Visual Jalak Editor [Excel]

D'Lanor · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2007 3:38 pm

As you probably know you can save and load Jalak column configurations with the /savecolumns <name> and /loadcolumns <name> commands. Jalak configuration files are stored in plain text format, so they are perfect for editing offline.

But how useful is a Jalak editor if it does not show what your creation will look like inside the game? There should be some sort of Jalak preview. Creating a standalone tool with a decent preview is no easy task, but fortunately there is a type of file which already has the required option built-in: an Excel spreadsheet! So after a bit of fiddling with charts in Excel I whipped up this little tool.

Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly present... The Visual Jalak Editor!

The Visual Jalak Editor is released with permission from Cyan. However, this is not an official Cyan utility. So please do not bug MOUL support should you experience problems.

[spoiler=Screenshot]

[/spoiler]
Download for Windows (Version 1.1.3)
The Windows version has full Jalak configuration file import and export capabilities.

Download for Mac (Version 1.1.3)
The Mac version has a copy & paste option. Mac users will have to open the Jalak configuration file in an external text editor and then copy/paste manually to and from Excel.

This file contains macros. You must enable the macros in order to use all of its features. To do so you may have to set macro security in Excel at medium or low.

Jo'han · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2007 4:51 pm

Excellent, thanks!

Deledrius · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:55 pm

Cool.

Jacquet · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:02 pm

Way cool. Thanks!

Hawkin · **Joined:** Mon Mar 19, 2007 3:50 am **Posts:** 123

Very nicely done, D'Lanor. And here I was just winging it and then adjusting as necessary...

Dovahn · **Joined:** Mon Dec 11, 2006 11:12 pm **Posts:** 107

That looks great! Now I don't have to click a million times to get the pillars to where I want them... :wink:

Thanks for this great tool, D'Lanor!

Dovahn

BrettM · **Posted:** Sat Aug 11, 2007 7:17 pm

Awesome piece of work!

deerslayer · **Posted:** Sat Aug 11, 2007 10:01 pm

most impressing fanwork I've seen

Skrir · **Posted:** Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:21 am

Yeah, I agree. That's a nice piece of work, thanks!

Lord Chaos · **Joined:** Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:57 am **Posts:** 1327

Wow.

I didn't even know I could save the column state.

When are you going to do some new music for the Roof! Party? We're getting restarted on August 24 as "Under the Roots. A new song from D'lanor would be perfect for the restart! Please?

Dot · **Joined:** Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:52 am **Posts:** 1015

Thanks, D'Lanor.

This works really well -- and doing a separate version for us Mac-based players was very kind of you.

janaba1 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 13, 2007 6:39 pm

That's a neat piece of work, and it works just fine, thanks D'Lanor

darkling27 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 14, 2007 12:20 pm

Where do we save the text files?
Nice editor :wink:

janaba1 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 14, 2007 2:08 pm

darkling27, they're directly located in the root directory, where
your Myst Online game is installed, and they go by the name you've
assigned to them...

So that'll be the directory you'll have to look for, when you finished
adjusting the columns to your satisfaction and choose to export...

HCIdivision17 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 14, 2007 4:37 pm

Simply brilliant. Not only did I have no idea about the in-game saves, but this viewer/editor is excellently designed. Thanks!

Now we must get to work building shifting mazes and more complex games that run through various puzzle states!

Imagine, if you will, that there is a person running Jalak, shifting it through states to give the players even more of a challenge. I'm thinking the slave-driven room puzzle in the Book of D'ni, 'cept no one dies and the it has an open roof. Heck, it could even be timed/clockwork.

... Man, that made my day way too much...

Visual Jalak Editor [Excel]

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