Export Templates | Magic Set Editor

impspiritguide
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Set Hub: http://magicseteditor.boards.net/thread/256/pokemon-thread
Formerly Known As: Imp Elemental Spirit Guide

Export Templates Jul 18, 2018 21:51:57 GMT

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Post by impspiritguide on Jul 18, 2018 21:51:57 GMT

I've reached a point in my template where I'm considering using an export template to solve some of the annoying aspects of my template. I've begun looking at some of the mtg export templates and it's pretty much a whole new aspect to deal with. So before I dive into the deep end I'm checking to see if an export template can do what I need.

Background

My template is basically at 736x1026 pixels, due to the fact that the original cards liked to use very small fonts, for some reason in-particularly the artist credit and copyright (see 6 to 8 pt font at the 736x1026 size so when you cut it to half this is 3 to 4pt font which is pretty much illegible). Unfortunately this makes the template too large to see without reducing the view size in MSE. Because of MSE's resource usage an other aspects it also means that change elements within the full-size template can become sluggish for certain templates and options. Because of this I would like to have a "display" size that is half size and an export size that is full size.

Fortunately I have already done what is necessary in the templates to easily change the size of the elements (there is a single variable that sets the size of the displayed template at the front of the script file, if it is 2 then it displays full-size if it is 1 then half size). But this does no good without changing the starting template card width and height (which cannot be scripted). All elements reference this and take this into account (including images that are masked etc) so there isn't any functional problems with altering this variable.

What I Would Like To Do If Possible

I'd like to make an export template that resets the variable to 2, which would additionally activate certain extra card fields and deactivate others (to make the outline text look appropriate). It would then save this double size (and higher resolution, remember crap in crap out) image at the 736x1026 rather than the display size of 368x513.

Is this something the Export Templates can do or not?

Last Edit: Jul 18, 2018 21:52:18 GMT by impspiritguide

Remember the universe cares not what you think, it is. Example: Lightning Bolt+Mountain has beaten Black Lotus+Channel+Fireball+Mountain since the beginning.

cajun
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i write tragedies not sins

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Export Templates Jul 19, 2018 1:45:26 GMT

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Post by cajun on Jul 19, 2018 1:45:26 GMT

I don't think I even understand what your template is doing. You have a boolean that changes it from a 736x1026 card to a 368x513 card on a 736x1026 canvas? If its this you'll need to switch it back on the style. Export templates can't modify anything from the style directly.

Cygari
Monsters of Chikyu - On Layers - Cajun Style Templates
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impspiritguide
2/2 Zombie

Favorite Color: Brown

Posts: 129
Set Hub: http://magicseteditor.boards.net/thread/256/pokemon-thread
Formerly Known As: Imp Elemental Spirit Guide

Export Templates Jul 19, 2018 3:12:39 GMT

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Post by impspiritguide on Jul 19, 2018 3:12:39 GMT

Sorry,

Somedays it doesn't pay for me to try communication this has been one of them.

I want to export 736x1026 (this is 294 pixels/inch and what is used for the online Pokemon game so it was the best way to get square scans for the most recent sets to use to make the template and is now the general standard for all "fakemon" as the pokemon community calls homebrewed cards).

All of my current template images and the base template are currently built to this image size (therefore there isn't the problem of starting with poor resolution and trying to upgrade).

But unfortunately the only part of MSE that isn't equipped with a scroll bar is the card image so at 100% this larger resolution makes only the top half of the card visible. You can cut the zoom to 50% and see everything on a higher resolution moniter but then even with that this higher resolution draws upon the processor significantly making the program sluggish, especially when using one of the Full Art aspects that require an outline text. Couple this with the fact that the zoom doesn't go below 50% and my template had a problem with potential hardware issues.

I notice this before even finishing the first card face in the template set so I impemented a non-easy ugly way to allow users to change the resolution of the card. As you mentioned it is impossible to change that starting card width using scripting so each of my style files has four different style files. The style, a style.bak-large (which is a duplicate backup of "style"), style.bak-medium which is 70% resolution, and style.bak-small which is 50% resolution. If someone had real problems they could switch out the style files to a smaller resolution, create the set and save it, and then switch out the template to the higher resolution in order to print out the cards.

In order to make this easier on myself I added the following code

expand_size := { 2 }
slide_left := { 0 }
slide_up := { 0 }
x_left := { to_int(input * expand_size()) - slide_left() }
y_top := { to_int(input * expand_size()) - slide_up() }
fun_expand_size := { to_int(input * expand_size()) }
fun_decompress := { input / expand_size() }

Slide left and Slide up are for me when I'm comparing the template to test images and need to zoom in and still have the card visible they are set to 0 for all output files

expand size varies between 2 for bak-large, 1.4 for bak-medium and 1 for bak-small

All card styles use the following method

left: { x_left( <ENTRY> ) }
top: { y_top( <ENTRY>) }
width: { fun_expand_size( <ENTRY> ) }
height: { fun_expand_size( <ENTRY>) }

fun_decompress is when I need to use something like the card_style.ENTRY.content_width I need to translate it to the coordinates I use in the template.

This way I can change the "card width:", "card height:", and "card dpi:" entries at the beginning and then change the expand_size variable in order to make each of the .bak files.

In this way it is easy to change the resolution of the template if the card width etc.

What I don't know is almost anything about export templates. Can you make the export template increase the card width and height, or at least keep the original element dpi or anything like that.

Did I make things clear?

(EDIT: I'm starting to consider entering all of my forum entries in BBCode to start with it might save some time.)

(EDIT #2: Looking back I think Cajun may actually have answered my question and the answer was no. Thank You, told you I shouldn't try communicating yesterday.)

Last Edit: Jul 21, 2018 6:06:56 GMT by impspiritguide

Remember the universe cares not what you think, it is. Example: Lightning Bolt+Mountain has beaten Black Lotus+Channel+Fireball+Mountain since the beginning.