How to Use Message Popup Rule

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The information in this Wiki Page applies to TANE, TRS19 and Trainz Plus. This page describes how to configure the Message Popup Rule.

LinkWiki.PNG

For examples of how to use this rule in Sessions see the Trainz Wiki Page at:-


Contents


In Summary:
DotPoint.JPG The Message Popup Rule is a Trainz Session Rule that creates onscreen messages for users in Driver Mode.
DotPoint.JPG The rule provides you with three different ways of creating an onscreen message:-
  • a simple (custom) text message with an optional graphic
  • a full HTML (web) page
  • a string table entry in a config.txt file


The Message Popup Rule is added to a Session and configured using the WikiLink.PNG Session Editor in Surveyor. The rule will open a browser window on the screen in Driver Mode that will remain on the screen until it is closed by the user or by another rule. There are three ways the message window can be created.

DotPoint1Blue.png with a HTML (Web) Page
DotPoint2Blue.png with a Custom Message
DotPoint3Blue.png with a String Table Message
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Using a HTML Page

The settings shown in this example will direct Trainz to load the message from a HTML file in a HTML asset.

MessagePopup1.JPG

LinkWiki.PNG

For more information, see the Trainz Wiki Page at:-


Gears.PNG Settings:

PortalOptionButtonFilled.PNG A pre-defined HTML page (advanced)
In This Example:

CheckBox.PNG Pause game while message is displayed - this will halt the game play until the window is closed. This may be needed if you have a long introductory HTML information page, otherwise leave unchecked
CheckBox.PNG Close previous message popup windows - this is usually a good idea unless you want multiple message windows open.
Message location: Top left of the screen has been chosen as the location for the message window. Other positions are Top right, Bottom left and Bottom right
HTML Asset: General Purpose Session HTML one of the HTML assets installed with Trainz
HTML Page: right_away.html which is a HTML file inside the General Purpose Session HTML asset
HTML Wave: General Purpose Session HTML HTML asset contains the optional sound file to be played
Wav Name: all-aboard.wav is the optional sound file to be played
CheckBox.PNG Autoplay Wav - the sound will be played when the page is displayed

NotePad.PNG Notes:

  • Knowledge of HTML, as used by Trainz, will probably be required for this option.
  • The HTML page (with filename extension ".html") must be in a Trainz asset of type HTML.
  • Graphics and a limited set of HTML effects are possible.
  • The sound file settings HTML Wave and Wave Name are optional.
  • If a sound file is to be played when the message is displayed then it must be of type WAV (with filename extension ".wav") and must be in a Trainz asset of type HTML. It does not have to be in the same HTML asset as the HTML page.
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Using a Custom Message

The settings shown in this example will direct Trainz to load the message from text entered in the Custom Message box.

MessagePopup3.JPG

Gears.PNG Settings:

PortalOptionButtonFilled.PNG Custom text
In This Example:

CheckBoxOff.PNG Pause game while message is displayed - game play will not be paused
CheckBox.PNG Close previous message popup windows - this is usually a good idea unless you want multiple message windows open
Message location: Top left of the screen has been chosen as the location for the message window. Other positions are Top right, Bottom left and Bottom right
Custom Message - the message entered into the text box will be displayed
Icon - the selected optional icon will be displayed
No optional sound has been added

NotePad.PNG Notes:

  • No knowledge of HTML is required for this option.
  • You can select and display an optional icon with the message.
  • You are no longer limited in the number of lines of text you can add. Although the popup window will only show 7 lines, a vertical scroll bar will appear for longer messages.
  • Text only can be entered (box cannot be left blank). Some HTML markup is acceptable, for example italic and bold tags.

LinkWiki.PNG

For more information, see the Trainz Wiki Page at:-

MessagePopup2a.JPG The custom message popup created by the example shown above


PencilTips.PNG To find additional graphic icons that can be added to the Message Popup window, use Content Manager and set a Custom Filter to search for:-
  • Category select Texture- Not Environmental
  • Name type icon
  • On Download Station select True
Not all those shown will be suitable. Double click a possible icon to display its details before downloading.


LinkWiki.PNG

For information on how to create your own Message Popup Icons, see the Trainz Wiki Page at:-

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Using a String-Table Message

The settings shown in this example will direct Trainz to load the message from text stored in the config.txt string table of a specified HTML asset.

MessagePopup4.JPG

Gears.PNG Settings:

PortalOptionButtonFilled.PNG A pre-defined string-table entry from a HTML asset (advanced)
In This Example:

CheckBoxOff.PNG Pause game while message is displayed - game play will not be paused
CheckBox.PNG Close previous message popup windows - this is usually a good idea unless you want multiple message windows open
Message location: Top left of the screen has been chosen as the location for the message window. Other positions are Top right, Bottom left and Bottom right
HTML Asset: General Purpose Session HTML one of the HTML assets installed with Trainz
String Table Token: html_warning_late the string table token in the config.txt file of the General Purpose Session HTML asset contains the message to be displayed
HTML Wave: General Purpose Session HTML HTML asset contains the optional sound file to be played
Wav Name: all-aboard.wav is the optional sound file to be played
CheckBox.PNG Autoplay Wav - the sound will be played when the page is displayed

NotePad.PNG Notes:

  • The config.txt file of the HTML asset must have a string-table container which holds all the text messages to be displayed.
  • The string-table token is the "tag" which identifies the message text in the config.txt file.

n is the "tag" which identifies the message text in the config.txt file.</td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table>
For example, the config.txt file of the asset General Purpose Session HTML contains the following:-

string-table
    {
        html_warning_late       "You are running late!"
    }

...which will produce the message "You are running late!" from the Message Popup Rule settings shown above.

LinkWiki.PNG

For more information, see the Trainz Wiki Page at:-

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Alternatives to the Message Popup Rule

RulesWiki.PNG There are other HTML message window rules that are alternatives to the Message Popup rule. A few possibilities are:-


Related Links

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This page was created by Trainz user pware in April 2018 and was last updated as shown below.


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