Planets4
From PlanetsWiki
[edit] Overview
Planets4.EXE is the main application that comes with the complete package that you download from www.planets4.com. You use this application to open RST files from the Host to view the results of the host processing TRN files. Once you have made your changes to your turn then you can use this same application to create a TRN file that will be sent to the Host for the next turn's processing. RST files are read from the following folder and TRN files are generated in the same location: Planets\WAR\SLOTx (where x is between 1 and 12). The following sectios are here to allow other portions of the PlanetsWiki to refer to the screenshots given here to be able to elaborate on what they are trying to describe. This is not meant to replace walkthroughs such as what is available at VGAP4 International or GRG Zone.
[edit] Files
The Files screen is the screen that you see the first time that you execute Planets4.EXE. This is where you can choose a slot where you have your RST file for a game stored. In this screenshot, no RST files are present. If there are any RST files then the name of the game will replace the "( Empty )" text. The Game Slots shown here correspond to the folders located at Planets\WAR\SLOTx where x is between 1 and 12.
Once you have a slot number selected, the available player numbers that you have RST files for will show up with a green outline as shown around #6 below. Once you select player 6, you will have the option to Unpack the RST file. You should only do this once unless you want to lose any changes you made for this turn of this game. Once you unpack the RST, the application will automatically Play Saved File for you so that you can start reviewing the game and making changes. Once you are done making changes you can press the Files button in the toolbar to get back to this screen. You will see a yellow border around the player number in addition to the green border. You can continue to Play Saved File until you are ready to submit a completed TRN file back to the host. To do this, press the Make TRN File. A red border will appear around the player number. You can still Play Saved File, but the TRN file will not be updated until you press Make TRN File again.
[edit] Main Screen
The screen below shows a sample game. The galactic map takes up most of the screen. The names of planets are displayed as well as graphical representations of planets, bases, ships, wings, and pods. Minefields are also displayed, but not in this screenshot. The main galactic star map also contains a zoom tool, map viewer movement tool, a legend tool, a HUD tool, and a coordinates display. At the top of the screen is the toolbar. This is how most of turn processing happens.
[edit] Zoom Tool
This tool allows you to zoom in our out of the map to be able to get a better view according to your needs. You can press the minus (-) or plus (+) with the mouse/left-click to zoom out or in respectively. You can also click inside the vertical lines to choose a zoom level and go directly to it. The zoom level to the left that has a top and bottom of green color will not show grid lines. Grid lines may help you to get very granular with your movement or calculations.
[edit] Map Viewer Movement Tool
This tool allows you to left-click and hold the mouse to move the map in any desired direction.
[edit] Legend Tool
This tool changes the display to a list of possible icons that will be shown on the galactic map.
[edit] HUD Tool
The HUD tool will enable a Heads Up Display for the selected hammer providing several tid-bits of information that may be useful instead of having to view the Overview screen of each object.
[edit] Coordinates Display
The coordinates display shows the current X, Y coordinates of your mouse cursor over the galactic map. By using this display in conjunction with other toolbar functions, such as Point in Space, you can place a Point in Space exactly where you wanted it, such as where that jumpgate is that you keep losing your scan of.
[edit] Toolbar
When playing the saved file, you will be presented with the full toolbar. Some tools will be ghosted out until an appropriate object is selected or the object that you have selected is performing a certain action.
[edit] Command Functions
The right part of the toolbar contains buttons that allow you to give commands to your objects.
[edit] Quick Ship Build
This button launches the Quick Build window.
[edit] Fleet Command
Pressing this button will bring up a the Fleet Command window that will list all ships that you have configured as Fleet Leaders. Once you select a Fleet Leader, it will show you the fleet members and allow you to execute fleet commands against all members of that fleet. The functions overlap with those provided via the Ship Groups Window.
[edit] Pod Command
Pressing this button will bring the detailed Pod Command of the current Pod that you have selected or the pod with the lowest type in the alphabet (Assault Pod then Construction Pod, etc.) and the lowest ID number in that list.
[edit] Minefield Command
Pressing this button will allow you to view details about your Minefields in the Minefield Command.
[edit] Buoy Command
Pressing this button will allow you to view details about your Buoys in the Buoy Command.
[edit] Space Command
Pressing this button will turn on (not off) the Space Command overlay. It will always appear at the top left corner of the star map. The Space Command overlay is how you can display information or perform command functions against the Hammer & Anvil objects that you have selected. This window will also come up whenever you drag a box around objects or select an object on the main star map.
[edit] Central Command Head Quarters
Pressing this button will bring up the Central Command window with more buttons for controlling your overall empire settings.
[edit] Ship Command
Pressing this button will bring up the detailed Ship Command view of the current Ship that you have selected or the ship with the lowest ID number in your fleet.
[edit] Base Command
Pressing this button will bring up a detailed Base Command view of the current Ground Base that you have selected or the base with the highest ID number in your empire.
[edit] Wing Command
Pressing this button will bring up a detailed Wing Command view of the current Wing that you have selected or the wing with the lowest ID number in your forces.
[edit] Information Functions
[edit] Groups of Ships
Being This button will bring up the Ship Groups Window that will allow you to put ships into groups that can have commands executed against all of them at once.
[edit] Notes
After selecting an object, you may press this button to open the Notepad window and place a text note on that object and may additionally color code the object with a green, yellow, or red flag or a combination of any of those.
[edit] Hot Sheets
Hot Sheets allow you to add objects to different colored hot sheets that mean different things to you. For example, you can put all good farming planets into the green hot sheet and all of the good mining planets into another hot sheet.
[edit] Read Incoming Messages
You will always receive status messages about your empire and things that opposing empires have done against you. Read about them in the Read Messages windows.
[edit] Send A Message
If you feel like sending everyone or a particular play a message, you may do so at the Send Message window. This is a very slow way of sending messages since it will only be received next turn by the other player and you won't receive their response for another turn. E-mail or bulletin boards will be faster.
[edit] Pending Orders
Bases or dry dock ships that are building new ships, launching wings, or selling contraband will have a list of Pending Orders here. You may review or cancel any of them.
[edit] Data Grid
This button will open the Data Grid that will allow you to see several bits of information about the game in a spreadsheet format and sort by different properties.
[edit] VCR (Video Combat Recorder)
This will launch the VCR application to review any combats that your ships may have participated in.
[edit] Log
All objects have the ability to report logs back to your central command. Use this tool or the individual object command tools to review the logs.
[edit] Main Star Map
If you managed to close your main star map, click this.
[edit] Minimap
This displays a miniature star map that you can click on to move your focus elsewhere.
[edit] Map Pad Control
This turns on/off the Legend Tool, Zoom Tool, HUD Tool, and Map Movement Tool.
[edit] Magnetic Locking WayPoints
If you don't want the waypoints that you choose to automatically lock onto a planet or base then turn this off. You can also hold down SHIFT while selecting a waypoint to avoid locking onto a planet.
[edit] Display Contact Tracks On Map
This tool is buggy, but may help you determine the path that objects have taken while traveling through your area of space.
[edit] Center Map In The Current Hammer Object
This tool will center the map on the hammer object that you have selected. Some functions within the game don't automatically center of the hammer object, so this tool comes in handy.
[edit] Weapon Specs
Pressing this button will open the Weapon Specs window that allows you to browse through weapon, base structure, etc. specifications using the Weapon Specs Window.
[edit] Races
This button will bring up the Races Window to allow you to view information about opposing player's race selections and modify alliance settings.
[edit] Game Configure Settings (Set By Host)
Use this button to review some of the HConfig settings configured by the host for the current game in the Game Settings window.
[edit] Find And Select
This will open the Find and Select window and allow you to find objects on the map using various methods. The useful part of this tool is the ability to find objects by object ID.
[edit] Options
Pressing this button will open the Options window that allows you to configure your Planets4 application slightly as well as Make CSV Files for 3rd party applications to use or for you to look at possibly with a spreadsheet application.
[edit] Toggle Log Boxes On Map
This will turn on/off blue boxes that will surround objects that have a log message for them this turn.
[edit] Map Object Display Filters
This button opens the Display Filters window that is helpful when the star map is cluttered and you know what you want to filter down to.
[edit] Toggle Planet ID Numbers On Map
Turn planet ID numbers on/off. Defaults to off.
[edit] Toggle Planet Names On The Map
Turn planet names on/off. When you click on the N (Planet Names) button, it will turn on planet names, but if you click it again then it will turn on Base Names and a third click will turn it off. Either Planet Names or Base Names will be displayed; not both. Like the planets, the base names will be in the color that pertains to the alliance level of that base, so that your own are in green, allies are in blue, and enemies are in red.
[edit] Display Sensor Coverage
Turn on green circles that represent the range of your sensors from various objects.
[edit] Display Resource Rings
Turns on chosen resource rings that will allow you to quickly find abundant resources of a certain type on the map.
[edit] Register Program
This is a very important button. Don't avoid it.
[edit] Help
This button will launch your Web browser to open the on-line help.
[edit] Cursor Functions
The right lower part of the toolbar contains buttons that change the cursor and allow you to perform various actions.
[edit] Draw On Map
This button changes your cursor into a pen tool. and allows you to doodle on the map for a little while.
If you are done drawing then choose the 
.
[edit] Plot Point In Space
This button allows you to draw a Point in Space.
Change the cursor back to a normal arrow by pressing .
[edit] Change Cursor Back To A Normal Arrow
This changes your cursor back to a normal arrow.
[edit] Intercept Targeting Mode
This button allows you to choose an intercept target for your hammer object (available for Ships and Wings).
Change the cursor back to a normal arrow by pressing .
[edit] Escort Targeting Mode
This button allows you to choose an escort target for your hammer object (available for Ships and Wings).
Change the cursor back to a normal arrow by pressing .
[edit] Kill Targeting Mode
This button allows you to choose a kill target for your hammer object (available for Ships and Wings).
Change the cursor back to a normal arrow by pressing .
[edit] Capture Targeting Mode
This button allows you to choose a capture target for your hammer object (only available for Ships).
Change the cursor back to a normal arrow by pressing .
[edit] Tow Targeting Mode
This button allows you to choose a tow target for your hammer object (only available for Ships).
Change the cursor back to a normal arrow by pressing .
[edit] Waypoint 1-6 Targeting Mode
-
by pressing these buttons you can choose the waypoints 1-6 for your hammer object (available for Ships and Wings).
If you don't want the waypoints to automatically lock onto other objects turn off the Magnetic Locking WayPoints toggle ().
Change the cursor back to a normal arrow by pressing .
[edit] Dock Targeting Mode
This button allows you to choose a dock target for your hammer object (available for Wings and Pods).
Change the cursor back to a normal arrow by pressing .
[edit] Undock Targeting Mode
This button allows you to choose an undock target for your hammer object (only availabe for Pods).
Change the cursor back to a normal arrow by pressing .
