EASY SHARED CONTENT - Foundry V11 & V12 Tutorial Video (Shared Compendium Module)

[@HastyClip]

As a GM of 20+ years, Foundry is the ONE tools I always dreamed of. We just had our first session with it and my players were like little kids on Christmas morning. Everyone was impressed by how easy I integrated our Skyrim campaign into it.

[@theuglydm]

Your videos are a benefit for the entire Foundry community. Well done and keep it up!

[@blaizerhodes]

Yes. Simple, clear, to the point. Very well done. Thank you.

[@teekomeeko]

Just gonna join the chorus and say thank you! The explanation of how to do this from Foundry itself is intimidating to say the least, and this tutorial has just made my life so much easier.

[@mrbrianparker]

Thanks for that clear and concise explanation. I had noticed the feature but didn't realise it depended on creating a module. 👍

[@knicklichtjedi]

THIS is what I wanted for the last year or so! I always procrastinated on writing my own little module for all our homebrew stuff, but looks like in 2-3 weeks I can just upgrade to v11 if my most important addons are up-to-date! Also, very nice to see that the features of "Compendium Folder" are now part of the main release! And the new world screen looks nice too!

[@alaustin.]

V11 is very slick! The compendium improvements are just the tip of the iceberg. And what's more, it's not nearly as drastic a change as it was from V9 > V10 so modules should catch up much quicker. I'm personally waiting for PF2e to update and I'm probably hopping right on the train

[@knicklichtjedi]

@@alaustin. Hmmm, good to know! Waited for 2-3 months before upgrading to v10 back then, because I saw that many addons broke. Also, I am very much not aware what else happened with v11, so one more reason to read the notes.

[@ren-xw4ww]

I've been wanting this tutorial for ten years now. Amazing

[@alaustin.]

Finally your needs are satisfied!

[@sendocr5349]

Thank you so much, i created a lot of class features and was fearing i have to do it all over again

[@MichaelGhelfiStudios]

Thanks so much for this video! This made compendiums creation for our clients so much easier. It used to be constant headaches (and keyboard smashing ngl).

[@alaustin.]

Happy to help! Glad I could bring some clarity so more people can enjoy your content!

[@NatesDungeons]

New to Foundry and your videos are the most in-depth and helpful that I have found.. thank you for putting time into doing them. I see you haven't posted for a few months. Hope you haven't given up because you are a natural teacher.

[@alaustin.]

Thank you! Don't worry, haven't given up, just gotten a bit busy and I've been thinking on what the best topics would be for videos, and how to write them. It's easy to cover new features and whatnot but there are some fundamental tutorials I know need making and I just gotta figure em out! Really glad you've been enjoying them!

[@NatesDungeons]

@@alaustin. Awesome, look forward to your new content. when you get the time.

[@Wunder]

This is awesome, thank you! I had created some shared compendia in V9 but I think they slightly broke after upgrading to V10. That didn't really matter since PF2E has such a complete series of compendia on its own and I didn't really need to use it anymore, but now I can happily use other systems and have this great functionality with easy to use UI.

[@takogames9552]

You are a gift to this community

[@overestimatedforesight]

Thank you! What a fantastic tutorial video

[@Master_of_Antares]

This was so easy to follow. Nice work, thanks a lot!

[@alaustin.]

Thank you! Happy to help!

[@Pejake]

Thanks a lote! Completely noob here and managed to do it

[@d20Fitness]

Well you just cut my work down by well over 50%. Thanks!

[@alaustin.]

Cheers!

[@erikmattson8629]

Perfect. Thanks!

[@DamnUsernameAvailabi]

Dude! Thanks so much for this!!!!

[@alaustin.]

My pleasure!

[@PmUp-o3i]

Thank you very much for the video!! I still have a small question about the types. What type are classes, subclasses, as well as spells? 2:47

[@alaustin.]

Thanks so much!! Those should all fall under the "items" category!

[@tatericker4817]

This is great. Thank You! I am having one slight problem. When I open up my shared compendium, I don't have the option to create folders within it.

[@alaustin.]

First, right click on the compendium and try Toggle Edit Lock - the compendium might still be locked! If that doesn't help, next step is disable all modules and try then. Hopefully one of those things fixes it for you, but if not the Discord might be able to sort you out!

[@tatericker4817]

@@alaustin. So it looks like it's the Savage Worlds build that's doing it. I just pulled up Starforged/Ironsworn and I can create folders in the compendium in there. I'll go badger them to see about getting it fixed. Thanks!

[@davidainama5685]

OMG this is awesome and easy! Thank you very much. Is there a way to store as a backup or share the compendium we just created with friends?

[@alaustin.]

The compendium is created as a module, so it (as well as its contents) will be stored in your Modules folder which is located with the rest of your user data (location depends on hosting method). Backing up that folder should give you a usable backup (though usually you can just backup the entire userdata folder to be safe), and I believe you can just drop that into others' folders and it should work as well. Just be mindful of what content you do and do not have the rights to distribute!

[@KircheYard]

Awesome thanks

[@SeaSaltSong]

This is incredibly useful! Question, is there any way to download the .json files So i can import them to another server I run? I used to use Compendium2Module to do so, but it doesn't support the native compendium folders like this new method does.

[@alaustin.]

Well the good news is this new method is MAKING a module for you already - so if you go into your data folder for Foundry you should be able to find the module containing all the shared compendiums! And you can just take that whole folder and dump it into another Foundry data folder instead to transfer it over.

[@SeaSaltSong]

​@@alaustin. Thanks, I was able to do that. Ran into a few technical issues, but troubleshooting my way through.

[@alaustin.]

@@SeaSaltSong Nice! If you get stuck, the Discord has tons of folks who could help fix whatever the issue is. Godspeed!

[@user-oq7ym4dm9x]

It doesn't give me the option to limit permissions to the GM, then when I try to add something to the compendium, it gives me an error because I don't have permission. I am updated to the latest version.

[@alaustin.]

I think you need to right click the compendium and unlock it. They are locked to start

[@maxdaviid]

oooooh :o Thank you!

[@umbra4729]

Is there a way for me to use this feature across servers? I'm using Molten Hosting right now but want to be able to move content over when I inevitably start up a new server. I've tried the Shared Compendium Creator but it didn't work (possibly because of v11).

[@alaustin.]

So modules at the end of the day are just folders inside your Data folder. So, in theory, if you can download that folder then you can very easily drop it into a new Data folder on a new Foundry instance. I however have no idea what is or isn't possible with Molten, so you may have to ask them if it's possible to get access to that. They have a Discord here: discord.gg/pzYXEQ3

[@nerdyhexel307]

The title and thumbnail say V12, but the commentary says V11. I assume this means that this still works as of V12?

[@alaustin.]

Yep! I wouldn't update those if it weren't applicable - they introduced this function in V11 and it will continue to work uh... presumably forever. But I updated the thumbnail/title to get people who are picking up Foundry starting with V12 to check it out.

[@mehmetalivat]

Hello, I like this program very much and I am thinking purchasing it. I have a question. I am curious about that. Can I play this game single player mod ( against to AI characters) ?

[@alaustin.]

Hi there! You can definitely use Foundry to play by yourself! There isn't an AI that will control characters for you, but you can easily just play both the "players" and the "NPCs" yourself and roll for everything. There might even be some modules for this type of play, which you can ask about in the community Discord if you like discord.gg/foundryvtt

[@Dani_Cano]

super nice.

[@Garurt]

Thank you for the video, I'm new to foundry and I would know if there is a way to "save" a module created in this way maybe on an external drive for back up.

[@alaustin.]

Sure! The module is saved in the same place as all your other modules you choose to install, in your userdata folder. If you're just locally hosting from your own PC, it's under Data > Modules. You can just copy the folder while Foundry is closed and plop it somewhere else, easy backup.

[@Garurt]

Great!!!

[@hashemx1ify]

Is it possible to share this with other people ?

[@alaustin.]

It is! The module can be published just like any other, though I am not the person to ask on how to do that XD. The Discord will have smarter people, or the website guide. But as I've mentioned in the video, you can't share WHATEVER with others publicly, so be careful there. Like it's very much illegal of me to stuff a compendium full of copywritten dnd5e stuff and then share it. Otherwise go nuts!

[@hashemx1ify]

@@alaustin. Yeah I get it , most of the things I'm thinking of sharing are maps organization (free maps or things I made my self and connected them together using some mods ) or oneshots it's nice to just be able to make it and share it, I'm just waiting a bit before updating to V11 for all the mods to catch up

[@jessicaalvis7063]

Why can I no longer see the "Visible to GM Only"-button?

[@alaustin.]

I think the permissions for compendiums has been changed a bit - it's likely something you can still adjust in the world. The Discord might know a little more

[@unknowncomic4107]

My game is hosted through the Forge. How do i do this through a hosting provider since my foundry does not launch the way you show above?

[@alaustin.]

Hey there! Unfortunately I'm not sure as I haven't used the Forge, but I know they have a Discord where you can ask questions regarding their service specifically, so I would start there! forge-vtt.com/discord

[@mattd4698]

I created compendiums in V10 using Shared compendiums and later using Mana's Compendium Importer. But I can't access them in V11. :(

[@alaustin.]

You should just have to update the module to say it's verified for V11, the Discord should be able to walk you through it in a few minutes!

[@michaelkennielsen1422]

So how do i make a compendium pack thats in a folder(like d&D srd) instead of just a jumbled bunch of compendium packs

[@alaustin.]

You can create folders in a game world's compendiums tab and drag the shared compendiums into them, and that world will remember the folder structure even through a disable/reenable of the module, but I'm not actually sure if you can set that folder structure in the module itself. Worth asking in the Discord for sure

[@arthur.galdino]

Great video, but I have a question: how do I share it with other friends who use foundry vtt?

[@alaustin.]

Anyone else who is using your license to host games would have access to the module and could use it the same as you! If you were to send it to another person for use, you could copy the module's folder located in your user data (location varies depending on how you host) and send it to them. Just be mindful of what content you have the right to distribute!

[@arthur.galdino]

@@alaustin. Nice! Thxs

[@deathmetalbard]

Does this work with maps? I attempted it here like you did but when I attempt to share it with my forge world it doesn't show up there.

[@alaustin.]

Heyo! I see you're getting some help in the Foundry discord right now, but I'll answer here too in case anyone else has this issue: When you create a scene, setting a background image (or any image) for it does not upload the image file into Foundry or anything. What you're essentially doing is telling the scene, "Hey, can you display this specific image right here? It's located in (folder)." And the scene displays that image! Presumably, these images are on your hard drive, inside your computer! The problem is, you've uploaded the module to a Forge server. The Forge server is NOT located on your hard drive. So when the module loads up on the Forge server, and the scene is loaded, the scene goes to look for the folder the images are located in. Except, the module can't SEE that folder, because it doesn't exist. It's on YOUR computer, but the module is on the FORGE'S computer. So you get a blank image. To fix this, you need to create the module, go into the module's folder, and put ALL your maps/images INTO the module folder somewhere. Then, create the scenes you want, and assign the images from within THAT folder. Then, when the module is moved, it can still find the images because they exist inside the module folder! Hope that helps.

[@wolfmirebacta8710]

If I delete the world that the characters belonged to, will they still be in the compendium? I have an old backup that is the only thing that has my main characters. my new world though is more refined and organized. I'd like to just keep it to that world. thus why I'm asking Also I'm not getting a thing to set it as private/GM only. is that a system thing?

[@alaustin.]

Yes, they will still be in the compendium! Compendiums are stored in one of two places: inside a world, or inside a module. This one is stored inside a module, so the content within it is ALSO stored within the module. Anything in the compendiums will stay in your data folder unless you delete the module. You can delete any world you like so long as everything you want to keep is inside the compendium that is a part of the module. Can't recall how private/GM only works off the top of my head, it COULD be system specific but I do not recall.

[@wolfmirebacta8710]

@@alaustin. got ya. The reason I ask is cause when editing there's a warning about it not saving, thus is why I ask. It's just a little weird

[@alaustin.]

@@wolfmirebacta8710 Not sure what that warning is off the top of my head. As long as you are dragging stuff into a compendium YOU made with THIS module, it should be fine. If you are dragging them into a system compendium or a world compendium (they should be labeled in the UI), then there is a risk of losing them either when the game system updates or if you delete the world. If you are nervous, you can pop into the community discord and have some folks double check you, they know what's up.

[@simonsayz3925]

the module i created with v11 doesnt show in the modules list for v12 :(

[@simonsayz3925]

got 2 installations on different devices

[@alaustin.]

the folks in the discord will probably be able to sort out why it's not showing, could be a number of different things. but shouldn't take too long to fix! discord.gg/hQ4ruyNC

[@Wukong330]

So, do i back up my modules or will i just have to make a list and download them all again?

[@alaustin.]

Your modules shouldn't go anywhere when you update. Nothing should! The backup is for safety, in case you need to revert you have everything exactly where you left it. But you should not have to do any redownloading or anything like that even after you do a clean uninstall of V10 and reinstall V11.

[@Wukong330]

@alaustin. appreciate it bud. I'll upgrade after my curse of strahd game ends.

[@maxparmentier4084]

It's not Premium Foundry Information if it doesnt come from the alaustin region of KZbin 💁‍♂