Guide to Zmud note/app/desc creation

[random_clown]

For those who go through the trouble of formatting/spell checking their notes in Word, text pad, or otherwise and find it time consuming and tedious to copy/paste into mud notes/apps...there is an easier way.

*This guide only applies for Zmud users, but I could either learn how to do it on other clients, or simply write a mod for them to do it. That is, if there is sufficient demand.

After you have your note properly formatted and ready to send, open Zmud's text editor. In fact, you may write the note from scratch here if you like.

Windows->Editor or Shift-Ctrl-Enter within Zmud

This will bring up a similar backdrop that you are accustomed to when playing. However, there are a few things to change to make this a note or app creator.

First go to Options->Prefix Toolbar. This will make quick editing of the note type easy. You will see a small box appear above the text window. What you put in this box will be added to the start of each line.

Now, decide what kind of note you want.

Is it an application?

Put "App + " in the prefix.

Is it a note?

Put "Note + " in the prefix.

Is it a description?

No prefix required! Just have the description editor open when it comes time to send the text in. There is a toggle to the left of the prefix text box. Switch it off if this is a description.

*note the space behind the "+" in each prefix.

The next setting will be to prevent you from sending in commands too fast. If you send them in with no delay, you will be disconnected from the mud.

Options->Preferences->Send Delay

I find that a send delay of 500(about half a second) fits quite well.

To make sure that your paragraph spacing gets properly carried through, you will have to set the blank likes to match your prefix.

Options->Preferences->Blank Line Replacement->Prefix(note +/App +/Blank)

When switching between application, notes, and descriptions, you might as well go directly to Options->Preferences as you will likely need to change both tese settings. Make sure that the blank line replacement and the prefix are the same.

Now, you have your prefix set or disabled, your delay set, and are ready to put all this text into the mud. Locate the "Send" button just above your prefix text field. By pressing this button, all text within the editor is sent to the mud and hopefully goes straight into whatever medium you wish.

Depending on the length of your text, you may need to split this up. A note or application may contain up to 4000 characters. Blank spaces (not between letters) and blank lines will not count towards this total. That being said, the total amount of lines depends on your formatting. Therefore, you may run a little over the first time, but once you know the average number of lines you use at max per note, this will be much easier.

Example: If you use an approximated 70 characters per line, and fill each line, then you will have about 55 filled lines available. If you wish to skip directly to that line so that you may send exactly that much then go to:

Edit->Goto Line->55

From there, highlight all the lines above that and instead of using "Send" you will use the button to the right of it "Send Selected."

As a general guide to any note/application/description writing, 70 characters per line is a good rule of thumb. Auto format of notes will take up to 75 characters per line. However, when formatting them yourself, I would recommend that you limit it to 70 characters per line. Be aware that you must change the font in MS Word if you want it to look similar to what it will within the mud. Courier appears to work well in this capacity.

I hope that some may benefit from this guide. Zmud has many great options that few take advantage of.

[Zrothum]

You get that special tool I was asking about done yet?

[The Once Duped Lemming]

There is a prefix command available to immortals. If they made it mort-usable it'd be cool. I think its mostly used for forces. Like prefix force Zrothum, then it makes it easier to make him slap himself, which is why 90% of want to be an imm. :-p