Help with NVL formatting and macros

[Waltval]

Hello, this may be a difficult or long post to help with but try to bare with me. Im trying to fully transition a game from tyranobuilder and I need some help setting it up to look just like it. I am running the game at 1300x900 custom resolution and Im using the blank template because the action template was conflicting with the Menus you guys made and the built in flexible UI. I also like how the built in UI looks over the one given. https://i.imgur.com/5lWbrJH.png This is what NVL message looks like in tyranobuilder and what I need help with is

1. changing the built in show NVl message ui (https://i.imgur.com/lHHwwGv.png) to looking like the one in the prior picture. I can't find anywhere to edit this in the blank template. But if I could find a place I could just replace it with a more opaque black rectangle without the buttons on the side.

2.If I did manage to change what it looks like that would remove the buttons for save,load,skip,and backlog which for some reason, can only be found as buttons in the NVl meassage format instead of in the rightclick menu. How would I add these features back without having them be on screen? Like anyway to add these features as quickbound macros like (L key=Load) (S key=Save). If not how do I add them as buttons to built in UI because it seems unchangeable.

3.I also need help making it so the text starts properly at the begining of the box and having the speakers name show up above it like shown in the picture. How do you position all the text? And do i need to position it correctly everytime I wright something or can I set it as the defult after finding the sweet spot. And I heard being able to click anyware on the screen was coming in an update soon.

4. The last question is about writing control in general. I used the scripting node in tyro to write anything because it gave me the best control over how the text shows up. For example, when I wanted the game to wait for a button click to continue (say for a period at the end of the sentence) I would quickly add [L] to the spot I wanted the text to stop. I used [r] to go the next line and when I wanted anything erased I would put

somewhere. Whats the best way to imitate this in VNM.

I appreciate it if you manage to answer as many questions as possible sorry for the huge post. If wasn't clear on anything please tell me, Thanks

[Kentou]

Hi there,

1. changing the built in show NVl message ui (https://i.imgur.com/lHHwwGv.png) to looking like the one in the prior picture. I can't find anywhere to edit this in the blank template. But if I could find a place I could just replace it with a more opaque black rectangle without the buttons on the side.

I think, you have multiple options here. If you want to do it without coding, you can use Create Message Area command to create a custom message area for NVL and just use Show Picture command to display the background.

If you want it through coding, checkout the Layouts > Templates > Template_MessageBox JSON layout. You will find a template there called ui.MessageBoxNVL which defines the NVL Message Box. There you can change the background and make it a transparent black rectangle. But you need to learn the JSON based UI layouts first, here you can find examples and information: https://asset.visualnovelmaker.com/help/index.htm#t=IGUI_Getting_Started.htm

2.If I did manage to change what it looks like that would remove the buttons for save,load,skip,and backlog which for some reason, can only be found as buttons in the NVl meassage format instead of in the rightclick menu. How would I add these features back without having them be on screen? Like anyway to add these features as quickbound macros like (L key=Load) (S key=Save). If not how do I add them as buttons to built in UI because it seems unchangeable.

If you want to do that without coding, you have to do:

- Make a scene for your custom menu using image-maps, etc. and put Load, Save, etc. there. You can use Switch to Layout command to switch to the built-in layout-based Save, Load & Settings menus so you don't need to recreate those with commands/scenes.
- Create a Common Event and set it to "Runs parallel" and set the Trigger to "Auto". In that common event, check for right mouse click and then use Change Scene with Save Previous set to Yes and change to your custom menu scene.
- For the key shortcuts, right now you can only access the keys: Shift, Enter, X, A, S, D, Q, W without scripting. We will improve that. However, the mechanic would be the same, in the Common Event you just check for the key-press using Input Data command and then save the game if S key has been pressed for example. For now, you could use the Script command to to access all keys of the keyboard. Let me know if you need help here.

If you want to use coding, go to Layouts > Layout_SettingsMenu in Script Editor. There you can see all the ui.Button definitions. You can just add own buttons there for Load, Save, etc.

3.I also need help making it so the text starts properly at the begining of the box and having the speakers name show up above it like shown in the picture. How do you position all the text? And do i need to position it correctly everytime I wright something or can I set it as the defult after finding the sweet spot. And I heard being able to click anyware on the screen was coming in an update soon.

Depends, is only one person speaking in one NVL page? Like do you only need one name display at the top-left or for each paragraph? VN Maker's NVL mode by default uses character's colors instead of names but that behavior could be customized.

4. The last question is about writing control in general. I used the scripting node in tyro to write anything because it gave me the best control over how the text shows up. For example, when I wanted the game to wait for a button click to continue (say for a period at the end of the sentence) I would quickly add [L] to the spot I wanted the text to stop. I used [r] to go the next line and when I wanted anything erased I would put

somewhere. Whats the best way to imitate this in VNM.[/quote]

You can use the Text Codes described here: https://asset.visualnovelmaker.com/help/index.htm#t=Message.htm#Text_Codes

Like {W:A} to wait for a button click to continue. If you want to go to the next line, just make a line break by pressing return/enter key. To erase the entire NVL Page you can use Clear Message command.


Let me know if that helps you out or if you need more guidance.

[Waltval]

Hey Kentou, your help is greatly needed and appreciated. I'm trying to test out all the things you said. I'll have some questions that I'll post soon, just want to let you know I saw your post

[Waltval]

Ok Update,

1. I went with creating an opaque black rectangle and showing it with the image node. I followed your instructions to "Create Message Area command" https://i.imgur.com/HPwrdFC.png which I spread out to match the design. I don't know exactly what the purpose of that was though as text appears like this https://i.imgur.com/iqRpIBy.png not starting where I placed the box. To answer your question for number 3 yes Only one person's name would need to be at the top, sometimes I want it blank though for the narrator.
But as shown in the last picture, the characters name (jason) doesnt appear anywhere when selected so I would like to change it so that happens. Also will there be a dowside to using an image as the box instead of the original node?

2. The hotspot/create your own scene thing kinda goes over my head so I really dont want to finick with menus if I don't have to, especially If you guys allready made one built in that works fine. So, I was thinking if there are key shorcuts like you said, is it possible to show me how to bind

S:to bring up the built in save menu
D:to bring up the built in load menu
shift:to skip the message
and eventually as it's added in, scrollup:to show the back log

This way I can avoid changing menus. I tried doing the example you gave for save but I instantly got lost, I also think that would only save the game instead of bringing up the menu. If you could show how to each one with pictures that would be mad props.

3. The text codes worked fine, just wished there was one to clear text after input like

in tyro instead of having to dedicate a whole node space for it, i guess i could do {W:A} and then use the node

[Kentou]

1. I went with creating an opaque black rectangle and showing it with the image node. I followed your instructions to "Create Message Area command" https://i.imgur.com/HPwrdFC.png which I spread out to match the design. I don't know exactly what the purpose of that was though as text appears like this https://i.imgur.com/iqRpIBy.png not starting where I placed the box.

The text appears wrong because you have to make the new created message area the target message area. You can use Set Message Target to do that. After that , the text will be displayed correctly.

To answer your question for number 3 yes Only one person's name would need to be at the top, sometimes I want it blank though for the narrator.
But as shown in the last picture, the characters name (jason) doesnt appear anywhere when selected so I would like to change it so that happens.

You have two options here. One options would be to just use Show Text command. The only problem with that is that it will not automatically show the name of the character you have selected in Show Message command. If you want, you have to create a Common Event which runs in the background and checks if the current character has been changed and then updates the text automatically. An example could look like this:

See picture: https://puu.sh/yukrz/93a826885c.png

GameManager.variableStore.stringsByDomain["com.degica.vnm.default"][1] = lcs(SceneManager.scene.currentCharacter.name)

(The script line so you don't need to type it)

The most important thing for you here is the Set Object Data command, the yellow one. Since that one refreshes the Teext Number 0 with the current character name. So make sure you put the right text number there. (Use Show Text to display the name where ever you want on screen).

Also will there be a dowside to using an image as the box instead of the original node?

No. That's the way how to do it with commands. If you want to do scripting, you need to change the JSON layouts but like I said, that is more complicated for a non-scripter.

2. The hotspot/create your own scene thing kinda goes over my head so I really dont want to finick with menus if I don't have to, especially If you guys allready made one built in that works fine. So, I was thinking if there are key shorcuts like you said, is it possible to show me how to bind

S:to bring up the built in save menu
D:to bring up the built in load menu
shift:to skip the message
and eventually as it's added in, scrollup:to show the back log

This way I can avoid changing menus. I tried doing the example you gave for save but I instantly got lost, I also think that would only save the game instead of bringing up the menu. If you could show how to each one with pictures that would be mad props.

The default key for skipping in almost all Visual Novels is CTRL, same in VN Maker so the shortcut is already there.

For the other shortcuts, you need Common Events as well which run in the background check for key presses. (if you want to do it without scripting/json). We try to simplify this process in the future, like an easy shortcut configuration. However, for now, an example could look like this:

I made two different versions for you, one uses Script command to allow the S and L key to show up Save/Load and the other uses S and A key to show up Save/Load without Script commands.

Version 1: (No Script):

https://puu.sh/yulTu/6d4517f7c2.png

Version 2: (Script with S and L key):

https://puu.sh/yulZi/18e551c740.png

The common events Open Save Menu and Open Load Menu look like this: (Don't forget to set Runs parallel):

https://puu.sh/yulUt/e403ab023f.png

https://puu.sh/yulV1/03d200a5b0.png

3. The text codes worked fine, just wished there was one to clear text after input like

in tyro instead of having to dedicate a whole node space for it, i guess i could do {W:A} and then use the node[/quote]

It is on the list of the issues and we will try to improve this with an update :)

Let me know if that helps you out or if you need more guidance.

[Waltval]

I managed to set everything just right with the text, but will I have to set up the nodes to do so any time I go to a new scene or is there a way to make them the default? Or if I set them up at the begining of the game they shouldn't change throughout?

Also the shorcuts all worked except the scrollwhell backlog ones and if I pressed the load menu (a) button to fast after I exist out of the load menu screen it will open the regular menu instead. Dont know if thats a bug or not.

The last question I think I have is if there is anyway to make it so that the game pauses if you bring up those shorcuts that I made.

[Kentou]

Hi,

I managed to set everything just right with the text, but will I have to set up the nodes to do so any time I go to a new scene or is there a way to make them the default? Or if I set them up at the begining of the game they shouldn't change throughout?

The commands I posted you are a common event, so you just set it up once. Is that what you mean?

Also the shorcuts all worked except the scrollwhell backlog ones and if I pressed the load menu (a) button to fast after I exist out of the load menu screen it will open the regular menu instead. Dont know if thats a bug or not.

Not a bug but a mistake by me, I forgot that the A button is already reserved for the settings menu. If you go with the scripted example it should be fine. (If you don't like scripted stuff, if you go to the beta branch 1037, Input Data can now handle all keys of the keyboard. So you can just select "Key - S" and "Key - L" there.)

(btw. with update 1037, if you switch to beta branch, new text codes are there too. See News:
http://steamcommunity.com/games/495480/announcements/detail/1460719316096463984)

The last question I think I have is if there is anyway to make it so that the game pauses if you bring up those shorcuts that I made.

You mean just a shortcut to pause the game and then to resume it?

[Waltval]

HI,
for the first part I was more so talking about wether or not I had to set up the text settings, set message area, set message message target every time I wanted to switch to a new scene or is so that once I set the nodes I wont have to move everything again later on in novel.

Also do you know why the backlog ones didn't work? I followed the no script version for all of them.

Not a shortcut to pause the gme directly, just that when they press S to open up the save menu or L for the load that is pauses the game in the backround

[Waltval]

Also what was the other option for showing the name at the top left corner? You told me the show text and making the common event and its working but I feel its sub optimal.

[Kentou]

for the first part I was more so talking about wether or not I had to set up the text settings, set message area, set message message target every time I wanted to switch to a new scene or is so that once I set the nodes I wont have to move everything again later on in novel.

You can put them into a common event like Show Message Box and Hide Message Box to easily to hide and show it up again. Or if you want you can also setup a parallel common event which automatically does the re-creation of the message box on scene change. Because right now, only pictures, texts and videos can be carried over to another scene directly. Hotspots and Message Areas cannot but we could improve that with an update.

Also do you know why the backlog ones didn't work? I followed the no script version for all of them.

What exactly does not work there?

Not a shortcut to pause the gme directly, just that when they press S to open up the save menu or L for the load that is pauses the game in the backround

Hm? What do you mean? With the example I gave you, if you hit S the save menu appears and if you hit L the load menu appears. Is that not what you want?

Also what was the other option for showing the name at the top left corner? You told me the show text and making the common event and its working but I feel its sub optimal.

You mean the easiest option? Yeah that is just Show Text at the top-left. The problem with that is that the Name doesn't change automatically. You would need to do that manually which would be an extra step which I why I posted you another example which does that automatically.

At least if you use the Action-based UI. If you use Scripted-UI, then you just have to edit the Template_MessageBox and set other coordinates for the name-text.

[Waltval]

I like the common event idea for showing and hiding the boxes because there is alot of times in a scene where I show and hide. The show event could be used to set up the scenes in the begining as well. This Is what I do to fix everything up for the message https://i.imgur.com/H5ZOAub.png and this is what I do to erase it https://i.imgur.com/BGRgMXy.png . How would I utilize the common event to just call these in to save space.

Also with the backlog one scrolling with the mouse wheel won"t doing anything scrolling fowards and back. https://i.imgur.com/cToOOiV.png

on the pause thing, I went to check again and the backround game does pause when you hit the A and S keys, (as in messages stop and wait till you get back), but the music keeps going. I was wondering if throwing the pause music somewhere in the comon event than.

[Waltval]

bump