Difference between revisions of "Advanced Authoring Concepts"

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{{important}}This section of the documentation is not yet complete. Topics that have been written will be found at the top of the list below and possess live links. Other topics are simply identified by name, sometimes along with a few notes about what the topic will contain. These topics will be added over time to complete the documentation.
 
{{important}}This section of the documentation is not yet complete. Topics that have been written will be found at the top of the list below and possess live links. Other topics are simply identified by name, sometimes along with a few notes about what the topic will contain. These topics will be added over time to complete the documentation.
  
 +
*{{fl|The "Live" State}}
 +
*{{fl|Bootstraps}}
 
*{{fl|Automatically Adding Picks to Actors}}
 
*{{fl|Automatically Adding Picks to Actors}}
 +
*{{fl|Advanced Script Handling}}
  
----
+
=={{tbd}}==
{{tbd}}
+
----
+
 
+
*The "Live" State
+
**Using "Live" Tag Expressions
+
**Structural Elements
+
**Visual Elements
+
  
 
*Actor Rules
 
*Actor Rules
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**MouseInfo Scripts
 
**MouseInfo Scripts
 
**Description Scripts
 
**Description Scripts
 
*Bootstraps
 
  
 
*Game System Logo
 
*Game System Logo
  
*Uniqueness of Things [!]
+
*Leveraging Usage Pools [!]
  
*Pick Linkages
+
*Advanced Things
 +
**Uniqueness of Things [!]
 +
**Pick Linkages [!]
 +
**Replacement of Things
  
 
*Validation
 
*Validation
**Panel Linkages
 
 
**Detecting validity of structural elements
 
**Detecting validity of structural elements
 
**Reporting validation errors to user
 
**Reporting validation errors to user
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**Errors Versus Warnings
 
**Errors Versus Warnings
 
**Prompting to select missing information
 
**Prompting to select missing information
 +
**Panel Linkages [!]
  
*Managing Gear
+
*Managing Gear [!]
 
**Holders
 
**Holders
 
**Gear Weight Determination [!]
 
**Gear Weight Determination [!]
**Stackable vs. Non-Stackable
+
**Stackable vs. Non-Stackable [!]
 
**Splitting and Merging
 
**Splitting and Merging
  
 
*Character Advancement [!]
 
*Character Advancement [!]
 +
**Restricting when advancement is allowed
 +
**Gizmos with dynamic tagexprs provide configurable advances
 +
**Advances are displaced to actor
 +
**Unwind mechanism
 +
**Autonomous Objects
 +
**Editing of previous advancements
 +
**Switching back to creation mode
  
*Pre-requisites
+
*Pre-Requisites [!]
**Specific Thing
+
**Dependencies on Specific Things [!]
**Expression
+
**Expression-Based Requirements [!]
**General
+
**General Pre-Requisites [!]
  
*Advanced Components and Component Sets
+
*Advanced Components and Component Sets [!]
 
**Re-using Components in Multiple Component Sets
 
**Re-using Components in Multiple Component Sets
 
**Designing Components for Re-Use
 
**Designing Components for Re-Use
 +
**Adding "Short Name" Behavior [!]
 +
**Creation/Deletion Handling
  
*Advanced Fields
+
*Advanced Fields [!]
 +
**Field Types
 +
**Field Styles
 +
**Persistence of Fields
 +
**Bounding of Fields
 +
**Calculated Fields
 +
**Finalized Values (Picks vs. Things)
 +
***Using calculated fields to ensure updates to finalized values
 +
**Delta for User Fields
 +
**Formatting of Fields (signed, multiline, integer/float)
 +
**History Tracking
  
*Character Sheet Output
+
*Character Sheet Output [!]
 
**Standard Sheets
 
**Standard Sheets
 
**Spillover Sheets
 
**Spillover Sheets
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*Debugging Techniques
 
*Debugging Techniques
 
*Interactive Behavior
 
**Where to tables, choosers, menus, etc.
 
  
 
*Distributing Data Files
 
*Distributing Data Files
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**Publishing Your Files Through Hero Lab
 
**Publishing Your Files Through Hero Lab
  
*Dual-purpose Headers on Tables
+
*Special Tags
 
+
**Actor Tags [!]
*Actor Tags
+
**Identity Tags [!]
 
+
*Auto-Tags
+
**Bootstrapped Picks
+
**Entities
+
  
 
*Actor Configuration
 
*Actor Configuration
**Sources
+
**Sources [!]
 
***Required Sources
 
***Required Sources
 
***Precluded Sources
 
***Precluded Sources
 
**Rule Sets and Contexts
 
**Rule Sets and Contexts
  
*Advanced Gizmos
+
*Advanced Gizmos [!]
 
**Editable Gizmos
 
**Editable Gizmos
**Shadowing
+
**Associating a Form
**Displacement
+
**Setting Up a Default Thing
 +
**Buy Templates for Gizmos
 +
**Shadowing [!]
 +
**Displacement [!]
  
*Transactions
+
*Transactions [!]
 
**Buy vs. Sell
 
**Buy vs. Sell
 
**Quantity vs. Cash
 
**Quantity vs. Cash
 +
**Using Buy Templates for Customizing Selections (e.g. with choosers)
 +
**Transaction Tags
  
 
*Dashboard
 
*Dashboard
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**Iterative Evolution
 
**Iterative Evolution
  
*Visual Presentation Tricks
+
*Visual Interactive Behavior
 +
**Rules for auto-sizing and default sizing of portals
 +
**Where to use tables, choosers, menus, etc.
 +
**Showing items within tables
 +
**Choosing items within tables and choosers
 +
**Restricting available items within tables and choosers
 +
**Dual-purpose Headers on Tables [!]
 +
**Freezing portals
 
**Tricks with templates and portals
 
**Tricks with templates and portals
**Tricks with layouts, panels, and sheets
+
**Tricks with layouts, panels, forms, and sheets
 +
**Automatic placement mechanism for layouts and templates
  
 
*Macros
 
*Macros
  
 
*References
 
*References
 
*Creation/Deletion Handling
 
  
 
*Condition Tests
 
*Condition Tests
  
 
*Hidden Things
 
*Hidden Things
 +
 +
*Imposing Unwind Logic on Picks [!]
  
 
*Minion and Master Relationships [!]
 
*Minion and Master Relationships [!]
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*Configuring the Dice Roller [!]
 
*Configuring the Dice Roller [!]
 +
 +
*Evaluation cycle
 +
**Relative timing of Leads vs. masters vs. minions
 +
**Rules for sequencing of tasks with the same phase and priority
 +
 +
*Using Visual Resources [!]
 +
**Built-In Resources
 +
**Adding Custom Resources
 +
**Transparent Bitmaps
 +
**Managing Styles [!]

Latest revision as of 22:25, 22 December 2008

Context: HL Kit

This section delves into many of the more advanced concepts involved in creating data files. These concepts cover both structural and visual facets of the data files, as well as suggestions for an effective design philosophy. Simply click on one of the many topics below to learn more about it.

IMPORTANT! This section of the documentation is not yet complete. Topics that have been written will be found at the top of the list below and possess live links. Other topics are simply identified by name, sometimes along with a few notes about what the topic will contain. These topics will be added over time to complete the documentation.

[TBD] 

  • Actor Rules
  • Required Elements
  • Just-in-time Information
    • MouseInfo Scripts
    • Description Scripts
  • Game System Logo
  • Leveraging Usage Pools [!]
  • Advanced Things
    • Uniqueness of Things [!]
    • Pick Linkages [!]
    • Replacement of Things
  • Validation
    • Detecting validity of structural elements
    • Reporting validation errors to user
    • Highlighting validation errors to user (i.e. color-coding)
    • Errors Versus Warnings
    • Prompting to select missing information
    • Panel Linkages [!]
  • Managing Gear [!]
    • Holders
    • Gear Weight Determination [!]
    • Stackable vs. Non-Stackable [!]
    • Splitting and Merging
  • Character Advancement [!]
    • Restricting when advancement is allowed
    • Gizmos with dynamic tagexprs provide configurable advances
    • Advances are displaced to actor
    • Unwind mechanism
    • Autonomous Objects
    • Editing of previous advancements
    • Switching back to creation mode
  • Pre-Requisites [!]
    • Dependencies on Specific Things [!]
    • Expression-Based Requirements [!]
    • General Pre-Requisites [!]
  • Advanced Components and Component Sets [!]
    • Re-using Components in Multiple Component Sets
    • Designing Components for Re-Use
    • Adding "Short Name" Behavior [!]
    • Creation/Deletion Handling
  • Advanced Fields [!]
    • Field Types
    • Field Styles
    • Persistence of Fields
    • Bounding of Fields
    • Calculated Fields
    • Finalized Values (Picks vs. Things)
      • Using calculated fields to ensure updates to finalized values
    • Delta for User Fields
    • Formatting of Fields (signed, multiline, integer/float)
    • History Tracking
  • Character Sheet Output [!]
    • Standard Sheets
    • Spillover Sheets
  • Managing Dossiers
  • Statblock Output
  • Editor Integration
    • Edit Things
    • Input Things
    • Designing for Editor Integration
  • Debugging Techniques
  • Distributing Data Files
    • Designing data files for user-extensibility
    • Game System FAQ
    • Appropriate Copyright Information [!]
    • Relying on Minimum Product Features [!]
    • Importance of Release Notes [!]
    • Version Numbers for Data Files [!]
    • Stock Portfolios
    • Using the HLExport Tool [!]
    • Publishing Your Files Through Hero Lab
  • Special Tags
    • Actor Tags [!]
    • Identity Tags [!]
  • Actor Configuration
    • Sources [!]
      • Required Sources
      • Precluded Sources
    • Rule Sets and Contexts
  • Advanced Gizmos [!]
    • Editable Gizmos
    • Associating a Form
    • Setting Up a Default Thing
    • Buy Templates for Gizmos
    • Shadowing [!]
    • Displacement [!]
  • Transactions [!]
    • Buy vs. Sell
    • Quantity vs. Cash
    • Using Buy Templates for Customizing Selections (e.g. with choosers)
    • Transaction Tags
  • Dashboard
  • Tactical Console
    • Initiative
  • Design Philosophy
    • Development strategy
    • Designing Data Files
    • Iterative Evolution
  • Visual Interactive Behavior
    • Rules for auto-sizing and default sizing of portals
    • Where to use tables, choosers, menus, etc.
    • Showing items within tables
    • Choosing items within tables and choosers
    • Restricting available items within tables and choosers
    • Dual-purpose Headers on Tables [!]
    • Freezing portals
    • Tricks with templates and portals
    • Tricks with layouts, panels, forms, and sheets
    • Automatic placement mechanism for layouts and templates
  • Macros
  • References
  • Condition Tests
  • Hidden Things
  • Imposing Unwind Logic on Picks [!]
  • Minion and Master Relationships [!]
    • Masters Influencing Minions
    • Minions Influencing Masters
  • Adaptive Portfolio Loading
    • Load Mods
      • Source Maps
      • Field Maps
      • Silent Objects
    • Load Fixups
  • Configuring the Dice Roller [!]
  • Evaluation cycle
    • Relative timing of Leads vs. masters vs. minions
    • Rules for sequencing of tasks with the same phase and priority
  • Using Visual Resources [!]
    • Built-In Resources
    • Adding Custom Resources
    • Transparent Bitmaps
    • Managing Styles [!]