Library Explorer - richardwilkes/gcs GitHub Wiki

In GCS, libraries hold all the traits, skills, spells, equipment, and other content you'll add to your character sheet to build characters.

The Master Library comes with GCS and includes official GURPS content.
The User Library is where you save and organize your own custom content.
You can also create Favorites to quickly open the libraries you use most often.

All of these are available in the Library Explorer on the left sidebar of the GCS window.

To explore libraries:

Select the arrows to expand or collapse folders.
Double-click a folder to open it.
Select Expand/Collapse All on the toolbar to open or close all folders at once.

To open a library:

Double-click it. The library opens in the Document Workspace as its own tab.

Favorites

If you use a library often, mark it as a Favorite so it's always at the top of the Library Explorer.

To create a favorite:

Select the library and select Favorite on the toolbar, or
Right-click the library and select Toggle Favorite.

The library will now appear in the Favorites folder. To remove it, repeat the same steps.

Important

You can only favorite whole libraries, not individual items inside them.

Master Library

The Master Library is the built-in collection that comes with GCS. It includes hundreds of official traits, skills, spells, and equipment taken from GURPS books and other supplements. Many items include notes and explanations, and when added to your sheet they automatically adjust your stats and points for you.

Tip

Use the Search bar on the toolbar to search for content by name. Press Enter on your keyboard or use the arrows next to Search to cycle through results.

You can also search for individual items within libraries by enabling Library Explorer Deep Search in General Settings.

The Master Library is updated regularly. You can see the current version number next to its name (for example, v5.8).

To update the Master Library:

Select the Master Library, then select Update on the toolbar.
To see what's new, select Release Notes .

[!caution] > Do not make changes directly in the Master Library. Updates replace the entire library, and your edits will be lost. If you want to customize something, copy it into your User Library first.

By default, content from the Master Library is saved in: <home directory> > GCS > Master Library.

Tip

The tab toolbar on the top of a library contains some useful tools:

Search: Use the Content Filter to search for a trait by name.
Filter: Use the Tag filter to filter by Tags (e.g., Advantage, Disadvantage, spell college, etc.). These options change based on the type of library.

User Library

The User Library is your personal space for custom content. It’s where you keep anything that belongs to you rather than the official Master Library, such as:

Saved character sheets
Homebrew traits, skills, spells, or equipment
Notes related to your character or game
Anything you don’t want to lose when GCS updates

By default, your User Library is saved in: <home directory> > GCS > User Library.

Anything saved here will not change when the Master Library updates.

Tip

Right-click a library or other document type and select Show on Disk to open the file location on your computer.

Creating or Importing Libraries

You can create your own libraries or import them from others.

Create a new library: Go to File > New <type> Library. Choose the type (traits, skills, equipment, etc.), and GCS will open a new library window for you to add custom content. Once you add at least one item and save it, the new library will appear in your User Library.
Import an existing library: If you’ve downloaded a library (or received one from another player), select File > Open, choose the file, and then save it into your User Library.

Deleting Libraries and Files

Caution

When you delete a library or file, GCS permanently deletes the file from your computer, not just from the Library Explorer.

To delete a library or file:

Select the file and select Delete on the toolbar, or
Right-click the the library and select Delete.

Library Explorer toolbar

The toolbar above the Library Explorer gives you quick access to common actions depending on what's selected:

Library Explorer toolbar

Button	Name	Description
	Help	Open the help page from the User Guide.
100%	Zoom	Change the text size in the Library Explorer.
	Expand/Collapse All	Show or hide all folders at once.
	Add Library	Create a new library.
	Update Master Library	Replace the Master Library with the latest version.
	Release Notes	See what’s new in the latest Master Library update.
	Configure	Open advanced settings for the selected library.
	New Folder	Create a new folder to organize libraries.
	Rename	Update the name of a library.
	Delete	Permanently delete the library from your computer.
	Favorite	Add or remove the selected library from Favorites.
N/A	Search	Search for a specific library by name.

Library Types

Each library and document type in GCS has its own file extension and icon. Here’s what you’ll see in the Library Explorer:

Document Type	Extension(s)	Description
Character Sheet	`.gcs`	Complete characters you build and play. See Character Sheet Overview.
Character Template	`.gct`	Templates you can reuse for new characters. See Character templates.
Loot Sheet	`.loot`	List to track Loot obtained during play.
Trait	`.adq`	Traits including Advantages, disadvantages, and quirks libraries.
Trait Modification	`.adm`	Trait Modifiers.
Skill	`.skl`	Skills library.
Spell	`.spl`	Spells library.
Equipment	`.eqp`	Equipment library.
Equipment Modification	`.eqm`	Equipment Modifiers.
Note	`.not`	Notes
Markdown	`.md`	Notes written in Markdown format.
PDF	`.pdf`	PDFs.
Image	`.gif`, `.jpg`, `.png`	Images or graphics.