Version 1.2.3

Looking back, I'm actually surprised it's been almost an entire year since the previous release, version 1.2.2. And unfortunately, this isn't the big 1.3 release that I've been excited to share with you. However, this release includes about a year's worth of improvements to the base program along with a couple of features.

(In fact, this is actually the latest code for 1.3, but I've hidden or disabled a lot of the features that aren't ready or that breaks compatibility with Mottokrosh's website. As mentioned in the 1.2.2 release notes (and on Twitter), version 1.3 will no longer feature 100% compatibility with Mottokrosh's website… instead, it'll be something more like 95% compatible. So these 1.2.x releases will still maintain that compatibility, while also featuring bug fixes and some nice stuff where I can add them.)

Version 1.3 is a lot closer to release now than it was a year ago. While I was definitely hopeful to get it out earlier than now, some personal issues came up that prevented me from being able to focus on programming for a while, and honestly, my eyes wandered to other projects like Solid Shine UI and my website (which will include an online version of PathfinderJson). Either way, I do want to show this project some love and get 1.3 out the door. I have a very short list of items left to implement or improve, and while these things aren't all super easy, I'm still hopeful to get 1.3 out before the end of 2022.

Anyway, that's the future. Let's take a look at what's in this release:

Changes

• PathfinderJson now is natively available for Arm64 devices, and runs on .NET 6. See notes below!
• Add "icon view" for the base ability scores, to display them as little banners with numbers, rather than a more boring/overwhelming table view
  • You can switch between the two views as needed. The app will default to the table view at first, for the sake of backwards compatibility
• Add "temporary" display for base ability scores (for situations where a character's Strength stat, for instance, is temporarily reduced or increased)
  • This is the only feature from Mottokrosh's website that I never implemented visually (although it could've been edited in the raw JSON view), but now it's here too!
  • If there's recommendations about how to improve the appearance or experience with this, let me know! It could be implemented for 1.3!
• Add Sheet Settings dialog and made improvements to sheet settings data
  • There's now UI options for disabling spell check in the Notes box, and changing the skill list used
  • Enabling Markdown on a sheet will now cause PathfinderJson to remember it when you next open the file
  • If you change calculation settings while a sheet is open (such as "Calculate Armor Class with Updates"), this setting is also saved in the sheet
  • The Sheet Settings dialog provides a number of these options right in the UI
  • Note that sheet settings data is not likely to survive round-trip conversion with Mottokrosh's site. Meaning that if you upload a sheet file to Mottokrosh's site, the sheet settings will not be present if you re-download that sheet from that site
• Added a "Change Color Scheme" dialog that makes it easier for you to change how PathfinderJson looks for you!
  • This revamped experience includes a number of preset good-looking colors you can choose for a colored theme
  • There's also a basic light theme and basic dark theme as well!
  • You can also select a high contrast theme from this dialog as well, replacing the older, less user-friendly one
• Slight redesign of the Armor Class editor, including a shield-shaped glyph to make it stand out more!
  • Includes a notice that the Armor and Shield bonuses are calculated automatically, if you have the calculation setting for that turned on
  • This glyph can be hidden via a setting in the Options
• Smaller changes or bug fixes
  • Fixed "Animal Handling" skill being misspelled
  • Improved the User Data dialog to work better with different Windows text scalings
  • Small improvements to stability and reliability

Development Change / new Arm64 version!

Unlike version 1.2.2, this version uses much later code from version 1.3, which included the transition over to using .NET 6, rather than .NET Core 3.1. Visually and functionally, there shouldn't be any differences between the two. However, the switch was needed as .NET Core 3.1 will soon be out of support, and .NET 6 is the new long-term support platform.

One positive change that also came with upgrading to .NET 6 is now PathfinderJson is available natively for Arm64 Windows devices! (Such as certain Surface computers, or Macs with the M1 chip running Windows as a guest OS.) If you're unsure if you have Arm64 or not, you can still continue to use the x64 version without any issues.

However, one negative thing that come with the upgrade is that the file size of the program is now considerably larger. This is due to limitations with .NET 6 and the WPF system that PathfinderJson uses. You win some, you lose some.

Download

If you're in the app, you can click on the "View/Download" button to open up the website and download the update. You can go to Help > About > Platform Info in the app to check if you need the x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit) version. Check to see what the OS Architecture row says.

If you're not in the app, you can view this guide to get an idea of whether you need the x86 (32-bit), x64 (64-bit), or Arm64 version.

Once you download the zip file, you should be able to open it up and just run the PathfinderJson.exe file with no problem! If you're having troubles, try installing the Visual C++ redistributable included with the zip file, or follow the instructions listed on the readme file.

Version 1.2.2

This release… is kinda special.

Work is currently progressing on PathfinderJson 1.3, the next major version of PathfinderJson. However, there is going to be a major design change with 1.3 and moving forward: specifically dealing with backwards compatibility with Mottokrosh's website.

Here's the gist of it: there's some boxes and entries on a character sheet where you're expected to put in a number, but Mottokrosh's site (and PathfinderJson so far) allowed you to type in any text. For version 1.3, some of these are being changed to only allow numbers. This will break 100% compatibility technically, but most people should be unaffected. While those who are affected could stay behind on 1.2.1, this means that they wouldn't get the new features that come with 1.3... along with the bug fixes.

So that is why 1.2.2 was created. While I couldn't port back the new features of 1.3 (except one), I could port back the bug fixes and a couple of quality-of-life things. For those of you who don't want to move on to 1.3 for some reason, at least you'll still have these bug fixes! And you can keep all the text or whatever in your boxes that you want!

So… yeah.

PathfinderJson 1.3 is coming up next, and shouldn't be too far away now actually! There will be a number of new features that will make PathfinderJson both easier to use and more flexible. When 1.3 comes, I hope you'll give it a try and see if it will work well with your sheets.

Changes

• The name of the character or file is now displayed first on the title bar (i.e. "Jimbob the Barbarian - PathfinderJson" rather than "PathfinderJson - Jimbob the Barbarian")
  • This assists in situations where you have multiple sheets open and you're looking for a particular one
• Improvements with Notes
  • Performance while using Markdown has improved
  • Improved link handling in more cases while using Markdown
  • Spell checking can be disabled with the "notesNoSpellCheck" sheet setting
• Added 1.3 skill lists feature
  • Skill lists are special JSON files that allow you to change the list of skills a character has, including which modifier to use with the skill
  • By supplying a custom JSON file and setting the "skillList" sheet setting, PathfinderJson will display this list
  • Version 1.3 will include an entire visual editor and GUI support for this; this is not present in 1.2.2
  • The standard Pathfinder skill list is included, as is the list for Psionics Unleashed, which you can use by setting the "skillList" sheet setting to "psionics"
  • I will add further documentation about skill lists a little bit later on
• Minor fixes/updates for some UI visuals and the update checker
• Fix visual bug related to leaving the Find box open in raw JSON view and you switch to one of the other views
• Fixed bug related to the dice roller not working in certain situations where parentheses are used
• Fixed unintuitive behavior with the Player Data Editor dialog when importing data from another file

Download

If you're in the app, you can click on the "View/Download" button to open up the website and download the update. You can go to Help > About > Platform Info in the app to check if you need the x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit) version. Check to see what the OS Architecture row says.

If you're not in the app, you can go to WhatsMyOs.com to get an idea of what you need. (Note that the website isn't an exact science, but it can tell you how to get the exact answer.)

Once you download the zip file, you should be able to open it up and just run the PathfinderJson.exe file with no problem! If you're having troubles, try installing the Visual C++ redistributable included with the zip file, or follow the instructions listed on the readme file.

Version 1.2.1

After a drought of releases from June to last month, I guess now I'm back at it! This is version 1.2.1, primarily a bugfix release but with a new feature or two sprinkled in as well.

Up next I plan to work on version 1.3. Don't expect this to come in next month; I don't think we'll be able to go back to the monthly releases like I've been able to do before. Version 1.3 will include some big features (in the sense of how much effort they will take), and I'm also trying to develop this alongside another RPG system's sheet editor as well. However, I hope to have version 1.3 out sometime early 2021.

Another big note: the Markdown handler that is used for the Notes section actually supports a lot more Markdown than the CommonMark help page lists. (I might make my own help page later on to list it all.) Additional supported Markdown includes strikethrough (~~test~~ → test) and GitHub-style tables (see the "Syntax" section on this StackOverflow page to learn how to use it).

Anyway, here's the changes:

Changes

• Added "Keep on Top" function for the Dice Roller window, so it always stays above your other windows
• Added option to display all recent file actions as a submenu, rather than via a right-click
• Fixed hyperlink support for links/URLs in the Notes tab
• Added keyboard shortcuts for the Dice Roller (Ctrl+D) and Reload File (Ctrl+Alt+R)
• Fixed various visual bugs

Download

If you're in the app, you can click on the "View/Download" button to open up the website and download the update. You can go to Help > About > Platform Info in the app to check if you need the x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit) version. Check to see what the OS Architecture row says.

If you're not in the app, you can go to WhatsMyOs.com to get an idea of whether you need the x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit) version. (Note that the website isn't an exact science, but it can tell you how to get the exact answer if it's unsure.)

Once you download the zip file, you should be able to open it up and just run the PathfinderJson.exe file with no problem! If you're having troubles, try installing the Visual C++ redistributable included with the zip file, or follow the instructions listed on the readme file.

Version 1.2 (finally!)

This took a really long time, but here we are! It's finally time for the next release, 1.2!

Part of the long time was because I was tired of working on this project, part of it was because I was working on other projects, and part of it is because… this is a pretty big release! Before we dive into what's all new and changed, a few orders of business.

Notes for the future

Soon enough, I'll be reaching a point with this project where I won't really have much to add or do with it anymore. Pathfinder 1e is a done system, and this app contains nearly everything you'd need for creating and managing a character sheet. There are a few features left that I do need/want to add before I consider this program fully complete, but that list is getting shorter and shorter with every release. Even when I feel I've done everything I've wanted though, I'll still be around to fix bugs with this program or add on or change things as needed. I'll be updating the roadmap shortly with the new plan for this program, but to summarize, we're looking at only 2-3 major releases left. This program doesn't have all the features and automation that something like Hero Lab has, but that's okay. The goal of this program is to more emulate the physical character sheet, writing in numbers and words in the boxes as you go along, rather than going through some step-by-step process and selecting everything from pre-made drop-downs. Hero Lab and such products are super powerful and awesome, but getting this project to their level is beyond the scope of what I want to achieve here.

Another note, I'm going to also start work eventually on making companion programs for other systems, such as D&D 5th edition. No timetable or anything yet for these programs, but it's something I am putting out there! Now that a lot of the framework and such was built using this program, I can start to re-use parts of it to make programs for other systems relatively easily!

Lastly, platforms! When .NET 6.0 gets introduced next year, I'm hopeful that it will include the new MAUI system, which I'll be able to use to create Mac and Linux versions of this program and its companions. We'll see how that all shakes out, but on top of that, I'm actively working on web versions as well…

Anyway, enough of all of that! What's all new?

New features

• Re-did layout and spacing for the entire program!
  • This was done to account for the "Make text larger" Ease of Access setting (Windows 7 and 8 don't have the better DPI scaling settings present in 8.1 and 10, so more users may upon this feature to make text easier to read with very high resolutions or large screens; this setting is still present in Windows 8.1 and 10 as well though).
  • This also fixes layout issues that occurred when Windows's High Contrast mode was on!
  • As an additional benefit, a lot more of the editors now resize to fit the width of the window now.
  • (Note that the Options window was not re-done and will not adjust when the "Make text larger" setting is changed. I may re-design the Options window entirely in a future release.)
• Added an Auto-Save feature
  • Turn it on in Options, and after a set number of minutes the program will automatically save your sheet!
  • Notice the "Saved" text appearing in the top-right when an auto-save happens!
  • Note that with this turned on, the "Reload File" option in the File menu will only be able to reload from the last auto-save
• Added Markdown support in the Notes section
  • This can be enabled or disabled on a sheet-by-sheet basis (in the future, I'll add an option to have it always enabled or always disabled)
  • Thanks to MarkDig, all CommonMark syntax is supported. View the reference via this link or via selecting "Help > Markdown Help" in the program
• Replaced the find box for the JSON text editor
  • Still the same functionality, but now it's more accessible and also follows your selected color scheme!
  • I'm aware of an issue where regex (regular expressions) support isn't working properly, and I will be investigating
• Added more reference links to D20PFSRD
  • This program has no affiliation with the website, I just think it's an awesome reference for Pathfinder!
  • If desired, I can add an option in the future to remove these links for those who don't want them
• Added an option to filter the spell list for "marked" or "unmarked" spells
• Added jump list support (will need to be set up properly, please view the Wiki page about how to do so)
• Fixed bugs related to storing and displaying player data (some introduced in 1.1.2, some from earlier)

Download

If you're in the app, you can click on the "View/Download" button to open up the website and download the update. You can go to Help > About > Platform Info in the app to check if you need the x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit) version. Check to see what the OS Architecture row says.

If you're not in the app, you can go to WhatsMyOs.com to get an idea of whether you need the x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit) version. (Note that the website isn't an exact science, but it can tell you how to get the exact answer if it's unsure.)

Once you download the zip file, you should be able to open it up and just run the PathfinderJson.exe file with no problem! If you're having troubles, try installing the Visual C++ redistributable included with the zip file, or follow the instructions listed on the readme file.

Version 1.1.2 bugfix release!

As I alluded to in my previous release notes, version 1.1.2 was an inevitability.

This version, unlike 1.1.1, is all focused upon bug fixes, and no feature creep! After this point, the major focus will be on version 1.2, which will be coming out in July at some point.

Anyway, here's some highlighted bug fixes:

Changes/bug fixes

• The menu items in the Calculate menu can now be used in custom keyboard shortcuts
• Fixed bug related to color scheme changing when leaving High Contrast mode
• Improved image visuals in High Contrast mode
• Improved handling of Base Attack Bonus in calculations
• Fixed parsing issues with the dice roller ("3+2d6" will work now!)
• Minor improvements to General and Spells tabs for when the window is resized
• Update Calculations is now automatically run when you create a new character sheet

Download

If you're in the app, you can click on the "View/Download" button to open up the website and download the update. You can go to Help > About > Platform Info in the app to check if you need the x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit) version. Check to see what the OS Architecture row says.

If you're not in the app, you can go to WhatsMyOs.com to get an idea of what you need. (Note that the website isn't an exact science, but it can tell you how to get the exact answer.)

Once you download the zip file, you should be able to open it up and just run the PathfinderJson.exe file with no problem! If you're having troubles, try installing the Visual C++ redistributable included with the zip file, or follow the instructions listed on the readme file.

Version 1.1.1!

This is coming out a week later than I intended, but here it is! This is version 1.1.1, a minor release. It was originally intended to be only a bugfix release, but I kept adding more and more, sooo... here we are. This number, 1.1.1, amuses me greatly, but sadly it will be soon enough replaced with a 1.1.2.

Either way, here's the changes:

Changes/fixes

• Added ability to disable Startup Optimization
  • (disable it if your copy of PathfinderJSON just doesn't open/work after you use it once or twice)
• Fixed issue with sometimes not being able to drop in files into the raw JSON view
• Added "Show line numbers" toggle for raw JSON view
• Usability improvements to Dice Roller window
  • You can now select and copy the dice rolls and results
• Improvements and changes to overall visuals
• Changes for future compatibility with 1.2 and later versions

Known Issues

• The Color Scheme setting gets messed up after leaving High Contrast mode
• When your character has a Base Attack Bonus like "+9/+4", the program will not understand how to read it and not include the BAB value in calculations

Download

If you're in the app, you can click on the "View/Download" button to open up the website and download the update. You can go to Help > About > Platform Info in the app to check if you need the x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit) version. Check to see what the OS Architecture row says.

If you're not in the app, you can go to WhatsMyOs.com to get an idea of what you need. (Note that the website isn't an exact science, but it can tell you how to get the exact answer.)

Once you download the zip file, you should be able to open it up and just run the PathfinderJson.exe file with no problem! If you're having troubles, try installing the Visual C++ redistributable included with the zip file, or follow the instructions listed on the readme file.

Version 1.1.0 - major update!

It's time for the first major update since version 1.0 came out! There was a bugfix update, 1.0.1, previously, but now it's time for the big stuff! This is version 1.1.

Per the roadmap I've published, there will be more major updates to come, but the next one, 1.2, won't be for a little while. I want a bit of time away from this program, and some of those features will also take some time to develop. There will be a minor update, 1.1.1, that will be coming shortly, but that will simply clean up some things that don't need to be cleaned right now.

New features

• Added toolbar for often-accessed commands
• Added dice roller tool! May not have all the bells and whistles of something like Roll20, but it's still useable!
• Added Options dialog
• Added various options for the Raw JSON editor, such as font options and turning off syntax coloring
• Added keyboard shortcuts. See the defaults on the wiki page (Help > Keyboard Shortcuts), as well as the way for you to create your own shortcuts!
• Fixed text wrapping issue in Notes tab

Known Issues

• Dragging and dropping a file into the Raw JSON view doesn't work if a file isn't already open. There is a way for me to fix this, but it's not a quick fix and will require some further testing.
• The Color Scheme setting gets messed up when leaving High Contrast mode.

Development change

A lot of core classes were moved into its own separate library. This makes it possible for other programs to take these core classes directly to use in their own projects, as well as allowing me to easily use them in my own other projects as well. As for these "other projects", I plan to announce one soon! Stay tuned to my Twitter page for more info.

Download

If you're in the app, you can click on the "View/Download" button to open up the website and download the update. You can go to Help > About > Platform Info in the app to check if you need the x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit) version. Check to see what the OS Architecture row says.

If you're not in the app, you can go to WhatsMyOs.com to get an idea of what you need. (Note that the website isn't an exact science, but it can tell you how to get the exact answer.)

Once you download the zip file, you should be able to open it up and just run the PathfinderJson.exe file with no problem! If you're having troubles, try installing the Visual C++ redistributable included with the zip file, or follow the instructions listed on the readme file.

Version 1.0.1 Bugfixes!

This is a bugfix, patch release, coming off the heels of version 1.0. As such, it's more focused on some smaller fixes and changes rather than major updates or features.

If you're looking for the big exciting stuff, stay tuned for version 1.1 coming next month! Check the Roadmap to see what'll be coming!

Changes

• Added feature to automatically check for updates when the app opens
• Added crash log function
  • If the app crashes, a crash log will be written. This file can be uploaded for me to figure out the issues!
• Small visual fixes
• Changes for future compatibility with version 1.1

Download

If you're in the app, you can click on the "View/Download" button to open up the website and download the update. You can go to Help > About > Platform Info in the app to check if you need the x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit) version. Check to see what the OS Architecture row says.

If you're not in the app, you can go to WhatsMyOs.com to get an idea of what you need. (Note that the website isn't an exact science, but it can tell you how to get the exact answer.)

Once you download the zip file, you should be able to open it up and just run the PathfinderJson.exe file with no problem! If you're having troubles, try installing the Visual C++ redistributable included with the zip file, or follow the instructions listed on the readme file.

Version 1.0.0 - Stable release!

It's here! The version 1.0 release is here!

So... what's changed from 0.9.4? Not that much; it's been a lot of bug fixes, primarily. Here's a short list:

• Added extra warning dialogs when working with raw JSON view
• Fixed bugs with high contrast mode
• Added option to switch over to high contrast mode when Windows's high contrast mode is set
• Added "Search for this feat" option to search D20PFSRD
• Fixed other visual bugs
• Add error handling for issues with saving/loading settings

At this point, PathfinderJSON is good and stable enough for anyone to be able to use. If there are any issues or concerns, though, you can always send feedback via the Help menu.

If there's somehow any bugs or issues that escaped me, I'll make a 1.0.1 release. Barring that, I'll be heading forward to 1.1 in April. With 1.0 out of the door, my goal now is no longer strict compatibility with files from Mottokrosh's website. Version 1.0 will always exist for when you need this strict compatibility; version 1.1 and later will more aim for a better user experience.

Anyway, enough babbling! Let's get to downloading!

Download

If you're in the app, click on the "View/Download" button to bring you to the website. If you're unsure whether to choose x64 (64-bit) or x86 (32-bit), go to "Help > About > Platform Info" in the app and look at the first entry in the OS Architecture row.

If you're not in the app, you can go to WhatsMyOs.com to figure out whether to go for x64 (64-bit) or x86 (32-bit). (Note that that website isn't an exact science, but it can tell you how to get the exact answer.)

Once you download the zip file, you should be able to open up the PathfinderJson EXE file and run it with no problem. If you're having troubles, try installing the Visual C++ redistributable included with the downloads here, or follow the instructions listed on the readme file.

Version 0.9.4 (RC2)!

Right off the heels of the previous release, I now have ready version 0.9.4! This is the second release candidate for PathfinderJSON. While there were a number of bug fixes, there was also a large number of new features and quality-of-life changes as well.

My goal now is to release version 1.0 in February. At this point, any new features to add on aren't worth the potential of delaying the 1.0 release any further, so I'm putting a freeze on any new additions! It's gonna be bug fixes from here on out! Given all the fixing I've done thus far, I believe most of the bug fixes will be in relation to the new features added in these release candidates. Once 1.0 comes out, I wanna take a short break before starting up work on 1.1!

(Take a look at my overall roadmap on the wiki!)

Anywho, here's the new stuff:

New features

• Changed "Sheet" menu to "Calculate" to give a better idea of what's in it
• Added "New Window" option
• Added "Auto Update Modifiers" option, enabled by default
• Overhaul of the Skills section
  • Now better uses space when you resize the window
  • Added links to D20PFSRD for more info about the skills
• Added confirmation dialogs for things like unsaved changes or clearing the recent items menu
  • In the future, I'll add some options so that you can configure the default action
• Added editor for character experience (XP)
  • An editor will not be added for temp ability scores in this version
  • (however, if you do have temp ability scores set, you can see them in the JSON view and they will be kept even if you edit the file)
• Files can now be drag-and-dropped into the editor to open them!
• Right-click on entries in the Recent files list to display a context menu of options
• Files can be opened via command-line by calling "PathfinderJson.exe <path_to_file>"

Development changes

PathfinderJSON now includes and uses .NET Core 3.1, as .NET Core 3.0 will be out-of-support before the end of March. There aren't really any major noticeable changes that came about as a result of this, but there were some bug fixes and security fixes that were included with .NET Core 3.1.

Major bug fixes

• The program now detects and warns against invalid JSON entered into the raw JSON view editor
• Fixed unresponsiveness when running "Update Calculations" while the "Change Totals with Updates" option was checked

Download

If you're in the app, click on the "View/Download" button to bring you to the website. If you're unsure whether to choose x64 (64-bit) or x86 (32-bit), go to "Help > About > Platform Info" in the app and look at the first entry in the OS Architecture row.

If you're not in the app, you can go to WhatsMyOs.com to figure out what you have. (Note that that website isn't an exact science, but it can tell you how to get the exact answer.)

Once you download the zip file, you should be able to open up the PathfinderJson EXE file and run it with no problem. If you're having troubles, try installing the Visual C++ redistributable included with the downloads here, or follow the instructions listed on the readme file.