TUTORIAL: How to make a readable note

[Neurological]

//Note from FG//
While the info in this post is good, do not edit the original game files, it will only result in problems and if you make a level you want to share with others. There is a design to make a new .lang file, that makes sharing custom maps much easier. See MulleDKs post further down in the thread
//////////////////////

This tutorial will teach you how to create a readable note that is stored on the Journal, full with title and text.

It is intended that you know the basics of the level editor.

SETTING UP THE TEXT

First off you have to create your text for the note. The only way at the moment is to modify directly the language files of Amnesia. In your Amnesia folder you can see the folder "Config".

Inside that folder there are various files with *.lang extension, those are normal text files that can be edited with notepad or other similar text editors.

Inside "Config", open the folder "lang_main", inside you will see different language files, those files contains all the text in various languages you see in the game like notes, diary entries or item names.

For now we are gonna to pick the english.lang. Open it with notepad or any other text program. For our note we have to find the category where journal entries are stored.

With the search function of the text program search the word "Journal".

You will see:

<CATEGORY Name="Journal">

that ends with:

</CATEGORY>

Now you have to your text in between those two lines. Put it right before </CATEGORY>, so you can find it easily. You need to write two lines of text, one for the title and one for the note text, for now we are going to use an example text:

<Entry Name="Note_MYNOTE_Name"> My title note here</Entry>
<Entry Name="Note_MYNOTE_Text">My note text here</Entry>

Lets see what does it means:

Entry Name - This is the function with the engine call the text string

"Note_MYNOTE_Name" & "Note_MYNOTE_Text" - This is subdivided in three parts, Note is the prefix that tell the game that is a note and should go in the note category of the journal.

MYNOTE is the name you will need to write in the level editor to call that text line, it can be anything you want MYNOTE is just an example.

Name tell the game that is the title of the note, so it will be put as title on the journal list and at the top of the note.

Text is the actual text of the note

SETTING UP THE ENTITY

Now the easy part. Open up the level editor, and make a simple map or use one that you already have created.

Select "Entities" and on the list go to Items. Scroll down you should find the notes entities. There are various but for now just pick "note_generic", and put it on your map.

Then on the viewports selectthe note entity. On the right will appear the entity inspector with the entity properties. Click on "Entity" next to "General".

Here you have to change some properties.

Under CallbackFunc write:

EntityCallPickNote

This will make the note appear on the journal and disappear from the gameworld when clicked.

Under NoteText write:

MYNOTE

This is the name of your text line you previously wrote on the english.lang file. Note that the full string is not needed.

Thats it, rne the map and read your new custom note. For any question feel free to ask.

[Argoon]

Thanks

Stuff like this needs to be added to the wiki because in here it will rapidly be lost among all the other threads.

[Neurological]

Yeah, is a mater of hours before it get lost in the thread wave, maybe it would be cool another subforum with just Tutorials right below the Showcase subforum.

[RoyaleBeast]

indeed this is usefull

[MulleDK19]

No. Create a new language file (As indicated by the wiki) in your custom story folder (The root of your custom story folder. (The folder with the custom_story_settings.cfg)).

Call it extra_english.lang

extra_english.lang Wrote:<LANGUAGE>
<RESOURCES>
</RESOURCES>
<CATEGORY Name="Journal">
<Entry Name="Note_MyNote_Name">Title of the note</Entry>
<Entry Name="Note_MyNote_Text">Text of the note</Entry>
</CATEGORY>
</LANGUAGE>

[Akasu]

Is there a way to make the player instantly read the note after picking it up? I played MulleDK19's map in which the note you could pick up wasn't read right away, only after you selected it from the diaries.
Or if Neurological's tutorial does that then nevermind.

[MulleDK19]

(09-16-2010 05:50 AM)Akasu Wrote:  Is there a way to make the player instantly read the note after picking it up? I played MulleDK19's map in which the note you could pick up wasn't read right away, only after you selected it from the diaries.
Or if Neurological's tutorial does that then nevermind.

I fixed that in the latest version (Not released).

You have to tick an option in the Entity tab of the entity properties.

[Armored Cow]

I have done everything here to make names for 2 keys and for one note. It worked the first few times I tried it. This was my first day or so of editing. After another day of editing and expanding my map and script file, everything no longer has any text.

It looks as it should (I haven't changed anything related to the text either).

Anyone know what the problem could be?

[Neomin]

(09-18-2010 05:04 AM)Armored Cow Wrote:  I have done everything here to make names for 2 keys and for one note. It worked the first few times I tried it. This was my first day or so of editing. After another day of editing and expanding my map and script file, everything no longer has any text.

It looks as it should (I haven't changed anything related to the text either).

Anyone know what the problem could be?

This is what mine looks like and it works fine

Text file:



Level editor:



Result:

[Armored Cow]

It's very strange...mine is set up exactly the same. The file is supposed to be called "extra_english.lang" correct?