Program description

The NPCeditor has two parts. The editor and a testroom.

Editor

EXIT: The "diabasic.wdl" is saved first. The program is then exited.

PLAYERNAME: A white field. This indicates you can enter a little here. You can enter the name of your hero. Click with the mouse into field and write. The name is stored nowhere and therefore the field is empty again if the program is started once more. The only meaning for the player name is, if the AUTONAME button at switched on, then written automatically this name into the writebox.

PLAYER TEXTCOLOR: Textcolor for the player.

ENTITY TEXTCOLOR: The same at the player. Every entity can have a different textcolor.

ACTUALY ENTITY INPUT/OUTPUT: A gray field. The numbers into this are only meant for information .The input value of everybody entity starts with 1. 1 = dialog number. The output value always is +1 from input value. At the next meeting of player and NPC the value is no more 1 but 2.

ANOTHER ENTITY INPUT/ENTITYNUMBER: It is possible with that to make interactive dialogs. The next dialog number is entered in the input field. Besides this the entity number is entered. This can be the up-to-date entity or another one. Within the editor it isn't possible to change several entitys and her dialogs at the same time. But this can be carried outside the editor with a very short and easy script. In the chapter "interactive dialogs" page 3 her more finds examples to this.

TEMPO: Speed of the write effects from 0-9. After every modification the savebutton must be pushed or the modification doesn't get effect in the test room.

After every modification the savebutton must be pushed or the modification doesn't get effect in the test room.

AUTONAME: The names of the player and the entitys writes to the beginning of the text automatically in the first line.

DIALOGSTARTER PLAYER ENTITY: Who starts with a dialog? Player or NPC? The respectively other button can be only pushed after the first dialog part. That is the main principle of this editor. A dialog always changes between player and entity. Please don't forget! Monologues also can be created. A monologue (briefings e.t.c.) is one single dialog or dialog part.

DIALOGPART DELETE: By the INKEY function a problematic part.. I haven't managed with A6 to create a simple write editor. With this button a complete dialog part is deleted. After this, the input cursor appears again and the dialog part must be written newly. Complete permanent delete for a dialog or dialog part isn't possible. Note! Alternate can correcting the text in the normal text editor. See the chapter 'structure of a dialog file' page 3.

DIALOG SAVE: Before a new dialog is written or creates a new dialog entity you must safe here. A new entXXX.dat file you create or changed.

CHANGED DIALOG SAVE: Changed dialogs (DIALOGPART DELETE) must be saved here. After this you don't have to safe once again with the DIALOG SAVE button.

TESTROOM PREVIEW: It goes to the test room here.

DIALOG: Here stands the current dialog number, with the arrow buttons besides chooses a new dialog or available changed.

DIALOGPART: Here stands the current dialog part number within a dialog. It can changed be only between available dialog parts. A new share will select creates through this of player- or entity button (DIALOGSTARTER PLAYER ENTITY).

ENTITYSKILL: Every entity has 48 predefined skills at the disposal. Becomes one of it for this one dialog programming needed! The contents of this skill are at once the entity number and the "entXXX.dat" number! The entity number unique for every entity is the most important variable for me at the structure by a game administration (similar a objekt handle). The entity number is important to fight-, dialog-, inventory systems a.s.o. The predefined SKILL 01 therefore contains in my project this number. In my project the player has the entity number "0" and for every entity "1...300...2000" a.s.o. But many users have other systems. A selection can therefore be made here. Skill 1-20 can be changed into WED. Skill 21- 48 must be changed with a script.

ENTITY: The current entity number. These starts every with 1. The next entity is increased by 1. It's aren't possible to create an entity with number 001 and the next entity with number 346! There are problems if their "entXXX.dat" deletes files in the Windows Explorer. The editor runs faultily if gaps are between the "entXXX.dat" files. Deletes not needed or faulty "entXXX.dat" files if first the project is ended!

+ 10 - The entity number increases or reduces by 10. Attention! There is a small problem if the entity number is increased by 10 and this number doesn't exist. Then, please: 1. turning "+10-" button off. 2. with down arrow button at one back. 3. with up arrow button shifting up.

ENTITYNAME: Input of an entity name. The name is stored with the "entXXX.dat" file.

B   W : BLACK WHITE Color of the textbox changes to the better reconnaissance of the write between black and white.

LINES: Define the number of lines within the textbox. Textbox moves itself at every click a line high or down. The lines of height always at once the chosen TTF type height. Attention! This number can only in front of this write is changed first entered. After this never again in a project! Test the right size of the box with few dialogs in your game. Delete the "diabasic.wdl" and the available "entXXX.dat" files for resetting the NPCeditor. The height of the textbox then can be changed again.

SIZE H/V: Define the width of the textbox. Attention! There isn't any linefeed. The right edge is only marking. The numbers in the field give the size of the textbox in pixels. With the help of the size a fitting background then can be created in a graphic program. The default background bitmap ("textback.pcx") has the same size as the maximum writebox (672x256 pixel). Your own textbox bitmaps must having the same name ("textback.pcx")!

TEXTBOX: The text is entered here. The arrow buttons this one besides right the textbox scroll them.

Attention very important to !!! The validity of the inputs is checked in the other entry fields. But not in the textbox. The examine time is too long. The following characters may not be used for the write.  (  )  [   ]   {   }   |

Testroom

If  this room isn't visited and these no settings the properties, than you have in the "diabasic.wdl" only the default values for the write background and player scan!

BACK: Back to the editor.

CHOICE: The selection window for maximum up to 10 entitys. File number is availably her can see the entityname in the list. Scroll the list with arrow buttons. Click with the mouse on a name and the entity is select.  A new click nonselect the entity.

Close the CHOICE panel and the dummies are then created  around the player.

NOTE: You come back into the test room. The dummys are delete. Open the CHOICE panel. The selection is still available. Close the CHOICE panel. The dummys are new created.

The selection must be carried out newly after exited the program!

MAX. 10 you can see howmany dummys can created to the maximum up 10.

SCANED ENTITY: The player dummy approaches a NPC dummy on scanradius, number and name of this scanned dummy appears in this window.

SCAN: The scan area of the player is adjusted here. "hor.scan" and "vert.scan" are angles. 360° scans around the player as a sphere. hor.scan = 180° scans only in front of the player. The scan radius is the same at the distance between player and entity (in Quants). Change it in real time for exactly results.

TEXTPOS.: Move write and textbox with the four arrow buttons under move textbox. The middle button centers the box. Additional you can adjust the write to the textbox with the buttons under textoffset.

Attention! The adaptation of the write position to other resolutions must be carried out manually. Change the "DIABOXPOS_X" and "DIABOXPOS_Y" in the diabasic.wdl! The values of "DIABOXOFF_X" and "DIABOXOFF_Y" remain the same, however, at every resolution.

STARTTYP: Choose the start type. If STARTTYP = 0 start the dialog automatic, no matter who starts the dialog!

If additional button auto. if Entity start switched on, starts the NPC automatic the conversation if he begins the first dialog part. Of course not works if STARTTYP = 0.

FLAGS: Properties for the textbox bitmap ("textback.pcx"). Not for the write!

NOTE ! Dialogs with the typwriter- or scroll effect can be interrupted with the key "B"

3