[deepblue99]

I'm afraid I can't answer your question, but seeing as you are the only other person in forums at this time, do you know how to make multiple messages using a single event? I just started today so this is all quite beyond me.

[Axem]

It's not really nice to hijack someone else's topic...

To answer your query, if you're using FRED Open, use the send-message-list sexp. The only thing to watch out there is the delay is in milliseconds, not seconds (1 second = 1000 milliseconds). If you're using retail, you'll have to use chained events for each message.

[deepblue99]

Sorry my bad but how do I know if I am using retail or open?

[deepblue99]

and in the event I am using the bad one (where I would have to do chain events) how do I do chain events, because I have just started today and I am completely clueless as to what I am doing.

[Axem]

Does the title bar say FRED2 or FRED2_Open? That will be your first clue into what you are using.

And if you're just starting out with FRED, I would highly recommend you do the included tutorials. They should've been included with your FreeSpace installation. It should be in /data/freddocs/ in your FreeSpace folder.

[deepblue99]

It does say FRED2, so I guess I am with the retail.  I am using the tutorials I got from the "help" menu within the program, but it doesnt go exactly step by step as to how the events and operations work... and its confusing.

[Axem]

The section you're looking for is probably the Extended Walkthrough, but it does reference stuff in the topics before it so unless you've figured out the basics, I'd recommend reading through it all.

[wistler]

To have conversation style messages i created an event where the first message is triggered. Then if you make a following event and click the chained option beside it, it will automatically run on from the first. I usually put the delay as 10 second so as to give the person time to read the writting, but its at your discression.

[BlueFlames]

To answer your query, if you're using any version of FRED Open, use the send-message-list sexp.  The only thing to watch out there is the delay is in milliseconds, not seconds (1 second = 1000 milliseconds).  If you're using retail, you'll have to use chained events for each message.

Fixed.

The send-message-list SEXP exists in retail FRED2 (though I don't know about FRED1), but it is in the big 'change' catagory in the right-click SEXP menu and far removed from the send-message SEXP.

[Axem]

Well what do you know, it is there... Geez, who organized that sexp list? I never noticed it in Retail FRED before (not that I've actually used it for more than an hour ).

[BlueFlames]

I never noticed it in Retail FRED before (not that I've actually used it for more than an hour).

Probably better that you don't go assuming what resources are and aren't available for retail FRED-users, then. 

[Axem]

Not quite assuming... I did go look (ok glanced) in Retail FRED for send-message-list in case my already present assumption was wrong. Which I guess, was um, wrong anyway.

[Stormkeeper]

You can just use send-message-list. Note that the timing is not cumulative, so when queueing up multiple messages, the time variable there is how long do you want the list to 'wait' for the current message.

This is a sample message list, highlighted in red:


Note that I'm using the latest (I think) FRED build 20081107T, which shows how long the entire list will take to play out. Pretty helpful imo. Lots of thanks to whoever put it in.

[karajorma]

It's not how long the message will take. It's just the number of the argument. It's just cause you have a 5 second delay between messages that it appears that way.

[Stormkeeper]

I got all happy poppy for nothing.

[Polpolion]

It's not how long the message will take. It's just the number of the argument. It's just cause you have a 5 second delay between messages that it appears that way.

Is that a 5 second delay from the ending or start of the previous message?

[karajorma]

Start.

Without voice files they'd all scroll up the screen faster than you could read them otherwise.