Feb 11, 2012

Animated CMS Frequently Asked Questions


IMPORTANT

This  FAQ only covers issues specific to the Animated Custom Menu System. For more general issues, please refer to the general FAQ.



Customization issues


Can I develop my own theme for ACMS? How difficult is it?

Abolutely, that's its very purpose - I didn't make it so that so many customization options are available for nothing. Making your own custom theme is as difficult as making your own graphics and putting them in the appropriate folders instead of the ones that come with the download package. You might also want to edit the Animations using the database editor - so there's nothing out of the ordinary there. Finally, you'd have to edit a few constants in the script editor, but it's nothing too big, besides all options are documented individually so you know exactly what you're doing.


Need my custom pictures be the exact same size as the original ones to be positioned properly?
Absolutely not. The script takes in account the size of your pictures to determine where to place them on the screen. Possible limites are purely aesthetical (for example, if you make pictures too big, the sprites may overlap/not fit in the screen). Also, if changing a picture's size makes things funny, check whether there's an option set for this very purpose (for example actor portraits' left padding on status sprites).


I don't like the windows layout/party member's info layout/type of info displayed at the bottom of the main menu, can this be changed?
Of course. This only requires basic scripting skills, so I won't cover those issues personally. If you really can't do it by yourself, there are many communities around with member who will be glad to help you on this. Please understand that I can't keep on rewriting my scripts to fit everyone's whims, especially provided I'm always working very hard to maximize the customization options.



Functional issues

About the Party selection feature - can I disable the menu to restrict the player from choosing unavailable actors?
You cannot disable the Party menu as such, however you can make actors unavailable for selection by simply using the "Remove actor from party" event command. Likewise, adding a party member this way also makes it available for selection, even if the party is full at the moment.


About the Biography feature - can I display other information than the basic age/sex/race?
Absolutely. Try and edit the bio setup, it's like a blank sheet of paper. Actors need event not have the exact same features, or they may be listed in a different order.



Compatibility issues


I use my own custom title screen. Can I use ACMS's menus, but not its title screen, to retain mine?
Yes. Just ignore ACMS's Scene_Title entry while copying the script to your project. Same goes for any other unwanted scenes, by the way, since they're all independant from each other.


I've tried to use another script which modified the behavior of a menu scene along with ACMS - the scene works fine, but there's a black screen fade-in/out, and the background graphics don't appear. How can I fix that?
First off, you have to convert your scene to a Scene_Base subclass if it isn't already the case (see there). Then, you have to make your scene recognized as a specific ACMS-menu. In order to do this, just write the following line right after the declaration of the class (class Your_Scene < Scene_Base):
  Scene_Base.type_menu << self
Right after, put that another line to include ACMS specific commands to your scene:
  include Scene_Menu_Base
Then you have to call Scene_Menu_Base's menubase_setup from your scene's setup method, right before anything else:
  def setup
    super
    menubase_setup
    ... (original code)
  end
As a final edit, call Scene_Menu_Base's menubase_update from your scene's update methode, also at the beginning. The "return unless" part makes your scene wait for fade-in/fade-out to terminate before doing anything else.
  def update
    super
    return unless menubase_update
    ... (original code)
  end
Then, you might want to read the following topic.


I've tried to use another script which modified the behavior of a menu scene along with ACMS - the scene works fine, but it appears bluntly without windows moving in. How can I fix that?
First, you need to convert your scene to ACMS's specific architecture using the previous topic. Once this is done, you have to set each window's movement. At the end of the scene's setup method, write a line like the following for each of window:
  @window_variable.set_move_from(start_x, start_y)
Replace @window_variable with the appropriate variable name, and start_x/start_y with the window's desired postion before transition.



Graphical issues

Battle-specific options (Attack/Defend) are still written in plain font, while Items/Skills have a picture. Can I also make a picture for those options?
Of course. You can do a picture for virtually any text, wherever it may appear in the game. Just make a picture you name "Attack.png" and put it in the Graphics/ACMS/Texts folder.


There are no numbers beside HP/SP bars in battle scenes, can this be modified?
Yes. Numbers display was disabled by default for mere space issues. If you want number display enabled by default, search the script's Window_Base entry for the following (line 52):
  def draw_actor_hp(actor, x, y, width = 144, text = false)
Replace text = false with text = true. Do the same with (line 83):
  def draw_actor_sp(actor, x, y, width = 144, text = false)
And you're all set.

14 comments:

  1. How to install Rpg maker xp base engine?

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    Replies
    1. This is not ACMS related question. Besides, if you're referring to the issue you were talking about in your last comment, it doesn't seem to me like it's a problem with your installation of the RPG Maker XP Base Engine bundle, you'd be getting a different error otherwise. Hence the need for more details and thus a proper error report. Anyways I can't explain how to install script bundles better than I did in my tutorials. Even though it seems you've done something incorrectly, I'm trying to help you with your issue, so please follow my instructions.

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    2. okay , fin i get error Utizialize constant ITEMS

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    3. http://moonpearl-gm.blogspot.com/p/frequently-asked-questions.html

      How should I report an error?
      Any communication medium is fine, as long as I get your message. However, please provide me with the best information you could give, including:
      The FULL error message (error type, entry and line number at which the error occurs, message).
      Circumstances under which the error occurs (sometimes there can be several of them, knowing that helps to pinpoint the error's exact cause).
      Circumstances under which you'd expect the error to occur as well, but which remain clear.
      What other scripts you are using.
      Whatever you tried to do in order to fix the issue, and what it did.

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  2. Hi MoonPearl. Awesome Script. I noticed that because Window_Help has been moved to fit into the new menu interface that in battle the enemy select is in a very odd position covering some of the enemies. Is there an easy way to fix this?

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    Replies
    1. When you select a skill that targets a hero a nice little help window is at the top of the screen, but when you are in the enemy select the help window is drawn further down and covering the battlefield. I have never used Ruby before so I'm not sure where or how to fix this.

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    2. Oh never mind it was appearing at the top because I changed the Window_Help to super(0, 0, 640, 64) instead of super(336, 144, 288, 152). But is there any way to make Window_Help change to (0, 0, 640, 64) only when in a battle, so the menus don't get messed up?

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  3. I just installed the script and everything seems to work ok but in the title screen the graghic cursor to show your on "New Game, Load, or Shutdown" is invisible. for now I just plug and played so I could get a feel for the script. I have made sure to copy over ALL graphics from your demo. Any ideas as to what im missing?

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    Replies
    1. Srry I forgot to say; I haven't edited or changed anything, yet.

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  4. Hi :) I love the ACMS but have some trouble with it. I've got an Error Message "Script 'Scene_Title' Line 45:NoMethod Error occured. undefined method 'frames' for nil:NilClass " Well, that line states " @animation_count = $data_animations[id].frames.size * 2"

    What I did before that happened:
    In Script "Constants-Project Settings" I changed
    the number in Line 39 to 0 because I don't want an animation there.
    ANIMATION_DECIDE = 0

    What Can I do?

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  5. Sorry, kind of a newbie. Could you point me in the direction of where you have the downloads located, I can't find any on your sitemap

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  6. Hi, i am creating a project with a couple friends.None of us are really competent when it comes to scipting, but your scrips look like amazing and we would love to use them. However in the Script Manager, I am receiving the error; "In MP Animated Custom Menu System > Sprite_Window line 129: undefined method 'width for nil:NillClass"
    Would you be able to give some insight on how to fix this?

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    Replies
    1. never mind, i seem to have fixed this. However it cannot seem to find the Graphics/Icons/Examine. I have made this in the project folder, and am a tad confused.

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  7. I'm not sure if you read this anymore, but there's a flaw in the ACMS script I want to troubleshoot. While your windows are reshaped to fit within your custom menu, it has the consequence of carrying over the new window style into battles, which makes it rather obstructive. Do you know how it can be modified to only affect the menu and not battle scenes? Or the inverse: make a script page that affects the battle windows? The script is otherwise intricate and gorgeous!

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