Offline Builders Information

[Athon]

I will be spending a good deal of time in the next few months with access on my laptop but no internet connection. With that in mind, I figured a good way to pass some time would be to do some building. I am inquiring to see if it is possible to obtain a compiled file containing all of the current building pages on the website so that they are viewable with no internet connection.

If needed, I am willing to download all the pages and compile them into a .pdf.

[Dalvyn]

Turning them into a PDF would be a good idea.

As for getting all the web pages, I'd suggest you PM Mask, since he's the only one with an access to the site files.

[Mask]

It would be really good to move all of the builder lessons into a Wiki or another kind of CMS so that they can be updated more often than never...what do people think?

[Oghma]

A wiki would be easier to manage because you have the ability to view files through search instead of just categories. So if someone is looking for a specific command like values they could just find the file on values instead of skimming through a large list of related materials.

[Dalvyn]

Yes, it would be better in a wiki-like format.

It would still not be available offline though (though some wikis have an option to download the whole content as html pages I think).

[Mask]

Anyone can have offline access to webpages, they just need to download them, something like 'wget' used recursively and pointed at http://www.forgottenkingdoms.org/builders/ I think would get just about everything.

[Arnof]

Pulled everything down, reformatted most of it and compiled everything into a color-coded, cross-referenced PDF. Here's the download.

http://drop.io/mtqbfxp

Take a look at it, flip through and pass along some criticism, please. I may start working on a wiki soonishly as well.

[Mask]

We already have a wiki, any volunteers to move the builder info into it?

[Arnof]

Gladly. I was just about to shoot you a PM to see if you could take care of the backend. Where's it at?

[Lathander]

Back to the original topic.

Perhaps I'm not the typical builder. Certainly my limited building shows that! I like the idea of an offline, hardcopy resource. When I built my first area, I printed every page of the builder lessons and put them in a binder. I don't care for having my area in one window and having to switch windows to read instructions, then back to work on the area. I prefer having my area open onscreen and flip through a binder where I can make notes, by hand. Must be my age!

The idea of a well-organized pdf that I can print in its entirety and use is very helpful to me. I would like one for OLC as well. If someone were willing to take on this project, that would be wonderful. Perhaps, because I don't know the ins/outs of Wiki, it can be done in Wiki and a pdf made thereafter.

Then, a "builder errata" forum can be created where any NEW building code could be posted (new flags, etc.). Once/year (June) or every 6 months (June/Dec) the pdf could be revised and reposted, and the errata for that time period removed from the web.

[Arnof]

Lathander -

Had you taken a look at the PDF I posted in my last post? I think it's spot on what you're looking for. It's bookmarked, there's a tab on the left hand side of Acrobat's interface to bring those up, so that say, for example, you just want to print out the section about affect flags you can just click that, File>Print, and then pick the sub-section you're interested in. It isn't filled with the latest information, unfortunately I'm still trying to figure out the best way to get that information i.e. current spell lists, feats, skills, etc. But, as far as an offline builders guide that can be spit out beginning to end and stuck in a binder, I think what I assembled is pretty much spot on for what you'd like. I'm very open to ideas and input, so please don't hesitate to post some criticisms and I can incorporate them along with anything anyone else comes up with.

As for the OLC guide, I'm still looking that over. I currently don't have test port permission (I don't think) but, if I had that then between myself and two other people I thought about working on it with, I think we could bang out a pretty solid guide.

[Lathander]

No I didn't look. I will though! I thought this was a "Is this a good idea?" thread and didn't realize it was a "Here's what I did" thread. Very cool, I'll give it a look.