Hey folks! I felt like this might be the best place to ask this, since this game is all about personalization.

Say I don't want to use the generic Genesys sheet. What programs do you dudes use to make custom character sheets? Specifically, I'm not using the typical Genesys Ability scores (we're playing Fallout, and using SPECIAL to determine abilities), so the Genesys character sheet wouldn't be super useful. I've used Word in the past and have no experience with Excel. Ideally I'll find something that has a low learning curve and is free. Any recommendations?

I use LaTeX. And add to that my Genesys package you have the beginnings of a character sheet!

Here's my character sheet for a game I'm playing in. All made using my LaTeX package.

@c_beck

What's the code you used to create the character sheet specifically? The sample layout is just for a writeup and not a charsheet.

ETA:
I currently am using Scribus to do the layout, but I design the tables I may use in LibreOffice Calc (a spreadsheet) and any graphics I use Inkscape and then insert them into Scribus for finalization. I then jump over to Foxit PDF Editor if I want to make the finished pdf form fillable.

The layout work can be done in anything, really. I do all of mine in Photoshop, but any image manipulation software or layout software would work (ideally something which works in vector, but I don't practice what I preach there).

Acrobat is your best bet for making sheets fillable. But there's lots of free alternatives online.

5 hours ago, theReplicant said:

@c_beck

What's the code you used to create the character sheet specifically? The sample layout is just for a writeup and not a charsheet.

ETA:
I currently am using Scribus to do the layout, but I design the tables I may use in LibreOffice Calc (a spreadsheet) and any graphics I use Inkscape and then insert them into Scribus for finalization. I then jump over to Foxit PDF Editor if I want to make the finished pdf form fillable.

I use LaTeX for the layout and most of the code is contained in the Genesys package I linked in my first post.

If you'd like to see it, here's the current code for that sheet.

6 hours ago, c__beck said:

I use LaTeX for the layout and most of the code is contained in the Genesys package I linked in my first post.

If you'd like to see it, here's the current code for that sheet.

Excellent, thank you!

22 hours ago, Icosiel said:

Ideally I'll find something that has a low learning curve and is free. Any recommendations?

LibreOffice/Draw

Inkscape

Karbon

I use a combination of Adobe Illustrator for specific detailing of vector shapes (e.g. Threshold boxes and Characteristic box decorations) and then I lay out those objects in Adobe InDesign, because it has built in styling of tables (this is not as convenient in Illustrator) and has more precise control of typography.

If you're looking for free equivalents to those, I also work in Inkscape (vector work like Illustrator) and Scribus (typesetting layout work). See below for a visual idea of what gets made where.

13 hours ago, sfRattan said:

I use a combination of Adobe Illustrator for specific detailing of vector shapes (e.g. Threshold boxes and Characteristic box decorations) and then I lay out those objects in Adobe InDesign, because it has built in styling of tables (this is not as convenient in Illustrator) and has more precise control of typography.

If you're looking for free equivalents to those, I also work in Inkscape (vector work like Illustrator) and Scribus (typesetting layout work). See below for a visual idea of what gets made where.

Do you have or are you willing to share your vector shapes? As I mentioned, I'm using Scribus for layout myself but I suck at making those elements.

6 hours ago, theReplicant said:

Do you have or are you willing to share your vector shapes?

When it's done and released you should be able to pull the vectors from the character sheet PDF fairly easily.

2 hours ago, sfRattan said:

When it's done and released you should be able to pull the vectors from the character sheet PDF fairly easily.

Gotcha!

On 2/27/2018 at 5:48 AM, c__beck said:

I use LaTeX for the layout and most of the code is contained in the Genesys package I linked in my first post.

If you'd like to see it, here's the current code for that sheet.

Reading through this and comparing it to your PDF has helped me a lot in understanding how the code and layouts work. Have you updated this since to use the Talent blocks in the GenesysRPG package, or are you sticking with column/row items?

Awesome work by the way!

I am using Adobe InDesign. But it costs, and there is a bit of a learning curve. But awesome results.

On 2/26/2018 at 8:53 PM, c__beck said:

I use LaTeX. And add to that my Genesys package you have the beginnings of a character sheet!

Here's my character sheet for a game I'm playing in. All made using my LaTeX package.

These LaTeX examples and the GenesysRPG package are amazing! Sure, its no Adobe InDesign but I can use Git to track changes, or make my document be shared easily between devices! I use TexLive for my TeX/LaTeX compiler .

Thank you for putting these packages out @c__beck

Just realized I posed the same thing earlier about the exact same thing. My apologies.