Messages

Done. You can update with the program or manually download from the usual place: www.3030deathwar.com/editor3.zip

It's not that I don't want to create an importer for AGS, it's just I can't write VB code to do it. If someone could give me a hand, then AGS would be able to import the dg files created with the dialog editor. Anyone? email me on matthew.griffiths AT sunderland.ac.uk if you're any good at VB and we'll talk about getting it sorted.

Hmm, there's some kind of error when trying to modify my previous post. Apologies for starting another reply.

Hollister man, it's written in BlitzPlus (http://blitzbasic.com/Products/blitzplus.php), which is five thousand times easier to use than VB ever would be. You can find a demo here if you want to try it: http://blitzbasic.com/Products/demos.php

Currently, the version I have (called Roomer) allows you to load scene background and move them around. You can also link them together with a simple two click procedure. You can then easily see where the links are. You can also edit information about that scene such as what items are there, what you do there, etc.

It's basically a visual walkthrough. I'll post a demo in a bit, and you can give me feedback on what you want in it.

The dialogue editor plug-in is on hold. I never intended to plug it in, I only intend to write an import function using VB. It's difficult though. Veru difficult. If anyone wants to give me a hand, please visit this topic (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=12683.40) for the file format. Any help is much appreciated.

[edit: Ok, here's an early version. It may not be exactly what you're expecting, and I'm not sure if it's even useful to you. www.3030deathwar.co.uk/downloads/roomer.zip ]

Matt

Believe it or not, I've been working on something like this for a while. I'll upload it in an hour.

Ahhh, the set command. Uch. Thanks. I've tried but failed. The syntax is soooo... uch. it's counterproductive. I spend more time trying to figure out syntax that should be straightforward with any other language. How is VB still here?

Any examples of file handling would be a great help. I want to load strings and integers and such. I have a preliminary version, but it's hard and slow to test.

Is this the right way?

dim value as string
Open "file.txt" For Input As #1
input #1,value
close #1

I've just about given up with VB. its syntax is horrible. Uch. help files... uch. File reading... ewwww. I've had a go, but given up. Could anyone else write an importer? I'd appreciate any help as, as you might have noticed, I'm crap with VB. Here is the *.dg file format as exported by my Dialogue Editor:

------------------------------------------------
file version (string)
number of topics (byte)
for i=1 to number_of_topics
     topic name (string) [only used with editor]
     'number_of_choices' this topic has (integer)

     for j=1 to 'number_of_choices'
          choice name (string)
          choice script (string)
          choice id (integer) [only used with editor]
          choice 'children' (integer) [only used with editor]
          choice visibility (byte)
     next

     // done seperately for linking purposes on load
     for j=1 to 'number_of_choices'
            for k=0 to 'children'
                   child id (integer) [only used with editor]
            next    
     next
next
------------------------------------------------

I'm so rusty with VB. Could you give me a hand with this. It should be along these lines:

   Dim a As AGSDialogTopic
         
   a = editor.Dialogs.NewTopic()
   a.newOption ("option 1")

which doesn't work. The following does:

call editor.Dialogs.NewTopic.newOptions("Option 1")

What am I doing wrong?

No, I'll just wait until COM support in AGS. I'll see what I can do then. Otherwise, this version is a great help in doing dialogue for my game, so I won't update it until then.

Thanks for the interest though.

For anyone who is still interested, the editor is multi topic (or dialog) and allows you to use "goto-dialog x" in the script. This is visible in the tester/preview. There is also a built-in update mechanism.

You can see and download it here:
www.3030deathwar.co.uk/editor.htm

Sounds great. I look forward to using it. By the way, multi-topic version 3.1 is up at the usualy location: www.3030deathwar.co.uk/editor3.zip

Matt

Ah, is there anywhere I can read up on COM Automation?

I've got the import working to some degree (it loads all the available choices in the first topic). Since the editor is currently stuck with one topic to play with, I'm thinking about adding multiple topics.

At the moment, to import dialogues created with the editor, I view the script file (F6) and follow the instructions there. But this becomes tiresome quickly if you have more than five choices to manually enter.

Perhaps a simple text format is needed for the import and export of dialogs fom AGS. This way people can write other editors, and dialogs can be copy and pasted on the forums. All that needs to be exported from any editor into AGS, I think, is the topics (number, script) and their choices (name & flags). The script can be compiled in AGS later, when imported.


redruM, the newest edition of the editor will always be at its current address: www.3030deathwar.co.uk/editor3.zip. Feel free to link to it there. One of these days I'll get around to doing up my website, but at the moment, I'm being extremely lazy.

ThunderStorm, if you right click on a choice, it turns itself off and its immediate children on. If you accidentally right click on a choice, you can always delete the script it just generated. But I'll look into a right click popup menu for options pertaining to choices.

Matt

If anyone's interested I also wrote this to help remember numbers in AGS. I have trouble remembering certain numbers associated with inventory, topics, scenes, etc, so this helps me.

It's designed to sit on the right hand side when editing in AGS,

It also features a handy, but rudamentary room viewer so you can see mouse coordinates quickly without having to load a room up.

[edit: It's all in one package now, sorry for the increase in file size. you can get both programs from: www.3030deathwar.co.uk/editor3.zip ]

Matt

As per, it's at the same link:
www.3030deathwar.co.uk/editor3.zip

* Right click on choices (see readme)
* Wider choices include ID number
* Mouse over shows whole text
* Asks before quits
* ID number is always visible to the left of the choice text.

Matt

no objections, thanks very much.

new version:
www.3030deathwar.co.uk/editor3.zip (3.0f)

************************
* Added a snazzy icon.
* Added instructions in the preview script file for integrating with AGS.
* Added commandline parameters.

Matt

Thanks for all the replies. There's a new version up here: www.3030deathwar.co.uk/editor3.zip

new version:
* Added highlighting of option-on/option-off in script panel (options->highlight).
* allowed change of font for tester (options->select test font) (bold/underline/italic does not work)

* save/load last position/size.
* Added "involved characters". options->involved characters.
* This scans all dialogue and presents all the characters involved.
* Word wrapping enabled in the tester.

The file format won't change anymore. Has anyone done any example dialogue?

Matt

New version up. I skipper a version just like the good folk at nullsoft. version 3 includes:

* resizable window
* delete button
* toolbar
* closable test window with X
* change in button naming
* copy/paste/cut/single step undo with Ctrl+z
* no fancy icon.

hope someone finds it useful.

www.3030deathwar.co.uk/editor3.zip

Matt

Ok, there's a new version here:

www.3030deathwar.co.uk/editor1.4d.zip

that includes a delete function. It may or may not work very well.
Matt

Further to this, I made this to help me with my game. It makes it easier for me to visualise the choices and their links.

http://3030deathwar.co.uk/editor.zip

Hope someone else finds it useful.

No, I'm sorry, you're corrent TK, it exports all topics. I missed that. Seems it'd be quite easy to import then entire thing, now if only I had the file format.