VX FOR DUMMIES: THE EVENT SCREEN

A quick lesson on the event screen in VX.

I made this tutorial for no specific reason, I doubt anyone will find it very helpful but hey, why not! Let's get started shall we.

So you want to know how to take your event to the max, look here. I am going to show you what all the terms on the event screen are. This however is not a tutorial on how to use events. I won't explain any event commands, just what is on the event page.

Here is a screen-shot of the event menu:

You might notice that there are several things outlined in various colors. These are the different "panels" that you can work with to make an event. Let's look at them.

Event ID and Page Manager Panel-outlined in pink.
In the box that says name you can, well, name the event.
Next is the page manager. Here you can create a new page, copy a page, paste a page, delete a page, or clear a page. I guess it would be helpful to know what a page is. A page is basically another event in the same spot, that can be linked with a self switch command, (but hey, I'm not talking about commands here, let's keep things simple).
OR You can look at Versalia's Description:
A page is just an alternative set of coding (or even alternative graphics) for the same event. This page can be dependent on switches (a value that is "OFF" or "ON"), variables (a number value), or the existence of particular items or other events.

Pages become useful when you want to say, have a quest.
For example:
You have an event that is a Princess. "Help me," she says, "I lost my necklace." Now technically, this item doesn't "exist" yet because the player doesn't have it.
You make a new page, and you check the box Item: (Princess' Necklace) exists. It says "Thank you so much for finding my necklace!"
Now, whenever you talk to her while you have the necklace, she will say "Thank you so much for finding my necklace!" If you don't have it, she will say "Help me, I lost my necklace."
Note that this same series of events can be done in a single page with the Conditional Branch tool, but it is possible to do it across multiple pages, and you should be able to think of more creative uses based on this example.

(The above example was written by Versalia.)

Now that you know what a page is, you know that you can copy paste delete, and make new pages. However, you may not know what the "clear event page" button does. (Or you may know and I'm just making things more complicated than they need to be.) This clears EVERYTHING on an event page. It basically deletes and event page and creates a new one in it's place all at the same time.


Conditions Panel-outlined in red.
Conditions are, to put it plainly, conditions. These are the things that need to have occurred in order for that page to run. Let's run through them:

Switch: There are actually two of these condition options, because switches are so commonly used throughout game-making. A switch can be turned on or off, and is useful in game-making. I am not going to go into separate event commands in this tutorial though, but there are other great tutorials on switches on this site.

Variable: In order to explain this one, I would have to go into event commands, which I am to lazy to do, but I know there is a great tutorial for switches and events on this site.

Self Switch: Just like a switch, although it only works within one event. (It's complicated)

Item: If the player has this item in the party, then the condition is fulfilled.

Actor: If this actor is in the party, then the condition is fulfilled.


Graphic Panel-outlined in black.
This is the graphic that will appear for the event. If there is no graphic then the event will still work, just be invisible.


Autonomous Movement Panel -outlined in blue.
This is a panel used to allow the event to move before it's triggered. There is a drop-down box labeled "type". Here is a screen-shot of it:

It gives you four choices, let's run through them.

Fixed: This makes the event stationary. It won't move unless a command makes it.

Random: This makes the event randomly mill about at the speed and frequency you give it. It has no real pattern that it follows. Useful for NPC's.

Approach: This makes the event approach the player at the speed and frequency you give it.

Custom: This is basically where you get to make a "set move route" command before actually triggering the event. (If you don't know what a set move route command is that's fine. It's pretty self explanatory).

Next up there's the speed and frequency options. They are both very simple. The speed option gives you 6 choices. These choices determine how fast the event will move if it is set to approach random or custom. Choice 4 is labeled "Normal". This is the speed the character moves. Choices 1, 2, and 3 are slower than Normal, and 5 and 6 are faster. The frequency options are just as simple. The higher the number, the better the frequency.


Options Panel-outlined in green.
You would think that Enterbrain could come up with a better name that OPTIONS, right.
Anyway, these are some options about the graphic of the event. Think of them as Graphic Options.
I could make this very complicated, and go into how a sprite in VX is laid out and such, but this is a for dummies tutorial, and I don't want to go to complex. Let's just run through the different check-boxes and get this over.

Walking Anim.: This gives the event an animation that looks like stepping when it moves. Note VX is nice and automatically checks it for you when you create a new event.

Stepping Anim.: This animates the event to make it look like it's stepping, even if it is in a fixed position.

Direction Fix: This fixes the direction of the event, so even if the player comes up to the side of the event, it will not turn to face the player, it will remain in its original direction.

Through: This means that the player or any other event will be able to pass through it, no matter the priority. (I will get into priority's in the next panel, hold onto your pant's for now.)


Priority Panel-outlined in maroon.
This panel is the level of the event. If it is set to "Below Characters", the player will be able to walk on top of it. If it is set to "Same as Characters" then the player won't be able to walk on it, or under it for that matter. If it is set to "Above Characters" then the character will be able to travel under it. NOTE: The priority will automatically change when you give the event a graphic. Always check the priority, it will save you many headaches.


Trigger Panel-outlined in purple.
This is what triggers an event. It will start the flow of event commands when it is triggered. Let's run through the different triggers an event can have:

Action Button: This is the default trigger. The player will have to press space bar or enter/return next to or on top of the event (depending on the priority) to trigger it.

Player Touch: If the player touches the event while facing it, the event will trigger.

Event Touch: If the event touches anything else from any direction, it will trigger.

Autorun: This will make the event run right when the player enters the map. The player, however, will not be able to move while the event is running. The event, if not commanded to by either a switch or Erase Event command will loop.

Parallel Process: Exactly identicalistic to Autorun, except the player can move when the event is going underway, useful for weather events.


List of Event Commands Panel-outlined in yellow.
This is what the event actually does. Here you can place commands that will make the event do it's thing. Most event tutorial would focus on commands supremely, but this one is about the event window itself, so I'm done with commands.


Okay, Cancel, and Apply Panel-outlined in gold.
This one is pretty self explanatory, even for dummies. But I'm still going to go through with explaining it.

Okay: This applies everything you just did and exit's the event.

Cancel: Exits the event and deletes all un-applied changes.

Apply: Like saving your work. If you apply, mess up, and then cancel, then everything you did before you applied get's saved.


DONE

I hope this was helpful. (It probably wasn't).

Posts

Pages: 1
Versalia
must be all that rtp in your diet
1405
Very informative! I'm sure someone will find this useful.

However, the "Event ID and Page Manager Panel" portion is poorly-written. You state that you're purposely trying to avoid getting into specific commands, but then you describe how a page might be used with commands; and in avoiding going into detail, you end up making it sound more cryptic and confusing than it really is.
author=Versalia
Very informative! I'm sure someone will find this useful.

However, the "Event ID and Page Manager Panel" portion is poorly-written. You state that you're purposely trying to avoid getting into specific commands, but then you describe how a page might be used with commands; and in avoiding going into detail, you end up making it sound more cryptic and confusing than it really is.


I know, it's a work in progress.
author=Versalia
Very informative! I'm sure someone will find this useful.

However, the "Event ID and Page Manager Panel" portion is poorly-written. You state that you're purposely trying to avoid getting into specific commands, but then you describe how a page might be used with commands; and in avoiding going into detail, you end up making it sound more cryptic and confusing than it really is.


I fixed it. It still may need polishing though.
Versalia
must be all that rtp in your diet
1405
How about:

A page is just an alternative set of coding (or even alternative graphics) for the same event. This page can be dependent on switches (a value that is "OFF" or "ON"), variables (a number value), or the existence of particular items or other events.

For example:
You have an event that is a Princess. "Help me," she says, "I lost my necklace." Now technically, this item doesn't "exist" yet because the player doesn't have it.

You make a new page, and you check the box Item: (Princess' Necklace) exists. It says "Thank you so much for finding my necklace!"

Now, whenever you talk to her while you have the necklace, she will say "Thank you so much for finding my necklace!" If you don't have it, she will say "Help me, I lost my necklace."


Note that this same series of events can be done in a single page with the Conditional Branch tool, but it is possible to do it across multiple pages, and you should be able to think of more creative uses based on this example.
author=Versalia
How about:

A page is just an alternative set of coding (or even alternative graphics) for the same event. This page can be dependent on switches (a value that is "OFF" or "ON"), variables (a number value), or the existence of particular items or other events.

For example:
You have an event that is a Princess. "Help me," she says, "I lost my necklace." Now technically, this item doesn't "exist" yet because the player doesn't have it.

You make a new page, and you check the box Item: (Princess' Necklace) exists. It says "Thank you so much for finding my necklace!"

Now, whenever you talk to her while you have the necklace, she will say "Thank you so much for finding my necklace!" If you don't have it, she will say "Help me, I lost my necklace."


Note that this same series of events can be done in a single page with the Conditional Branch tool, but it is possible to do it across multiple pages, and you should be able to think of more creative uses based on this example.


Copying. (Will give credit.) You are awesome.
Thanks! This is more helpful than you may realize for us "dummies" out here.
author=peteywarren0829
Thanks! This is more helpful than you may realize for us "dummies" out here.


Glad I could help. If there is anything else troubling you in VX, don't hesitate to ask.
My RPG Maker VX is in French, so I can't figure out how to erase the event when it ends.
chana
(Socrates would certainly not contadict me!)
1584
In french, switch is "interrupteur", in rm2k3, the command to trigger a switch is page 1 "modifier un interrupteur", should be pretty similar.
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