Coloring Guide
Contents
Overview
First, the help file on the game found via "help color" or "help @color"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Help topic for @color (aliases: color) testing which colors your client support Usage: @color ansi|xterm256
Prints a color map along with in-mud color codes to use to produce them. It also tests what is supported in your client. Choices are 16-color ansi (supported in most muds) or the 256-color xterm256 standard. No checking is done to determine your client supports color - if not you will see rubbish appear. Suggested: color, @ooc, ooc, look ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Use "help @color ansi" and/or "help @color xterm" to view the colors and related codes on the game. You can also view them via this link for the help file and ansi file and/or this link to view the array of xterm colors.
Using the Code to Color
Muse Program
There are programs out there that will allow you to write/draw/paste your craft or item of coloring choice and then click and color.
Talen's awesome coloring program! From the author: I've made a few minor bug fixes and alterations to Muse to tide us over until my replacement program is out. You'll now notice there's the greyscale again, we use the | prefix instead of {, it doesn't have the annoying newline code at the end each time something is converted, the useless header bar is gone for some more screen space, the font is slightly larger, so on and so forth.
- http://muse.arxmush.org
- also available here: http://muse.arxgame.org and http://52.30.104.49/
By Hand Method
I color "by hand" in notepad. I am going to do a quicky run down of how I colored my backpack. First, I had the following in notepad:
leather backpack with pale hued straps
<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>
This is not a duck.
<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>
Then I picked the color codes I wanted and I thought flowed well together. Sometimes this takes some trial and error. I ended up picking 310, 320, 120, 130, 132 and 135 in that order. Then I took the name and started adding the code:
- {nleather backpack with pale hued straps{n
- {n{310leather backpack with pale hued stra{310ps{n
- {n{310lea{320ther backpack with pale hued s{320tra{310ps{n
And so on until I ended up with:
- {n{310lea{320the{120r b{130ack{132pa{135ck with pa{132le h{130ue{120d s{320tra{310ps{n
You can maybe see why some people find a click and color program far easier. It often depends on what the project is and what level of coloring is involved.
Other Coloring Aides
Arx also provides some great commands that allow you to reveal the color code of an already colored object as well as do a fancy gradient without the type-type-type-type as exampled above.
Coloring Spreadsheet
http://tinyurl.com/arxcolor1 A spreadsheet that allows you to test out color flow by filling in squares with xterm color codes. Also has lines that will do some gradients based on exceptionally simple math. Still working on getting the gray scales to work with conditional formatting.
@Study
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Help topic for @study prints raw ansi codes for a name Usage: @study <obj>[=<player to send it to>] Prints raw ansi. Suggested: @guards ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Try it on the game with an object you are wearing or in your location. For example, if I "@study backpack" since Ida is wearing her backpack right now, I see:
Ida sent you this @study on leather backpack with pale hued straps:
Sent to Ida.
Escaped name: {n{310lea{320the{120r b{130ack{132pa{135ck with pa{132le h{130ue{120d s{320tra{310ps{n
Escaped desc: {c{n{310lea{320the{120r b{130ack{132pa{135ck with pa{132le h{130ue{120d s{320tra{310ps{n{n|/|/{n{310<{320<{120>{130>{132<{135<>{132>{130<{120<{320>{310>{310<{320<{120>{130>{132<{135<>{132>{130<{120<{320>{310>{310<{320<{120>{130>{132<{135<>{132>{130<{120<{320>{310>{310<{320<{120>{130>{132<{135<>{132>{130<{120<{320>{310>{310<{320<{120>{130>{132<{135<>{132>{130<{120<{320>{310>{n|/|/{320 This is not a duck.|/|/{n{310<{320<{120>{130>{132<{135<>{132>{130<{120<{320>{310>{310<{320<{120>{130>{132<{135<>{132>{130<{120<{320>{310>{310<{320<{120>{130>{132<{135<>{132>{130<{120<{320>{310>{310<{320<{120>{130>{132<{135<>{132>{130<{120<{320>{310>{310<{320<{120>{130>{132<{135<>{132>{130<{120<{320>{310>{n{n|/{wYou see:{n {n{015Bl{025ue C{035lo{045th Deliver{035y Bac{025kpa{015ck{n|/It is a leather backpack.|/Its level of craftsmanship is {gexceptional{n.|/It is currently unlocked.
@Gradient
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Help topic for @gradient @gradient - displays a string formatted with color codes Usage: @gradient <xxx>,<xxx>=<string to format> @gradient/reverse <xxx>,<xxx>=<string to format> @gradient takes two color code values and a string, then outputs the string with it changing colors through that range. If the reverse switch is specified, it will reverse colors halfway through the string. See @color xterm256 for a list of codes. Suggested: @retainer, @dicestring, @agent, @retainers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As an example, try the following on the game:
@gradient 005,555=Check It Out I'm Testing Gradient Code!
You should get back:
{005Check I{115t {225Out {335I'm Te{445sting Gradient Code!
@Gradient picks the first color you define and all the colors that follow in the sequence up to but NOT including the last one, as viewable above. It also does not add in the necessary leading {n that should be at the beginning and end of each name/string. To use what you got back above, the end result of your typing should look like this:
{n{005Check I{115t {225Out {335I'm Te{445sting Gradient Code!{n
