Help.tbl

Revision information.....

FSO Revision: 10844

Note: Please update the version when the page is updated. If your edit had nothing to do with new code entries then please do not edit the version

The help.tbl is a file meant for defining the help texts that can be prompted for example in the mainhall and other such screens by pressing F1.

This table is one of the Modular Tables and can be extended with xxx-hlp.tbm

List of Tables

Format

• Table consists of several sections that are each defining their respective screens ingame. Every section starts with the name of the screen preceded with $ (Example: $ship) and ends with $end
  • Default sections:
    • $ship
    • $weapon
    • $briefing
    • $main
    • $barracks
    • $control
    • $debrief
    • $multicreate
    • $multistart
    • $multijoin
    • $main2
    • $hotkey
    • $campaign
    • $simulator
    • $tech
    • $command

FS2 Open, 3.7.2: Sections with names other than those shown above may exist. Such sections are usable only in revision 10739 and later, although they won't break earlier revisions.

Sections

• Sections consist of various drawing objects
• Text, lines or brackets (left or right)

+resolutions

FS2 Open, 3.7.2:

• Defines the number of resolutions in this overlay. May be 1 or greater.
• If this is set to anything other than 2, then all other parameters in this overlay that normally take two sets of values must now have a set of values for each resolution. For example, if an overlay has four resolutions, then any bracket parameter must have four pairs of values instead of two.
• The default value is 2.
  • Example: +resolutions 4

+font

FS2 Open, 3.7.2:

• Defines the font used for the text in this overlay. The number here points to a font entry in fonts.tbl, with 0 pointing to the first one.
• Takes one value for each resolution.
• The default value for each resolution is 0 (normally font01.vf).
  • Example: +font 0 0 0 0

+pline

• Draws lines on the help screen.
• Can be used to draw several connected lines
• Is defined with an array of values
• First value defined the number of points used to draw the line
  • 2 = straight line (2 points)
  • 4 = 3 segment lines (4 points)
  • 6 = 5 segment lines (6 points)
• Other values are used to define the coordinate locations on screen separately for each resolution in the table. Coordinates are marked as x1, y1, x2, y2, x3, y3 etc - you must have enough co-ordinates to match the number specified in the 1st argument and you must have an array for each resolution.
  • First array for the lowest resolution, then the next largest, and so on.
  • Example: +pline 4 170 320 120 320 100 340 60 340 272 512 192 512 160 544 96 544

+left_bracket

• Draws bracket opening to left on the help screen
• Is defined with two pair of numerical values
• Location is defined with two values per resolution, starting with the lowest resolution.
  • Example: +left_bracket 257 325 358 517

+right_bracket

• Draws bracket opening to right on the help screen
• Is defined with two pair of numerical values
• Location is defined with two values per resolution, starting with the lowest resolution.
  • Example: +right_bracket 257 325 358 517

+text

• Draws text on screen
• Is defined with two pair of numerical values followed by a string
• Location is defined with two values per resolution, starting with the lowest resolution.
• Text string is placed within brackets
  • XSTR("text", -1)
  • Example: +text 25 280 40 448 XSTR("Choose your ship type.", -1)

Sample

$ship
+text 25 280 40 448 XSTR("Choose your ship type.", -1)

+text 175 304 276 496 XSTR("Choose a new ship type by dragging", -1)
+text 175 317 276 509 XSTR("its icon over one of the available", -1)
+text 175 330 276 522 XSTR("wing slots.", -1)
+pline 4  170 320 120 320 100 340 60 340  272 512 192 512 160 544 96 544
+left_bracket 169 312 270 504
+pline 6  259 335 280 335 300 355 300 377 280 397 183 397  361 527 448 527 480 559 480 603 448 635 293 635
+right_bracket 257 325 358 517

+text 337 370 565 592 XSTR("Revert to the original", -1)
+text 337 383 565 605 XSTR("ship distribution.", -1)
+pline 2  502 374 570 374  730 596 912 596
+right_bracket 499 365 727 587

+text 400 150 636 265 XSTR("When finished outfitting", -1)
+text 400 163 636 278 XSTR("all available wings,", -1)
+text 400 176 636 291 XSTR("you can go to the", -1)
+text 400 189 636 304 XSTR("weapons loadout screen", -1)
+text 400 202 636 317 XSTR("or enter the mission.", -1)
+pline 6  162 43 330 43 350 63 350 173 370 193 395 193  259 69 528 69 560 101 560 277 592 309 632 309
+left_bracket 394 184 630 299
+pline 4  554 206 588 206 608 226 608 424  790 321 941 321 973 353 973 678
+right_bracket 552 197 788 312
$end