What is Ollama?

Ollama is a free program that lets you run AI models directly on your computer. This means:

• No internet required - Works offline
• No monthly fees - Completely free to use
• Private - Your data stays on your computer
• Fast - No waiting for online services

Think of it like having your own personal AI generator living on your computer!

Step 1: Download and Install Ollama

1. Go to ollama.com
2. Click the download button and select your system (Windows, Mac, or Linux)
3. Run the downloaded file and follow the installation steps
4. That's it! Ollama is now installed.

Step 2: Download an AI Model

After installing Ollama, you need to download an AI model (think of it as the "brain" for your AI):

1. Open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux):

   • Windows: Press Windows key + R, type cmd, press Enter
   • Mac: Press Cmd + Space, type Terminal, press Enter
   • Linux: Press Ctrl + Alt + T

2. Type the command and press Enter:

   ollama run llama3.2
   

3. Wait for the download - This might take 5-30 minutes depending on your internet speed

4. You'll see a prompt like >>> when it's ready - just type exit to close it

5. Visit ollama.com/search to see what other models you can download.

Step 3: Allow Ollama to be accessed from the web

If you are running FMG locally, you don't need this step. But if you want Ollama to be available form the web-version of the FMG, you need to set OLLAMA_ORIGINS.

For Windows Users:

1. Press Windows key + R
2. Type sysdm.cpl and press Enter
3. Click the "Environment Variables..." button
4. Click "New..." and enter:
   • Variable name: OLLAMA_ORIGINS
   • Variable value: the FMG origins you use, for example https://azgaar.github.io,http://localhost:5173
5. Click "OK" on everything
6. Restart the Ollama server if it is running. You may need to restart your computer as well

For Mac Users:

1. Open Terminal
2. Type this command: nano ~/.zshrc
3. Add this line at the end:

   export OLLAMA_ORIGINS="https://azgaar.github.io,http://localhost:5173"
   

4. Save and exit:
   • Press Ctrl + X
   • Press Y to confirm
   • Press Enter to save
5. Apply the changes:

   source ~/.zshrc
   

6. Restart your computer

For Linux Users:

1. Open Terminal
2. Type these commands one by one:

   echo 'export OLLAMA_HOST="0.0.0.0"' >> ~/.bashrc
   echo 'export OLLAMA_ORIGINS="https://azgaar.github.io,http://localhost:5173"' >> ~/.bashrc
   source ~/.bashrc
   

3. Restart your computer

Step 4: Start the server

1. Open Command Prompt/Terminal and type ollama serve. Leave this window open — Ollama is now running.
2. Open Fantasy Map Generator and open the AI text generator with the robot button in the Notes editor. Select ollama (local models) from the model list.
3. In the key field, type the model name: llama3.2 (or whatever model you downloaded). This field is a model name, not an API key.
4. Update the prompt, optionally adjust the temperature, and click Generate

Important: Fantasy Map Generator connects to Ollama at http://localhost:11434/api/generate. This should work automatically by default. If you need to change the connection address, modify the endpoint in src/controllers/ai-generator.ts in a local source build.

That's It! You can now generate text using your local AI model.

Troubleshooting

If it doesn't work:

• Check that ollama serve is still running in your command prompt/terminal
• Try typing ollama list to see if your model downloaded correctly
• Make sure the model name you typed in the key field matches exactly what ollama list reports
• If you use the hosted version of FMG, double-check OLLAMA_ORIGINS includes https://azgaar.github.io

Other providers

The same dialog also supports OpenAI and Anthropic models. For those, the key field is a real API key, which is stored only in your browser's local storage and sent directly to the provider.