Fixing Foundry VTT Path Issues: A Guide For FA-Nexus Users

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Fixing Foundry VTT Path Issues: A Guide for FA-Nexus Users

Hey folks! If you're using Foundry Virtual Tabletop (VTT) and have it set up with a path, like https://foundry.myserver.com/game1, then you might have stumbled upon a frustrating problem with accessing textures and getting modules to load correctly. This guide is here to help you troubleshoot and fix those pesky issues, especially if you're a user of the Forgotten Adventures (FA) Nexus module. Let's dive in and get your game running smoothly!

Understanding the Problem: Foundry VTT and Paths

So, what's the deal? Well, when you configure Foundry to run under a specific path, you're essentially telling it that your Foundry instance isn't directly at the root of your domain (e.g., https://foundry.myserver.com). Instead, it's living in a subdirectory like /game1. This is super handy for organizing your server and hosting multiple Foundry instances or other web applications. However, this setup can sometimes trip up Foundry, especially when it comes to locating and loading assets like textures and JavaScript modules. The core issue revolves around how Foundry interprets the URLs for these resources.

The Root Cause: URL Misinterpretation

The fundamental problem is that Foundry might not correctly interpret the base URL when fetching resources. It assumes that resources are located relative to the root of your domain. If your Foundry instance is at https://foundry.myserver.com/game1, but Foundry tries to load a module from https://foundry.myserver.com/modules/fa-nexus/scripts/core/nexus-logger.js, it will fail because the correct path should be https://foundry.myserver.com/game1/modules/fa-nexus/scripts/core/nexus-logger.js. This misinterpretation leads to errors, such as the one you're seeing in your console: AssetsTab.texture.paint.start.failed. This often stems from incorrect relative paths within your module's code or the core Foundry configuration.

Impact on Modules and Textures

This misconfiguration primarily affects two crucial aspects of your Foundry experience:

  • Module Loading: Modules like FA-Nexus, which rely on JavaScript files, might fail to load. The error messages will often indicate that a module couldn't be fetched, as demonstrated in the error message provided. This breaks functionality within your modules, preventing you from using their features.
  • Texture and Asset Access: Textures and other visual assets within your modules might not display correctly. This leads to missing images, broken maps, and a less enjoyable gaming experience. The error will usually manifest as a failure to load an image, often causing a 'missing texture' placeholder to appear in its place. These errors can be incredibly frustrating during a game session.

Configuration Challenges and Troubleshooting

Fixing these issues can be a bit tricky because it involves modifying server configurations or module code. It's essential to understand both your server setup and the structure of your Foundry modules to properly address the problem. This guide will help you understand the most common solutions and how to apply them effectively.

Troubleshooting Steps and Solutions

Alright, let's get down to the nitty-gritty and fix this! Here are some steps you can take to diagnose and resolve the path issues in Foundry VTT. We'll cover both server-side and module-side fixes.

1. Verify Your Foundry Configuration:

First things first, make sure your Foundry configuration is correctly set up to use a path. In the Foundry setup, check the following:

  • Base URL: Confirm that the baseURL setting (if available in your Foundry configuration) matches the path where Foundry is installed. For example, if your Foundry is located at https://foundry.myserver.com/game1, your baseURL should be /game1. This setting tells Foundry where the root of its installation is.
  • Server Settings: Double-check the server settings within Foundry. Ensure these are pointing to the correct address, including the path. Incorrect server settings can lead to misdirected requests, causing assets not to load properly. Review your firewall rules and port forwarding configurations to make sure they allow access to the correct Foundry instance.
  • Proxy Setup: If you're using a reverse proxy like Nginx or Apache, make sure the proxy configuration correctly forwards traffic to your Foundry instance, including the specified path. This ensures that incoming requests are properly routed to your Foundry server, even when a path is involved. Incorrectly configured proxies are a frequent cause of these errors.

2. Adjust Your Module Manifest Files (for module developers):

For module developers (or if you're comfortable editing module files), the key is to ensure that all asset URLs are correctly constructed relative to the Foundry path. This involves modifying your module's manifest files and any code that handles URL references. Here's what you need to do:

  • Manifest File (module.json or system.json): Make sure your module.json file includes the correct paths for all assets. This is especially important for the scripts and styles sections. Use relative paths that work correctly with the Foundry path. For example, if your module is in /modules/fa-nexus/, your paths in the manifest file should start from that directory.
  • Dynamic URL Construction: If your module dynamically constructs URLs (e.g., for loading textures or data), ensure the code accounts for the Foundry path. If you need to fetch an image located in /modules/fa-nexus/images/, the JavaScript code must correctly construct the full URL, including the Foundry path (/game1/modules/fa-nexus/images/). Implement a function that automatically prepends the base URL to your asset paths.
  • Relative Paths: Use relative paths consistently within your module's code. This means referring to assets using paths relative to the module directory. Avoid using absolute paths, as these won't work correctly with different Foundry installations or paths. If you have any hard-coded paths, replace them with relative paths.

3. Implement a Base URL Variable (for module developers):

To make your module path-aware, you can introduce a base URL variable. This will automatically account for the path without hardcoding it. Here's a basic example:

const baseURL = window.location.pathname.includes('/game1') ? '/game1' : '';

const imageUrl = baseURL + '/modules/fa-nexus/images/my-image.png';

// Use imageUrl to load the image.

This code checks if the current URL includes /game1 and sets the baseURL accordingly. This way, the module will load assets from the correct path, whether or not a path is specified in the URL. This will ensure your module adapts dynamically to different Foundry setups.

4. Update Your Server Configuration (if applicable):

If the issue persists, your server configuration might need adjustments. This involves settings in your web server (e.g., Apache, Nginx) or reverse proxy configurations. The goal is to ensure that the server correctly serves the files and resources from the correct path.

  • Reverse Proxy Configuration: If you use a reverse proxy, make sure it correctly forwards requests to the Foundry server, including the path. This involves setting up proxy passes that correctly route incoming traffic. This configuration should ensure that all requests containing the specified path are correctly forwarded to the Foundry instance.
  • Document Root: Ensure that the web server's document root is correctly set to the directory containing your Foundry installation, including the path. If your Foundry installation is at /var/www/foundry/game1, the document root should point to that directory.
  • .htaccess (Apache): If using Apache, use .htaccess files to rewrite URLs. This allows you to handle URL rewrites to ensure assets are served from the correct paths. For example, you can rewrite URLs to add the path prefix automatically. Implement rewrite rules to automatically include the path in all requests.

5. Clear Your Cache and Restart Foundry:

After making changes, it's essential to clear your browser cache and restart your Foundry server. This helps ensure that the browser and Foundry load the latest versions of the files, including any changes you've made to module manifests or server configurations. Doing this can often fix many of the issues.

  • Browser Cache: Clear your browser cache and cookies. Old cached files can sometimes cause errors, particularly when working with JavaScript and CSS. Make sure to do a hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R) to fully clear the cache.
  • Foundry Server Restart: Restart the Foundry server after making any configuration changes. This ensures that the changes are applied and that Foundry reloads the module data. This is essential for the changes to take effect.
  • Module Cache: Consider clearing the module cache within Foundry. Some modules may cache data that can lead to incorrect paths. You may need to clear the module cache via the Foundry configuration settings.

Specific Troubleshooting for FA-Nexus

Okay, let's get specific to FA-Nexus. As the example error message suggests, the problem often lies in how the module references its scripts. Here's what you can look for:

FA-Nexus Module Configuration

  1. Inspect module.json: Open the module.json file of the FA-Nexus module (or any module giving you trouble) and carefully examine the paths specified for the module's scripts and assets. Ensure that the paths are relative and correct, without hardcoding the base URL. Make sure the file paths are correctly referenced, and there are no absolute paths. If you find absolute paths, change them to relative paths.
  2. Examine JavaScript Files: Review any JavaScript files in the module that dynamically load assets or construct URLs. Look for places where the module's code may be hardcoding the base URL or using incorrect relative paths. These are prime suspects in causing pathing errors.

Example Fix for FA-Nexus

Let's assume the module's code is trying to load a script like this:

const scriptUrl = '/modules/fa-nexus/scripts/core/nexus-logger.js';
// Or maybe, const scriptUrl = 'https://foundry.myserver.com/modules/fa-nexus/scripts/core/nexus-logger.js';

To fix this, the code should use a relative path, and ideally, incorporate a base URL variable, like so:

const baseURL = window.location.pathname.includes('/game1') ? '/game1' : '';
const scriptUrl = baseURL + '/modules/fa-nexus/scripts/core/nexus-logger.js';

This ensures that the script is loaded from the correct path, regardless of where Foundry is installed. This dynamic approach adapts to the configuration seamlessly. Implementing these checks ensures that your FA-Nexus module functions correctly, no matter the Foundry installation.

Testing and Verification

After applying these fixes, the final step is to test your configuration to ensure that the problem has been resolved. Here’s how:

  • Load Foundry VTT: Start your Foundry VTT instance with the path (e.g., https://foundry.myserver.com/game1). Log in and load a scene.
  • Check the Console: Open the browser's developer console (usually by right-clicking on the page and selecting