To access the vital
functions of the client, you are provided with a menu of items to choose
from. To access these menu items, you
are given four different methods.
·
Use the mouse to explore the menu and click on the desired item (you can
only do this if the menu is visible)
·
Use the Alt key with a letter to access a particular item. For example, the “File” menu is displayed as
“File” The underscore under the
“F” means that holding down the Alt key and pressing the “F” key will select
this menu.
·
Most menu items have a corresponding button on the Toolbar. If you have the Toolbar showing, you can
click on these buttons to activate the associated menu item. By default, only a few of the most used
buttons are shown. You can configure
other buttons to be shown by selecting Options|Customize Toolbar or
right-clicking on the Toolbar itself with the mouse.
·
Just as most menu items have a corresponding button on the Toolbar, most
also have a corresponding Ctrl+Hotkey (or similar) combination you can use the
access the menu item. Each hotkey can
be seen next to the name of the items in the menu.
Note: Some program aspects are only available on Portal©-supported
MUDs. These are denoted with an
asterisk (*)
Note: Most all of the Menu Hotkeys can be configured to your liking. If you want to customize yours, or get a printed list of your current menu hotkey settings, simply go to the menu item Options|Customize Menu Hotkeys.
File Menu
Escape
This
menu item actually does a few different things. On each click, it will scan the following list until it finds a
condition that is true. It will
continue along the list until it encounters a true condition. Should it find a true condition, it will
perform the associated action and then stop, not looking any further in the
list. Attached to the Esc key, this is
designed to give the user quick access to clearing or escaping certain things.
Client Condition Action
Taken if Condition is True
Keyhistory
is visible (Up or Down) Closes
Keyhistory
Client
is in Scrollback Mode Exits
Scrollback Mode
*A delayed command
is performing Cancels all
command in the current buffer
Text
exists in the Command Line Clears
the command Line
Example:
The
client is currently in Scrollback Mode, there is also text currently in the
Command Line. The user presses the Esc
key and the client exits from Scrollback Mode, but the text remains in the
Command Line. Clicking Esc again will
then clear the text.
* This will only
occur if the Program Option - Esc Buffer Clear is enabled
If
the Program Option: Escape All is enabled, pressing ESC will perform ALL
of the above actions with only one click.
Panic Button
Clicking
this will make the entire program hidden and will replace it with a small,
innocent-looking system clock. To
return to the program, simply double-click on the clock. Well, you gotta do something when
your boss walks by right? When the
Panic Button is invoked, the commands contained in the Panic Macro (Macros
screen) are performed.
An
added feature of the Panic Button is that by clicking the “x” button to close
the “clock” window will close down the WHOLE PROGRAM. This is to allow you to cleanly exit the
game if some lousy boss needs to sit down at your computer. Remember, to get back to the game normally,
double-click on the clock, don’t click on the “x” button or again, it will
close down the WHOLE PROGRAM.
Another
aspect of the Panic Button is that the Command Line REMAINS ACTIVE while
the clock is showing. This means that
if, while the clock window is the active window, you type something, it is
being typed directly into the Command Line.
This includes the Enter key. So,
if you had to hit the Panic Button and need to get off a last minute command or
two to the game, simply type what you desire and hit Enter. You won’t see anything of course, but it
will go through.
Note: Besides the command line, nothing else regarding the
manual user game
controls is active.
This means that commands that are activated via the command line (aliased,
quickchars, etc.) will work normally.
Commands that aren’t related to the command line (such as macro
hotkeys) will not.
However, all events and
other automatic aspects are still active. Also, sounds are temporarily disabled until you
bring the program back up.
Jumpstart Portal©
If, for whatever the reason, Portal© falls out of sync with the MUD server, this will reestablish concurrency. This is only usable on Portal© supported MUDS.
Lock Character
Locks
your character with your current password if you need to step away from the
screen for a moment. DO NOT FORGET
YOUR PASSWORD!
Clear Keyhistory
Clears all items in the Keyhistory. (See the main help file for more info)
Graph Paper Generator
Whenever
you need a sheet of graph paper, pop open this wonderful utility.
Downloading
Data (Portal© supported MUDs only)
Portal© allows
you the feature of downloading data from Portal© supported MUDs. This gives you the ability to grab entire
files and lists, which you can then send to the Autotyper
or save to a text
file for later use. Any file download
is performed by the MUD server, which is usually
initiated by a command you would send to the server. This is a great convenience to game wizards, for instead of
editing a file online, they can download it, copy it to the Autotyper, edit it
locally, then upload it back to the server via a quick autotype.
Replace Contents of Autotyper with Download*
Copies
any data in the download buffer to the Autotyper, replacing the existing file.
Paste Download into Autotyper at Cursor*
Pastes
the download data into the Autotyper at the cursor.
Capture Download to File*
Allows
you to choose a text file, which will then be written with the data contained
in the download buffer.
Clear Download*
Clears
any download from the download buffer.
This will also halt any current download.
Upload Files
Uploads files to the server. This function is only available where supported.
Disconnect from Server
Disconnects
the current link to the server.
Reconnect
Attempts
to reconnect to the server.
Attempt Secondary Connection
Attempts to
connect to a secondary host/port. You will be prompted for the necessary
information. See the secondary
connection section in the keyboard input
help file for more information on controlling the secondary connection.
Also, on the Toolbar, two buttons appear. To control which connection gets
control, press the appropriate button. If the "1" button is
pushed down, commands from the command line will be sent to the primary
connection. If the "2" button is pushed down, commands from the
command line will be sent to the secondary connection.
Disconnect Secondary Connection
Disconnects any
active secondary connection.
Reverse Connection Control
Toggles command
control between the primary and secondary connections.
External Applications
Portal© gives you the option to define links to a set of external
applications. With these links, you can
invoke the associated application whenever you desire. Please see the help file on External
Applications for more. Applications
linked, that don’t exist, will not appear in the list of links.
Import/Export
This
allows you the ability to import/export aliases, macros
etc. It also allows you to export the current profile configuration
without having to disconnect.
Exit Program
Closes
all windows and exits the program.
Edit Menu
Copy Selected Text to Clipboard
Copies
selected text to the clipboard. Now,
there are a few different sources where text can be selected on the Main
Screen. The order is as follows:
First Command Line
Second Scrollback View
Third Main View
This
means that if you have something selected in the Main View and the
Command line, the selected text in the Command Line is what is copied.
Copy Selected Text to Autotyper
Same
as Copy above, but the text is also pasted immediately into the Autotyper.
Note: The Autotyper is
automatically opened at this point, if it was not already open.
Send Text from Clipboard
Any text currently in the clipboard is sent directly to the server. This can be a single word or line of text or multiple copied lines.
Send Space-Delimited Text from Clipboard
Any text currently in the clipboard is sent directly to the server. This can be a single word or line of text or multiple copied lines. If it is multiple copied lines, the lines are sent as only one line, with a space between each line, up to a maximum of 500 characters. If there is any text in the Command Line, that text will be inserted at the beginning of the send. Confused yet?
For example, if I have the text “say” currently in the Command Line and the following, separate lines copied into the clipboard:
one
two
three
When I send the space-delimited text, it will send: “say one two three”
Paste Space-Delimited Text from Clipboard into Command Line
Any text currently in the clipboard is pasted into the Command Line This can be a single word or line of text or multiple copied lines. If it is multiple copied lines, the lines are pasted as only one line, with a space between each line, up to a maximum of 500 characters.
Cut
Selected Text from Command Line to Clipboard
Cuts the selected text in the Command Line to the Clipboard.
Copy
Selected Text to Clipboard
Same
functionality as the above “Copy Selected Text to Clipboard” menu item, but an
extra hotkey.
Paste
Text from Clipboard into Command Line
Pastes
any text in the Clipboard into the Command Line.
Insert Line-Break Character into Command Line
Inserts
one line-break into the command line at the cursor position, effectively
breaking the current line into two.
Insert Esc Character into Command Line
Inserts
one Escape character into the command line.
Insert Beep into Command Line
Inserts
one beep character into the command line.
Don’t be a dork with the beeps OK?
Insert Control Character into Command Line
Inserts
a specific control character (Ctrl+A through Ctrl+Z) into the Command
Line. This is useful for servers that
use control characters for certain functions.
Send Masked Text
Allows
you to send masked text invisibly to the server. A small popup window will appear, which you can then fill with a
line of text. The text will appear in
the box masked by asterisks. Press the
Accept Button on the popup box to invisibly send the text. Press the Cancel button to cancel the send.
Send Text File
Parses
a specified text file to the server, sending each individual line in the file as
a separate command.
Scrollback Menu
View Scrollback
Enters
Scrollback Mode. If the program is not
currently in Scrollback Mode, pressing the Scroll Lock key will enter it.
Exit Scrollback
Exits
Scrollback Mode. If the program is
currently in Scrollback Mode, pressing the
Scroll Lock key will exit it.
Find Text
Finds
the first occurrence of a specific string of text in the scrollback buffer (if
any). Enter the string you are searching
for into the Command Line, then perform the find function. Attempting a find on text will place the
client into Scrollback Mode, if it wasn’t already in it.
Find Next Text Occurrence
Finds
the next occurrence of the text found using Find Text (if any).
Clear Scrollback
Clears
all text in the scrollback.
Exit
Scrollback Mode Esc
Scroll
One Page Up PgUp
Scroll
One Page Down PgDn
Scroll
One Line Up Ctrl+Up
Scroll
One Line Down Ctrl+Down
Scroll
to Top Ctrl+PgUp,
Ctrl+Home
Scroll
to Bottom Ctrl+PgDn,
Ctrl+End
Move
Scroll Bar Up Shift+Up
Move
Scroll Bar Down Shift+Down
Move
Scroll Bar to Top Shift+PgUp
Move
Scroll Bar to Bottom Shift+PgDn
Capture Scrollback Buffer to File
Dumps
the current contents of the scrollback into a text file of your choice.
Log Incoming Text to File
Allows
you to select a text file to log all incoming text into. While the text is logging, the red light on
the Status Bar will remain lighted. The
log will continue until you turn it off by either selecting this menu item
again, or by clicking on the red light in the Status Bar. The log will be
automatically time-stamped every 10 minutes.
Actions Menu
Aliases…
Opens
the Aliases screen.
Macros…
Opens
the Macros screen.
Quickchars…
Opens
the Quickchar screen.
Nicknames…
Opens
the Nicknames screen.
Ticker…
Opens
the Ticker screen.
Next Buffered Command
If
there is a current delay (“wait” command) performing in the delay buffer, this
will skip it and move on to the next command (or delay) in the buffer. You can click on the analog clock timer (to
the right of the digital system clock) or the countdown numbers to do this as
well.
Clear Command Buffer
If
there are any commands or delays currently buffered, they will be ALL
cleared. You can click on the buffer
number remaining (to the right of the analog clock timer) to do this as well.
Recording On/Off
Starts/Stops
recording of an alias or macro.
Events Menu (includes Groups and Filters)
Events…
Opens
the Events screen.
Quick Event…
Lets
you create a quick event (see the help file for Events).
Variable Maintenance…
Opens
the Variable Maintenance screen.
Setup Groups…
Opens the Groups screen.
Activate the BASE Group
Assigns
the BASE group as the active Text and Status Events group.
Autotyper Menu
Open Autotyper
Opens
the Autotyper, Portal©'s powerful text editor..
Autotype Text from Autotyper
Autotypes
text from the current Autotyper file into the game.
Options Menu
Program Options…
Opens
the Program Options screen.
Show Toolbar
Toggles
showing of the Toolbar.
Show Record Tool on Toolbar
Toggles
showing of the alias/macro recording tool on the Toolbar.
Show Statusbar
Toggles
showing of the Statusbar.
Show HP1 Bar (Hit Point bar)
Toggles
showing of the HP Bar.
Show HP2 Bar (Hit Point2/Gauge bar)
Toggles
showing of the HP2 Bar.
Show HP3 Bar (Hit Point3/GLine bar)
Toggles
showing of the HP3 Bar.
Show HP4 Bar (Hit Point4/Combat & Guild Message Window Bar)
Toggles
showing of the HP4 Bar.
HP Bar Setup Assistant…
Clicking
here brings up the HP Bar Setup Assistant.
The Assistant will help you in setting up a customized event which will
ultimately populate the status bars at the bottom of your screen –
automatically! Please see the help file
on the HP Bar Assistant for more information.
Customize Toolbar…
Allows
you to customize the buttons that appear on the Toolbar.
Customize Menu Hotkeys…
Allows
you to customize the menu item hotkeys.
Reduce Font Size
Reduces
the display font by 1 point size (not to go below 6pt)
Increase Font Size
Increases
the display font by 1 point size (not to go above 20pt)
Choose Display Font…
Selects
the font you desire for the display font.
Setup Display Colors…
Allows
you to choose the colors that are displayed in the Main Screen.
Screens Menu
(A check next to the screen
name item indicates that the corresponding screen is active)
Canvas
Brings
up the Portal© Canvas
Imagery
Brings
the Imagery to the front (and opens it if necessary)
Chat Monitor
Brings
the Chat Monitor to the front (and opens it if
necessary)
Tell Monitor
Brings
the Tell Monitor to the front (and opens it if
necessary)
Cartographer
Brings
up the Cartographer,
Portal©'s automated mapping tool
Room Monitor
Brings
up the Room
Monitor to the front (and opens it if necessary)
System Messages
Brings up the System Messages screen.
Clear System Messages
Clears all System Messages.
Return Screens to Home
Moves
the selected floater screens to the upper-left “home” position of the
monitor. The purpose of this would be
to retrieve lost screens due to something such as a resolution change or a bad
move of an anchored screen.
Anchoring Screens
Anchors
the selected floater screens to the main screen. When the main screen is moved, the floater will move with
it. Click again to un-anchor it. An
anchored floater will appear with its caption in [ ].
Close All Screens
Closes
all Portal© floating screens (except for the main window).
Music Menu
Music Playlist Editor
Brings up the Music Playlist screen, allowing you make save and load your very own Portal© music playlists.
Load Playlist
Loads
a previously created Portal© playlist.
Play Song
Plays
the current song in the loaded playlist. If the Randomize Playlist menu
item is checked, and this button is pressed while a song is playing, a random
song from the playlist will be chosen and played.
Pause Song
Pauses
the currently playing song.
Rewind Song to Beginning
Rewind
the currently loaded music file to the beginning. If you are currently playing a music, rewinding will
automatically begin playing from the beginning. If the current music is paused, it will not begin playing until
you manually start it.
Repeat Song
If
this menu item is checked, the currently playing music file will repeat when it
reaches the end.
Randomize Playlist
If
this menu item is checked, when a song ends, the next song to start will be chosen randomly from
the currently loaded playlist.
Goto Previous Song
Moves
to and plays the previous song in the loaded playlist.
Goto Next Song
Moves
to and plays the next song in the loaded playlist.
Goto First Song
Moves
to and plays the first song in the loaded playlist.
Goto Last Song
Moves
to and plays the last song in the loaded playlist.
Help Menu
Help Topics
Lists
the Help Overview section.
About Portal© for Windows…
Displays
relevant Portal© information, links and licenses. You can also register
your copy of Portal© via this screen.