#Axmud Quick Help

Don't have time read the [Axmud Guide](../guide/index.html)? Axmud is not like other MUD clients you might have used, so you should read this (very) short document, which discusses its most important features.

For help with installation, see the INSTALL file (or [read the Guide](../guide/ch02.html)). Axmud is known to work on MS Windows, Linux and *BSD. It might be possible to install it on other systems such as MacOS, but the authors have not been able to confirm this yet.

To start Axmud, run the **axmud.pl** file. Users with a visual impairment can run the **baxmud.pl** file instead, which turns on screenreader support and turns off multiple windows.

When Axmud starts, the *Connections window* will appear. (Visually-impaired users will get a series of talking 'dialogue' windows instead.)

Axmud comes with a number of pre-configured worlds. If you connect to one of these worlds, you won't have to configure the automapper before using it.

Click on the world symbol to show a much longer list of worlds. If you connect to one of those worlds, or if you create a new world profile, you will have to configure the automapper for yourself.

After choosing a world, click on the **Connect to world** button.

Commands can be typed at the bottom of the main window. Commands beginning with a semicolon ( ; ) are client commands. There are nearly 600 client commands available, some more useful than others:

        ;about
        ;addchar gandalf

Axmud comes with a number of built-in scripts, called *tasks*, and its own scripting language, called *Axbasic*. All of these features are fully documented. For a list of help topics, try these commands:

        ;help
        ;abasichelp
        ;helptask

For help on a specific topic, try the following commands:

        ;help addchar
        ;axbasichelp play
        ;taskhelp status

If you're not sure what you're looking for, you can search for the right command:

        ;searchhelp guild

Most client commands can be abbreviated:

        ;ab             (equivalent of ;about )
        ;ach gandalf    (equivalent of ;addchar gandalf )
        ;h ach          (equivalent of ;help addchar )

(Visually-impaired users don't need to read the rest of this document.)

Axmud offers an extensive graphical user interface, including menus, toolbar icons and edit/preference windows. Almost anything that can be done by typing a command can also be done by clicking something (and vice-versa), though in practice one method is usually more convenient than the other.

Axmud stores information about the world in a *world profile*. You can use the **;editworld** command to open an edit window for the current world profile.

Some windows have a single **OK** button at the bottom. Any changes you make in these windows are applied immediately. For example, Axmud's own settings can be modified in the client preference window. You can open it by typing either of these commands:

        ;editclient
        ;edc

...or by using the main window menu:

        Edit > Axmud preferences...

However, most edit/preference windows have four buttons at the bottom. Any changes you make are not applied until you click the **Save** or **OK** buttons. (There are a few exceptions. Buttons marked with an asterisk ( \* ) are applied immediately.

The world profile stores data about the world, but Axmud also uses guild, race and character profiles. Axmud's object viewer window lists all the profiles currently in use, as well many other collections of data (each one called an *object*).

A few of the most common configuration options have been grouped together in a single window:

        ;editquick
        ;edq

You can open the object viewer window using a client command, or from the main window menu, or by clicking on the main window icon (the blue-green one next to the icon that looks like a road sign).

Axmud offers triggers, aliases, macros, timers and hooks. Collectively, they are called *interfaces*.

Interfaces belong to a profile. Sometimes there are several interfaces with the same name, each belonging to different profiles.

You could use this feature to create interfaces which change their behaviour according to which character you're playing. If you have no need of this capability then there's no need to worry about it. By default, the interfaces you create belong to the current world profile and are available whenever you connect to that world.

To create new triggers, click on the 'gun' icon in the main window. Click on the icons to the right of it to create new aliases, macros, timers and hooks.

If you aren't using a pre-configured world, you should run the Locator task wizard before trying to use the automapper. Click on the wizard's hat icon in the 'main' window or type:

        ;locatorwizard
        ;lcw

The automapper only needs a list of exits to function properly, so we suggest that you ignore everything except the exit list (pay no attention to the room's title and description, for example).

Open the automapper using the compass icon in the main window or type:

        ;openautomapper
        ;map

Start by adding a new region (called a *zone* on some other MUD clients). From the automapper menu, click:

        Regions > New region...

There is more than one way to add rooms to the map. The simplest is to right-click the map and then select **Add first room**.

Near the top-left of the automapper window are three important icons: **W** for *wait mode*, **F** for *follow mode* and **U** for *update mode*.

In *update mode*, the automapper will follow the character around the world, drawing new rooms as it goes. In *follow mode*, the automapper will follow the character but won't draw new rooms. In *wait mode* the automapper will ignore the character's movements.

To change the current room, right-click a room and select **Set current room**. If the automapper gets confused, you can reset it by clicking the brown **RL** icon.
