Fiction Viewer - Revision history

Mobius: /* Syntax */

2026-08-01T12:25:30Z

Syntax

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:25, 1 August 2026
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	$File: r1-2-fiction.txt		$File: r1-2-fiction.txt

	$Font: sans		$Font: sans

	$Voice: 1-2 janus.ogg		$Voice: 1-2 janus.ogg
	</pre>		</pre>

Qweqwe321 at 17:22, 31 July 2026

2026-07-31T17:22:41Z

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 *The fiction viewer requires additional interface art not provided by Volition, since this is a FSO enhancement. Without this, the game will not be able to display the fiction viewer and will skip right to the standard briefing (or command briefing). These files are available in mv_core in the mediavps, or you can download them separately from http://blueplanet.fsmods.net/E/fictionviewer.7z. The files in that archive must be extracted into the mod's data/interface folder.
 *There are two modes for the fiction viewer. The default one is the "FS2" style, which retains the standard layout used by the FS2 interface art. The other is the "Wing Commander Saga" style, which moves the "Accept" button to the lower left side of the screen, and is customized for the interface art style of WCS. If you have interface art for the "WCS" style, you need to use  "fictionviewerb" as the filename for the main interface background, and a fitting interface mask file named "fictionviewer-mb.pcx". For the 1024x768 resolution art, the filenames must be prefixed with "2_" (2_fictionviewerb, for example).
 ==General notes==

TopAce: formatting + refreshing link

2020-11-30T13:03:52Z

formatting + refreshing link

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:03, 30 November 2020
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	[[Image:2_fictionviewer.png\|thumb\|right\|250px\|The Fiction Viewer, FS2 style (click to enlarge)]][[Image:FictionViewer.jpg\|thumb\|right\|250px\|The Fiction Viewer (Wing Commander Saga style) with the first few paragraphs of [http://web.archive.org/web/20010308090656/vbb.volition-inc.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001723.html Tell A Story] (click to enlarge)]]		[[Image:2_fictionviewer.png\|thumb\|right\|250px\|The Fiction Viewer, FS2 style (click to enlarge)]][[Image:FictionViewer.jpg\|thumb\|right\|250px\|The Fiction Viewer (Wing Commander Saga style) with the first few paragraphs of [http://web.archive.org/web/20010308090656/vbb.volition-inc.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001723.html Tell A Story] (click to enlarge)]]


	'''Fiction Viewer''' is a feature of [[Source Code Project\|FreeSpace Open]] 3.6.10 implemented by [[User:Goober5000\|Goober5000]]. It is sort of an advanced Command Briefing that mission designers could use to deepen the story that they want to tell without using the actual Command Briefing.		'''Fiction Viewer''' is a feature of [[Source Code Project\|FreeSpace Open]] 3.6.10 implemented by [[User:Goober5000\|Goober5000]]. It is sort of an advanced Command Briefing that mission designers could use to deepen the story that they want to tell without using the actual Command Briefing.
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	==External links==		==External links==
	*[http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,50565.0.html Fiction Viewer release thread]		*[http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,50565.0.html Fiction Viewer release thread]
	*[~~http~~://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=~~70692~~.0 Official FreeSpace Open 3.7.0 release thread] (~~There are newer builds, but this one the~~ most stable ~~one~~)		*[https://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=96226.0 Official FreeSpace Open 19.0.0 release thread] (most recent stable release)

	[[Category:FRED]]		[[Category:FRED]]
	[[Category:Source Code Project]]		[[Category:Source Code Project]]

Yarn: 3.6.12 is very old; updating the link to 3.7.0

2013-09-03T19:27:22Z

3.6.12 is very old; updating the link to 3.7.0

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:27, 3 September 2013
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	==External links==		==External links==
	*[http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,50565.0.html Fiction Viewer release thread]		*[http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,50565.0.html Fiction Viewer release thread]
	*[http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=70692.0 Official FreeSpace Open 3.6.12 release thread] (There are newer builds, but this one the most stable one)		*[http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=70692.0 Official FreeSpace Open 3.7.0 release thread] (There are newer builds, but this one the most stable one)

	[[Category:FRED]]		[[Category:FRED]]
	[[Category:Source Code Project]]		[[Category:Source Code Project]]

The E: Updating linkage

2011-04-13T20:07:48Z

Updating linkage

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:07, 13 April 2011
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	==External links==		==External links==
	*[http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,50565.0.html Fiction Viewer release thread]		*[http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,50565.0.html Fiction Viewer release thread]
	*[http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic~~,64520~~.0~~.html~~ Official FreeSpace Open 3.6.10 release thread] (There are newer builds, but this one the most stable one)		*[http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=70692.0 Official FreeSpace Open 3.6.12 release thread] (There are newer builds, but this one the most stable one)
	*[http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=68190.0 FreeSpace Open 3.6.12. Release Candidate 1] (The first build to allow Fiction Viewer management in FRED)

	[[Category:FRED]]		[[Category:FRED]]
	[[Category:Source Code Project]]		[[Category:Source Code Project]]

Goober5000: added fred info, and removed the parts about release candidates since they might confuse people

2010-12-09T16:39:34Z

added fred info, and removed the parts about release candidates since they might confuse people

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:39, 9 December 2010
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	The Fiction Viewer is the first window that will come up in a mission, followed by the Command Briefing—if the mission has both.		The Fiction Viewer is the first window that will come up in a mission, followed by the Command Briefing—if the mission has both.

	==Using the Fiction Viewer (3.6.12~~. RC1~~ and newer)==		==Using the Fiction Viewer (3.6.12 and newer)==
	*Create a text file (.txt) that you want to show off with the Fiction Viewer, then put it into FreeSpace 2/data/fiction or FreeSpace 2/<your mod's directory name>/data/fiction.		*Create a text file (.txt) that you want to show off with the Fiction Viewer, then put it into FreeSpace 2/data/fiction or FreeSpace 2/<your mod's directory name>/data/fiction.
	*Open the mission in FRED. Select Editors --> Fiction Viewer and type in the file's name that you want to display, with its extension (for example: intro.txt).		*Open the mission in FRED. Select Editors --> Fiction Viewer and type in the file's name that you want to display, with its extension (for example: intro.txt).
	*~~It is necessary to include self-made bits of~~ interface art ~~in your mod~~, since ~~there~~ is ~~no official Volition art package for~~ this ~~screen~~. ~~A sample one~~ can ~~be found here:~~ http://blueplanet.fsmods.net/E/fictionviewer.7z The files in that archive must be extracted into the ~~mods~~' data/interface folder~~. Without these, the game will not be able to display the fiction texts~~.		*The fiction viewer requires additional interface art not provided by Volition, since this is a FSO enhancement. Without this, the game will not be able to display the fiction viewer and will skip right to the standard briefing (or command briefing). These files are available in mv_core in the mediavps, or you can download them separately from http://blueplanet.fsmods.net/E/fictionviewer.7z. The files in that archive must be extracted into the mod's data/interface folder.
	*There are two modes for the fiction viewer. The default one is the "FS2" style, which retains the standard layout used by the FS2 interface art. The other is the "Wing Commander Saga" style, which moves the "Accept" button to the lower left side of the screen, and is ~~optimized~~ for the interface art style of WCS. If you have interface art for the "WCS" style, you need to use "fictionviewerb" as the filename for the main interface background, and a fitting interface mask file named "fictionviewer-mb.pcx". For the 1024x768 resolution art, the filenames must be prefixed with "2_" (2_fictionviewerb, for example).		*There are two modes for the fiction viewer. The default one is the "FS2" style, which retains the standard layout used by the FS2 interface art. The other is the "Wing Commander Saga" style, which moves the "Accept" button to the lower left side of the screen, and is customized for the interface art style of WCS. If you have interface art for the "WCS" style, you need to use "fictionviewerb" as the filename for the main interface background, and a fitting interface mask file named "fictionviewer-mb.pcx". For the 1024x768 resolution art, the filenames must be prefixed with "2_" (2_fictionviewerb, for example).

	==General notes==		==General notes==
	*You must provide the file's extension (.txt), otherwise the game engine will assume the file has no extension, and look for that.		*You must provide the file's extension (.txt), otherwise the game engine will assume the file has no extension, and look for that.
	*Since the text file is not in the mission file, semicolons (;) and double quotation marks (" ") will not break the mission code.		*Since the text file is not in the mission file, semicolons (;) and double quotation marks (" ") will not break the mission code.
			*The length of the text is effectively unlimited, since it is loaded on the fly and not subject to any of the hard-coded string limits.
	*Color tags such as $r and $h will work.		*Color tags such as $r and $h will work.
	*Characters that are not in the English alphabet (such as á, é) will not be displayed.		*Characters that are not in the English alphabet (such as á, é) will not be displayed.
	*The interface art can be modified by extracting the files from the VP.		*The interface art can be modified by extracting the files from the VP.
	*In 3.6.12 ~~RC2~~ and later, the filename for the main interface screen has changed from "fvw" to "fictionviewer", to better follow the precedent set by the rest of the interface. Old interfaces must be adjusted for this, else it will cause a "No interface graphics found for the fiction viewer" error.		*In 3.6.12 and later, the filename for the main interface screen has changed from "fvw" to "fictionviewer", to better follow the precedent set by the rest of the interface. Old interfaces must be adjusted for this, else it will cause a "No interface graphics found for the fiction viewer" error.
			*In 3.6.12 and later, the fiction viewer allows a music track and a font to be defined for the fiction viewer. The font must also be listed in [[fonts.tbl]].

	==External links==		==External links==

The E: Removed information that is no longer needed

2010-08-29T01:12:20Z

Removed information that is no longer needed

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 *It is necessary to include self-made bits of interface art in your mod, since there is no official Volition art package for this screen. A sample one can be found here: http://blueplanet.fsmods.net/E/fictionviewer.7z The files in that archive must be extracted into the mods' data/interface folder. Without these, the game will not be able to display the fiction texts.
 *There are two modes for the fiction viewer. The default one is the "FS2" style, which retains the standard layout used by the FS2 interface art. The other is the "Wing Commander Saga" style, which moves the "Accept" button to the lower left side of the screen, and is optimized for the interface art style of WCS. If you have interface art for the "WCS" style, you need to use  "fictionviewerb" as the filename for the main interface background, and a fitting interface mask file named "fictionviewer-mb.pcx". For the 1024x768 resolution art, the filenames must be prefixed with "2_" (2_fictionviewerb, for example).
 ==General notes==

The E: Correcting the link

2010-08-29T01:10:23Z

Correcting the link

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:10, 29 August 2010
Line 9:		Line 9:
	*Create a text file (.txt) that you want to show off with the Fiction Viewer, then put it into FreeSpace 2/data/fiction or FreeSpace 2/<your mod's directory name>/data/fiction.		*Create a text file (.txt) that you want to show off with the Fiction Viewer, then put it into FreeSpace 2/data/fiction or FreeSpace 2/<your mod's directory name>/data/fiction.
	*Open the mission in FRED. Select Editors --> Fiction Viewer and type in the file's name that you want to display, with its extension (for example: intro.txt).		*Open the mission in FRED. Select Editors --> Fiction Viewer and type in the file's name that you want to display, with its extension (for example: intro.txt).
	*It is necessary to include self-made bits of interface art in your mod, since there is no official Volition art package for this screen. A sample one can be found here: http://blueplanet.fsmods.net/E/~~FictionViewer~~.7z The files in that archive must be extracted into the mods' data/interface folder. Without these, the game will not be able to display the fiction texts.		*It is necessary to include self-made bits of interface art in your mod, since there is no official Volition art package for this screen. A sample one can be found here: http://blueplanet.fsmods.net/E/fictionviewer.7z The files in that archive must be extracted into the mods' data/interface folder. Without these, the game will not be able to display the fiction texts.
	*There are two modes for the fiction viewer. The default one is the "FS2" style, which retains the standard layout used by the FS2 interface art. The other is the "Wing Commander Saga" style, which moves the "Accept" button to the lower left side of the screen, and is optimized for the interface art style of WCS. If you have interface art for the "WCS" style, you need to use "fictionviewerb" as the filename for the main interface background, and a fitting interface mask file named "fictionviewer-mb.pcx". For the 1024x768 resolution art, the filenames must be prefixed with "2_" (2_fictionviewerb, for example).		*There are two modes for the fiction viewer. The default one is the "FS2" style, which retains the standard layout used by the FS2 interface art. The other is the "Wing Commander Saga" style, which moves the "Accept" button to the lower left side of the screen, and is optimized for the interface art style of WCS. If you have interface art for the "WCS" style, you need to use "fictionviewerb" as the filename for the main interface background, and a fitting interface mask file named "fictionviewer-mb.pcx". For the 1024x768 resolution art, the filenames must be prefixed with "2_" (2_fictionviewerb, for example).

BlueKobold: /* Using the Fiction Viewer (3.6.12. RC1 and newer) */

2010-08-28T14:52:44Z

Using the Fiction Viewer (3.6.12. RC1 and newer)

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:52, 28 August 2010
Line 7:		Line 7:

	==Using the Fiction Viewer (3.6.12. RC1 and newer)==		==Using the Fiction Viewer (3.6.12. RC1 and newer)==
	*Create a text file (.txt) that you want to show off with the Fiction Viewer, then put it into FreeSpace 2/data/fiction or FreeSpace 2/<your mod's directory name>/fiction.		*Create a text file (.txt) that you want to show off with the Fiction Viewer, then put it into FreeSpace 2/data/fiction or FreeSpace 2/<your mod's directory name>/data/fiction.
	*Open the mission in FRED. Select Editors --> Fiction Viewer and type in the file's name that you want to display, with its extension (for example: intro.txt).		*Open the mission in FRED. Select Editors --> Fiction Viewer and type in the file's name that you want to display, with its extension (for example: intro.txt).
	*It is necessary to include self-made bits of interface art in your mod, since there is no official Volition art package for this screen. A sample one can be found here: http://blueplanet.fsmods.net/E/FictionViewer.7z The files in that archive must be extracted into the mods' data/interface folder. Without these, the game will not be able to display the fiction texts.		*It is necessary to include self-made bits of interface art in your mod, since there is no official Volition art package for this screen. A sample one can be found here: http://blueplanet.fsmods.net/E/FictionViewer.7z The files in that archive must be extracted into the mods' data/interface folder. Without these, the game will not be able to display the fiction texts.

Goober5000: move link

2010-06-03T04:35:55Z

move link

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:35, 3 June 2010
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	[[Image:2_fictionviewer.png\|thumb\|right\|250px\|The Fiction Viewer, FS2 style (click to enlarge)]][[Image:FictionViewer.jpg\|thumb\|right\|250px\|The Fiction Viewer (Wing Commander Saga style) with [http://web.archive.org/web/20010308090656/vbb.volition-inc.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001723.html ~~the first few paragraphs of~~ Tell A Story] (click to enlarge)]]		[[Image:2_fictionviewer.png\|thumb\|right\|250px\|The Fiction Viewer, FS2 style (click to enlarge)]][[Image:FictionViewer.jpg\|thumb\|right\|250px\|The Fiction Viewer (Wing Commander Saga style) with the first few paragraphs of [http://web.archive.org/web/20010308090656/vbb.volition-inc.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001723.html Tell A Story] (click to enlarge)]]