CMS For Dummies

CMS For Dummies é um tutorial em inglês feito por Mike Feo. O texto tenta ensina em passos básicos como pode se implementar um Custom Menu System (Sistemas de Menu Customizados, ou Personalizados) no RPG Maker 2000 (e provavelmente pro 2003) e também dá bases para criação de Custom Battle Systems. (Sistemas de Batalha Personalizados)

CMS for dummies V 0.5
By: Michael Feo
Creator of Silver Crystal
3%  done as of 6/8/02

Step one ( learning):
Yes, To make a CMS or CBS you need to learn! Just like school! Anyway
these are a few things you need to know:

1.1 Variables:
Variables are nifty little things. They can do so much its awesome.
They are essential in a CBS and I prefer using them instead of switches
in certain situations. Anyway, variables are used to store data. Like
for example, you can use them to record the place you want a picture to
appear or record the hero's position on the map. You can also use them
to record the amount of money your hero has. e.g. Merchant: You
currently have \V[N] GP. \V[n] shows variables value. (n is a number).
You can also use it for storing the hero level or even recording how
many times you've tried to escape from a battle. Leigon saga's duel
systems used variables to switch between pages. You also use variables
for a real-time game timer or certain day/night systems. Another nifty
thing, is they work great in a custom inn system. So in response,
variables can be many different things.

1.2 Switches:
switches are basically easy to explain. They have two options, On and
off. You can for example say after an event turn switch Diablo on. And
you can say in another event if switch Diablo is on display message:
"the switch Diablo is on!" Well, I guess that's it.

1.3 Enter Password:
This little thing is a little hard to explain, now you know about
variables you are ready to learn about the Enter Password Command. The
enter password command allows you to say if the person hits enter or
escape do this. When you make a Enter password command you are
inserting a number into a variable telling that a key was pressed. If
you make a Enter password and the person hits enter it is entering 5
into the variable. Simple enough!

1.4 Fork Conditions:
These things are essential in all CBS and CMS and all games in that
matter. They allow you to check if one thing is the same as another or
to check if a switch is on, a hero's name is this, Etc.

1.5 Lables:
Labels are a kind of marker in RM2K. They allow you to put a specific
code into one part. In the CMS I make I use labels.

1.6 GOTO label:
This code is a partner to the labels. What good is a label if you don't
say goto it? the goto label tells RM2K to goto the label you created in
that particular event.

1.6Show picture & move picture:
This should be basic enough. You create your custom menu in MS paint or
any kind of paint program an upload it to RM2K (it must be a .bmp) then
you say show picture and type in the X and Y coordinates were you want
the menu placed. You do the same thing for the cursors. Move picture
allows you to move the picture around. Both these are required in CMS
and CBS.

Step 2:

2.1 Creating the call menu:
Now, that you learned all about everything you are ready to start
making a CMS. Now, first thing you need to do when making a CMS is
create the call event. Go into Common events (if you don't know were
that is look it up in the help file) and name the common event call
menu or something. Then make it a Parallel process and have a
conditions switch set to a switch called menuavail or something.
Then create an enter Password and assign it to a variable. Now make
sure EVERYTHING IS CHECKED. Once you did that create a Fork conditions
with the variable you assigned the enter password to and say same as 6.
then in the fork say change switch (create a switch called menuon or
something).

2.2 Destroying the regular menu system:
This is easy. Just in your game in the introduction or somewhere in the
beginning say disable menu and say Change switch menuavail on (or
whatever you set your switch to the call menu).

2.3 Creating the menu:
First make a common events and have it an Auto start and have the
condition switch menuon on (or whatever switch you set in step 2.1 was)
then say erase picture from 1-20 ( it may take some time but it will
keep stray Pictures from your game coming into your CMS). Then say show
picture of your CMS picture and your cursor. Set it to wherever you
want it placed (MAKE SURE THE CURSOR AND CMS PICTURE ARE SET TO
DIFFERENT PICTURE NUMBERS). Then say GOTO label 1. Then Create a label
1. Under label 1 say enter password and assign it to a variable. Then
say fork conditions to whatever should be pressed. Remember:
1=down
2=left
3=right
4=up
5=enter button (enter,spacebar, etc.)
6=cancel button (esc,b,etc.)

Now in the fork conditions to those numbers put what would happen. Make
sure to say move picture to your cursor. And maybe add a sound effect.
If your menu has 2 or more options create more labels and goto labels.

THAT'S IT! GOOD LUCK!
-Michael Feo