Frequently Asked Questions

 

Below is a list of common questions about details of the program or functionality problems.  If you’re ever having a problem with the program and need a little troubleshooting help, this is the best place for you to check first.

 

Do these FAQ’s replace the usefulness of the help files?

Even though nobody ever reads help files, we decided to make some anyway.  Use this FAQ list as a tool to be used in conjunction with the help files.  When you have some free time, print out the help files.  When you have more free time, read them.  You’ll find some very useful information contained within them.

 

I want to check out something way at the top of my scrollback.  Is there a way to get there without having to press PgUp a billion times?

When in scrollback mode (hit PgUp once) hold down the Ctrl key and then press the PgUp key.  This will bring you to the top of your scrollback buffer.  Conversely, Ctrl+PgDn will move you to the very bottom.

 

I just sent a huge line and it had a typo in it.  Is there any way to get it back without having to type in the whole line again?

Use the Up and Down arrow keys to search through your Keyhistory.  Once you find the line, simply use the Right and Left keys to move to the typo and correct it.

 

Ok, the Keyhistory is cool, but now I want a command that is back about 50 commands into my Keyhistory.  Is there a way to pinpoint what I’m looking for, so I don’t have to scroll through all the other commands to get to it?

Sure, just type in the first few letters (case sensitive) of what you’re looking for and hit the Up or Down arrow.  The program will then search the Keyhistory for the previous occurrence of that text.  In the case of the Down arrow, it will return a list of items for you to choose from.

 

Whenever I type enter, it clears out the command line.  I want what I just typed to remain in there.  How do I do this?

You're looking for what we call command line retention.  Go into the Menu Options|Program Options and click on the Command Line tab.  Then click on the "retain all command" checkbox and click the Save and Close button.  You should now be all set

 

Is there any quickie way to change the active group using the keyboard?

Use the Activator Character (default is the semicolon ;) followed by “g” a space and the name of the group.  For example, “;g base” activates the BASE group.  Capitalization is not necessary here.  You will be alerted to the success/failure of the group change via system text that appears on the display.

 

I understand that Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V are standard Windows commands for copying and pasting text, but I’m a DOS person.  Is there any way I can use the DOS commands of Ctrl+Ins and Shift+Ins to do the copying & pasting within the Command Line?

Under the "Options" menu on the main screen, there is an item to modify the current menu hotkey assignments to any configuration you desire.  If you're registered, this option is available to you

 

Does the client have an editor?

The Autotyper is the integrated editor.  The name “Autotyper” comes from the fact that it’s more than just an editor.  It is directly linked with the game and can automatically send text directly to the server, without having to worry about any complicated copying and pasting of text.

 

Can I change the colors that the text appears in, as well as the font?

Open the “Setup Display Colors” under the “Options” menu.  This will allow you to color the default text and background, as well as modify the way colors appear on the display.  To change the font size or color, under the “Options” menu, you can choose to increase or reduce the font size.  You can also choose another fixed-width font by using the “Choose Font” menu item.

 

Is there some sort of “quick-walking” feature?

There are many.  You can setup an alias word with a load of directions, so that when you type that word, you will run through all the directions you have programmed into it.  You could do something similar with a macro, allowing you to type one key and roll off those commands.  Quickchars are very useful too.  You can type in “;nw3nw” and you will move north, west, north 3 times, then finally west.  You can program all 26 letters with their own, individual command.

 

Are there any user-definable buttons?

Yes, by using the “Customize Toolbar” option, you can select one of the 12 Ctrl-Macro buttons.  This means that you can activate the commands stored in the Ctrl+F1 by clicking the mouse on this button, as well as pressing Ctrl+F1 itself.  This is another registered-user only feature.

 

How do I scroll up or down in the scrollback one line at a time?

Hold down the Ctrl key, then press the Up and Down keys as desired.

 

Why do filtered events sometimes remove only portions of the text?  (I tried to filter shouts but still see pieces of them, i.e. 2nd & 3rd lines)

Filtered events only affect one line of text at a time, not entire commands.  If a multi-line message comes across, only the lines that contain actual filtered text will be hidden.

 

I like to keep my floating screens active, but many times I want to quickly bring one of them forward to be seen.  Is there a quick way to do this?

Just hold down the Shift and Ctrl keys, then hit the first letter of whatever screen you wish to see.  I.e. for the Canvas you would press Shift+Ctrl+N.  For the Autotyper you would press Ctrl+Enter.  You can also cycle through the windows you have currently open using Ctrl+Tab and Shift+Ctrl+Tab.

 

Sometimes I need to move the main screen around on my desktop, but the floating screens stay where they were.  Is there a way to connect them to the main window so when I move it, all the other screens will move also?

Under the “Window” menu, there are options to “anchor” the floating screens to the main one.  When a screen is anchored, moving the main screen will cause that screen to move as well.

 

Is there a way I can use the cardinal directions on the keypad to move around in the game?

Yes, 8 is north, 9 is northeast, 6 is east etc.  You can also use the 5 key for look.  0 is down and the decimal point “.” is up.  Of course, these values are default macro commands, you can change them to whatever values you desire at any time.  Pressing any number pad command will instantly send the command (you don’t need to then hit Enter).

 

Can I attach macros and aliases to Events?

Yes, read the help files for both aliases and macros.  They both detail out how to effectively use them via events.

 

I want to color the text “hugs you” whenever I see it, but don’t want any action or anything else to happen when it occurs.  Can I do this?

Sure, just set up an event with the event text as “hugs you” and don’t define an action or sound.  Select the color of text you desire and add it as an active event.

 

I’m going through a firewall and once I’m on the MUD, every line I type is getting an extra return.  It’s like the Enter key is being hit twice when I’m only hitting it once.  What’s up?

First, determine if you really need to go through a firewall.  Otherwise, try setting up the profile to send only the CR (carriage return).  Do this by checking the "Use Only CR on Commands" checkbox.  When in doubt, try it one way, and if it doesn't work, try it the other way.

 

Other Tips and Tricks

 

·         Use the filter ability of events to block out misses, bobbles, and ineffective strikes, so that you can still see your good combat hits and the enemy’s in a way you couldn't before

 

·         Use macros to invoke specialized combat settings with one touch

 

·         Use aliases for traveling without having to consult maps or think

 

·         Use sounds tied to events to notify you of particular happenings---folks entering the game or a spell lapsing

 

·         Use the alias/macro recorder to record traveling aliases and automate repetitive tasks

 

·         One-touch healing macros

 

·         Use quickchars for repeating commands

 

·         Use the Autotyper to compose and format notes and mail in advance, then easily send it to the MUD without the fuss and bother of cut and paste