Module: Description 1.06, by SSH
Describe the current hotspot/action, using Overlay or GUI. Some code based on Gilbert/Strazer's OverHot module
Download Description as a zip file
Author
Andrew MacCormack (SSH)
Please use the PM function on the AGS forums to contact
me about problems with this module
Abstract
Provides descriptions of the current thing the mouse is over
Dependencies
AGS 2.71 or later
Functions
Description.OverlayMode();
Set the module to use an overlay to display text
Description.GUIMode(GUIControl *gc);
Set the module to use the specified GUI Control (button or label) to
display text
Description.StringOnly();
Default: do not display text, but rather just set the Description.Text
variable with the right value, for the user to play with. This can also be
used as an "off" mode.
Configuration
There are various variables used to configure how the module behaves:
Description.VerbMode
This is an enumerated setting that controls which text is displayed:
Using Inv Item Normal
eDescVerbModeNever @HS@ @HS@
eDescVerbModeUseOnly Use @AI@ on @HS@ @HS@
eDescVerbModeAuto Use @AI@ on @HS@ AutoVerb @HS@
eDescVerbModeUser Use @AI@ on @HS@ VerbS @HS@
where @HS@ is the location name, and @AI@ is the active inventory name
"Use" is the content of the Description.UseS string, "on" is the content of
Description.PrepositionS, and "VerbS" is the content of the
Description.VerbS string. "AutoVerb" is set by the following mapping:
Mouse mode AutoVerb value
eModeLookat Description.LookS
eModePickup Description.GetS
eModeTalkto Description.TalkS
eModeInteract Description.UseS
eModeWalkto Description.WalkS
Description.Location
Another enumerated setting:
eDescLocationStatic
GUI stays in one place, like FoA or Monkey Island (not supported for
Overlays)
eDescLocationFollow
Text follows the mouse cursor around
eDescLocationSticky
When mouse goes over location, Text appears by mouse, but does not
move until mouse leaves location.
Description.IncludeInventory
Boolean value: if true (default) then Inventory items count as locations
to be displayed, if false, they do not.
Description.ButtonsWithFont
Integer: if <0, ignore GUI buttons, otehrwise if buttons use the font
specified (e.g. an invisible one) then use the Text as tooltip.
Description.NoVerbOverNothing
Boolean: if false, displays the verb even if not over a location. If true
(default) then displays nothing. Do not set to false in Sticky mode, as
it makes it look a mess.
Description.NoDescriptionWhenNoVerb
Boolean: if true, turns off Description when the AutoVerb or VerbS is empty.
if false, always displays description (default). This setting is ignored in
Never and UseOnly verb modes.
Description.NoDescriptionWhenMode
Mouse mode: when mouse is in this mode (e.g. pointer) turn off the Description.
default is -1 (always show description)
Description.NoDescriptionWhenNotMode
Mouse mode: only when mouse is in this mode (e.g. look) turn on the Description.
default is -1 (always show description)
Description.OffsetX/Y
Integers that descibe the X/Y offset from mouse cursor to display the
text in Follow or Sticky mode
Description.Max/MinX/Y
4 numbers setting the outside bounds of where the text is allowed to be
displayed. Defaults to the screen edges.
Description.CropGUIToo
Boolean, defaulting false. Normally Follow and Sticky mode trim the GUI
Control specified (in GUI mode) to the width of the text. Setting this
will crop the GUI, too.
Description.FadeStart/End/InSpeed/OutSpeed
Control the fading in/out of a GUI. Start and End specify the initial and
final transparency values for fading in, and the speeds specify the
change per cycle when fading in or out
Description.OLFont/Width/Color
Specify the properties of the Overlay using in Overlay mode. For GUIs,
they are picked up from the GUI settings
Description.OLAlignment
Sets the alignment of text in an overlay (GUI labels already have this
controllable), default is left-aligned
Description.OLSierraBG
Set this to true if you are using overlays and Sierra with Background
style speech to avoid a white background, because the module cannot
detect if you are using this mode.
Example
function game_start() // called when the game starts, before the first room is loaded
{
Description.Location=eDescLocationSticky;
Description.VerbMode=eDescVerbModeUseOnly;
Description.OLColor=65000;
Description.OverlayMode();
}
Caveats
Cannot use a GUI button for description in 2.71
Haven't tried ALL the combinations of settings yet!
Revision History
28 Apr 06: v1.0 First release of Description module
1 May 06: v1.01 Made 2.71 compatible and default to be more like OverHot
11 May 06: v1.02 Added ButtonsWithFont and fixed some bugs
11 Sep 06: v1.03 Added options to turn off Description automatically sometimes
28 Aug 07: v1.04 Added WhenNotMode, special case for Busy cursor, overlay x,y
28 Aug 07: v1.05 Tried to fix GUIs going out of bounds
8 Jul 08: v1.06 Added alignment for overlays and fix for SierraBG mode
Licence
Description AGS script module
Copyright (C) 2006, 2007, 2008 Andrew MacCormack
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to
deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the
rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or
sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL
THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER
DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
In addition to the licences mentioned in the modules themselves, you may choose to use the following creative commons licence if you prefer for all AGS modules and open source code resources on my site.
This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.