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*                            *

* VEdit Version 1.00         *

*                            *

* Copyright (c) 1997 QASoft  *

*                            *

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------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        INTRODUCTION

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Overview

--------

Use VEdit to create your own levels or modify existing levels.  This is

accomplished by creating vertices and polygons then assigning properties to

them.  Vertices are the starting point for anything in the level.  A vertex

can be used to create polygons or assigned properties to become a player

starting position, an item, life form, sprite, trigger, or noise.  After

a polygon is constructed it is also assigned properties such as texture,

animations, motion, or physical properties.

Note that all positional values are entered and displayed in millimeters

and rotation or tilt (elevation) are in degrees.



------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        WINDOWS, CONTROLS AND TOOLS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------



View Window

-----------

This is the window which shows a wire frame representation of the current

level.  Vertices show up as red dots, player start or life forms as blue dots,

items as yellow dots, sprites as grey dots, and triggers or noises as purple

dots.  Selected vertices show up as green dots.  Polygons are shown in red

wire frame.  Selected polygons are green.  The grid shows up in blue with

green lines representing the grid axes.



View Controls

-------------

The view controls are located in the upper portion of the right side window

margin.  These control the view position, rotation, tilt (elevation), and

magnification.  View parameters can also be directly set under "Options" in

the "View" menu.



Grid Controls

-------------

The grid controls are located in the lower portion of the right side window

margin.  These control the grid position, rotation, and tilt.  Grid parameters

can also be directly set under "Options" in the "View" menu.  The X, Y, and Z

values are changed by the "Grid Delta" amount specifed in the View/Options

whenever the X,Y,Z adjustment buttons are pressed.



Tool Icons

----------

There are 9 tool icons located on the left side window margin.  Click on one

of these tool icons to select that tool.  Each tool icon will be described

here briefly from left to right, starting at the top row and proceeding

downward.



 Pointer tool (Arrow)



  Used to move selected vertices.  Click and hold the left mouse button

  then drag the mouse around to change the position of the selected vertices.

  Relative motion is indicated in the left side window margin. If the "Snap

  cursor to grid" option is checked in View/Options then relative motion

  depends on grid spacing and rotation.  Relative motion is always within

  the grid plane and therefore always dependent on grid tilt.  Make sure that

  moving the vertices did not cause any polygons to become non-planar.  If

  the result is not satisfactory, select "Undo" from the "Edit" menu.



 Vertex selection tool (Arrow over filled red circle)



  Selects or deselects vertices.  Click on a vertex to select or deselect

  it. Selected vertices are green.  Deselected vertices are red, blue, yellow,

  purple, or grey, depending on the vertex properties.  As the cursor moves

  near a vertex a white circle will outline the vertex and a summary of its

  properties will be displayed in the status bar below the viewing window.



 Polygon selection tool (Arrow over red square)



  Selects or deselects polygons.  Click on a polygon to select or deselect

  it. Selected polygons are green.  Deselected polygons are red. As the cursor

  moves over a polygon it changes color to white and a summary of its

  properties will be displayed in the status bar below the viewing window.

  In order to select polygons behind other polygons, it may be necessary to

  hide the blocking polygons.



 Group selection tool (Arrow over dashed red square)



  Selects groups of vertices and polygons.  Drag out a selection box by

  holding the left mouse button and dragging the mouse.  Any vertex (and any

  polygon using that vertex) inside the selection box will be selected when

  the mouse button is released.



 Vertex creation tool (Filled red circle)



  Creates new vertices.  The new vertices are placed on the 2D grid, but do

  not remain attached.  Once created, a vertex is independent of the grid.

  If the "Snap cursor to grid" option is checked in View/Options then the

  vertex will be placed on the nearest grid intersection.



 Polygon creation tool (Red square)



  Connects vertices to create new polygons.  Click on the vertices which will

  make up the polygon.  As each vertex is chosen, a white line will show the

  path of the polygon as it is constructed.  To complete the polygon click on

  the first polygon vertex.  If the polygon hasn't been completed and you want

  to start over, just click on polygon creation tool icon again.  If the

  polygon is completed, but isn't what you wanted, select "Undo" from the

  "Edit" menu.  When creating a polygon, the visible side will face you if

  the vertices are drawn clockwise.  This is not important if the polygon is

  to be flagged as double sided.  It is recommended that the double sided

  property be used only when necessary for a faster game.



 Polygon rotation tool (Curved black arrow in red square)



  Rotates vertices within a polygon.  Move the cursor over a polygon to show

  its vertex drawing order.  Click the left mouse button to rotate the

  vertex order by one position.  This provides a quick way of reorienting

  the texture or animation on polygon without requiring the polygon to be

  deleted and recreated.  Note that this will not affect the appearence of

  linked polygons.



 Polygon flipper tool (Two curved black arrows in red square)



  Flips the visible side of a polygon.  Move the cursor over a polygon to show

  its vertex drawing order.  Click the left mouse button to reverse the vertex

  drawing order.  This provides a quick way of reversing the visible side of

  a single sided polygon without requiring the polygon to be deleted and

  recreated.



 Polygon linking tool (Several black rectangles)



  Links the texture of one polygon to another.  Select the polygon to be

  linked by pressing the left mouse button.  Move the mouse and select the

  polygon to be linked to by pressing the left mouse button again.  To remove

  a link, click on the polygon, move the mouse off the polygon then back on,

  then click on the polygon again.



------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        MENUS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------



File Menu

---------



 New



  Start a new GOB file.  This is how to start a new GOB file from scratch.

  It is generally easier to start a new file by opening an existing GOB

  file and saving it under a different name with "Save As" then modifying

  as necessary.  If you choose to start a new GOB file this way, be sure

  to import the required bitmaps and sounds.



 Open



  Open an existing GOB file.



 Close



  Close the current GOB file.



 Rebuild



  Rebuild the zone data for all levels in the GOB file.  This should be

  done before saving the GOB file in order to ensure any changes made to

  the level data are recorded in the associated zone data.  In other words,

  VEdit edits the level data then creates zone data during the "Rebuild"

  process which will get saved with the level data when the GOB file is

  saved.  The ACABAL program reads the specially formatted zone data, not

  the level data.



 Save



  Save the current GOB file.



 Save As



  Save the current GOB file under a different name.



 Exit



  Exit the VEdit application.



Edit Menu

---------



 Undo



  Allows the last operation to be undone.  This is most useful after delete,

  cut, or paste operations, although it is helpful in other situations also.



 Cut



  Performs a "Copy" then a "Delete" operation.



 Copy



  Copies the currently selected vertices and polygons to the clipboard.  The

  current grid position, rotation, and tilt is also saved on the clipboard.



 Paste



  Pastes the clipboard vertices and polygons into the level data.  Any change

  in the grid position, rotation, or tilt will affect the placement of the

  clipboard vertices and polygons.  There is no correction applied to resource

  indecies.  This means that polygons, sprites, lifeforms, etc. copied from

  one GOB file and then pasted into another will likely not work.  However,

  within a single GOB file, copying and pasting always works, so long as the

  various resources indecies don't change between the copy to the clipboard

  and the paste (i.e. don't add or delete a bitmap, texture, sprite, etc.).



 Delete



  Delete all selected vertices and polygons.



 Hide



  Temporarily hide all selected vertices and polygons.



 Hide All



  Temporarily hide all vertices and polygons.



 Show All



  Show all hidden vertices and polygons.



 Clear Selections



  Clear any selections.



 Vertex Position



  Move the selected vertices.  A dialog box appears with two rows of entry

  fields.  The upper row of entry fields are the absolute coordinates of the

  vertices, unless they are not all identical, in which case the entry will

  be blank.  Entering a value in any of these fields forces all the vertices

  to have that value for coresponding coordinate x, y, or z. The lower row

  initially contains zeros.  These are delta values that can be used to move

  all the vertices by a specified amount for any coordinate x, y, or z.

  Be careful when moving vertices that you do not cause any polygons to become

  non-planar.  If the result is not satisfactory, select "Undo" from the

  "Edit" menu.



 Vertex Properties



  Allows the selection of vertex type (sprite, lifeform, item, noise, trigger,

  or player start position), initial orientation (lifeforms or player start

  position only) and which difficulty level(s) it appears on (lifeforms and

  items only).



 Polygon Properties



  Allows the assignment of polygon flags, texture, animation, etc.



 Group Assignments



  Presents a list of all existing groups (see View/Groups) and allows the

  assignment (or reassignment) of all selected vertices or polygons to any

  group listed.  These groups can then be hidden or shown to allow easier

  and faster viewing of a complicated level (see View/Groups).



View Menu

---------



 Home



  Go to the "Home" position.



 Options



  Displays a dialog box with an array of entry fields and some option check

  boxes.  The entry fields allow direct control over the grid and view

  position, rotation, and tilt (elevation).  The "Home" position can also

  be set here.  The "Maintain distance from grid" option causes the view

  controls to maintain the distance between the grid and the viewpoint. The

  "Lock view rotation to grid origin" does just that. It causes the view

  rotation control to rotate about the grid origian instead of the current

  viewpoint.  The "Snap cursor to grid" causes new vertices to be placed

  only at grid points. It also affects the operation of the pointer tool.



 Statistics



  Tallies then displays a list of item and lifeform counts for each type

  of lifeform or item at each difficulty level.  Only selected vertices are

  counted.  If there are no selected vertices then all vertices are counted.

  As with all operations, hidden vertices are not included.



 File Info



  Optional long name of GOB file and author name can be entered here.  These

  are currently not displayed anywhere except here.  Also shown is the date

  when the GOB file was created and the VEdit version number used.



 Levels



  Displays a list of the currently defined levels.  Select a level in the

  list and press one of the buttons on the right.



  Ok     Switches to level selected.

  New    Displays the "Edit Level" dialog to setup the new level.  The new

         level is inserted above current selection.

  Import Imports a level from another GOB file.  The imported level is

         inserted above current selection.  Any resources needed by the

         level are also imported.

  Cut    Copies the selected level to the clipboard then deletes it.

  Copy   Copies the selected level to the clipboard.

  Paste  Pastes a level from the clipboard into the list.

  Delete Deletes the selected level.

  Edit   Displays the "Edit Level" dialog for the currently selected level.



 Bitmaps



  Displays a list of all bitmaps.  Select a bitmap in the list and press one

  of the buttons on the right.  All bitmaps, with the exception of some of the

  required bitmaps, must be no larger than 256x256 and share the same 256 color

  palette as the other bitmaps.



  Ok     Click Ok when done.

  Reload Replaces the selected bitmap with one from disk.  It doesn't have to

         have the same name (unless its one of the required bitmaps).  Any

         textures, sprites, etc. which had been using the old bitmap will use

         the new one.

  Import Import a new bitmap. The new bitmap is appended to the list.

  Export Exports the selected bitmap to disk.

  Delete Deletes the selected bitmap.



  There is also a checkbox to indicate that the bitmap has transparent parts

  (color index 0 is used for transparent parts). It is important to check this

  box if the bitmap has transparent parts.



  Bitmaps used for "tiling" textures must have a power of 2 (32, 64, etc.)

  dimension in the direction of tiling.  This means that a bitmap which would

  be tiled in both dimensions (such as most floor or ceiling textures) would

  need to be a power of 2 in both dimensions.



 Textures



  Displays a list of all textures and a list of all bitmaps.  Select a texture

  from the list of textures then assign a bitmap to the texture by selecting a

  bitmap from the bitmap list.  Press one of the buttons on the right to manage

  the list of textures.



  Ok     Click Ok when done.

  New    Creates a new texture. The new texture is appended to the list.

  Delete Deletes the selected texture.

  Rename Renames the selected texture.



  There is also an entry field which specifies the pixel size in millimeters

  per pixel for the texture.  This determines the size of the texture pixels

  as seen in the 3d environment.  The default value of 15.62 will cause a

  256x256 pixel bitmap to be approximately 4 meters (4000mm) square.  Textures

  can be applied to polygons only (see the "Polygon Properties" dialog).



 Sounds



  Displays a list of all sounds.  Select a sound from the list (the length is

  shown to the right of the list) then press one of the buttons on the right.



  Ok     Click Ok when done.

  Play   Play the selected sound.

  Reload Replaces the selected sound with one from disk.  It doesn't have to

         have the same name (unless its one of the required sounds).  Any

         animations, life forms, etc. which had been using the old sound will

         use the new one.

  Import Import a new WAV sound.  The sound is appended to the list.

  Export Exports the selected sound to disk.

  Delete Deletes the selected sound.



  Sounds are in imported and exported in WAV format.  All sounds are 8 bit,

  mono and 22,050hz.



 Animations



  Displays a list of all animations, a list of associated resources and

  various animation properties.  The resources are bitmaps and sounds used by

  the animation.  Select an animation then pressone of the buttons on the

  right.



  Ok     Click Ok when done.

  New    Displays the "Edit Animation" dialog to define the new animation.

         The new animation is appended to the list of animations.

  Delete Deletes the selected animation.

  Edit   Displays the "Edit Animation" dialog for the selected animation.



  There is also an entry field which specifies the pixel size in millimeters

  per pixel for the animation.  This determines the size of the animation

  pixels as seen in the 3d environment.  The default value of 15.62 will

  cause a 256x256 pixel bitmap to be approximately 4 meters (4000mm) square.

  Animations can be applied to polygon or sprites (see "Polygon Properties"

  or "Edit Sprite" dialog).



 Life Forms



  Displays a list of all life forms, a list of associated resources and the

  life form type.  The resources are bitmaps and sounds used by the life form.

  Select a life form from the list and press one of the buttons on the right.



  Ok     Click Ok when done.

  New    Displays the "Edit Life Form" dialog to define the new life form.

         The new life form is appended to the list of life forms.

  Delete Deletes the selected life form.

  Edit   Displays the "Edit Life Form" dialog for the selected life form.



  There is also an entry field which specifies the pixel size in millimeters

  per pixel for the life form.  This determines the size of the life form

  as seen in the 3d environment.  Adjust this parameter until the life form

  is the desired size.



 Items



  Displays a list of all items, a list of associated resources and the item

  type.  The resources are bitmaps and sounds used by the item.  Select a

  item from the list and press one of the buttons on the right.



  Ok     Click Ok when done.

  New    Displays the "Edit Item" dialog to define the new item.

         The new item is appended to the list of items.

  Delete Deletes the selected item.

  Edit   Displays the "Edit Item" dialog for the selected item.



  There is also an entry field which specifies the pixel size in millimeters

  per pixel for the item.  This determines the size of the item as seen in the

  3d environment.  Adjust this parameter until the item is the desired size.



 Sprites



  Displays a list of all sprites.  The properties of the currently selected

  sprite are also shown.  Select a sprite from the list and press one of the

  buttons on the right.



  Ok     Click Ok when done.

  New    Displays the "Edit Sprite" dialog to define the new sprite.

         The new sprite is appended to the list of sprites.

  Delete Deletes the selected sprite.

  Edit   Displays the "Edit Sprite" dialog for the selected sprite.



  There is also an entry field which specifies the pixel size in millimeters

  per pixel for the sprite.  This determines the size of the sprite as seen

  in the 3d environment.  Adjust this parameter until the sprite is the

  desired size.



 Noises



  Displays a list of all noises.  The properties of the currently selected

  noise are also shown.  Select a noise from the list and press one of the

  buttons on the right.



  Ok     Click Ok when done.

  New    Displays the "Edit Noise" dialog to define the new noise.

         The new noise is appended to the list of noises.

  Delete Deletes the selected noise.

  Edit   Displays the "Edit Noise" dialog for the selected noise.



 Groups



  Displays a list of all groups for the current level (each level in the

  GOB file has a private list of groups).  Select a group from the list and

  press one of the buttons on the right.



  Ok     Click Ok when done.

  New    Displays the "New Group" dialog to define the new group name.

         The new noise is appended to the list of noises.

  Delete Deletes the selected group name (only the name, not the vertices

         and polygons).

  Rename Displays the "Rename Group" dialog for the selected group.

  Hide   Hides any vertices or polygons assigned to the selected group.

  Show   Shows (unhides) any vertices or polygons assigned to the selected

         group.



 Triggers



  Displays a list of all triggers for the current level (each level in the

  GOB file has a private list of triggers) and properties of the currently

  selected trigger.  Select a trigger from the list and press one of the

  buttons on the right.



  Ok      Click Ok when done.

  New     Displays the "New Trigger" dialog to define the new trigger.

          The new trigger is appended to the list of triggers.

  Delete  Deletes the selected trigger.

  Edit    Displays the "Edit Trigger" dialog for the selected trigger.

  Cleanup Deletes any trigger not used by a motion or vertex.

  Triggers are used to trigger a motion or a sound.



 Motions



  Displays a list of all motions for the current level (each level in the

  GOB file has a private list of motions) and properties of the currently

  selected motion.  Select a motion from the list and press one of the

  buttons on the right.



  Ok      Click Ok when done.

  New     Displays the "New Motion" dialog to define the new motion.

          The new motion is appended to the list of motions.

  Delete  Deletes the selected motion.

  Edit    Displays the "Edit Motion" dialog for the selected motion.

  Cleanup Deletes any motion not used by a polygon.

  Motions are used to create moving polygons.



 Marks



  Displays a list of all marks for the current level (each level in the

  GOB file has a private list of marks).  Select a mark from the list and

  press one of the buttons on the right.



  Ok      Click Ok when done.

  New     Displays the "New Mark" dialog to define the new mark name.

          The new mark records the current view settings for easy retrival

          later.  It is appended to the list of marks.

  Delete  Deletes the selected mark.

  Edit    Displays the "Mark Properties" dialog for the selected mark.

  Go      Go to the selected mark.

  Marks are used like "bookmarks" in a book.



------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        DIALOGS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Edit Level

----------



 Start of Level Text / End of Level Text



  Shows text displayed at the start or end of level. In order for the text

  to appear in the game, the appropriate check box must be checked. Press

  the "Text" button to toggle the content.



 Bkg Bitmap / SOL Bitmap / EOL Bitmap



  Allows definition of the "background bitmap" (such as a sky bitmap) to

  be displayed while playing the level, the "start of level bitmap"

  displayed as a backdrop to the start of level text, and the "end of level

  bitmap" displayed as a backdrop to the statistics and end of level text.

  The background bitmap must be 320x200.  The other bitmaps can be any size.

  Press the "Bitmaps" button to toggle between these three selections. Also,

  the corresponding check box must be checked for the bitmap to be used.



 Preview



  Shows a preview of the bitmap selected.



Edit Animation

--------------



 Elements



  Shows the list of resources (elements) used by the animation.  Select an

  element then assign a resource to it by selecting a bitmap or sound from

  the resource list.  Press the "Bitmaps" or "Sounds" button to change the

  content ot the resource list.



 Resources



  Shows a list of all bitmaps or all sounds.



 Preview



  Shows a bitmap preview.



 # Elements



  The current number of elements in the animation.  There can be no more

  than 128 elements.



 Delay



  The delay between elements.  A value of 1 will cause the animation to change

  at the maximum rate of 18.2 Hz.  There is, however, no delay if a sound

  resource is followed by a bitmap resource.  In this case, the sound will

  start playing at the same moment that the following bitmap is displayed.



 Pixel Size



  Specifies the pixel size in millimeters per pixel for the animation.  This

  determines the size of the animation pixels as seen in the 3d environment.

  The default value of 15.62 causes a 256x256 pixel bitmap to be approximately

  4 meters (4000mm) square.



 Animation Name



  The name of the animation as it will appear in all lists.



 Ok



  Close the dialog and keep changes.  The currently selected element will

  be the first element displayed (for bitmaps) or played (for sounds).  The

  only exception to this is damage animations, which always start with the

  first element.



 Bitmaps



  Show bitmaps in the resource list.



 Sounds



  Show sounds in the resource list.



 Append



  Append a new element to the end of the element list.  The new entry will

  show up as "<unassigned>" until a resource is assigned to that element.



 Insert



  Insert a new element above the currently selected element.  The new entry

  will show up as "<unassigned>" until a resource is assigned to that element.



 Delete



  Delete the currently selected element.



 Cancel



  Close the dialog and throw away changes.



Edit Life Form

--------------



 Elements



  Shows the list of resources (elements) used by the life form.  This list

  is predefined and depends on the life form type.  Select an element then

  assign a resource to it by selecting a bitmap or sound from the resource

  list.



 Resources



  Shows a list of all bitmaps or all sounds depending on the type of element

  currently selected.



 Preview



  Shows a bitmap preview.



 Life Form Type



  Defines the basic type of life form.  This selection affects the life form

  behavior and the resources required to define it.



 Pixel Size



  Specifies the pixel size in millimeters per pixel for the life form.  This

  determines the size of the life form pixels as seen in the 3d environment.

  Adjust this parameter until the life form is the desired size.



 Life Form Name



  The name of the life form as it will appear in all lists.



 Ok



  Close the dialog and keep changes.



 Cancel



  Close the dialog and throw away changes.



Edit Item

---------



 Elements



  Shows the list of resources (elements) used by the item.  This list is

  predefined and depends on the item type.  Select an element then assign a

  resource to it by selecting a bitmap or sound from the resource list.



 Resources



  Shows a list of all bitmaps or all sounds depending on the type of element

  currently selected.



 Preview



  Shows a bitmap preview.



 Item Type



  Defines the basic type of item.  This selection affects the item behavior

  and the resources required to define it.



 Pixel Size



  Specifies the pixel size in millimeters per pixel for the item.  This

  determines the size of the item pixels as seen in the 3d environment.

  Adjust this parameter until the item is the desired size.



 Item Name



  The name of the item as it will appear in all lists.



 Ok



  Close the dialog and keep changes.



 Cancel



  Close the dialog and throw away changes.



Edit Sprite

-----------



 Bitmaps / Animations / Damage Animation 1 / Damage Animation 2



  Shows a list of all bitmaps or all animations.  The selection in the list

  determines the appearance of the sprite in various conditions.



 Preview



  Shows a bitmap preview or the first element of an animation.



 Hanging



  Check this box to define a sprite which "hangs" from its vertex.  If this

  not checked, then the vertex defines the bottom of the sprite.



 Walk Through



  Check this box and the sprite will be seen, but will not block motion.



 Animated



  Check this box to define an animated sprite.  Select the animation from the

  "Animations" list.  If the list title is not "Animations" then press the

  "Animations" button until it is.  If this box is not checked then the sprite

  uses a static bitmap.  Select the bitmap from the "Bitmaps" list.  If the

  list title is not "Bitmaps" then press the "Bitmaps" button.



 Damage Animated



  Check this box to define a damage animation for the sprite.  When the

  sprite is damaged, this animation will play, stopping on the last frame

  of the animation.  Select the animation from the "Damage Animation 1" list.

  If the list title is not "Damage Animation 1" then press the "Animations"

  button until it is.  If this box is not checked then the sprite is

  indestructable.



 Damage Animated2



  Check this box to define a second damage animation for the sprite.  When the

  sprite is damaged a second time, this animation will play, stopping on the

  last frame of the animation.  Select the animation from the "Damage Animation

  2" list.  If the list title is not "Damage Animation 2" then press the

  "Animations" button until it is.  If this box is not checked then the sprite

  cannot be further damaged.



 Destructable



  Check this box to indicate that the sprite is gone after being damaged.

  After the last frame of the damage animation is played, the sprite is

  removed from the environment.



 Sprite Name



  The name of the item as it will appear in all lists.



 Pixel Size



  Specifies the pixel size in millimeters per pixel for the sprite.  This

  determines the size of the sprite as seen in the 3d environment.  Adjust

  this parameter until the sprite is the desired size.



 Ok



  Close the dialog and keep changes.



 Bitmaps



  Show "Bitmaps" in the list.



 Animations



  Toggle the list between "Animations," "Damage Animation 1," and

  "Damage Animation 2."



 Cancel



  Close the dialog and throw away changes.



Edit Noise

----------



 Sounds



  Shows the list of all sounds.  Select a sound for the noise from this list.



 Noise Name



  The name of the noise as it will appear in all lists.



 Radius



  The radius of the noise in millimeters.  Beyond this radius, the noise

  will not be heard.



 Height



  The height of the noise.  Above this height, the noise will not be heard.



 Delay



  Delay before restarting the noise (in 55ms timer ticks).  If zero then the

  noise is continuous.



 Ok



  Close the dialog and keep changes.



 Cancel



  Close the dialog and throw away changes.



Edit Trigger

------------



 Items / Sounds



  Shows the list of all items or all sounds.  If an item is required or a

  sound used, select it from this list.



 Trigger Name



  The name of the trigger as it will appear in all lists.



 Radius



  The radius of the trigger in millimeters.  Beyond this radius, nothing

  happens.



 Height



  The height of the trigger.  Above this height, nothing happens.



 Proximity



  Check this box if the trigger is activated when the user steps inside the

  the trigger radius.



 User



  Check this box if the trigger is activated when the user presses the

  activation key or joystick button.



 Item Required



  Check this box to require the user have an item before the trigger will

  activate.  For example, the user would need to have the Green Key to

  trigger the Green Door, which then activates the Green Door motion.



 Sound



  Check this box to cause the trigger to play a sound.  If the trigger is

  used to activate a motion, it is usually better to put all sounds in the

  motion definition.



 End of Level



  Check this box to cause the trigger to end the current level and go to

  the next level.



 End of Game



  Check this box to cause the trigger to end the game.



 Ok



  Close the dialog and keep changes.



 Items



  Show items in the list.



 Sounds



  Show sounds in the list.



 Cancel



  Close the dialog and throw away changes.



Edit Motion

-----------



 Triggers / Start Sound / Run Sound / End Sound



  Shows the list of all triggers or all sounds.  All motions must have

  at least one trigger.  Select it from the Triggers list.  If any sounds

  are used, they are selected from the Start Sound, Run Sound, or End Sound

  lists.  Press the Triggers or Sounds buttons to change the list content.



 Motion Name



  The name of the motion as it will appear in all lists.



 DX / DY / DZ



  The motion per step.  All of these should be zero except for one.  The

  one non-zero motion determines the direction of motion.  For example, a

  lift with a top floor initial position would have a negative DZ value.



 Steps



  The total number of steps to complete the motion.  Multiply the DX, DY,

  or DZ value by the number of steps to get the total displacement.  When

  a motion is active it continues, one step every 55ms, until the total

  number of steps has been reached.



 Delay



  The delay in 55ms timer ticks before returning to the initial position.

  Only applicable to motions with the Auto Return or Auto Run box checked.



 Auto Return



  Check this box if the motion will return to its initial position

  automatically (such as with most doors).



 Auto Run



  Check this box to cause the motion to run continuously from initial

  position to final position, stopping at each for the specified delay

  before continuing.



 Trigger Return



  Check this box if the motion is returned to initial position by a second

  activation of the assigned trigger.



 Start Sound



  Check this box to play a sound when the motion is activated.



 Run Sound



  Check this box to play a sound continuously while the motion is active.



 Stop Sound



  Check this box to play a sound when the motion deactivated.



 Ok



  Close the dialog and keep changes.



 Triggers



  Show triggers in the list.



 Sounds



  Show sounds in the list.



 Cancel



  Close the dialog and throw away changes.



------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        TYPICAL OPERATIONS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Creating a Vertex

-----------------

There are many different ways to orient the grid inorder to create vertices,

but generally it is easiest to create vertices with the grid flat (no tilt,

i.e. grid elevation is set to 0.0).  Assuming this to be the case, adjust the

grid to the appropriate z height.  This can be done by setting the grid z

position in View/Options or by clicking on the grid controls on in the right

side window margin.  Adjust the viewing position as

necessary for convenient viewing of the grid and placement of vertices. Click

on the vertex creation tool.  Click in the view window to create new vertices.

The new vertices are placed on the 2D grid, but do not remain attached.  Once

created, a vertex is independent of the grid.





Creating a Polygon

------------------

Click on the polygon creation tool then click on the vertices which will make

up the polygon.  As each vertex is chosen, a white line will show the path of

the polygon as it is constructed.  The polygon must have no more than 8

vertices.  It must also be planar (all the vertices lie in the same plane),

and convex (you can't create an "L" or "V" shaped polygon for example, but you

could create a triangle or a rectangle even if all the sides are different

sizes).  Also, most polygons are single sided, meaning that the texture or

animation applied to the polygon is visible from only one side.  When the

polygon is created the drawing order of the vertices determines which side is

visible.  VEdit uses a clockwise convention for polygons with the visible side

facing the viewer and counterclockwise if the visible side is facing away. Use

the polygon flipper tool to change the visible side if its wrong.

When the last vertex has been selected, close the polygon by selecting the

first vertex.  At this point the white lines disappear and the polygon is

complete.  Later, if desired, the polygon rotation tool can be used to change

which vertex is the first vertex.  This is sometimes desired to reorient the

corresponding texture or animation.





Assigning Properties to a Polygon

---------------------------------

Click on the polygon selection tool then click on the polygon(s) to which you

wish to assign properties.  If there are other polygons getting in the way,

select them first then choose "Hide" from the "Edit" menu.  Select "Polygon

Properties..." from the "Edit" menu.  Assign the polygon properties as

follows:



Double Sided    Specifies that the polygon is visible from either side.  Use

                this only when necessary since excessive use of double sided

                polygons can slow down game speed.



Invisible       Specifies an invisible polygon.  Use this to keep the player

                (and life forms) from accessing specific areas.  Invisible

                polygons do not block weapons fire or even grenades.



Walk Through    These are visible polygons which can be "walked through."

                They do not block player (or life form) motion.



Animated        An animated polygon.  The animation plays in a loop

                continuously.  If the polygon is not animated then a texture

                must be assigned to the polygon unless the polygon is

                invisible.



Animation Sound For animated polygons only, specifies a sound to be played

                each time the animation repeats.



Motion Animated Similar to an animated polygon except that the animation must

                have only 2 frames and is controlled by a motion.  The first

                frame is shown when the associated motion is inactive and the

                second when the motion is active.  Switch polygons use this

                technique to show active motion.



Moving Polygon  Ties a motion definition to the polygon.  When the motion

                is triggered, the polygon tracks it.  Use to create lifts and

                moving walls.



Damage Animated Specifies an animation to be played when the polygon is

                damaged.  This can be used with animated or textured polygons.

                When a polygon is damaged the damage animation is played and

                the polygon is automatically marked as walk through.  The

                damage animation stops on the last frame.  Any weapon can

                damage a polygon.



Damage Sound	A sound to be played when a polygon is damaged.



Secret Place    This property should be assigned to the first polygon that the

                player would have to step on to get to a secret area.  This

                allows secret areas to be credited to the player at the end

                of a level.





Assigning Properties to a Vertex

--------------------------------

Click on the vertex selection tool then click on the vertices to which you

wish to assign properties.  Select "Vertex Properties..." from the "Edit"

menu.  Assign the vertex properties as follows:



Sprite          Specifies that the vertex is a sprite.  Select a sprite from

                the list shown.



Life Form       Specifies that the vertex is a life form.  Select a life form

                from the list shown.  The difficulty levels at which this life

                form will appear can be specified in the "Difficulty Level"

                check boxes.  The life form's initial orientation is the sum

                of the "Orientation" check boxes.



Item            Specifies that the vertex is an item.  Select an item from

                the list shown.  The difficulty levels at which this item will

                appear can be specified in the "Difficulty Level" check boxes.



Noise           Specifies that the vertex is a noise.  Select a noise from the

                list shown.



Trigger         Specifies that the vertex is a trigger.  Select a trigger from

                the list shown.



Player Start	Specifies that the vertex is a player start position.





Moving a Group of Vertices

--------------------------

Select the vertices to be moved using the vertex selection tool or group

selection tool.  Select "Vertex Position..." from the "Edit" menu.  The upper

row of coordinates are the absolute coordinates of the vertices.  If there is

more than one vertex selected those coordinates which don't match will appear

blank in the upper boxes.  The delta values can be entered in the lower boxes.

For example, to move all the vertices up by 500 (half a meter), enter 500 in

the lower Z box.



Make sure that moving the vertices did not cause any polygons to become

non-planar.  If the result is not satisfactory, select "Undo" from the "Edit"

menu.





Copying a Selection

-------------------

Select the vertices and/or polygons to be copied using the vertex, polygon,

or group selection tools.  Select "Copy" (or "Cut" to delete and copy) from

the "Edit" menu.  This places a copy of the source vertices and polygons on

the clipboard.  Move the grid to the desired position.  The change in the grid

position, rotation, and tilt determines where and how the copied vertices and

polygons will be placed.  For example, to place a copy of a group of polygons

and vertices 20 meters in the positive x direction from their original

position, increase the grid x position by 20000 before pasting.  Select

"Paste" from the "Edit" menu.  If the result is not satisfactory, select

"Undo" from the "Edit" menu.



------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        MISC

------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Required Bitmaps and Sounds

---------------------------

These bitmaps and sounds are required by the ACABAL software above and

beyond any bitmaps or sounds used to build the level(s) in a GOB file.

If starting a GOB file from scratch, import these first.



 SMLTEXT.BMP    Small text array

 BIGTEXT.BMP    Big text array bitmap

 STATUS.BMP     Status bar

 MAIN.BMP       Main screen

 HELPBKG.BMP    Help menu background

 VOLON.BMP      Bar control "on" tick

 VOLOFF.BMP     Bar control "off" tick

 ENTRYBKG.BMP   Text entry background for save/load game screens

 LOGO.BMP       Main menu logo bitmap

 MENUKEY.WAV    Menu keypress sound

 EMPTY.WAV      Gun empty sound

 GRUNT1.WAV     Player pain sound 1

 GRUNT2.WAV     Player pain sound 2

 GRUNT3.WAV     Player pain sound 3

 GRUNTX.WAV     Player death sound

 THEME.WAV      Game theme song



------------------------------------------------------------------------------





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