6 - GTAC Menus

6.1 - Project
6.2 - Playtest

Clicking the mouse Menu button in any !GTAC window will open a menu. This menu has four fields: Info, Project, Playtest and Quit.

The Info option will give information about the current version of GTAC, its Author and Publisher.

Quit will kill the application. If you are editing an adventure, you will be offered the chance to save it to disc before leaving.

6.1 - Project

Sliding the mouse pointer on the right of the Project field will open a submenu with the following options: Info, New project, Save current, Close current and Export data.

Sliding the mouse pointer on the right of the Info option will open the About this Project dialogue box.

Here you can find information about the current project and its author: you can edit the latter by clicking with Select on the corresponding icon to position the caret. Then just type your name and press Return.

The New project option is used to start writing a new adventure from scratch. Sliding the mouse pointer on the right of the New project field will open a standard RISC OS save box. Type in the name of your adventure, beginning with "!", and drag the filer icon in your favourite directory viewer. An empty adventure structure will be created and several windows will open: you are ready to start.

The Save current option is used to store permanently every change you have carried out to your adventure. No save box will open as GTAC already knows where your adventure files are kept. It is exactly the same option offered by the Disc icon button in the Control Window.

The Close current option is the most important one: it will permanently prevent your adventure from being loaded into !GTAC and edited anymore.

No one will therefore be allowed to change it or examine it for solution. As this is an irreparable action, you will be asked for confirmation. Anyway, you would better keep an open copy of your project, just in case you discover a bug or want to change something. You have been advised!

Note that a closed adventure is a stand alone application and therefore can be run by double-clicking on its filer icon.

Selecting the Export data option will open the Export Data Window. Here you can choose which parts of your project you want to export as pure text.

You can choose to export rooms, flags and status variable declarations and in which range.

If you select Text only you will be able to import all room descriptions in a text editor and spell-check them.

Once you have set everything up, just click on the Export icon button: you will be presented a standard RISC OS save box. Drag the text filer icon either in a directory viewer to save it or onto the Printers Driver application icon bar icon to print it or into an editor.

6.2 - Playtest

Sliding the mouse pointer on the right side of the Playtest field will open a sub menu with the following options: Save status, Status, Inventory and Restart. This sub menu contains the same options present in the finished stand alone game.

The Save status option is used during a game to save the current game situation in order to restore it later. Slide the mouse pointer on the right side of the Save status field and drag the filer icon in an appropriate directory viewer. While playing, if you want to restore the saved game, drag its Data filer icon on the icon bar icon to load it.

The Status option will open the Status Window, just like clicking Adjust on the Variables icon in the Control Window.

The Inventory option will open the Inventory Window, just like clicking Adjust on the Edit items icon in the Control Window.

The Restart option will reinitialise all flags and variables and will restart the game from room 1.

Happy Adventuring

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