Overview

Comic Chat is a comic-strip version of Internet Chat. You can connect to a chat room on an Internet server and conduct real-time conversations with other people. You can pick a cartoon character to represent you, and your conversation appears as word balloons in frames of a comic strip. With Comic Chat, you can express a wide range of emotions, send "thoughts," and save the chat session for offline viewing.

The Comic Chat window is composed of the following parts:

A "Starring" pane, which prints the title of the chat and lists the participants

The member list pane

The viewing pane, where conversation occurs and chat history appears as a comic strip

A self-view pane, which shows what your character looks like

The emotion wheel

A compose pane, where you type your messages


Connecting to a server or chat room
To connect to a server or chat room

1	On the File menu, click New.

2	Click Expand, and then type the name of the server you want to connect to—for example, comicsrv1.microsoft.com.

3	Type your TCP/IP port number for the IRC connection. The default number is 6667.

4	Type the name of a chat room on a server, beginning with a number symbol (#). If you type a name that does not exist, a new one is created with that name.

5	Type your full name.

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Internet Relay Chat.


Connecting to a favorite chat room
To connect to a favorite chat room

On the Favorites menu, click Open Favorites, and then click the room that you want.

You keep the same character from your most recent chat session.

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Adding a chat room to your Favorites
To add a chat room to your Favorites

While in the chat room, click the Favorites menu, and then click Add To Favorites.

Tip

Comic Chat adds a shortcut to this chat room to your Favorites folder.

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Changing a server or room
To change a server or rooms

1	On the File menu, click New.

If you want a new nickname, type it in the Nickname box.

If you want a new character, select one from the Character list.

2	Click Expand, and then type the name of the new server you want to connect to—for example, comicsrv1.microsoft.com.

3	In the Channel box, type the name of a chat room, beginning with a number symbol (#).

If you type a name that does not exist, a new one is created with that name.

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Searching for a specific chat room
To search for a specific chat room

1	On the View menu, click Chat Room List.

2	In the Display Chat Rooms Which Contain box, specify the type of chat room you want to enter.

If you want to search the descriptions of a chat room, click Also Search Descriptions.

3	Click Go To.

Tips

If you are looking for another person, type their nickname in the Containing User Nickname box.

If you want to begin another search, click Reset.


Viewing the chat history
To view the chat history

To see previous frames of the conversation, scroll up in the viewing pane.


Changing a character's expression
To change a character’s expression

1	In the emotion wheel, drag the black dot to an emotion.

2	Right-click, and then click Send Expression. The character's expression in the most recent pane changes.

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Freezing a character's expression
To freeze a character’s expression

1	Click the black dot in the center of the emotion wheel, and then drag it to the expression you want.

2	Right-click, and then click Frozen.

Each frame displays the emotion you have selected until you unfreeze the emotion.

Tip

To unfreeze a character’s expression, point to the emotion wheel, right-click, and then click Frozen.

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Ignoring a character
To ignore a character

1	Select a character by right-clicking their icon or nickname in the Member List pane.

2	On the context menu, right-click Ignore.

Messages from this person no longer appear in your conversation panels. Others in the chat room can still see them.


Working Offline
To work offline

On the File menu, click New, and then click Cancel.

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Defining a character's emotion
To define a character’s emotion

Click the black dot in the center of the circle, and then drag it around the wheel.

You can choose eight different emotions for your character:

Shouting	Angry
Happy	Laughing
Bored	Scared
Sad	Coy
The character in the Self-view pane displays each emotion as you move around the circle. The closer to the outer edge of the wheel you move the dot, the more extreme the emotion; the closer to the center, the more moderate.

Note

Not all characters display the full range of emotions.

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Keyboard Shortcuts
Comic Chat Keyboard Shortcuts

CTRL+A	Selects all text in compose window.
CTRL+C	Copies selected text from compose window to the Clipboard.
CTRL+D	Deletes selected text from the compose window.
CTRL+I	Send Action. Sends text from the compose window to the chat pane, as a caption.
CTRL+N	Closes the current chat session and opens a new connection.
CTRL+O	Opens a file.
CTRL+P	Prints a file.
CTRL+R	Ring. Sends a page to a character you select.
CTRL+S	Saves a file.
CTRL+T	Sends the contents of the compose window as a thought.
CTRL+V	Pastes the Clipboard contents to the compose window.
CTRL+W	Sends the contents of the compose window as a whisper.
CTRL+X	Cuts the selected text to the Clipboard.
CTRL+Y	Sends the contents of the compose window.
CTRL+Z	Undo. Reverses the most recent action in the compose window.


Character Gestures
To use character gestures

When you begin a sentence with this	Your character does this
I	points to itself
You	points to the other person
Hello or Hi	waves
Bye	waves
Welcome	waves
Howdy	waves
When your sentence contains this word	Your character does this
are you	Points to the other person
will you	Points to the other person
did you	Points to the other person
aren't you	Points to the other person
don't you	Points to the other person
I'm	Points to itself
I will	Points to itself
iIll	Points to itself
I am	Points to itself
When you type this	Your character shows this emotion
All capitals	Shouting
!!!	Shouting
ROTFL	Laughing
LOL	Laughing
:) or :-)	Happy
:( or :-(	Sad
;-)	Coy


Specifying a connection
To specify a connection

The following options are available to you in the Connect dialog box.

Favorites

Displays your favorite chat rooms. In the list, select the room you want to enter.

Server

Displays the chat room server. In the box, type the name of the server where the chat room is located.

Port

Displays the port number for the server. In the box, type the name of the port number where the server is located. The default port number is 6667.

Connect to Specific Channel

Displays the channel for the chat room. In the box, type the name of the channel where the chat room is located.

Connect to Server and List Channels

Specifies that you want to connect to a server and have a list of channels to choose from when entering a chat room.


Specifying general settings
To specify general settings

On the View menu,click OptionsThe Settings tab contains the following options.

Prompt to Save the Conversation on Exit

Specifies to save your chat room dialogue when you quit Comic Chat.

Don’t Send Graphic Information

Specifies to not send your comic (graphical) chat information to all related members of a chat room.

Panel Layout

Displays the Comic Chat window in panes. In the list, select the amount of panes you want to display.


Modifying your personal information
To modify your personal information

On the View menu,click Options, and then click Personal Info.

Type a Nickname

Provides a space for you to type your online nickname. In the box, type a name you want to use as a nickname.

Type a Real Name

Provides a space for you to type your real name. In the box, type your real name.

Type a Brief Description of Self

Provides a space for you to type a personal description for others to view when you are in a chat room.


Specifying a character
To choose a character

1.	On the View menu,click Options, and then click the Characters tab.

2. In the Character Name list, click the character that you want. The Preview box displays a preview of the selected character. You can click the emotion wheel to see what the character looks like in different moods.

Character Name

Lists the names of the comic characters you can select to represent you when you are in a chat room. In the list, select the character you want.

Preview

Displays a preview of the character in a chat room.


Defining a background
To choose a background

1.	On the View menu,click Options, and then click the Backgrounds tab.

2.	In the Background list, click the background that you want. The Preview box displays a preview of the selected background.

Background

Displays the names of backgrounds you can use in the comic strip. In the list, click the background that you want.

Preview

Displays a preview of the selected background.