Custom VASL Play Aids

[Babyear]

A BIG thanks to you guys. I am planning on doing some playing this summer and want my VASL setup files looking good. You folks have taught me some really good stuff. Just wanted to share my first example with the forum:

View attachment 46628

Note: I have to place the sniper markers on the board. Will do this later.

Enjoy!

 

[von Marwitz]

As I was recently asked how to do some of the things to enhance the appearance of VASL setups, I searched for this thread in which you find examples for most of the stuff:

The most important trick is to use Labels from the Draggable Overlays and copy/paste some simple HTML-code into that label.
The result is that whatever HTML-stuff you pasted in there will appear where you pull the Draggable Overlay Label to.

Things you can do:

- Add tables
- Add formatted text with differerent size fonts in bold, italics, untderlined, etc.
- Add pictures by means of adding a link referencing the source of the picture which is somewhere accessible in the net.

For all of this stuff, HTML code is given further up in this thread. Copy the code and paste it into your label. See what happens. Then you can meddle with it to adjust it to your needs.

It is a lot easier to make adjustments to the HTML code in some editor (be it notepad inherent in windows or something else a little more user friendly) and afterwards copy/paste it into the label rather than trying to make adjustments within the Draggable Overlay Label itself because there EVERYTHING will just be put into one long line...

Here is a link to the ASL Scenario Archive with a complete setup for T1 "Gavin Take" created with VASL v6.0.1 using v5.x versions of the boards.
Though not the most recent version by now, it might serve to illustrate the above points. You can examine the labels, copy the content from them, paste them to an editor to test things. The scenario card to match the VASL file is freely available for download at the MMP website.

http://www.aslscenarioarchive.com/scenario.php?id=56518

If you are on the page linked above, look here for the .vsav:

View attachment 47726

This is now it looks like

View attachment 47727


Since I actually have no real knowledge about HMTL, I can't point out which other things might work (animated .gifs for bellowing smoke do not...). On the bright side: If I can do some things without any HTML knowledge, so can you.

All the best,
von Marwitz

 

[dlazov]

HTML is not that complex but you can (learn about it as well) test out (basically, you have to fiddle just wee bit with it in VASL after the tweak) here:

Main site:

http://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp

Places to test your code (HTML):

http://www.w3schools.com/html/tryit.asp?filename=tryhtml_intro

Just copy and paste from the VASL label back and forth...not 100 will work one or the other but you can test/tweak/learn ...

 

[takai]

I have started putting the VASL save files on GitHub. The intention is to help new and experienced players alike to have easy access to the sometimes complicated and time-consuming setups.

https://github.com/mistertakai/aslsetup

I have also added the playaids as HTML files for you to use as templates for new designs. The library is very small now. I'm looking for people to contribute their setup files to help make it grow.

 

[von Marwitz]

As I was recently asked again on how to make vasl setups with some eyecandy, I will bump this thread that will give some examples.

von Marwitz

 

[takai]

Putting the save files on VASL was not such a good idea. There are just too many scenarios and currently nobody is working on it. I did invest time today to "refactor" the templates into something that can be more easily adapted by non-developers. With the documentation, this could be useful for people who just want to have an easy template to use.

http://vasl-developers.github.io/playaids/

 

[aneil1234]

G'day boys

Thanks to all who pointed me this way
Love fooling arouond and improving each time

But a question
what does </TR> and </TD> DO ? What does it mean. I can see the effect, but not quite sure if I'm using them in the right context

Thanks
Neil

 

[zgrose]

TR table row
TD table cell

so an html table of 3 columns and 2 rows is (in shorthand):

TABLE
TR
TD /TD TD /TD TD /TD
/TR
TR
TD /TD TD /TD TD /TD
/TR
/TABLE

 

[jrv]

G'day boys

Thanks to all who pointed me this way
Love fooling arouond and improving each time

But a question
what does </TR> and </TD> DO ? What does it mean. I can see the effect, but not quite sure if I'm using them in the right context

Thanks
Neil

</TR> and </TD> close a table row and table data item respectively. HTML is a markup language with tags distinguished by the angle brackets, <>. Tags that contain things like other tags and text need to be closed. A table consists of a <table></table> pair, and it contains a <tr></tr> pair for each row, and the rows contain a <td></td> pair for each column. The TD elements contain data, which may be actual text, or it may be more HTML markup.

<TABLE><TR><TD>A B C </TD><TD>1 2 3</TD></TR><TR><TD>D E F</TD><TD>4 5 6</TD></TR></TABLE>

would look something like this:

A B C	1 2 3
D E F	4 5 6

Not exactly because the pseudo-html we can use on this forum does not map exactly to HTML, but it should give the idea.

JR

 

[aneil1234]

TR table row
TD table cell

so an html table of 3 columns and 2 rows is (in shorthand):

TABLE
TR
TD /TD TD /TD TD /TD
/TR
TR
TD /TD TD /TD TD /TD
/TR
/TABLE

Thank you so very much for the explanation
Really appreciated

 

[aneil1234]

</TR> and </TD> close a table row and table data item respectively. HTML is a markup language with tags distinguished by the angle brackets, <>. Tags that contain things like other tags and text need to be closed. A table consists of a <table></table> pair, and it contains a <tr></tr> pair for each row, and the rows contain a <td></td> pair for each column. The TD elements contain data, which may be actual text, or it may be more HTML markup.

<TABLE><TR><TD>A B C </TD><TD>1 2 3</TD></TR><TR><TD>D E F</TD><TD>4 5 6</TD></TR></TABLE>

would look something like this:

A B C	1 2 3
D E F	4 5 6

Not exactly because the pseudo-html we can use on this forum does not map exactly to HTML, but it should give the idea.

JR

Thank you so very much for the explanation Too
Really appreciated again
Lots oK

 

[Michael R]

I have a problem that I have not yet seen. I set up some HTML and I have been using it successfully on my desktop iMac. I used the same code on my MacBook Air, and the HTML appeared different looking; specifically, table borders disappeared. As well, on my MacBook Air, when I open the text file with the HTML code, the HTML is converted to how it appears in a browser. I can only edit the file as HTML code when I use an actual HTML editor, BBEdit.

Anyone have a clue?

TIA.

 

[takai]

I have a problem that I have not yet seen. I set up some HTML and I have been using it successfully on my desktop iMac. I used the same code on my MacBook Air, and the HTML appeared different looking; specifically, table borders disappeared. As well, on my MacBook Air, when I open the text file with the HTML code, the HTML is converted to how it appears in a browser. I can only edit the file as HTML code when I use an actual HTML editor, BBEdit.

Anyone have a clue?

TIA.

Might be the Java version. Are you using different ones on those two machines?

 

[esparver73]

I just discovered this thread and it's great. A lot of good ideas. Thank you for sharing!

 

[JeffH812]

Great thread!! Thanks for the great play aids and HTML examples. Here's what I did for a recent SASL mission:

View attachment 53604
Thanks again!!

 

[Michael R]

Using version 6.3.3 of VASL, I tried to right click on the module from VASSAL to change the padding, but nothing happens; no editor opens, nothing. Any ideas?

TIA

 

[jrv]

Using version 6.3.3 of VASL, I tried to right click on the module from VASSAL to change the padding, but nothing happens; no editor opens, nothing. Any ideas?

TIA

What version of VASSAL are you running? Do you get the pop-up menu when you right-click?

JR

 

[Michael R]

What version of VASSAL are you running? Do you get the pop-up menu when you right-click?

JR

VASSAL version is 3.2.16

Yes, I received the pop-up menu. Clicking on EDIT gave no response.

 

[jrv]

VASSAL version is 3.2.16

Yes, I received the pop-up menu. Clicking on EDIT gave no response.

I am running vassal 3.2.16 with vasl 6.3.3, and I don't have your problem. You might post the contents of help, show error log on the vassal window after you try to open the file. Use ctrl-A to select all and ctrl-C to copy, then paste it here (I can't tell you the apple equivalent if you are apple). I may not be able to tell you what the problem is but someone else may be able to.

JR

 

[Michael R]

I tried it again, intending to capture the error log. This time it functioned as described. Thanks for the help.