Yet Another External Message Script

trebor777 · Aug 21, 2009

Yet Another External Message Script
Version: 1.0 : 21/08/2009
By: Trebor777

Introduction

Loads a txt file, and call the messages stored in it for your dialogs! Make your life easier for translations, and management.

Features
Aims to be super simple !

Screenshots
Well... it's for dialogs... so...
Demo
It's so simple you shouldn't need one.
Script

[rgss]
# ================================================================
# Yet Another External Message Script
# Trebor777
# v 1.0
# 21/08/2009
# ================================================================
=begin
 How to use ?

 1st, you need to load the messages in memory. The messages are stored
 in files, inside the Data/Text/ folder ( you need to create it )

 The text file can be name as you like

So you load the file like this :

 Text_Reader.load_file(filename) !!! filename doesn't contain the extension !!!

 Then to display a message from this file, using the call_script command:

 display_message(id , position, background, face_name, face_index)

 You don't have to specify: position, background, face_name & index, by default:
 .position = 2, means bottom of the screen ( 0 = top, 1 = middle, 2 = bottom)
 .background = 1, means "dark", ( 0 = normal, 1 = dark(uses the messageback), 2 = transparent)
 .face_name = "", means no faceset is used. it's the name of the Faceset file.
 .face_index = 0, the position of the face in the faceset.

 FILE SPECIFICATION: very simple
 . file extension must be .txt.'
 . the messages are identified by numbers

,
 . messages can take as many lines as you wish, because RM is not that dumb, it'll
 display new "messages" when there are more than 4 lines.
 example:


[0000]:Hey! How's it going?
Not too bad! You?
I'm cool.
Great so what's up?
[0001]: Not much actually, I'm working on a game called "SUPER GAME"
REeeaally ??? That's cool dude!
Yeah

we're quite happy with it, though there is still loads to do!
[0002]: Well tell me when there will be a demo!
Sure I'll !
line 3
line 4
line 5


# ================================================================
=end
module Text_Reader
@@messages = {}
def self.load_file(file_id)
if File.exist? "Data/Text/#{file_id}.txt"
File.open("Data/Text/#{file_id}.txt",'rb'){ |file| Text_Reader.parse(file)}
else
p "I'm not crashing, but just to tell you: Text File \"#{file_id}.txt\" doesn't exist in the Data/Text/ folder."
end
end
def self.parse(file)
lines = file.readlines
id = 0
lines.each do |line|
# Check if message ID is found
id_ = line.scan(/\[(\d+)\]:/).flatten # Extract "[0000]:", if no ID, returns []
txt = line.split("[#{id_}]:").last.chomp # ID or not, the message will always be the last item in the split, ( last is the 1st, if size == 1 ). Removes the end of line character.
id = id_[0].to_i unless id_.empty? # Update current message ID if there is a new one
if @@messages[id].nil? # New id ?
@@messages[id] = [txt] # Add a new message array containing the 1st line
else
@@messages[id] << txt # Add the line to the current message array
end
end
end
def self.[](id)
@@messages[id] || [] # If the message doesn't exist, return an empty array

instead of nil
end
end

class Game_Interpreter
def display_message(id, position = 2, back = 1, face_name = "", face_index = 0)
Text_Reader[id].each {|str| $game_message.texts << str }
@message_waiting = true
$game_message.background = back
$game_message.position = position
$game_message.face_name = face_name
$game_message.face_index = face_index
$game_message.main_proc = Proc.new { @message_waiting = false }
return false
end
end

[/rgss]

Instructions

Read the header or read this:
How to use ?

1st, you need to load the messages in memory. The messages are stored in files, inside the Data/Text/ folder ( you need to create it )
The text file can be name as you like

So you load the file like this :

[rgss]Text_Reader.load_file(filename) # !!! filename doesn't contain the extension !!!
[/rgss]

Then to display a message from this file, using the call_script command:

[rgss]display_message(id , position, background, face_name, face_index)
[/rgss]

You don't have to specify: position, background, face_name & index, by default:

position = 2, means bottom of the screen ( 0 = top, 1 = middle, 2 = top)
background = 1, means "dark", ( 0 = normal, 1 = dark(uses the messageback), 2 = transparent)
face_name = "", means no faceset is used. it's the name of the Faceset file.
face_index = 0, the position of the face in the faceset.

Means you can just write this:
[rgss]display_message(2)
[/rgss]

FILE SPECIFICATION: very simple

file extension must be .txt.'
the messages are identified by numbers
messages can take as many lines as you wish, because RM is not that dumb, it'll display new "messages" when there are more than 4 lines.

example:

[0000]:Hey! How's it going?
Not too bad! You?
I'm cool.
Great so what's up?
[0001]: Not much actually, I'm working on a game called "SUPER GAME"
REeeaally ??? That's cool dude!
Yeah we're quite happy with it, though there is still loads to do!
[0002]: Well tell me when there will be a demo!
Sure I'll !
line 3
line 4
line 5

Be Aware for the length of each line !!! text editors are not limited unlike the event message !

FAQ
Does this work under XP ? Maybe I'm not sure, because of the way message are handled in XP. A XP version might come in the future, if heavily requested.

When I call twice display_message in the same "script" command, the 2nd message follows the 1st on the same page, is it a bug?? No it's not, it's voluntary for flexibility.
If you want two different messages to not be following each other directly on the same message box, simply call the second one , in a new "call script" command.

Compatibility

Should be compatible with everything

I added a method in the Game Interpreter class.

Terms and Conditions

As usual, Commercial or Not, you can edit it, just don't delete my name

, You don't have to put me in the credits.

Azuaya · Aug 23, 2009

Hmm nice. Can help save time for those who already written their game's dialogue on a text document and just call it by a script call rather than re-typing everything again. Thanks for the script.

trebor777 · Aug 23, 2009

Exactly

^^ It's a tool to be used before the dialogs are made in game.

Though, this tool can be used for other purpose, as a scripter, can make use of it in other sections where text are needed. Like in a Menu, for example or in a CBS.

Ynlraey · Aug 27, 2009

Hmm this can't extract the ones in the database right? :<

trebor777 · Aug 27, 2009

nope,
1st it's not an extractor.

2nd, the script doesn't edit the Vocab module....
although, it's possible to create a different version of the vocab module, that uses it.

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Yet Another External Message Script

trebor777

Azuaya

trebor777

Ynlraey

trebor777

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