General hints (FRED) - Revision history

Goober5000: update event dragging comment

2025-01-05T23:20:54Z

update event dragging comment

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:20, 5 January 2025
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	*You can manually set the player traitor by using the change-iff SEXP on the player's ship to make the player "Neutral" (FreeSpace Open introduced the "Traitor" IFF).		*You can manually set the player traitor by using the change-iff SEXP on the player's ship to make the player "Neutral" (FreeSpace Open introduced the "Traitor" IFF).
	*The Protect Ship option is not completely reliable. The AI may still attack those ships. Rather use the ship-guardian SEXP. This is the best solution to make the AI not lose the mission for the player by destroying any ships which are supposed captured or not destroyed. You can also use change-iff to make the ship Friendly (as was used in [[First Strike]]). Hostiles will still attack that ship, so make sure they ignore it.		*The Protect Ship option is not completely reliable. The AI may still attack those ships. Rather use the ship-guardian SEXP. This is the best solution to make the AI not lose the mission for the player by destroying any ships which are supposed captured or not destroyed. You can also use change-iff to make the ship Friendly (as was used in [[First Strike]]). Hostiles will still attack that ship, so make sure they ignore it.
	*Changing the order of events in FRED is not recommended. ~~Such~~ a ~~move will confuse the game engine~~, ~~and weird mission flaws will come up~~. [[Editing a mission in a text editor#Changing Event hierarchies\|Use a text editor]] instead for this purpose. ~~You won't need to change the order~~ of ~~in-mission events anyway, except for chained events~~.		*Changing the order of events by dragging them around in FRED is not recommended in builds prior to 23.0.0, due to a bug which broke event references in "is-event-true-delay" and similar SEXPs, as well as event editor widgets. [[Editing a mission in a text editor#Changing Event hierarchies\|Use a text editor]] instead for this purpose. As of 23.0.0 (PR 4932) this has been fixed.

	== Using FRED with mods ==		== Using FRED with mods ==

Aquila7 at 02:59, 7 May 2012

2012-05-07T02:59:52Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:59, 7 May 2012
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	*Wingmen initial orders is limited, but using the add-goal SEXP removes this limitation.		*Wingmen initial orders is limited, but using the add-goal SEXP removes this limitation.
	*Placing a waypoint into the center of a jump node enables you to measure distances between any ships and the jump node. The waypoint and the jump node must share the same coordinates. Technically, the engine measures the distance between the assigned ship(s) and the waypoint, but since the center of the node and the waypoint are at the same position, you can measure distance between ships and the jump node.		*Placing a waypoint into the center of a jump node enables you to measure distances between any ships and the jump node. The waypoint and the jump node must share the same coordinates. Technically, the engine measures the distance between the assigned ship(s) and the waypoint, but since the center of the node and the waypoint are at the same position, you can measure distance between ships and the jump node.
	*Colored [[Briefing Text]] can be used in the Command briefing, but cannot be used in the debriefing.		*Colored [[Briefing Text]] can be used in the Command briefing and mission briefing, but cannot be used in the debriefing.
	*An ideal mission length ranges between five and eleven minutes. It is not advised to make a mission longer, as FreeSpace players are not used to flying for more than ten minutes.		*An ideal mission length ranges between five and eleven minutes. It is not advised to make a mission longer, as FreeSpace players are not used to flying for more than ten minutes.
	*For best performance, disable the wireframe view mode. Use the wireframe mode for setting a given ship's heading.		*For best performance, disable the wireframe view mode. Use the wireframe mode for setting a given ship's heading.
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	*In case one or more ships in a wing departs without the departure cue becoming true, the wing will not be considered departed. This means if you order one (or all) ships from Beta wing to leave the area and there is an event which becomes true if Beta wing has departed, the event will become incomplete until you restart the mission.		*In case one or more ships in a wing departs without the departure cue becoming true, the wing will not be considered departed. This means if you order one (or all) ships from Beta wing to leave the area and there is an event which becomes true if Beta wing has departed, the event will become incomplete until you restart the mission.
	*The "Neutral" IFF is hostile to the player. If you want the "Hostile", "Neutral" and "Friendly" sides to attack each other, set the All teams at War option in the Mission Specs Editor.		*The "Neutral" IFF is hostile to the player. If you want the "Hostile", "Neutral" and "Friendly" sides to attack each other, set the All teams at War option in the Mission Specs Editor.
	*You can manually set the player traitor ~~but~~ using the change-iff SEXP on the player's ship to make the player "Neutral" (FreeSpace Open introduced the "Traitor" IFF).		*You can manually set the player traitor by using the change-iff SEXP on the player's ship to make the player "Neutral" (FreeSpace Open introduced the "Traitor" IFF).
	*The Protect Ship option is not completely reliable. The AI may still attack those ships. Rather ~~make that~~ ship ~~invulnerable~~. ~~It looks daft, but this~~ is the best solution to make the AI not lose the mission for the player by destroying any ships which are supposed captured or not destroyed. You can also use ~~the~~ change-iff to make the ship Friendly (as it was used in [[First Strike]]). Hostiles will still attack that ship, so make sure they ignore it.		*The Protect Ship option is not completely reliable. The AI may still attack those ships. Rather use the ship-guardian SEXP. This is the best solution to make the AI not lose the mission for the player by destroying any ships which are supposed captured or not destroyed. You can also use change-iff to make the ship Friendly (as was used in [[First Strike]]). Hostiles will still attack that ship, so make sure they ignore it.
	*Changing the order of events in FRED is not recommended. Such a move will confuse the game engine, and weird mission flaws will come up. [[Editing a mission in a text editor#Changing Event hierarchies\|Use a text editor]] instead for this purpose. You won't need to change the order of in-mission events anyway, except for chained events.		*Changing the order of events in FRED is not recommended. Such a move will confuse the game engine, and weird mission flaws will come up. [[Editing a mission in a text editor#Changing Event hierarchies\|Use a text editor]] instead for this purpose. You won't need to change the order of in-mission events anyway, except for chained events.

MjnMixael at 22:42, 5 May 2012

2012-05-05T22:42:53Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:42, 5 May 2012
Line 17:		Line 17:
	*Wingmen initial orders is limited, but using the add-goal SEXP removes this limitation.		*Wingmen initial orders is limited, but using the add-goal SEXP removes this limitation.
	*Placing a waypoint into the center of a jump node enables you to measure distances between any ships and the jump node. The waypoint and the jump node must share the same coordinates. Technically, the engine measures the distance between the assigned ship(s) and the waypoint, but since the center of the node and the waypoint are at the same position, you can measure distance between ships and the jump node.		*Placing a waypoint into the center of a jump node enables you to measure distances between any ships and the jump node. The waypoint and the jump node must share the same coordinates. Technically, the engine measures the distance between the assigned ship(s) and the waypoint, but since the center of the node and the waypoint are at the same position, you can measure distance between ships and the jump node.
	*[[~~Colored Font For Briefings~~]] can be used in the Command briefing, but cannot be used in the debriefing.		*Colored [[Briefing Text]] can be used in the Command briefing, but cannot be used in the debriefing.
	*An ideal mission length ranges between five and eleven minutes. It is not advised to make a mission longer, as FreeSpace players are not used to flying for more than ten minutes.		*An ideal mission length ranges between five and eleven minutes. It is not advised to make a mission longer, as FreeSpace players are not used to flying for more than ten minutes.
	*For best performance, disable the wireframe view mode. Use the wireframe mode for setting a given ship's heading.		*For best performance, disable the wireframe view mode. Use the wireframe mode for setting a given ship's heading.

MjnMixael at 22:41, 5 May 2012

2012-05-05T22:41:55Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:41, 5 May 2012
Line 17:		Line 17:
	*Wingmen initial orders is limited, but using the add-goal SEXP removes this limitation.		*Wingmen initial orders is limited, but using the add-goal SEXP removes this limitation.
	*Placing a waypoint into the center of a jump node enables you to measure distances between any ships and the jump node. The waypoint and the jump node must share the same coordinates. Technically, the engine measures the distance between the assigned ship(s) and the waypoint, but since the center of the node and the waypoint are at the same position, you can measure distance between ships and the jump node.		*Placing a waypoint into the center of a jump node enables you to measure distances between any ships and the jump node. The waypoint and the jump node must share the same coordinates. Technically, the engine measures the distance between the assigned ship(s) and the waypoint, but since the center of the node and the waypoint are at the same position, you can measure distance between ships and the jump node.
	*[[Colored ~~Text~~]] can be used in the Command briefing, but cannot be used in the debriefing.		*[[Colored Font For Briefings]] can be used in the Command briefing, but cannot be used in the debriefing.
	*An ideal mission length ranges between five and eleven minutes. It is not advised to make a mission longer, as FreeSpace players are not used to flying for more than ten minutes.		*An ideal mission length ranges between five and eleven minutes. It is not advised to make a mission longer, as FreeSpace players are not used to flying for more than ten minutes.
	*For best performance, disable the wireframe view mode. Use the wireframe mode for setting a given ship's heading.		*For best performance, disable the wireframe view mode. Use the wireframe mode for setting a given ship's heading.

MjnMixael at 22:29, 5 May 2012

2012-05-05T22:29:50Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:29, 5 May 2012
Line 17:		Line 17:
	*Wingmen initial orders is limited, but using the add-goal SEXP removes this limitation.		*Wingmen initial orders is limited, but using the add-goal SEXP removes this limitation.
	*Placing a waypoint into the center of a jump node enables you to measure distances between any ships and the jump node. The waypoint and the jump node must share the same coordinates. Technically, the engine measures the distance between the assigned ship(s) and the waypoint, but since the center of the node and the waypoint are at the same position, you can measure distance between ships and the jump node.		*Placing a waypoint into the center of a jump node enables you to measure distances between any ships and the jump node. The waypoint and the jump node must share the same coordinates. Technically, the engine measures the distance between the assigned ship(s) and the waypoint, but since the center of the node and the waypoint are at the same position, you can measure distance between ships and the jump node.
	*Colored ~~text~~ can be used in the Command briefing, but cannot be used in the debriefing.		*[[Colored Text]] can be used in the Command briefing, but cannot be used in the debriefing.
	*An ideal mission length ranges between five and eleven minutes. It is not advised to make a mission longer, as FreeSpace players are not used to flying for more than ten minutes.		*An ideal mission length ranges between five and eleven minutes. It is not advised to make a mission longer, as FreeSpace players are not used to flying for more than ten minutes.
	*For best performance, disable the wireframe view mode. Use the wireframe mode for setting a given ship's heading.		*For best performance, disable the wireframe view mode. Use the wireframe mode for setting a given ship's heading.

TopAce: moved General Hints (FREDding) to General hints (FRED): capitalization convention + -ing suffix not needed

2011-06-17T11:53:43Z

moved General Hints (FREDding) to General hints (FRED): capitalization convention + -ing suffix not needed

← Older revision	Revision as of 11:53, 17 June 2011
(No difference)

TopAce: a missing letter

2011-06-17T11:21:26Z

a missing letter

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:21, 17 June 2011
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	*If you want to use a special, special-case support ship, you have to make changes in the [[ships.tbl\|ship tables]]. You cannot simply place a support ship and disallow all player orders. In [[Enter the Dragon]], the support ship that captures Arjuna 1 is one such special-case vessel.		*If you want to use a special, special-case support ship, you have to make changes in the [[ships.tbl\|ship tables]]. You cannot simply place a support ship and disallow all player orders. In [[Enter the Dragon]], the support ship that captures Arjuna 1 is one such special-case vessel.
	*Always remove player orders for ship classes other than fighters or bombers. By default, the player can give orders to transports and above. If you give the 'Attack my ship' order to a transport that is supposed to board and capture a ship, it will not follow its default orders until the player-given orders are accomplished.		*Always remove player orders for ship classes other than fighters or bombers. By default, the player can give orders to transports and above. If you give the 'Attack my ship' order to a transport that is supposed to board and capture a ship, it will not follow its default orders until the player-given orders are accomplished.
	*If you do not want a ship destroyed, but you want to make its subsystems destroyable, use the [[ship-guardian]] SEXP. Using [[ship-guardian-~~treshold~~]] is an alternate solution for FreeSpace Open.		*If you do not want a ship destroyed, but you want to make its subsystems destroyable, use the [[ship-guardian]] SEXP. Using [[ship-guardian-threshold]] is an alternate solution for FreeSpace Open.
	*Increasing the rank of individual turrets has no effect. Rather, change the AI class of the entire ship to make its turrets more effective.		*Increasing the rank of individual turrets has no effect. Rather, change the AI class of the entire ship to make its turrets more effective.
	*Pressing TAB while having multiple ships selected changes the central point of rotation. If you start rotating, that ship will be the center of the circle your ships will be rotated around. The same is true for moving, the selected 'central' ship will be moving with the cursor.		*Pressing TAB while having multiple ships selected changes the central point of rotation. If you start rotating, that ship will be the center of the circle your ships will be rotated around. The same is true for moving, the selected 'central' ship will be moving with the cursor.

TopAce: some touchups, updates

2011-06-17T11:19:30Z

some touchups, updates

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:19, 17 June 2011
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	*If you want a directive to appear only after a specified event, use event chaining:		*If you want a directive to appear only after a specified event, use event chaining:
	**Collect all the triggering conditions in one event. Chain the next event (which is the actual directive) to the previous event with a delay of at least 1 second.		**Collect all the triggering conditions in one event. Chain the next event (which is the actual directive) to the previous event with a delay of at least 1 second.
	**This will make it sure the event will not appear sooner than desired. This is especially useful if you want Command to order the ~~desctruction~~/capture/inspection of a ship.		**This will make it sure the event will not appear sooner than desired. This is especially useful if you want Command to order the destruction/capture/inspection of a ship.
	*Use the designer's notes of the Mission Specs Editor (SHIFT-N) as a reminder for yourself. There are some things that you want to be in your mission only temporarily, for testing purposes such as enabling No Traitor if you want to test if a ship sends the right message if its hull ~~dropos~~ below 50%.		*Use the designer's notes of the Mission Specs Editor (SHIFT-N) as a reminder for yourself. There are some things that you want to be in your mission only temporarily, for testing purposes such as enabling No Traitor if you want to test if a ship sends the right message if its hull drops below 50%.
	*Using keyboard shortcuts makes editing more convenient.		*Using keyboard shortcuts makes editing more convenient.
	*If you do not want a ship to open fire, simply use the turret-lock-all SEXP instead of disarming all the turrets manually.		*If you do not want a ship to open fire, simply use the turret-lock-all SEXP instead of disarming all the turrets manually.
	*If you want to use a special, special-case support ship, you have to make changes in the [[ships.tbl\|ship tables]]. You cannot simply place a support ship and disallow all player orders.		*If you want to use a special, special-case support ship, you have to make changes in the [[ships.tbl\|ship tables]]. You cannot simply place a support ship and disallow all player orders. In [[Enter the Dragon]], the support ship that captures Arjuna 1 is one such special-case vessel.
	*Always remove player orders for ship classes other than fighters or bombers. By default, the player can give orders to transports and above. If you give the 'Attack my ship' order to a transport that is supposed to board and capture a ship, it will not follow its default orders until the player-given orders are accomplished.		*Always remove player orders for ship classes other than fighters or bombers. By default, the player can give orders to transports and above. If you give the 'Attack my ship' order to a transport that is supposed to board and capture a ship, it will not follow its default orders until the player-given orders are accomplished.
	*If you do not want a ship destroyed, but you want to make its subsystems destroyable, use the [[ship-guardian]] SEXP.		*If you do not want a ship destroyed, but you want to make its subsystems destroyable, use the [[ship-guardian]] SEXP. Using [[ship-guardian-treshold]] is an alternate solution for FreeSpace Open.
	*Increasing~~/decreasing~~ the ~~skill level~~ of ~~single~~ turrets ~~also affects~~ the ~~given turret's rate~~ of ~~fire. It is advised~~ to ~~increase the level of sentry guns by at least one rank~~.		*Increasing the rank of individual turrets has no effect. Rather, change the AI class of the entire ship to make its turrets more effective.
	*Pressing TAB while having multiple ships selected changes the central point of rotation. If you start rotating, that ship will be the center of the circle your ships will be rotated around. The same is true for moving, the selected 'central' ship will be moving with the cursor.		*Pressing TAB while having multiple ships selected changes the central point of rotation. If you start rotating, that ship will be the center of the circle your ships will be rotated around. The same is true for moving, the selected 'central' ship will be moving with the cursor.
	*If you get lost on the grid, press SHIFT-Z. Or, zoom on any of the ships by selecting the fighter in the Selection Menu (H) and pressing ALT-Z.		*If you get lost on the grid, press SHIFT-Z. Or, zoom on any of the ships by selecting the fighter in the Selection Menu (H) and pressing ALT-Z.
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	*Colored text can be used in the Command briefing, but cannot be used in the debriefing.		*Colored text can be used in the Command briefing, but cannot be used in the debriefing.
	*An ideal mission length ranges between five and eleven minutes. It is not advised to make a mission longer, as FreeSpace players are not used to flying for more than ten minutes.		*An ideal mission length ranges between five and eleven minutes. It is not advised to make a mission longer, as FreeSpace players are not used to flying for more than ten minutes.
	*For ~~better~~ performance, ~~use~~ the wireframe view mode. ~~The textured view~~ mode ~~eats up more memory and makes the mission editor run slower~~.		*For best performance, disable the wireframe view mode. Use the wireframe mode for setting a given ship's heading.
	*If you want a ship just to suddenly appear, use the No Warp Effect feature in the arrival cue section of the Ship Editor. If the departure cue has the No Warp Effect set, then the ship will suddenly disappear. This is useful for nebula missions. Beware of using the ship-vanish SEXP: ships that vanish do not count as "departed", so the "has-departed-delay <ship that vanishes using ship-vanish>" will not trigger.		*If you want a ship just to suddenly appear, use the No Warp Effect feature in the arrival cue section of the Ship Editor. If the departure cue has the No Warp Effect set, then the ship will suddenly disappear. This is useful for nebula missions. Beware of using the ship-vanish SEXP: ships that vanish do not count as "departed", so the "has-departed-delay <ship that vanishes using ship-vanish>" will not trigger.
	*Believe it or not, the EMP effect also works on AI-controlled ships. Bear this in mind while creating nebula missions.		*Believe it or not, the EMP effect also works on AI-controlled ships. Bear this in mind while creating nebula missions.
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	== Using FRED with mods ==		== Using FRED with mods ==
	*Note that FRED2 Open uses the same mod usage as FS2 Open, that is,		Since 3.6.12., FRED no longer requires the additional -mod parameter to load a mod. Instead, FRED will automatically load the mod that's set in the game's launcher.
	~~-mod mod1,mod2,mediavps~~
	~~where <mod1> is the name of the mod being played, <mod2> is the name of the mod that the mod being played depends on, and <mediavps> is where the Media VP files are put~~. ~~See the wiki instructions Getting Started >~~
	~~Installing mods for fs2_open >~~
	~~Alternative method / more info~~
	~~for complete details~~. ~~Also~~, ~~I've heard (and FRED2 Open says) that you should run with~~ the -~~fredhtl option.~~
	~~So, say you were creating~~ a mod ~~for the FreeSpace Port (for a mission during the Great War)~~
	~~You'd use something like the following, depending on where you installed FSPort and the Media VPs: (note the quotes)~~
	~~"\<whatever dir Fred is in>\FRED2_build_date_whatever~~.~~exe" -mod fsport,mediavps -fredhtl~~
	~~This would allow you to use FS1 weapons, ships~~, ~~etc. Note you might not need mediavps if you use~~ the [[mod~~.ini]] options mentioned~~ in the ~~installing mods wiki mentioned above, or if you weren~~'~~t creating a mission for FS Open~~.

	==See also==		==See also==

Tomo: /* Using FRED with mods */

2010-01-10T14:09:17Z

Using FRED with mods

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:09, 10 January 2010
Line 39:		Line 39:
	You'd use something like the following, depending on where you installed FSPort and the Media VPs: (note the quotes)		You'd use something like the following, depending on where you installed FSPort and the Media VPs: (note the quotes)
	"\<whatever dir Fred is in>\FRED2_build_date_whatever.exe" -mod fsport,mediavps -fredhtl		"\<whatever dir Fred is in>\FRED2_build_date_whatever.exe" -mod fsport,mediavps -fredhtl
	This would allow you to use FS1 weapons, ships, etc. Note you might not need mediavps if you use the mod.ini options mentioned in the installing mods wiki mentioned above, or if you weren't creating a mission for FS Open.		This would allow you to use FS1 weapons, ships, etc. Note you might not need mediavps if you use the [[mod.ini]] options mentioned in the installing mods wiki mentioned above, or if you weren't creating a mission for FS Open.

	==See also==		==See also==

TopAce: some cleanup, adding opening paragraph, one more hint

2009-10-25T10:51:41Z

some cleanup, adding opening paragraph, one more hint

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:51, 25 October 2009
Line 1:		Line 1:
	*Use the Y-axis and rotate most of your ships on one or more of the axes to give a more realistic feeling		Here are some '''general FREDding hints''' that do not require separate articles to elaborate, from beginner level until intermediate.
	*Use the Selection Lock if you have selected all the ships you want to rotate~~/move~~. This will make it sure you do not select an unwanted craft by ~~chance~~.
	*If you want a directive to appear only after a specified ~~thing happens~~, ~~you can~~ use ~~the~~ event chaining ~~in the following way~~:		*Use the Y-axis (height) and rotate most of your ships on one or more of the axes to give a more realistic feeling.
	**~~Put~~ all the ~~conditionals to~~ one event. Chain the next event(which is the actual directive) to the previous event with a delay of at least 1 second.		*Use the Selection Lock (Spacebar) if you have selected all the ships you want to move or rotate. This will make sure you do not select an unwanted craft by accident. Press Spacebar once more to disable Selection Lock.
	**This will make it sure the event will not appear sooner ~~then~~ desired. This is especially useful if you want Command to order the desctruction/capture/inspection of a ship~~/subsystem~~.		*If you want a directive to appear only after a specified event, use event chaining:
	*Use the designer's notes ~~field~~ to ~~note down changes~~ you want to ~~do later~~.		**Collect all the triggering conditions in one event. Chain the next event (which is the actual directive) to the previous event with a delay of at least 1 second.
	*~~Learning and using Keyboard~~ shortcuts makes ~~your life easier~~.		**This will make it sure the event will not appear sooner than desired. This is especially useful if you want Command to order the desctruction/capture/inspection of a ship.
			*Use the designer's notes of the Mission Specs Editor (SHIFT-N) as a reminder for yourself. There are some things that you want to be in your mission only temporarily, for testing purposes such as enabling No Traitor if you want to test if a ship sends the right message if its hull dropos below 50%.
			*Using keyboard shortcuts makes editing more convenient.
	*If you do not want a ship to open fire, simply use the turret-lock-all SEXP instead of disarming all the turrets manually.		*If you do not want a ship to open fire, simply use the turret-lock-all SEXP instead of disarming all the turrets manually.
	*If you want to use a special, ~~non~~-~~docking~~ support ship, you have to make changes in the tables. You cannot simply place a ~~Support~~ ship and disallow all player orders.		*If you want to use a special, special-case support ship, you have to make changes in the [[ships.tbl\|ship tables]]. You cannot simply place a support ship and disallow all player orders.
	*Always remove player orders for ship classes other than fighters or bombers. By default, the player can give orders to transports~~, freighers, cruisers etc. which can often deteriorate the mission~~. If you give the 'Attack my ship' order to a transport that is supposed to board and capture ~~an other~~ ship, it will not follow its default orders until the player-given orders are accomplished.		*Always remove player orders for ship classes other than fighters or bombers. By default, the player can give orders to transports and above. If you give the 'Attack my ship' order to a transport that is supposed to board and capture a ship, it will not follow its default orders until the player-given orders are accomplished.
	*If you do not want a ship destroyed, but you want to make its subsystems destroyable, use the ship-guardian SEXP!		*If you do not want a ship destroyed, but you want to make its subsystems destroyable, use the [[ship-guardian]] SEXP.
	*Increasing/decreasing the skill level of single turrets also ~~affect~~ the rate of fire. It is advised to increase the level of sentry guns by at least one rank.		*Increasing/decreasing the skill level of single turrets also affects the given turret's rate of fire. It is advised to increase the level of sentry guns by at least one rank.
	*Pressing TAB while having multiple ships selected changes the central point of rotation. If you start rotating, that ship will be the center of the circle your ships will be rotated around. The same is true for moving, the selected 'central' ship will be moving with the cursor.		*Pressing TAB while having multiple ships selected changes the central point of rotation. If you start rotating, that ship will be the center of the circle your ships will be rotated around. The same is true for moving, the selected 'central' ship will be moving with the cursor.
	*If you get lost on the grid, press SHIFT-Z. Or, zoom on any of the ships by selecting the fighter in the Selection Menu(H) and pressing ALT-Z.		*If you get lost on the grid, press SHIFT-Z. Or, zoom on any of the ships by selecting the fighter in the Selection Menu (H) and pressing ALT-Z.
	*~~Use the Selection Mode to make sure you will not make any changes in rotation/moves of ships unintentionally.~~		*Wingmen initial orders is limited, but using the add-goal SEXP removes this limitation.
	*Diversify the orders ~~of wingmen by~~ using the add-goal SEXP.		*Placing a waypoint into the center of a jump node enables you to measure distances between any ships and the jump node. The waypoint and the jump node must share the same coordinates. Technically, the engine measures the distance between the assigned ship(s) and the waypoint, but since the center of the node and the waypoint are at the same position, you can measure distance between ships and the jump node.
	*Diversify the mission by using [[variables]]. Variables can be used for randomising.		*Colored text can be used in the Command briefing, but cannot be used in the debriefing.
	*Placing a waypoint into the ~~centre~~ of a jump node enables you to measure distances between any ships and the jump node. ~~Have the~~ waypoint and the jump node ~~have~~ the same ~~co-ordinates for best precision~~. Technically, the engine measures the distance between the assigned ship(s) and the waypoint, but since the ~~centre~~ of the node and the waypoint are at the same position~~, practically~~, you can measure distance between ships and the jump node.		*An ideal mission length ranges between five and eleven minutes. It is not advised to make a mission longer, as FreeSpace players are not used to flying for more than ten minutes.
	*~~Coloured~~ text can be used in the Command briefing, but cannot be used in the ~~Debriefing~~.
	*An ideal mission length ranges between five and eleven minutes. It is not advised to make a mission longer, FreeSpace players are ~~generally~~ not used to flying for more than ten minutes.
	*For better performance, use the wireframe view mode. The textured view mode eats up more memory and makes the mission editor run slower.		*For better performance, use the wireframe view mode. The textured view mode eats up more memory and makes the mission editor run slower.
	*If you want a ship just to suddenly appear, use the No Warp Effect feature in the arrival cue section of the Ship Editor. If the departure cue has the No Warp Effect set, then the ship will suddenly disappear. This is useful for nebula missions.		*If you want a ship just to suddenly appear, use the No Warp Effect feature in the arrival cue section of the Ship Editor. If the departure cue has the No Warp Effect set, then the ship will suddenly disappear. This is useful for nebula missions. Beware of using the ship-vanish SEXP: ships that vanish do not count as "departed", so the "has-departed-delay <ship that vanishes using ship-vanish>" will not trigger.
	*Believe it or not, the EMP effect also works on AI-controlled ships. ~~Heed~~ this in mind while ~~setting the~~ nebula ~~settings~~.		*Believe it or not, the EMP effect also works on AI-controlled ships. Bear this in mind while creating nebula missions.
	*Players usually start by increasing the throttle to maximum. ~~Spare them from this and set~~ the player~~'s craft~~'s speed 100% by default in the Initial Status options.		*Players usually start by increasing the throttle to maximum. Set the player's speed to 100% by default in the Initial Status options if it's likely that most players would start the mission by accelerating.
	*In case one or more ships in a wing ~~depart~~ without the departure cue becoming true, the wing will not be considered departed. This means if you order one (or all) ships from Beta wing to leave the area and there is an event which becomes true if Beta wing has departed, the event will become incomplete until you restart the mission.		*In case one or more ships in a wing departs without the departure cue becoming true, the wing will not be considered departed. This means if you order one (or all) ships from Beta wing to leave the area and there is an event which becomes true if Beta wing has departed, the event will become incomplete until you restart the mission.
	*The 'Neutral' IFF is hostile to the player ~~under any circumstance~~. If you want ~~The '~~Hostile', 'Neutral' and 'Friendly' sides to attack each other, set the ~~<i>~~All teams at War~~</i> Option~~ in the Mission Specs Editor.		*The "Neutral" IFF is hostile to the player. If you want the "Hostile", "Neutral" and "Friendly" sides to attack each other, set the All teams at War option in the Mission Specs Editor.
	*You can manually set the player traitor but using the change-iff SEXP on the player's ship to make the player 'Neutral~~'. This way, both Friendly and Hostile sides will attack~~ the ~~player, but maintain hostility to each other, too. This does not really work when there is also a Neutral side~~.		*You can manually set the player traitor but using the change-iff SEXP on the player's ship to make the player "Neutral" (FreeSpace Open introduced the "Traitor" IFF).
	*~~<b>Never</b> completely rely on the~~ Protect Ship option ~~in the Misc options in the Ship Editor~~. The AI may still attack those ships. Rather make that ship invulnerable. It looks daft, but this is the best solution to make the AI not lose the mission for the player by destroying any ships which are supposed captured or not destroyed. You can also use the change-iff to make the ship Friendly. ~~It is a disadvantange that~~ Hostiles will still attack that ship, so make it sure ~~their initial orders engage them so much that~~ they will ~~not turn on~~ the ~~ship~~ to ~~be captured~~.		*The Protect Ship option is not completely reliable. The AI may still attack those ships. Rather make that ship invulnerable. It looks daft, but this is the best solution to make the AI not lose the mission for the player by destroying any ships which are supposed captured or not destroyed. You can also use the change-iff to make the ship Friendly (as it was used in [[First Strike]]). Hostiles will still attack that ship, so make sure they ignore it.
			*Changing the order of events in FRED is not recommended. Such a move will confuse the game engine, and weird mission flaws will come up. [[Editing a mission in a text editor#Changing Event hierarchies\|Use a text editor]] instead for this purpose. You won't need to change the order of in-mission events anyway, except for chained events.

	== Using FRED with mods ==		== Using FRED with mods ==
	*Note that FRED2 Open uses the same mod usage as FS2 Open, that is,		*Note that FRED2 Open uses the same mod usage as FS2 Open, that is,