2nd textbox popup from text link (Help?)

[broseph]

Sorry if this is a really dumb question to ask but I'm on a major time crunch and I'm having trouble figuring this out.

I'm making an RPG/Quiz game similar to the math game Prodigy as my final project for an Education and Technology class I'm taking. I've got everything running the way I want it to but the professor now wants me to include a feature that gives students the definition of vocabulary words or other language translations of that word if they can't remember what they mean.

For example if the battle/Quiz question is "What elements make up the compound commonly known as salt?" then I need to figure out a way for students to select the word "compound" and have a second textbox pop up with the definition for compound.

Is this even possible? Or do I just need to add "What is a compound?" as the last choice selection and have it go to a definition textbox before returning to the original question (which seems clunky).

Thank you for any help you guys can give me!

 

[Heirukichi]

I don't see how you can do it unless you make your whole test message a selectable window with words being buttons. To do that I am sure you need a script since you have to define a few methods for that window class and you have to make it so that translations pop up when you select one (that requires methods).

If I think carefully about it there are three ways around to make the player able to do something like that without actually using scripts. If your teacher only wants results then probably this will work, if the task was meant to teach you how to script something like that then this probably won't do.

Here are a few ways of doing this:

1. Create a window using a script call having the same text as your message and use avoid message with transparent background only to take advantage of the default interaction upon pressing buttons. Once this has been done you only have to display a square image (you have to create it based on your word size) and you have to place it above the window on your word "compound". After doing that add some "Show choice" with just one option - like "translation" or anything that you think fits. If the player cancels you erase the image and go on with the event, if the player selects "translation" you then get rid of your window and image and show a message containing the translation.
2. If you are using a mouse script (I do not know your circumstances so this might be not allowed) you can show a window containing your message and a blank transparent message - as in the previous example - then create a circle around your word if the cursor is over it. This requires scripting.
3. You could just have a "Show Choices" option after your message with 2 options: "compound translation" or just cancel to continue. This won't be as visually likeable as he other two but it is still quite effective.

Keep in mind that in order to create windows and display them you need script calls and so you need to write them in ruby. I made a tutorial for popup windows upon interacting with doors. I know this is not what you need but if you follow just the second step you have informations about how to create popup windows. That should work for you.

I hope this helps you.

 

[broseph]

I hope this helps you.

Your suggestions were quite helpful, thank you! She doesn't require scripting, just a finished product that can help students learn so I've got some flexibility with how to go about this.

Thanks!

 

[Heirukichi]

You're welcome! Actually if you want more freedom script calls are quite useful expecially if you don't want to write a full script. If you learn how to use them properlyyou'll find them to be quite the powerful tool.