastman by Idomeneas. You might notice that while Nazgul's kind attribute is set to yon, the same attribute is set to idomeneas for Beastman; that is because they are listed in their own category inside HeroScribe. If you want them to be listed in the same category, just change the attribute's value to extra for both (extra or anything else, it is up to you), then add the extra category at the beginning of the ultimate Objects.xml. Since these are the categories from the original Objects.xml (id being the univocal entry, and name the entry displayed in HeroScribe):
<icon region="Europe" path="Europe/Yon/Yon.Nazgul_EU" original="false"/>
<icon region="USA" path="USA/Yon/Yon.Nazgul_US" original="false"/>
<note>
There is no Nazgul icon in any official HeroQuest release.
This icon was created by Yon. Revised by Derfel Link.
</note>
</object>
<kind id="hero" name="Heroes" />You will need to add the following line at the end of that list:
<kind id="monster" name="Monsters" />
<kind id="man-at-arms" name="Men-at-Arms" />
<kind id="furniture" name="Furniture" />
<kind id="door" name="Doors" />
<kind id="mark" name="Marks" />
<kind id="trap" name="Traps" />
<kind id="room" name="Rooms" />
<kind id="various" name="Various" />
<kind id="extra" name="Extra" />This is how the ultimate Objects.xml should look like. Again, you will also need to include all relative images (Raster, Sample and Vector, both European and American versions) inside Icons folder for this to work.
When using one or more icon packs together, please be aware that HeroScribe will not run if there are two or more icons by the same id (e.g.: Necromancer icon from JoeC and Derfel Link icon packs).
My icon is off-center, how do I true it up?
Say this is your icon reference inside Objects.xml:<object name="Flying Spaghetti Monster" id="FlyingSpaghettiMonster" width="2" height="1" kind="god">You will need to add some attributes, xoffset and/or yoffset, to the <Icon> tags:
<icon region="Europe" path="Europe/Gods/Gods.FlyingSpaghettiMonster_EU" original="false"/>
<icon region="USA" path="USA/Gods/Gods.FlyingSpaghettiMonster_US" original="false"/>
</object>
<object name="Flying Spaghetti Monster" id="FlyingSpaghettiMonster" width="2" height="1" kind="god">xoffset being the horizontal offset from the icon center and yoffset being the vertical offset from the icon center; if icon is 2x1 squares wide, its center will be at 1,0.5 - if icon is a single square wide, its center will be at 0.5,0.5. Offset units refer to the HeroQuest square: 1 being the entire square size, 0.5 being its half and so on.
<icon region="Europe" path="Europe/Gods/Gods.FlyingSpaghettiMonster_EU" xoffset="0.05" yoffset="-0.1" original="false"/>
<icon region="USA" path="USA/Gods/Gods.FlyingSpaghettiMonster_US" xoffset="0.05" yoffset="-0.1" original="false"/>
</object>
In the following case we are moving the Goblin by nothing (xoffset="0.0": 1x1 icon is centered in a square) and by 0.5 square (xoffset="0.5": icon is shifted half square to the right); we are also moving Flying Spaghetti Monster by nothing (xoffset="0.0": 2x1 icon is centered in two squares), by 0.5 square (xoffset="0.5": icon is shifted half square to the right) and by 1 square (xoffset="1.0": icon is shifted a square to the right).
Green areas show icon size: Goblin is a single square wide, the more powerful Flying Spaghetti Monster is a 2x1 squares wide.
Can I add new rooms and passages to the board?
Yes, you can! Just download and install the SemiModular Icon Pack off the Icon Packs Section.Can I use the german version of the board? (sample)
Yes, you can! Just download and install the Mini furniture/German board Icon Pack off the Icon Packs Section.Can I customize the existing icons?
As said before, HeroScribe uses vector graphics to achieve an ad-libitum scalable output quality.You may modify an EPS found in HeroScribe but you will need our help to convert it to an Icon Pack. We will be glad to help you out, just read carefully the instructions available on the Icon Packs Section. On HeroScribe, actually you cannot. You may want to add it on your own using graphics softwares, or could have a look at the HeroScribe Enhanced website. Please be aware that we cannot provide any help regarding HeroScribe Enhanced since it is not developed by us. Please refer to Objects.html (available in the HeroScribe install folder) for any icon information. HeroScribe produces EPS/PDF files (highest quality) and PNG files (lowest quality, could be used as a quest preview).
EPS files can be open by most of the graphics editors, such as Ghostscript, Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw and many another; if you do not owe any of them and are finding problems installing Ghostscript under Windows, here is a step-by-step guide:
1) Install latest Ghostscript release;
2) Install latest GSView releae;
3) Open the EPS file with GSView and print it.
PDF files can be open by Adobe Reader and many other programs, such as web browsers (if any PDF plugin is installed).
PNG files can be open by any graphics editor; we advise XnView.
How can I manually edit XML files, and... should I?
XML files can be open by any text editor, such as NotePad++.There are various reasons why you may need to manually edit XML files: decimal position of objects, or batch convertion of many quests. HeroScribe runs on GNU/Linux, *BSD, Mac OS X and Windows.
When I try to open HeroScribe, the Nokia PC Suite opens!
When Nokia PC Suite is installed on Windows, it gains control of the .jar extension (extension for java applications); Nokia utility tries to open any .jar file, so that HeroScribe cannot run.To solve this, select Folder Options, search for .jar under File Types tab, then click Change and choose Java(TM) 2 Platform Standard Edition binary.
Nokia utlity, now, will not run any .jar files and HeroScribe will start as usual.
HeroScribe cannot open any XML file!
We are aware of this issue; it started with the release of Java Runtime Environment 1.6, which throws an exception when trying to parse an XML file whose path contains a space. Developers at Sun fixed this bug, please download latest Java Platform to solve the issue.My question is not answered here!
Drop us a line including the following info:- OS you are running;
- HeroScribe version you are using;
- Your issue;
- Your step-by-step actions.
