Hi there,

Yes i know you are supposed to convert your ANS file to MSG using the ans2asc utility. Thats ok. It works. I do that.
But if you add @Codes to your ANS file, you will quickly lose how the layout will look like eventually. Or you will end up using a text editor afterwards, editing the ANS/MSG file to move stuff around and look at the result, repeat that until the layout looks the way it is supposed to look.

Currently i am using Moebius for Linux to edit the ANS files. There is IcyDraw, wich can handle MSG files directly (i guess), but it always is no WYSIWYG editing as soon as you want to use @Codes, but guessing, measuring, textediting afterwards.

Is there a better way? A way to edit Ansi's WYSIWYG with @Codes included?

Example: head.msg/head.ans IcyDraw/Moebius https://imgur.com/a/T9anJRs

Mindsurfer

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Re: How do you edit msg files
By: Mindsurfer to All on Tue Oct 21 2025 12:04 pm

Hi there,

Yes i know you are supposed to convert your ANS file to MSG using the ans2asc utility. Thats ok. It works. I do that.
But if you add @Codes to your ANS file, you will quickly lose how the layout will look like eventually. Or you will end up using a text editor afterwards, editing the ANS/MSG file to move stuff around and look at the result, repeat that until the layout looks the way it is supposed to look.

Currently i am using Moebius for Linux to edit the ANS files. There is IcyDraw, wich can handle MSG files directly (i guess), but it always is no WYSIWYG editing as soon as you want to use @Codes, but guessing, measuring, textediting afterwards.

Is there a better way? A way to edit Ansi's WYSIWYG with @Codes included?

Example: head.msg/head.ans IcyDraw/Moebius https://imgur.com/a/T9anJRs

One thing that helps is insuring that the raw @-code uses the same number of characters as the fixed/maximum length of the displayed string using fill characters (e.g. #'s) see https://wiki.synchro.net/custom:atcodes#formatting for an exmaple.

This works so long as the width of the string is less than or equal to the total length of the raw @-code. If you find an @-code where you'd prefer a shorter alternative alias, let me know and I'll see what I can do for ya.
--
digital man (rob)

This Is Spinal Tap quote #45:
I don't really think the end can be assessed as of itself as being the end Norco, CA WX: 85.0øF, 28.0% humidity, 8 mph W wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs
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Re: How do you edit msg files
By: Digital Man to Mindsurfer on Tue Oct 21 2025 15:06:24

Currently i am using Moebius for Linux to edit the ANS files. There is
IcyDraw, wich can handle MSG files directly (i guess), but it always is no
WYSIWYG editing as soon as you want to use @Codes, but guessing, measuring,
textediting afterwards.
Example: head.msg/head.ans IcyDraw/Moebius https://imgur.com/a/T9anJRs

One thing that helps is insuring that the raw @-code uses the same number of characters as the fixed/maximum length of the displayed string using fill characters (e.g. #'s) see https://wiki.synchro.net/custom:atcodes#formatting for an exmaple.

Ok. i am using something like that already, for shortening the Time (AT)TIME-L5(AT) for example. I was reading about the formatting features and will use em. the @CODE|R#######@ could also come in handy for longer strings.

This works so long as the width of the string is less than or equal to the total length of the raw @-code. If you find an @-code where you'd prefer a shorter alternative alias, let me know and I'll see what I can do for ya.

Thanks for the alternative short-code offer!
I guess editing the ansi WYSIWYG when using @codes can work in some cases but is limited.

The only thing that comes to my mind as a workaround, is to use placeholders with the correct length and a script to replace the placeholders with the @codes in the ANS file afterwards. for example ~~~1 ~~~~~~~~2 ~3 as placeholders, to be replaced with the @code-l4@ (~~~1) etc.
It would be a bit of work to prepare a script with all placeholders and their @code replacement, but one could still edit the ANS file WYSIWYG.

Well, in a perfect world the ANSI Editor would be able to use its own placeholders and memorize a number of sets of position + color + length + @codes to be saved in the final version of the Ansi.

ok, thanks for the help! i will experiment with the formatting features and maybe my own placeholders + script.

Mindsurfer

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Re: How do you edit msg files
By: Mindsurfer to All on Tue Oct 21 2025 12:04 pm

is IcyDraw, wich can handle MSG files directly (i guess), but it
always is no WYSIWYG editing as soon as you want to use @Codes,
but guessing, measuring, textediting afterwards.

Is there a better way? A way to edit Ansi's WYSIWYG with @Codes
included?

you can use an ansi editor with ansimation mode and type in your @ codes
after you're done and then save it.

you could save your @ codes with their ansi positioning in a text file and cat it to the bottom of your completed .asc .msg or .ans file that's easy too. that's what i do but not everyone can be cool like me.
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Re: How do you edit msg files
By: Mindsurfer to Digital Man on Wed Oct 22 2025 01:43 am

Re: How do you edit msg files
By: Digital Man to Mindsurfer on Tue Oct 21 2025 15:06:24

Currently i am using Moebius for Linux to edit the ANS files. There is
IcyDraw, wich can handle MSG files directly (i guess), but it always is no
WYSIWYG editing as soon as you want to use @Codes, but guessing, measuring,
textediting afterwards.
Example: head.msg/head.ans IcyDraw/Moebius https://imgur.com/a/T9anJRs

One thing that helps is insuring that the raw @-code uses the same number of characters as the fixed/maximum length of the displayed string using fill characters (e.g. #'s) see https://wiki.synchro.net/custom:atcodes#formatting for an exmaple.

Ok. i am using something like that already, for shortening the Time (AT)TIME-L5(AT) for example. I was reading about the formatting features and will use em. the @CODE|R#######@ could also come in handy for longer strings.

This works so long as the width of the string is less than or equal to the total length of the raw @-code. If you find an @-code where you'd prefer a shorter alternative alias, let me know and I'll see what I can do for ya.

Thanks for the alternative short-code offer!
I guess editing the ansi WYSIWYG when using @codes can work in some cases but is limited.

The only thing that comes to my mind as a workaround, is to use placeholders with the correct length and a script to replace the placeholders with the @codes in the ANS file afterwards. for example ~~~1 ~~~~~~~~2 ~3 as placeholders, to be replaced with the @code-l4@ (~~~1) etc.

So what I was suggesting was that the @-code itself can be the "placeholder" (so long as the @-code is the same length as the expanded string).
--
digital man (rob)

Sling Blade quote #10:
Morris: I stand on the hill, not for thrill, but for the breath of a fresh kill Norco, CA WX: 63.6øF, 81.0% humidity, 0 mph NW wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs
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Re: How do you edit msg files
By: MRO to Mindsurfer on Wed Oct 22 2025 00:36:42

Re: How do you edit msg files

is IcyDraw, wich can handle MSG files directly (i guess), but it always is
no WYSIWYG editing as soon as you want to use @Codes, but guessing,
measuring, textediting afterwards.

Is there a better way? A way to edit Ansi's WYSIWYG with @Codes included?

you can use an ansi editor with ansimation mode and type in your @ codes after you're done and then save it.

ok, i have to check that out. But you would have to keep a copy of the ANS file without the @codes ansimation, to be able to make changes to the layout later, right?

you could save your @ codes with their ansi positioning in a text file and cat it to the bottom of your completed .asc .msg or .ans file that's easy too. that's what i do but not everyone can be cool like me.

No WYSIWYG editing yet, but a really good compromise, as you can simply append it at the end after editing/saving the ANSI file.

Good idea! i will give it a try. Thanks for that!

Mindsurfer

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Re: How do you edit msg files
By: Digital Man to Mindsurfer on Tue Oct 21 2025 22:55:44

So what I was suggesting was that the @-code itself can be the "placeholder" (so long as the @-code is the same length as the expanded string). --

Thank you. I got that.
So, not so good for displaying node number wich would be 1 digit only. Just as an example where it would not work, when there is not the space in the layout.

Short @codes like @NN@ would take 4+ chars in the layout display of the ansi editor. So that is the shortest it had to be to use @codes directly as the placeholder within the ansi layout. Maybe +1 empty space left and right of it, depending where it sits in the layout.

Everything that has some more characters in the expanded final display can be done with the recommended @code|R###@ without any further trickery.

So depending on the complexity and length of the respective @code output, i can choose between @code|R###@ for example, the positioning of the @codes via ansi esc sequence at the end of the layout. or a file containing the @codes with ansi esc sequence for positioning that i will merge to the layout ansi.

Mindsurfer

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