Creating Objects and Rooms
This part of the enCore guide will help you create your own objects to
use in enCore. Examples of objects that you can make include recorders,
notebooks, web projectors, and notebooks. Rooms are also a kind of object,
but since making rooms is a little different from making other kinds of
objects, they'll be covered in the making rooms part
of the guide.
If you want more help with handling and working with objects, see the
working with objects for basic information
and objects help for detailed instructions
for how to operate specific objects.
Using the object editor 
To create objects, you need to open the object editor. To do this,
click on the objects button on the button bar.
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This will open a separate window called the object editor (or enCore
Xpress Editor) on top of your enCore session window.
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In the object editor, you can work with an object that you already own,
get a list of all the objects you own, or create a new object.
To work with an object you already own, type its number into the box
and click on the view button. The screen will refresh and you will
see editing options for the object you want to work with.
To get a list of objects that you already own, click on the my objects
button. The screen will refresh and you will see a list of all your
objects.
To create a new object, click on the create object button.
See a movies demonstration of creating a new Note object.
Creating a new object
When you click on the create object button, the screen refreshes
and a list of various objects you could create is displayed in the left
hand column of the object editor.
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If you wanted to make a recorder, for example, you would click on the
Generic Recorder and Player link. enCore will then take you through a
series of screens to customize your object. For more specific help on
particular objects, see the objects help
part of this guide.
The first screen asks you to type in a name for the object that you want
to create. You come up with a name that will identify your object (e.g.,
Erin's Recorder, MyTapeMachine, etc., etc.).
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After you have typed in a name for your object, click on the create
button to create your new object.
The next screen displays your new object. The icon on top will show what
kind of object it is. For example, the object in this screen is a recorder,
so there is a tape icon displayed. The screen also shows who owns the
object and where it is located within enCore. When you make an object
(except for rooms) its default location is your character. You are "carrying"
the object. Before the object will be visible inside enCore, you must
"drop" it into a location inside enCore. (For more about this,
see the working with objects part of the guide.)
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If you do not want to change anything about the object, you can close
the object editor. If you want to change or customize the object's description
and properties now, click on the Edit Options drop-down list.
Editing objects you already own
You can edit an object at any time by returning to the object editor.
Three ways exist to reopen the object editor:
- Click the Objects button and type the number of the object
into the view textbox (use the # sign).
- Open the object and click on the blue pencil (this is probably the
easiest way)
- Click the My Stuff button on the button bar to open your
inventory of objects. Find the object you wish to edit, and click
on the blue pencil.
See movie demonstrating three ways to open the object editor.
Editing an object
When you click on the edit objects drop down list, you are presented
with various options that you can change, including the object's description,
changing the multimedia content for an object, and editing other options
that the object might have.
Editing an Object's Name and Aliases
To change the name and aliases for your object, select Edit Name and
Aliases from the drop down menu.
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Type the new name that you want to use into the boxes, and add any aliases/nicknames
you want to include after it. Separate the names with commas. Click on
the Save changes button to save your changes.
Changing an object's description and information
enCore allows you to have a description of the object that will be displayed
when someone clicks on the link for your object. The description will
be displayed in either the talk area or the viewing area, depending on
the kind of content that you include. The object's description can include
text, images, multimedia content, ASCII art, and an icon that shows up
next to the object''s link in the viewing area.
Changing the text of an object's description
To change the text of an object's description, select Edit description
from the drop down menu.
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Type (or copy and paste) the text of the object's description into the
Description: box, and click on the Save Changes button to
save your changes.
Customizing the appearance of text, links, and background in an object's
description
You can change how the text, links, and background for an object's description
will appear in the viewing area of enCore. To change how these elements
will appear, select Edit object appearance from the drop down menu.
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You can choose a new font type, size, and color; colors for links, visited
links, and active links; and a new background color from the drop down
lists. If you want to use an image for your background, you will need
to have the image saved on a web server and then copy and paste the entire
web address (including http://) into the background image URL box.
Click on the Save changes button to save your changes.
Adding multimedia content to an object's description
enCore will allow you to embed pictures, Flash animations, movies, and
sound into an object's description. These options will show up when you
or someone else clicks on the link for your object. If you want to include
these options in your object's description, you will need to store pictures,
Flash animations, movies, sound, or any other multimedia content on another
web server, and you will need to know the complete web address for the
content you wish to include.
To add (or change) multimedia content for your character, select Edit
Multimedia content from the drop down menu.
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If you want to include sound only, type (or copy and paste) the complete
URL (including http://) into the audio content box.
If you want to include visuals (or movies, or Flash animations) type
(or copy and paste) the complete URL (including http://) into the audio
content box.
You can change the height, width, and alignment of any visual content
by entering different values into the height and width boxes, and selecting
a different alignment from the drop down list.
Click on the Save changes button to save your changes.
Adding ASCII art to an object's description
To add an ASCII art drawing that you've created to your object's description,
select Edit ASCII Art from the drop down menu.
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Type (or copy and paste) your ASCII art drawing into the ASCII Drawing/Art
box.
Click on the Save changes button to save your changes.
Adding a new icon for an object
If you want to add a new icon for your object that will be displayed
next to the link for your character, you will need to store the icon on
another web server and know its complete web address.
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To change the icon displayed next to your object in enCore, select Edit
icon from the drop down menu.
Type (or copy and paste) the web address (including http://) for the
icon into the Icon: box.
Click on the Save changes button to save your changes.
See a movie demonstrating editing a Note's appearance, background, and
graphics.
Special Object Options
Some objects have unique options depending on what they do. For example,
a web projector has a web slides option
for loading a list of the websites that it will project. You can access
the other options for an object by choosing them from the edit objects
drop down list, making your changes, and then clicking on the save
changes button.
When you are done editing the options on your object, make sure that
you have saved the changes by clicking on the appropriate button(s), and
then close the object editor window.
Placing an Object Where You Want It
When you make an object (except for rooms) its default location is your
character. You are "carrying" the object. Perhaps you want an
object to be in your pocket (so to speak) so that you can pull it out
for use wherever you might be in enCore; however, most times you will
want to place the object in a specific location.
In order to place an object, you will need to "drop" it. Navigate
to where you want the object to be, and then type: drop object
. For example, it the object were a note named "Essay #1" you
would type this command in the command window: drop Essay #1
Type 'look' or click the LOOK button to see if the new object shows up
in its new location. To lock the object in that location so someone can't
walk off with it, click the lock icon .(For
more about this, see the working with objects
part of the guide.)
Creating and Editing Rooms
Rooms are objects, just like everything else in enCore. However, they
are a special kind of object, because they form part of the geography
of enCore via connections to other rooms. Different kinds of rooms have
different kinds of features.
See a movie demonstration of creating a room.
To make a room, you first open the object editor by clicking on the objects
button on the button bar.
You then click on the create object button.
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To make a room, you click on the category of the room that you want to
create. If you are unsure as to what kind of room you wish to create,
click on the generic room link. enCore will then display the following
screen:
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The first option on the screen asks you to give your room a name.
The other options allow you to connect your room with other rooms that
you own.
- To do this, click on the drop down list to select a room from the
list of rooms that you own.
- Then type in a name for what the entrance to the room should be called
in the box after entrance. This is the name that will be displayed in
the links category in the new room.
- Then type a name for what the exit leading back to the room from the
other room should be called. This is the name that will be displayed
in the links category in the other room.
Note: If you have never created a room before, enCore will create
your first room without connecting it to any other room in enCore. It
will also set this room as your home in enCore, the place you appear when
you first log on unless you have changed your home by using the @sethome
command. You will need an enCore administrator to connect your new room
to the rest of enCore.
Click on the create button when you are finished to create your room.
The following screen will then appear:
To edit the room's description, click on the select edit
option drop down list. This will take you into the editing
screen. You can edit the a room just like any other object.
If you do not want to edit an object but want to go to your new room,
click on the go to room button.
If you're done creating rooms, click on the close button to close
the object editor.
Getting help on using rooms
Below you will find help texts on using the different kinds of rooms.
You can also find help by using the help files within enCore.
To get help on using rooms, you can click on the light bulb icon that
appears in the viewing area when you are looking at a room. You can also
type help here in the command window and see the help for the room
you are in displayed in the talk area. This help will give you a list
of commands and features for the room and how to use them.You can also
examine the room you are in by typing @examine here into the command
window. This will give you more information about a room. You can also
open up the help browser by clicking on the Help button in the
button bar and doing a search for more help.
Below are links to more specific help for using rooms:
See the objects help portion of this
guide for more advanced features of manipulating objects.
Note: All of these functions for creating and editing objects can be
done through inputting commands. This guide does not cover these commands.
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