Still incomplete, but further along. Check back soon!

(Note: This guide is pretty big, but be patient and you will be able to set up your own terminal!) After much demand, here is a guide on how to set up a basic terminal in SOMA.This guide will cover these concepts:

• Setting up your script/map for a terminal
• Basic terminal logic: how the game reads what you code, and where to code it
• How to use some of the fast functions for GUI included in SOMA, such as a main menu, back button, adding dialog, displaying an image, etc.

The guide will not cover more advanced topics like password input, video cameras, locking doors, etc. Those will be in a later guide, so if you're searching for an advanced topic like one of the ones I've listed then be patient until a guide is made for them. Keep in mind, there are few limits to what you can pull off with a terminal; I'll be teaching you how to quickly set up the normal terminals seen throughout SOMA, but you can also setup GUI for things like the laptop at the start of the game, and, as far as I know, much more advanced and interactive GUI than the basic stuff if you have the patience for it.

I also recommend you know the following things first:

• How to set up codelite! I really have to stress this one. It will make your life easier if you use it properly.
• Make sure you've set up your mod. Check here: wiki.frictionalgames.com/hpl3/community/hpl3_getting_started
• How to use language files in SOMA. Not necessary, but I recommend you have an english file set up (or whatever language you prefer.) There isn't a guide for this yet, but there will be sooner or later. Reading the guide for Amnesia for this might help out, as it uses the same format.
• Basic understanding of C, and how to read error messages. Seriously, knowing what a simple error message means will help you debug, and knowing the different variable types in C and the function types (like what is a void, a bool, or an int function?) If you know this stuff, than you'll also have an easier time learning new code on your own. You could probably just google 'learning basic C' to find some quick tutorials.

After you've done ALLLLL this crap, or the things you think are necessary, then follow me to the basic setup.

Alright. So to start off, make sure you have a map set up with the terminal you want. Name the terminal something you'll remember thats code friendly. (IE coolTerminal, cool_terminal, etc) If you select the terminal, you should see something like this in it's entity tab:

If not, then find another terminal to use that has this menu. (I imagine there are ways to create any entity into a terminal with the model editor, but I have not looked yet.) Make sure your terminal is once again properly named, and then in terminal window find the boxes entitled 'OnGuiFunction', 'EnterCallback', and 'LeaveCallback'. These are the callbacks that we will primarily use in our code to run the terminal. I recommend clicking the generate button beneath each, but if you prefer you can name each callback yourself. Also make sure to check the 'allowInteraction' box if the player can interact with the terminal. Otherwise they can only look at it. Once the boxes have names, generated or otherwise, save your map and open up your script. Your terminal on the map side of things should be done!

This tutorial assumes you have a basic .hps file set up with your map already. Scroll down to the bottom of the script and you may see a section like this:

         /////////////////////////////////////////
	 // ==============
	 // TERMINALS
	 // ==============
	 //{//////////////////////////////////////
 
		 //-------------------------------------------------------
 
		 /////////////////////////////////////////
		 // Terminal *Name Of Terminal*
		 //{//////////////////////////////////////
 
		 //-------------------------------------------------------
 
		 /*Put any variables that are only used Terminal here.*/
 
		 //-------------------------------------------------------
 
		 /*Put any functions that are only used Terminal here.*/
 
		 //-------------------------------------------------------
 
		 //} END Terminal *Name Of Terminal*
 
		 //-------------------------------------------------------
 
	//} END TERMINALS

This is the template setup. I do not recommend you delete this from any script! It is good reference and a good starting point for your first terminal in any map. Also, check the part of your scipt where the #include's are; add the lines:

#include "helper_imgui_station.hps"
#include "helper_imgui_station_app_audioplayback.hps"
#include "helper_imgui_station_app_photoviewer.hps"

These will include some functions that can quickly setup SOMA's terminal's GUI, which you will need if you directly follow this terminal's setup. Now, going back to the template for your terminal, edit it to look something like this (you dont have to copy the comments, but do read them over as they contain information): /

         /////////////////////////////////////////
	 // ==============
	 // TERMINALS
	 // ==============
	 //{//////////////////////////////////////
 
		//-------------------------------------------------------
		/////////////////////////////////////////
		// Terminal room_terminal
		//{//////////////////////////////////////
		//-------------------------------------------------------
		void room_terminal_OnGui(const tString&in asEntityName, float asTimeStep)
		{
			//variables
			int lActiveApp = -1; //these variables are only necessary if your terminal will have a menu with multiple sub-programs. This variable indicates the active app on the terminal.
			int lBackApp  = -1; //This variable indicates what app the back button will bring you to.
			bool bDrawBackButton = true; //This variable is a true or false that determines if the terminal will draw the back button.
			//you can of course create more variables as necessary, but these are the basic ones for a terminal with multiple menus.
 
			//-----------------------------------------
 
			//this is where the main code will be written.
 
		}
 
		//---------------------------------------------
 
		void room_terminal_GuiEnter(const tString&in asEntityName)
		{
			//This code runs whenever the player enters the terminal.
		}
 
		//---------------------------------------------
 
		void room_terminal_GuiLeave(const tString&in asEntityName)
		{
			//This code runs whenever the player leaves the terminal.
		}
 
		//-------------------------------------------------------
		//} END Terminal room_terminal
		//-------------------------------------------------------
 
	//} END TERMINALS

(Do not directly copy this code as it was indented with spaces instead of Tab)

Make sure you replace my lines as necessary. Your 'Terminal' and 'End Terminal' comments should have your terminal's name instead, and the callbacks should be what you named them in the editor. Reference which ones are which by reviewing the image of the terminal tab above (in the 'just let me add my terminal already' section). Also decide if your terminal will have a menu with multiple programs. If not, don't bother writing in the variables above the functions section.

Now the basic code for a simple terminal is setup, and we can adjust it for our needs in the next section. Don't bother testing your map, as in its current state the terminal won't do anything.

It doesn't do anything fun yet, but your terminal is running. Now you just have to decide what it runs. Most of this stuff will be dealt with in the void terminal_onGui function. This part of the tutorial is about setting up a single window stylized like the regular SOMA terminals which will display text and an image. I'll provide the code and then explain all of it with detailed comments and insight. For this part of the tutorial, we WILL ONLY be looking at the onGui function.