multiple chat window

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apflu
Kobold
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2018 10:39 pm

multiple chat window

Post by apflu »

For most situations, I've found that The hight of the chat window is embarrassing. The window can't display many messages with token icon on.

It could be wise to add an additional chat window, that players can send the messages which "not-so-related" with fight, or let GM send the reacts of NPCs there, or some environment descriptions and so on. An additional chat window is an useful tool, and it's necessary to keep things clear.

Just like the designs in a lot of games, we can use labels to allow users to switch between multiple channels, or just create 2 parallel windows there.

Well, if it can be achieved with existing tools or addons or whatever, i'll be thankful if someone can tell me. I'm trying to learn kotlin, so maybe someday I can add this feature myself, hah.

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Full Bleed
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Re: multiple chat window

Post by Full Bleed »

apflu wrote:
Sat Aug 04, 2018 11:05 pm
For most situations, I've found that The hight of the chat window is embarrassing. The window can't display many messages with token icon on.
The height of the window is largely limited by the resolution "height" of one's monitor. On a 1080p monitor, using MT's default font size, you can show 56 lines of text in the chat window (and you can increase in width.)

I won't argue that having an option for tabbed or multiple chat windows wouldn't be useful, but I don't think 56 lines of text (with the option to make the window as wide as you want) is "embarrassingly" small or deficient. What resolution are you using? Are you adjusting the size of the chat window?
Maptool is the Millennium Falcon of VTT's -- "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts."

Phergus
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Re: multiple chat window

Post by Phergus »

And you do know that the chat window can be moved?

When running a game, I undock the chat window and move it off to the side of the rest of the MT UI. I stretch it to near full screen height and make it about 60 characters wide (plus name/icon). I find a wide chat window is mostly a waste of space where a narrow, vertical window allows me to see a lot more of the "action". I don't dock it to the rest of MT as that allows me to pop other app windows in front of it for reference while still being able to see the MT map.

apflu
Kobold
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2018 10:39 pm

Re: multiple chat window

Post by apflu »

Full Bleed wrote:
Sun Aug 05, 2018 7:29 am
apflu wrote:
Sat Aug 04, 2018 11:05 pm
For most situations, I've found that The hight of the chat window is embarrassing. The window can't display many messages with token icon on.
The height of the window is largely limited by the resolution "height" of one's monitor. On a 1080p monitor, using MT's default font size, you can show 56 lines of text in the chat window (and you can increase in width.)

I won't argue that having an option for tabbed or multiple chat windows wouldn't be useful, but I don't think 56 lines of text (with the option to make the window as wide as you want) is "embarrassingly" small or deficient. What resolution are you using? Are you adjusting the size of the chat window?
Thx for reply. I'm using 1600x900, and I always have so many windows that need to be displayed, e.g. macro, token, initiate, and so on. The "hide" option is now not so "smart", and I always see them hide or appear unexpected. So the screen space is relativly on shortage for me.

And now, i've found that using a multi-tab chat window is not for displaying more messages on the screen, but for sorting the messages. It could be wise to let the PC find the important information faster. When they need some enviornment description or such sort of things, they won't bother themselves to seek between tons of messages.

It is truly a cool, useful but not necessary feature. The Maptool is fully operational without this feature, but I hope it could be better.

Or we can highlight some messages. A minor progress, but would be better than nothing. Maybe we can use macro for highlight.

apflu
Kobold
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2018 10:39 pm

Re: multiple chat window

Post by apflu »

Phergus wrote:
Sun Aug 05, 2018 9:13 am
And you do know that the chat window can be moved?

When running a game, I undock the chat window and move it off to the side of the rest of the MT UI. I stretch it to near full screen height and make it about 60 characters wide (plus name/icon). I find a wide chat window is mostly a waste of space where a narrow, vertical window allows me to see a lot more of the "action". I don't dock it to the rest of MT as that allows me to pop other app windows in front of it for reference while still being able to see the MT map.
Yes, indeed. Moving the window is truly useful, but some tabs for sorting information could be still useful.

Highlight some messages could be useful. I'll try to DIY, maybe come up with a pull request, if I find the final version useful enough.

Thx for reply.

Phergus
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Re: multiple chat window

Post by Phergus »

I think most would agree that having multiple chat windows/channels like most, if not all, MMORPGS would be very handy. The trick of course is to make sure that existing macros with selective output (GM, player, specific player/token) still work.

bobifle
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Re: multiple chat window

Post by bobifle »

You could use Discord for your non macro/fight related chat.

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