I've been trying to make some custom reference cards for all the new players I play with and I just found this AWESOME program. If anybody out there is really familiar with this program, though, I do need some help. I am very inexperienced with scripts (I've never even seen one until today). Since I am trying to create my own card type, I was following this tutorial: cgjennings.ca/eons/tutorial/diy.html . But I was so overwhelmed.... :| Is there an easier way to do this?

I found that the mythos card template was PERFECT for what i want to do (in general), but I want to change the background. Is there a way I can just use the functionalty of the mythos card but change the background/card face?

Also, one of the reference cards I am trying to make is a breakdown of the monster token, so I would like to have an image of a monster token on the card with text adjacent, as seen here: i31.tinypic.com/2r4lvr6.jpg . Can any experts out there help me with these things please?

Thank you!

A DIY card is meant for when you want to create an entirely new card (for example, for an altogether different game).

Changing the background is much less work than creating a DIY card. There is a tutorial that changes "Ally" cards into "Enemy" cards . I suggest starting with that and then changing it to use the card type that you want.

You'll also find many examples that you can borrow from in the plug-in authoring kit .

If you don't want to try making a plug-in at all, consider using the Miscellaneous Small or Miscellaneous Large cards.

As for including monsters on another card, if you are going the scripting route then it is entirely possible to do this on the fly by having the user choose a monster file and generating images from it. But to do it with less work, just export the monsters in question as images and then use the <image> tag to them into the mark-up for the card. There is a command to simplify using the <image> tag:

Cheers,
Chris

Thanks for replying, Chris! You were right about that ally - enemy tutorial, that gave me exactly what I needed. But could you please now elaborate on the monsters in the card? Could you explain the scripting route (only if you have time), and also please explain the simpler method? I apologize, but I don't understand what you mean by "export the monsters in question as images and then use the <image> tag to them into the mark-up for the card. There is a command to simplify using the <image> tag. First, how do you even pull up a monster to export it? And then what is an <image> tag? Could you also please explain how I can reposition the image anywhere in the card? Thank you!!

Can you also explain how I can find the scripting for the existing content? For example, if I want to see how the Mythos card template is set up, and would like to mimc some aspects of it, but not all, how can I see the actual scripting for that template so I can see how it works and copy it?

By <image> tag I mean that, just as you can make text on a card bold by putting <b> around </b> it, you can an image by including <image filename > in the text. The menu item shown in the picture above (Markup | Picture...) can be used to help you format the <image> tag more easily.

Table of the different tags you can use in text boxes in Strange Eons.

To export a monster, you would start by creating it (or opening its file). Then choose the File | Export... menu item. This lets you create a ZIP archive that contains images of the monster token. Extract the images from the ZIP archive, and then you can use the <image> tag to the images of the monster token into the card.

The "scripting method" is an option you could use if you were writing code for a new card type from scratch. The card would let you choose any .eon file, and it would open the file and ask Strange Eons to create images for the front and back faces of the token. Then those would be used directly by the card type, instead of the user having to create the images manually using the Export command.

The <image> tag only creates inline images (that is, inserted into the running text). To draw an image anywhere you like, you need to do some custom painting. This can either be done directly in a DIY (custom) card type, and you can also do it by adding an "on paint handler" to a customized card. (The Ally/Enemy card is a customized card.) If you want to learn more about these options, I suggest that you download the plug-in authoring kit (see above). Extract it somewhere, and then from Strange Eons use Open | Project and open the plug-in kit folder. In the project pane (left side of the window), in the middle, is a search box. Use it to search for the terms above (paint handler, etc.) to find them in the kit.

Most of the included card types (investigator, etc.) don't have scripts because they are compiled code (they are not made using the DIY feature). However, there are examples in the plug-in authoring kit. You can also check out the code for the Talisman and Warhammer FRP plug-ins. In the project panel, click Add New Task... and then enter a name ("Talisman" or what have you), Import Plug-in..., click Add Task, and then the plug-in file (.seext or .seplugin). The files from the plug-in will then be copied into the project.

More information on working with projects.

Cheers,
Chris

Found this thread, I am trying to do this exact same thing but the link to the changes "Ally" cards into "Enemy" cards is broken. Could anyone help me find that tutorial or explain how to do this?