Re: Re: ANSI Ad
By: g00r00 to Rob Swindell on Sat Mar 26 2022 04:07 pm

> RS> It sounds like Mystic is not actually rendering your ANSI as you
> RS> entered it, i.e. your clear-screen sequence isn't actually clearing the
> RS> user's screen.
>
> Mystic renders ANSI in message content in the context of the message
> viewport. In other words, Mystic knows that a clear screen in an uploaded
> ANSI message should clear only the message viewport not the entire user's
> terminal, and it acts accordingly.
>
> The same holds true for all ANSI commands, cursor movements, clear
> screen/lines, etc. They are rendered in the context of the message
> viewport, not the entire user's terminal.
>
> You can mix and match ANSI and text inline with the message editor that has
> TheDraw-like features, and Mystic will save and render it WYSIWYG in your
> message bases. This was something I originally did in the early 2000s so
> that people could co-create ANSI art within actual message bases and then
> download the completed ANSIs...
>
> But these days its mostly just a factor when people post ANSI BBS ads lol
>
> Mystic applies a similar methodology to ANSI file descriptions too when
> using things like FILE_ID.ANS.

I just strip all but the minimal sequences from ANSI file descriptions. I could
do something similar for ANSI in message bodies too, but I suppose someone
might be wanting to post animated ANSIs and want them to display as intended.

> Anyway, thats why a clear screen in a traditional BBS will clear the entire
> screen but Mystic it only clears the "message viewport".

Do you translate the ANSI clearing and cursor movement sequence to a different
set of ANSI sequences or are you actually using the ANSI region definition
sequences to define this "message viewport" and letting the terminal handle
that?

I'm curious how absolute cursor positioning works when the coordinates are
outside of this "message viewport". Sounds like a lot of work and opportunity
for wonkiness. :-)

> Hope that helps clear things up.

Cool. So animated ANSIs actually display as intended (with the animation)? And
you can scroll up and down the message too? That'd I'd like to see. :-)

I'd up-vote your message, but... FidoNet. :-)
--
digital man (rob)

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RS> It sounds like Mystic is not actually rendering your ANSI as you entered
RS> it, i.e. your clear-screen sequence isn't actually clearing the user's
RS> screen.

Mystic renders ANSI in message content in the context of the message viewport.
In other words, Mystic knows that a clear screen in an uploaded ANSI message
should clear only the message viewport not the entire user's terminal, and it
acts accordingly.

The same holds true for all ANSI commands, cursor movements, clear
screen/lines, etc. They are rendered in the context of the message viewport,
not the entire user's terminal.

You can mix and match ANSI and text inline with the message editor that has
TheDraw-like features, and Mystic will save and render it WYSIWYG in your
message bases. This was something I originally did in the early 2000s so that
people could co-create ANSI art within actual message bases and then download
the completed ANSIs...

But these days its mostly just a factor when people post ANSI BBS ads lol

Mystic applies a similar methodology to ANSI file descriptions too when using
things like FILE_ID.ANS.

Anyway, thats why a clear screen in a traditional BBS will clear the entire
screen but Mystic it only clears the "message viewport".

Hope that helps clear things up.