Wiki Request - Preferences Glossary &/or instructions/Advice

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Paradox
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Wiki Request - Preferences Glossary &/or instructions/Advice

Post by Paradox »

Seeing as sections of the the Wiki are being used to fully document MapTools, I'd like to identify a section that could stand some documentation.

Specifically that is the Preferences Menus. To help out, I just went through and identified everything that falls under Preferences. This is to help whoever documents that section, as they can glance at this post rather than write while looking back and forth from their open MapTools frame.

Now some of this doesn't require much explanation. For example, even *I* don't really need to have chat font size explained in great depth to me.

However, while some of these are self-explanatory at a glance, many of them have hidden implications! I read many of the posts in this community and diagnosing some of the issues often comes down to verifying what has has been toggled and what hasn't under Preferences.

For example: I know what "Insert Smilies" means. What might not be obvious is that its going to wreck havock with some Macros.

Let us also not forget that many of these Preferences are not retroactive once a map has been drawn. Understanding the implications might help avoid having to redraw maps once the Preferences is understood and set appropriately.

Some are just obscure. I have no idea what 'Manhatten' is on the movement metric drop down menu is.

Anyway, here is a list of Preference Choices. If it is a checkbox, I have indicated that. If it is a drop down list of choices, I have included those choices. If it is a blank box for a user to change a default, I left it unmarked. I kept it organized the way I saw it on the Preferences Window.

INTERACTIONS TAB

Maps
New Maps Have Fog Of War - checkbox
New Maps Visible to Players - checkbox
Default Grid Type : Square, Verticle Hex, Horizontal Hex
Default Grid Size
Default Units Per Cell
Default Vision Distance
Movement Metric : One_Two_One, One_One_One, Manhatten, No Diagonals

Tokens
Start Snap To Grid - checkbox
New Tokens Visible To Players
Duplicate Token Numbering : Increment, Random Two Digit
Show Numbering on : Name, GM Name, Both
New Token Naming : Use Filename, Use "Creature"
Start Freesize - checkbox
Show Dialog on New Token - checkbox
Stat Sheet Portrait Size (Set to 0 to Disable Portaits)

Chat
Show Avatar per line - checkbox
Insert Smilies - checkbox
Use ToolTips for Inline Rolls - checkbox
Trusted Prefix Background - (color)
Trusted Prefix Foreground - (color)
Time Between Autosaves
Autosave Chat Log Filename

Objects
Start Snap To Grid - checkbox
Start Freesize - checkbox

Backgrounds
Start Snap To Grid - checkbox
Start Freesize - checkbox

Facing
On Edges - checkbox
On Vertices - checkbox

ACCESSABILITY TAB
Chat Font Size
ToolTip Initial Delay
ToolTip Dismiss Delay

APPLICATION TAB
Save
Save Autorecover every ____ minutes
Save Reminder on close - checkbox
1.3b50 Compatability Mode - checkbox

Map Defaults
Halo Line Width
Vision Opacity
Use halo color for vision - checkbox
Autoshow Fog - checkbox

Macro Panels
Default: allow Players to Edit Macros - checkbox

SOUNDS TAB
Play System Sounds - checkbox
Only when window not focused - checkbox
I no longer believe that MapTools is usuable or intended just for programmers. MapTools is for everyone.


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Paradox
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Re: Wiki Request - Preferences Glossary &/or instructions/Advice

Post by Paradox »

Rumble wrote:My poor fingers!! :shock:
I couldn't cut and paste these from the program, so actually I was trying to help you a little bit. I typed these topics out myself.

I'd be glad to help, except you're going to have a 1000% better idea of what the subtle implications of some of these choices are going to be.

You're a good person Rumble/Mock.
I no longer believe that MapTools is usuable or intended just for programmers. MapTools is for everyone.

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Rumble
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Re: Wiki Request - Preferences Glossary &/or instructions/Advice

Post by Rumble »

Paradox wrote:
Rumble wrote:My poor fingers!! :shock:
I couldn't cut and paste these from the program, so actually I was trying to help you a little bit. I typed these topics out myself.

I'd be glad to help, except you're going to have a 1000% better idea of what the subtle implications of some of these choices are going to be.

You're a good person Rumble/Mock.
Aw, shucks.

No, I wouldn't retype them - I'd cheerfully yoink the text you put there as a starter, because you went to the trouble to do it. I didn't mean to imply that you were just dumping work on me or anything - the hardest part of these is actually figuring out how to organize them, so you've done Step 0.

I was just thinking, Preferences and Campaign Properties are a huge set of tutorials, so maybe someone else can jump on it too.

I just wrapped up an "intro to macro writing" and I'm going to take a break before burnout sets in. I enjoy writing these, but it's hard on the carpal tunnels.

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zEal
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Re: Wiki Request - Preferences Glossary &/or instructions/Advice

Post by zEal »

Rumble wrote:I was just thinking, Preferences and Campaign Properties are a huge set of tutorials, so maybe someone else can jump on it too.

I just wrapped up an "intro to macro writing" and I'm going to take a break before burnout sets in. I enjoy writing these, but it's hard on the carpal tunnels.
I'll take a crack at it for you. Granted I don't see the Preferences articles as a tutorial so much as an explanation of what each of the setting does. There are some that aren't completely obvious, Manhattan movement for example.

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Rumble
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Re: Wiki Request - Preferences Glossary &/or instructions/Advice

Post by Rumble »

By all means, I appreciate it (and I don't intend to lay claim to all tutorial writing, by any stretch).

Come to think of it, I don't know what Manhattan movement is either.

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Paradox
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Re: Wiki Request - Preferences Glossary &/or instructions/Advice

Post by Paradox »

zEal wrote:I'll take a crack at it for you. Granted I don't see the Preferences articles as a tutorial so much as an explanation of what each of the setting does. There are some that aren't completely obvious, Manhattan movement for example.
I don't see the need for a full tutorial either. Just an explanation would suffice.
I no longer believe that MapTools is usuable or intended just for programmers. MapTools is for everyone.

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palmer
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Re: Wiki Request - Preferences Glossary &/or instructions/Advice

Post by palmer »

Movement Metric: This sets what the "movement cost" rules are for moving diagonally on a square grid.
THIS SETTING ONLY APPLIES TO SQUARE GRIDS.

ONE_ONE_ONE: Diagonal steps are counted as 1 space (D&D 4th Ed)
ONE_TWO_ONE: Diagonal steps count as 1 space for the first, 2 for the second, 1 for the third, and so on. This makes diagonal movement work out to 1.5 per step (D&D 3)
MANHATTAN: Diagonal steps all count as 2 spaces.
NO_DIAGONALS: Diagonal movement is not allowed.

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zEal
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Re: Wiki Request - Preferences Glossary &/or instructions/Advice

Post by zEal »

Yeah, I'm familiar with Manhattan(taxicab) measurements, I just meant some people probably wouldn't be. :)

Anyway, I finally ran into some preferences I don't fully understand, so if someone could explain them, that would help with me not having to put assumptions in there. ;)

I don't use Halos, so the Map Defaults section on the Application tab eludes me, could someone explain what each of those does?

I also disable any sounds that any application wants to make at the first opportunity, so the exact details of the Sounds tab could use some explaining, although they seem fairly obvious(beep when new chat text appears, and only beep if MapTool isn't the focused application), I'd like to be sure.

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Rumble
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Re: Wiki Request - Preferences Glossary &/or instructions/Advice

Post by Rumble »

A halo is just a colored box that surrounds the token. The halo line width is what dictates how thick the line forming the halo is.

Use halo color for vision means that if you have a halo enabled, and the token has sight, the visible area from that token will be tinted with the halo color.

As for the sounds, you have it - if you say play sounds, it will do the little Chat Jingle when chat is updated; if you have "only when not focused", it won't play it if MapTool is the current window.

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