@DATABASE AB3 Guide @REM AB3D2 Editor guide @$VER: 0.3 (27.03.98) @AUTHOR Simon Tyrrell (lip95smt@sheffield.ac.uk) @NODE main "ab3d2 editor guide" AB3DII Editor Suite 0.70 ======================== @{"Introduction" link intro} @{"Legal stuff" link legal} @{"Requirements" link requi} @{"Installation" link instl} @{"Usage" link usage} @{"History" link histo} @{"Future" link futur} @{"Thanks" link thank} Any bug reports, flames, suggestions etc., email me at lip95smt@sheffield.ac.uk @endnode @node intro "Introduction" When AB3DII was initially released along with an editing package, it was expected that there would soon be a flood of custom levels onto the Amiga PD scene. Unfortunately this turned out not to be the case, the unfriendliness of the editors being the main reason cited. To this end, I decided to see if parts of the package could be recoded and made more user friendly. All the AMOS code has been removed and replaced with C code, giving a substantial speed up to the programs. The actual degree of speed up varies from program to program. For instance, the Brighten program is roughly 400% faster, whereas Linkup is virtually unchanged (since the main code is in assembler in both cases). @endnode @node requi "Requirements" An Amiga (clone / emulator) obviously!. @{"IFF Library" link iff} @{"MUI" link mui} An unpirated copy of AB3D2 (TKG or RTG). @endnode @node instl "Installation" The package can be installed anywhere, with @{" IFF library " link iff} in your LIBS: path. @{" MUI " link mui} has to be installed on your system. There are a number of editor files which can be deleted. Currently these are 256texture, 256Brighten, 256Wallchunk, 256Obj, 256Lit, Linkup, includes/newlinkup.aminc, includes/shadepal.aminc. @endnode @node usage "Usage" The editor is split into two panels. The left hand panel is just a list of options with the chosen one being displayed in the right hand panel.The current editor options are @{" Brighten " link brigh} @{" Floor " link floor} @{" Texture " link textu} @{" Wall " link wall} @{" Bitmap Object " link bitma} @{" Lightsourced Object " link light} @{" Link Up " link linku} For further infomation on what these programs are used for, consult the docs that came with the game. @endnode @node histo "History" @{b}0.10@{ub} (14.11.97): 256Brighten converted. @{b}0.15@{ub} (26.11.97): LinkUp converted. @{b}0.20@{ub} (23.12.97): Added iff handling code. 256floor converted. @{b}0.25@{ub} (26.12.97): Tweaked iff handling code. 256Texture converted. @{b}0.30@{ub} (28.12.97): 256obj converted. Internal code changes. @{b}0.32@{ub} (30.12.97): 256Wallchunk converted. @{b}0.60@{ub} (10.03.98): Er, rather a long lay off here. MUI interface added and internal code changes. @{b}0.61@{ub} (11.03.98): Displayed the level names from the gamelink file in the linkup bit, instead of just a, b, c, etc. @{b}0.70@{ub} (26.03.98): 256lit converted. Fixed wall suffix as .256wad instead of .256pal. Added default level names display if test.lnk is compressed. @endnode @node futur "Future" Basically the conversion of the other editor programs and and bug fixes. @endnode @node thank "Thanks" I wish to thank - Andy Clitheroe and Team 17 ... for writing the game in the first place and letting the source code become freely available. Also for help and tips while I've been writing this, the program not the guide file :-). - Stefan Stuntz ... for MUI, which made coding the interface a darned sight easier - Christian A. Weber ... for the excellent IFF library, which I found to be a lot better, both in documentation and execution, than the IFFParse library. - Magnus Holmgren and Martin Taillefer ... for the AsyncIO library. @endnode @node brigh "Brighten" This dictates how the lighting effects will appear on the screen and is derived from the palette file stored at ab3:includes/256pal. The editing panel is split into 3 sections. The filename must be the same as that of the file created by @{" Texture " link textu} with a .PAL extension e.g. if the @{" Texture " link textu} created a file called ab3:includes/NewTextureMaps, the file made by Brighten must be called ab3:includes/NewTextureMaps.PAL. The three sliders dictate the ratios of red, green and blue that in turn give the contrast of the lighting effects. It is important to note that the values indicate the ratios of the three colours NOT the absolute values. For instance, the values red = 4, green = 2, blue = 2 and red = 8, green = 4, blue = 4 will create exactly the same file, since in both cases the ratios of RGB are 2:1:1. To restore the default values that the original game uses, simply press the defaults button. The start button starts the calculation of the glare / shadow file. @endnode @node textu "Texture" This takes the 32 texture / glare files and merges them into a single file which the game uses. Simply set the source directory to the place where the graphic files are stored, and specify the name of the output file. @endnode @node floor "Floor" This takes the 16 floortile files and merges them into a single file which the game uses. Simply set the source directory to the place where the graphic files are stored, and specify the name of the output file. @endnode @node wall "Wall" This is used to convert the wall graphic files. Set the names of the input and output files in the relevant gadgets. There is no need to add a .256wad extension to the output file's name as the program will do that automatically. Set the width and height of the graphic files in their respective gadgets. Note that there are no limits to the width, but the height is limited to 16, 32, 64 or 128 pixels. @endnode @node linku "Link Up" Choose the level you want to link from the listview, and press 'go' to create the map and flymap files. @endnode @node bitma "Bitmap Object" This will take your object graphic file and convert it to the game format Set the input file to your graphic file, and specify your output file. The four number gadgets specify the width and height of each of your frames, the width of the screen and the number of frames you want to create. The conversion process will create 2 files, automatically tagging .256pal and .dat onto the end of the name you specified for the output file. Note that these still need to be crunched before they can be used in the game, use CompactObj for this. @endnode @node light "Lightsourced Object" This option allows you to create an object in a 3D rendering package such as Imagine, Cinema4D, etc. and import it into TKG. For the input file, choose one of the .cmp, .top, .bot, .lft and .rgt files created from the 3D package. Specify the frame data, the screen width and the output filename in their respective gadgets. If you have only changed the palette of the object within your 3D package but kept the image and lighting otherwise intact, set the `Palette Only?' gadget, and only the .256pal file will be generated. If you are just recreating the palette, there is no need to specify the frame data and screen width. For more information see the `How2' doc that I've included in this archive, which was basically a posting to Breed Talk by Andy Clitheroe. NOTE: If you are not just recreating the palette, this option requires a LARGE amount of graphics memory as it has to load all five screens simultaneously. Try reducing the resolution and number of colours on Workbench if you encounter memory problems. @endnode @node mui "MUI" This application uses MUI - MagicUserInterface (c) Copyright 1992-97 by Stefan Stuntz MUI is a system to generate and maintain graphical user interfaces. With the aid of a preferences program, the user of an application has the ability to customize the outfit according to his personal taste. MUI is distributed as shareware. To obtain a complete package containing lots of examples and more information about registration please look for a file called "muiXXusr.lha" (XX means the latest version number) on your local bulletin boards or on public domain disks. If you want to register directly, feel free to send DM 30.- or US$ 20.- to Stefan Stuntz Eduard-Spranger-Straße 7 80935 München GERMANY Support and online registration is available at http://www.sasg.com/ @endnode @node iff "IFF Library" THE UNIVERSAL IFF LIBRARY FOR THE AMIGA VERSION 23.2, 24-May-93 BY CHRISTIAN A. WEBER BRUGGERWEG 2 CH-8037 ZURICH SWITZERLAND INTERNET: weber@amiga.physik.unizh.ch UUCP: chris@mighty.adsp.sub.org BANG: cbmehq!cbmswi!mighty!chris@cbmvax.commodore.com THIS PROGRAM IS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. IT MAY BE FREELY DISTRUBUTED, COPIED AND USED FOR COMMERCIAL OR NON-COMMERCIAL PURPOSES. IT MAY BE DISTRIBUTED WITH OR WITHOUT THIS DOCUMENTATION FILE. NO WARRANTY. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. TO MAINTAIN COMPATIBILITY, YOU SHOULD NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THE LIBRARY ITSELF. UPDATES WILL BE RELEASED BY THE AUTHOR. HOWEVER, YOU MAY CHANGE THE EXAMPLE SOURCE CODES AND/OR USE THEM IN YOUR OWN PROGRAMS. WHAT IS THE IFF LIBRARY ? ------------------------- The iff.library is an easy to use Amiga library which gives you some powerful routines to deal with IFF files, especially ILBM files (pictures), ANIM files (animations) and 8SVX files (digitized sounds). It was fully written in Assembler and is only 3.2 KBytes long. The de- compression routines are the fastest I've ever written :-) To use iff.library, copy it to the 'LIBS:' directory of your boot partition or Workbench disk. Since the iff.library is a standard Amiga library, it can be used from any programming language such as C, C++, Modula-2, Assembler, Pascal, ARexx and many more. I started writing this library in September 1987, and now it is really bug- free (I hope) and it can handle any IFF files I know, including DPaint pic- tures with stencils, HAM and halfbrite pictures, ANIM files (with a trick), SHAM, AGA and 24bit pictures, SoundFX instruments, and all other IFF FORMs. If you have questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to contact me! @endnode @node legal "Legal" `TKG ED' is Copyright (C) 1997-98 Simon Tyrrell and it's freely distributable as long as all of its files are included in their original form without additions, deletions, or modifications of any kind, and only a nominal fee is charged for its distribution. This software is provided *AS IS* without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. By using `TKG ED', you agree to accept the entire risk as to its performance. If your hard drive explodes while using it, don't come running to me! @endnode