Inspiration Pad Pro 3 Beta

Download Link:
http://www.nbos.com/nox/index.php?action=1001&id=454

Inspiration Pad Pro 3 Changes

User Interface

Built in table editor
Right click over a generator and select 'edit table'. You can make changes to the table, save them, and run them without leaving the program.

Debugging console
Errors can be output to help debugging. Also logs all expressions so you can see how they are being evaluated.

Inspiration Pad Language

Expressions
Dice, variable, and math expressions all now use the same syntax, and can be mixed together. So you no longer need to use {$} for variables, {!} for math expressions, and {} for dice. Instead, all dice, variable, and math expressions are simply wrapped in braces, {}. Also, dice expressions are no longer limited to xDx+x format. Any xDx style dice roll can be used right in math expressions as-is.

Examples:
{3d6}, {4d6+4d20}, {1d20/1d10}

Variable assignment:
{a=1d6+(2d8+100)/1d8} assigns result to variable 'a'
{a==1d6+(2d8+100)/1d8} assigns result to variable 'a' without outputting result

Expressions also support text, so the following is possible:
{a='hello' + 'world'} outputs 'helloworld'

Dictionary Tables
There's a new type of table called a Dictionary table. This allows for text based keys, rather than numeric ranges. Use this with the table pick command, such as:
Table: test
[#fighter example]  

Table: example
type: dictionary
default: hd10
fighter: hd8
mage: hd4
thief: hd6

This would return 'hd8'

Comments

  • Boy I'm looking forward to this! Inspiration Pad Pro is THE best generator program I have come across. Now if we can just get an Android version as well.

    *EDIT*
    The User Interface is so nice to have and has made it easier to work, create, and edit my files. Wonderful edition! The debugging mode is a big asset to me as well when working with very large generators. Thank You!!!!

    I'm looking forward to working with the new expressions (I'll need to do a bit of revision).

    * Can we get a Ctrl+F function?
    * Is there a way to get a '+' to show for a positive result for specified fields?

    Loving it!!

    Thanks Ed
  • Glad you like!

    For formatting a leading plus on positive numbers, you can do that a couple ways...
    Table: add_plus
    set:a={1d20-10}
    Method 1 [when]{$a} > 0[do] +{$a}[else]{$a}[end]
    Method 2 {if( a>=0, '+' + a, a)} 
    Method 3 [@fmtplus with {a}]
    
    Table: fmtplus
    {if( $1>=0, '+' + $1, $1)} 
    

    method 2 & 3 only work in the new inspiration pad beta.

    For Ctrl-F, do you mean a 'find' in the table editor?
  • Oh, one helpful hint in the table editor... if you 'Ctrl-click' on a line that has a Use: statement, it will open up that corresponding file so you can edit it.
  • I posted the final installer tonight.

    Additional changes:

    New Filters:
    - PlusMinus (or just +-)
    lets you display numbers with a leading + or -. Ideal for formatting dice roll modifiers.
    - Each
    lets you process each result in a table call that results in more than one item
    - EachChar
    lets you process each character in a piece of text

    In the table editor:
    - New Find & Replace buttons/shortcuts
    - A new Save and Run button (F5)
  • Question of Post installation. I work on many different PCs (15 at home alone). The USB flash drive changes letters from system to system. I used the portable install but i have to keep changing the drive letter on it when I change to a new pc as it only works on "F" drive. Is there anyway you know of to auto assign the flash to drive "F" on all PCs? (here and at work).....otherwise I'm looking at 10 portable installs for each drive letter D-M.... can there be a simple location file that the program references for the drive letter that I can text edit for ease of use?
  • Unfortunately, there's no easy way to do that. You cant generally use the desktop icons for programs on USB drives. Best thing to do is use Windows Explorer to navigate to the USB drive and run the program directly.

    Another option, if you can install software on your work machine, is to use something like DropBox. You can then install the program into that folder, and it will appear on all of your machines that have dropbox on it.
  • Should generators from the previous version work? I have some generators that run but most of the lines are displayed as blanks. They work fine in the old version and really are quite basic.
  • Yes, older generators work with it. I tested with over 100. There are some minor differences, so its possible you'll find things that work in v2, but not in v3.
  • Hi Ed,

    This is great - really happy to see the inline table editor (and the CTRL+click option for Use tables is great).

    Looking forward to playing around with this. Thanks so much!
  • Hi Ed,

    Quick question: given the new location of IPP tables ("My Documents/Inspiration Pad Pro/"), how do we get them to show up in The Keep?

    Second quick question: is there a way to wrap text in the table editor?

    Cheers,
  • The IPP3 tables dont work with the Keep yet. (at least, any that use the new features). What I'm doing now is upgrading the components used by The Keep (IPP, Char Sheet) so that I can then start on the next version of The Keep. (I speeded up the Character Sheet viewer by a factor of 100, btw).

    What you probably need to do is reinstall v2 so that those tables will be findable by the keep. I also updated the v3 installer earlier last week so that when you install the new version it doesnt hide the v2 tables from the keep.
  • Oh, for question #2, you cant 'wrap text'. I'll look to see if the editor supports that.

    You can use the "&" line continuation character which lets you extend items across multiple lines. At least until word wrap can be added.
  • Hi Ed,

    Thanks for the info - makes sense.
  • Okay, so here's a minor suggestion.

    Can you make it so that folders and files get separated in the Generators window?

    Take a look...

    foldershv.jpg

    I set up my own campaign folder for tables specifically for my game... but then added additional folders to help me organize my stuff better. Each folder falls alphabetically in order with the generators in the same parent folder. I'd rather see folders set at the top of a list like in a traditional Windows display, then any files after them.
  • sure - that shouldnt be much of a problem.
  • ** SOLVED**

    There are some issues I've run into.

    I looked through the program folder (in Program Files) for NBOS' IP3 and though there is one, nothing is in it, besides a Languages folder. I have an IP2 folder with the Treasure, etc. folders in it, so I assumed IP3 was using the IP2 folder (for whatever reason), but I created extra folders in there, which show up in IP2 but not in IP3, so obviously IP3 installed the folders and generator files somewhere else.

    So where ARE the IP3 files and folders? I want to make new generator files but am unable to, because I have no idea where to put them, and there is no create new file feature in IP3.

    Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

    ============
    Well, that's odd. After a thorough search of my three hard drives, I found IP3 installed its main generator files to MyDocuments, which it has never done before and nothing in the documentation indicates that is its default behavior. Huh. Well anyway I found what I was looking for, so that's all good. I also figured out by right clicking on a folder name inside inspiration pad lets you make a "New Table", which means "create new file" - why it isn't called that, I don't really understand, but it gives me what I want, so again, it's all good.

    Great work guys!
  • The move to My Documents is to make ipp play nicer with Windows, which by default prevents apps from writing into the Program Files directory. Plus, by putting them into the My Documents, its easier to add the generators to a backup.
  • I have to give another vote to the idea of IPP for Android. My new Nexus 7 is a wonderful device for gaming, but it'd really rock with IPP.

Leave a Comment