NGL.EXE Guide

  2015-05-09  Robert Hart


Mouse

  When you start NGL.EXE, a block character mouse pointer appears in the
  middle of the screen. Although you can move the mouse pointer around,
  nothing seems to respond to mouse clicks. You'll probably want to move
  the mouse pointer to an edge of the screen so it's out of the way.
  (Then, if using DOSBox windowed mode, press the Windows key or Ctrl+F10
  to return mouse input to the operating system.)


Menu Bar

  The left side of the menu bar shows the File, Exec, and Display menus.

  After you open or save, the middle of the menu bar shows the current
  file name. This filename is also used as a base filename for the
  ASCII Template and Print to File.

  As you begin editing, the right end of the menu bar shows the current
  template size in decimal.

    Size Counter Discrepancies

    Gesture position 0 is reserved as a flag-only spot and is never
    saved in the template. If you give gesture position 0 a name, the
    menu bar counter incorrectly increases by 2.

    Turning on the overall Turbo flag will add 2 bytes to the end of the
    template, but the menu bar counter doesn't count them.


Menu Navigation

    Esc: Enter or exit the menu bar
  Alt+F: File menu
  Alt+E: Exec menu
  Alt+D: Display menu

  Left and Right: Change menu
  Up and Down: Change highlighted item
  Enter: Select item

  The item shortcut keys only work when the menu is closed.


Menu Items

  File

    New  (Alt+N)
      Clears the definitions, but not the filename in the menu bar.
      If you Save after this, you will overwrite the same file. To avoid
      accidents, it may be safer to avoid New, just Quit and restart.

    Open  (Alt+O)

    Close  (Alt+C -- same shortcut as Download Template)
      Selecting Close from the menu doesn't do anything.
      Pressing Alt+C actually does Download Template.

    Save  (Alt+S)
    Save as
      The save commands let you enter a long file name that shows up in
      the menu bar, but the actual file only uses an 8.3 name (in DOSBox,
      at least).

    Print  (Alt+P)
      (Unusable in official DOSBox because it has no print ability.
      Instead, use the Exec menu, Print to File.)

    Help  (Alt+H)
      Doesn't do anything

    About NGL
      Doesn't do anything

    Quit  (Alt+Q)


  Exec

    Execute Program  (Alt+X)
    Show Polhemus & Flex  (Alt+Z)
      Unknown purpose, maybe connects to glove somehow.

    Download Template  (Alt+C)
      Makes a file TEST.TST with the transmittable version of the
      template (one size byte followed by the raw template bytes).

    Make ASCII Template  (Alt+M)
      Makes a source code listing defining the template bytes.
      Doesn't prompt for filename. Must have previously opened or saved
      so there's a filename in the menu bar. Uses the filename in menu
      bar with the last three letters replaced with MAC.

    Print to File
      Makes a text file listing of gestures and logic (but not turbo).
      Doesn't prompt for filename. Must have previously opened or saved
      so there's a filename in the menu bar. Uses the filename in menu
      bar with the last three letters replaced with PRN.


  Display

    Gesture Definitions  (Alt+G)
    Logic Definitions  (Alt+L)

    Template Load Table  (Alt+B)
      Unknown purpose

    Set Turbo  (Alt+T)


Gesture Page - Left Side

    Up: Move left side highlight to previous item
  Down: Move left side highlight to next item
  Home: Move left side highlight to first item
   End: Move left side highlight to last item

  A to Z or _: Input name
  Delete: Erase name

  Insert: Insert blank line (lines below move down)
  Period: Delete line (lines below move up)


Gesture Page - Right Side

   Left: Move right side highlight to previous item
  Right: Move right side highlight to next item

  Plus or Space: Change to next value
  Minus: Change to previous value


Logic Page - Left Side

    Up: Move left side highlight to previous item
  Down: Move left side highlight to next item
  Home: Move left side highlight to first item
   End: Move left side highlight to last item


Logic Page - Right Side

   Left: Move right side highlight to previous item
  Right: Move right side highlight to next item

  Page Up:   Show first page of logic (also refreshes indentation)
  Page Down: Show second page of logic (also refreshes indentation)

  Plus or Space: Change to next value
  Minus: Change to previous value

  Enter:
    If a gesture is needed, changes to highlighted gesture from left side.
    If an action is needed, changes to next action.

  Delete: Erase line (lines below stay where they are)

  Insert: Insert blank line (lines below move down)
  Period: Delete line (lines below move up)


Turbo Page

  Enter: Enable or disable overall turbo setting.

  Up or Left: Move highlight to previous item. (Wraps around)
  (Can't find a way to move highlight to next item)

  Plus or Space: Change to next value
  Minus: Change to previous value
  Delete: Set value to OFF or 0.