Amiga Computing - Commodore Is Awesome

You'll probably want to re-edit screens over
time so save out each screen separately.
Saving multiple screens as one block or file
means they can't be loaded back in without
causing problems. Remember when saving to
keep an eye on the Page Range in the save
requester as you have to adjust it, e.g. "From
001 To 003" to "From 00! To 001".
Due to the Sysop pager system there are
two finished ANSI files required. One will
have page one saved under PagerLans, the
second will have pages two and three saved
as Pager2.ans. The trick to clean screens lies
under the Edit menu with ANSI Parameters.
The Screen Preparation gadget should be set
to Clear. Cycle through the Inter-Page
Preparation to Home. Number of Rows at
Auto. End of Line Character can be anything
you like, as long as ANSI Code Cursor
Advance is toggled On.
You have a backup of the ANSI so with
those settings move to page 1 and save it in
Text as an ANSI under the name Pagerl.ans,
adjusting the Page Range so not to save the
rest of the pages at the same time. Move to
page 2. Alter the AN5I Parameters so Screen
Preparation reads Home. Home just sends
the cursor to the top left of the screen before
drawing the graphics instead of clearing it
first like Clear does.
Go to save, you should see the Page Range
already set "From 002 To 003". Save page 2
and 3 in this way as one file under Pager2.ans
in Text.NotHerel.ans, NotHere2.ans and
NotHere3.ans are the screens building up
NotHere.ans, for if a user pages twice, to be
edited as above.
A main menu might incorporate the talking
clock (%e). Page 2 would have %e typed and
positioned so as to fit in a gap on page 1
where everything else in the main menu is
drawn. These two would be saved as one
with Screen Prep at Clear, Inter-Page Prep at
Home and ANSI Code turned On.
Cursor repositioning
By having HyperANSI's Number of Rows set
to AUTO in the ANSI Parameters the cursor
always appears straight after the last charac
ter towards the bottom right of a given AN5I
screen. Fine for some purposes but what if
you want the cursor to appear elsewhere?
Like in a box you've drawn, common
throughout the menus, for that aesthetic
touch.
The Workbench Ed won't do it, nor will
Final Writer. You need a text editor such as
Transwrite or CED - you've probably got
something that can handle it. Load the ANSI
HvperRHSI wi.87, Copyright @ 1993 Hike D. Nelson
The nessage boy
ir he is around
press Jhe Return
drop In and he u
1: M fl X's BBS Version 1.54 Copyright O
ou stand before the iron portcullis that
idio the castle proper. The guards ask for
ui> full nane: Maverick
Nane:
Lt on:
Recess:
The largest nods quielly to hinself, seeinjj your nane upon his
list. He eyes you with passive concern. Pondering what lands you
Must have travelled fron he besins to speak, "Stranster. . . what is
thy clearance word?" w JB
Calls:
A taster of the ANSI you can find from the coverdisk
into CED, say your Mainfvlenu.text. It might be
an idea to copy it to Ram while playing about
like this and temporarily change the Text
Filename field in Menu 0 from Max's
Configure/Menus, to read
"RanrMainMenu.text".
Continuing straight from the last character
at the bottom of the ANSI text file, but don't
press return afterwards, we need this in:
CED:[1G;5H
Instead of typing you need the
reversed character you see by pressing the
escape key. Along the corridor and down the
stairs. We move along 10 characters and
down 5, and that's where the cursor lands
when viewed in Max's. It will take a few tries
before you get it spot on.
Row 253 in Configure/Text:
"Hit turn or wait 30 seconds to enter
the BBS..."ITU-
is a prompt requiring change with the help
of our < command. Design yourself an
ANSI called PressEsc.ans (then place it in
Text) with the logo or name of your BBS
covering the entire screen, with a bit of info
at the bottom detailing opening times, con
nect speeds, Sysop name and the like, plus
the essential notice paraphrasing the mes
sage:
"Hit < twice or wait 30 seconds to enter the
This screen won't be displayed via local
login but the caller wil! see it and so will you
when he calls. This is your chance to make an
impression. Replace line 253 with:
avaliable...
er you 0
he not d
li I Oon't forget to leave a nessage if the (-
Sysop doesn't drop in for a chat!
(44,09) Color Text :G81 Set:Bl 1 = ,
Creating overlapping ANSI graphics with auto insert
Suburb:
Tine renaining:
Messages: Ups:
Conputer: