Neat! I've figured out how to write text in Help Menu, but how do I change background color?

I've looked at code and saw how background color is altered for main text-window in the "game definition block," but where and how do I do this for the Menu Box?

If I type or click "help," the Help Box opens, but if I don't close it and type/click "Help" again, the Help Box lists Help instructions twice; meaning, the window doesn't clear. How do I clear it?

Is there a command to disallow the cursor to show when I click inside Help menu or Main Text Window?

-W.W.

Update:

Neat! I've figured out how to write text in Help Menu, but how do I change background color?

I've looked at code and saw how background color is altered for main text-window in the "game definition block," but where and how do I do this for the "Menu Box?"

I meant "Help Menu Box."

If I type or click "help," the Help Box opens, but if I don't close it and type/click "Help" again, the Help Box lists Help instructions twice; meaning, the window doesn't clear. How do I clear it?

I figured the "clear" thing out.

Is there a command to disallow the cursor to show when I click inside Help menu or Main Text Window?

Still seeking answer.

Thanks,

--W.W.

Is there a command to disallow the cursor to show when I click inside Help menu or Main Text Window?

I don't think so. As far as I remember reading, anyway.

Please help me! Heeeeellllpppp.

Can the Help Menu background color be changed from default white to black when the Help Menu is created by programmer? Alex?


-W.W.

I think it defaults to the same as the game window background colour, so if you set that to black, the help window should be black as well.

Unfortunately I can't check right now as I'm on holiday and won't be back until next Tuesday...

Alex wrote:I think it defaults to the same as the game window background colour, so if you set that to black, the help window should be black as well.

Unfortunately I can't check right now as I'm on holiday and won't be back until next Tuesday...

Correct

Thanks for your responses, but I believe you're not correct.

Within Game Properties, I've selected the Display tab, and have set the Default Background Colour to "black" while the Default Foreground Colour is set to "white." The next event is I have instructed my game to "Turn off panes," because I run an automatic opening sequence and rather liked the movie screen look of the blank window. After the sequence is complete, I turn panes back on.

The background for the game window is set to black and remains black throughout the game. During my game, upon clicking the Help link at the lower-right hand-side of the window, the Help Menu Box appears, but with a "white" background. If I "do not" attempt to create my own Help Menu Box, thereby accepting the default Help Menu, the box's background color is consistent with the background color of the game window, which in my case is black.

Relative code in editor looks like:

define game
background <black>
foreground <white>
command <help> {
helpclear
helpdisplaytext <helpguide>
}

end define

I then create the text for "helpguide" in the Text Block Editor.

That's it; nothing complex at all, but hasn't worked. Is there something I haven't read correctly in the ASL Reference Guide?


-Witch

it worked for me.

For some reason, the Help window's background color uses Window's system color (for window backgrounds). You can change foreground colors for the text but there are no text formatting codes for background colors. Maybe there should be!

But as the Help file says:

Don't be dependent on font type, size or colour for anything - ASCII art, for example, is doomed to failure as the Quest window size can be changed by the player, and font size, type and colour commands can be set up to be ignored from the player's options.

Thanks Arbutus.

My desktop only allows me to run Windows 98. Is this my problem? Will newer versions of Windows clear up the problem?

Could you define what "Windows system color" is, and explain why it doesn't affect the background colour of the Help Menu Box when I don't program my own script for it.

Thank You,
-W.Wyzwurd

I tested the Help Window background color issue on Windows XP with the same result. I think Quest uses the background color for the default Help Window content but doesn't use the color when it is custom content. Could be a minor bug.

By "Windows system color" I meant the color scheme Windows is using, which you can change in: Control Panel -> Display -> Appearance tab -> Advanced Button

Yep! I changed the Windows color to black, and now the Help Box is black. Darn, this really throws a herring-bone into the color-scheme of my game's text. I'm sure it'll lead me to something though. And arrrgh, I've got to edit out all the yellow colored text.

Thanks for your helpful knowledge Arbutus.

-W.