Options Menu

Overview

Using Show - Message, it is possible to make an options menu with any number of buttons and/or levels. This is enabling as one can maintain but a single plugin with an options menu offering multiple configuration setting rather than necessitating multiple versions. In these examples, we'll use apparel items, but a menu can be prompted and managed in a number of ways. First, create a message(s) form(s) and add/fill the buttons with the options you'd like to offer. Note that no more than ten buttons can be in a message box and that the button indices are offset by one such that the first option's index is 0 and not 1. If offering a lot of options, it's best to think ahead regarding how you want to organize your options, making the message forms first, then plugging them into the script.

Examples

• For the first example, we'll have only three options: "Mage", "Thief", and "Warrior". The token should be unplayable in this case. When the item is added to the player, the menu will be prompted and will exit as soon as a button is selected, executing the appropriate code right after the token is silently removed.

ScriptName OptionsMenuScript extends ObjectReference

Message Property OptionsMESG Auto

Event OnContainerChanged(ObjectReference akNewContainer, ObjectReference akOldContainer)

	If akNewContainer == Game.GetPlayer() ; Only the player
		Int iButton = OptionsMESG.Show() ; Shows your menu. iButton == -1 until input
		If (iButton != -1) ; Wait for input
			akNewContainer.RemoveItem(GetBaseObject(), 1, True) ; Silently remove token
			If (iButton == 0)  ; Mage
				Debug.Notification("Mage selected")
			ElseIf (iButton == 1) ; Thief
				Debug.Notification("Thief selected")
			ElseIf (iButton == 2) ; Warrior
				Debug.Notification("Warrior selected")
			EndIf
		EndIf
	EndIf
	
EndEvent

• For the next example, we'll offer sub-options for each main selection. For a multilevel menu, a function works well. Keep in mind each button can have conditions, so you could hide "Lunch" and "Dinner" if it's time for breakfast or hide "Lobster" if it's not currently available. In this case, to make it repeatable, we'll use a playable apparel item so the menu will show each time it is equipped.

ScriptName OptionsMenuScript extends ObjectReference

Message Property MainMenuMESG Auto
Message Property BreakfastMESG Auto
Message Property LunchMESG Auto
Message Property DinnerMESG Auto

Event OnEquipped(Actor akActor)

	If akActor == Game.GetPlayer()
		Game.DisablePlayerControls(False, False, False, False, False, True) ; Momentarily disable other menus
		Game.GetPlayer().EquipItem(GetBaseObject(), True, True) ; Prevent unequip/reequip in favorites until the current menu is resolved
		Utility.Wait(0.01) ; This ensures equipping the token from the favorites menu works
		Game.GetPlayer().UnequipItem(GetBaseObject(), False, True) ; Silently unequip item
		Game.EnablePlayerControls(False, False, False, False, False, True) ; Undo DisablePlayerControls
		Menu()
	EndIf
	
EndEvent 

Function Menu(Bool abMenu = True, Int aiButton = 0)

	While abMenu
		If (aiButton != -1) ; Wait for input
			aiButton = MainMenuMESG.Show() ; Main Menu
			abMenu = False ; End the function
			If (aiButton == 0) ; Breakfast
				aiButton = BreakfastMESG.Show()
				If (aiButton == 0) ; Sweet Roll & Coffee
				ElseIf (aiButton == 1) ; Pancakes, Bacon & Eggs
				ElseIf (aiButton == 2) ; Country Fried Pony Steak
				EndIf
			ElseIf (aiButton == 1) ; Lunch
				aiButton = LunchMESG.Show()
				If (aiButton == 0) ;  Glazed Turkey Sandwich
				ElseIf (aiButton == 1) ; Grilled Ham Sandwich
				ElseIf (aiButton == 2) ; Shredded Pony Sandwich
				EndIf
			ElseIf (aiButton == 2) ; Dinner
				aiButton = DinnerMESG.Show()
				If (aiButton == 0) ; Filet Mignon
				ElseIf (aiButton == 1) ; Pony Fajitas
				ElseIf (aiButton == 2) ; Lobster
				EndIf
			EndIf
		EndIf
	EndWhile

EndFunction

• To make a multilevel, looping menu with thirty buttons that will not close until a "Done" button is pressed, use the above method but with an altered Menu() function. Note that you can jump to a given message by specifying the aiMessage argument when calling the function. Sub-options as described in the previous example can be added to the below in the same manner. Theoretically, any number of options can be added with the below structure.

Function Menu(Int aiMessage = 0, Int aiButton = 0, Bool abMenu = True)

	While abMenu
		If (aiButton == -1)
		ElseIf (aiMessage == 0)
			aiButton = OptionsMenu00MESG.Show()
			If (aiButton == 0)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 1)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 2)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 3)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 4)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 5)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 6)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 7)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 8) ; More
				aiMessage = 1
			ElseIf (aiButton == 9) ; Done
				abMenu = False
			EndIf
		ElseIf (aiMessage == 1)
			aiButton = OptionsMenu01MESG.Show()
			If (aiButton == 0)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 1)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 2)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 3)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 4)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 5)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 6)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 7) ; Back
				aiMessage = 0
			ElseIf (aiButton == 8) ; More
				aiMessage = 2
			ElseIf (aiButton == 9) ; Done
				abMenu = False
			EndIf
		ElseIf (aiMessage == 2)
			aiButton = OptionsMenu02MESG.Show()
			If (aiButton == 0)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 1)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 2)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 3)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 4)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 5)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 6)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 7)
			ElseIf (aiButton == 8) ; Back
				aiMessage = 1
			ElseIf (aiButton == 9) ; Done
				abMenu = False
			EndIf
		EndIf
	EndWhile

EndFunction

Notes

• Given the buttons in Skyrim are listed from side to side, it is easy to spill over the edges of the user's monitor, particularly if it's a 4:3, in the event either the options are too verbose or there are too many options presented by a single message form. Currently, there's no way to list them from top to bottom as they were in previous Bethesda games. To mitigate this, keep the button text to a minimum and/or make sure to always set up conditions on mutually exclusive buttons to ensure only applicable options are presented.
• To conditionalize buttons upon script/quest variables, use GetVMScriptVariable and GetVMQuestVariable.

See Also

Show - Message