Mapster 0.22

[TerminX]

For anyone that is into Build and its source modifications, here is a link for you:

Mapster: The Build Source Modification (http://dukertcm.totalconversions.com/mapster)

Mapster is a modified version of Ken's build source. Mapster supports Duke3D-style alternate palettes (via lookup.dat) and most of the functions of Duke BUILD which were not present in Ken's BUILD source.

Enjoy!


-TX

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Project X TC - http://www.dukeworld.com/projectx

[Usurper]

In case anyone was wondering, it has finer grid spacings available, a grid as large as SW build, alternate pageup/down heights (hold home or end and press pgup/dwn), grid size displayed in 2D mode, tab buffer content display toggle in 3D mode...I probably forgot something. Hit F1 in 3D mode for key help. It's a big improvement over vanilla build.

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Usurper
DN3D RTCM (http://dukertcm.totalconversions.com)
The slacker has awakened!

[Admiral_Bob]

Back in 1997, I was actually contemplating writing my own clone of Build (since I was frustrated with its appalling stability and lack of some features). I had a reasonably good understanding of how the Build engine worked, had the file format specs available (from the build help file) and even first wrote a level display utility that simply drew the level in 2D mode, but the only thing holding me back was the fact that I didn't have any 32-bit compilers back then (I was only programming in QBasic, 80x86 assembler and later on in that year Turbo Pascal. I didn't have net access at the time either, or a great deal of money to spend on retail compilers). I got tired of Build then and gave up...

Today, since DJGPP and Free Pascal are out, I could undertake this project now with better ease, however I'm just doubting if it would be worth the time actually writing it - cloning the Build engine is still quite a lot of work, and I'm wondering how many people would actually use my work...

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[Guest]

hmmm, hey man if you where to make it so current duke maps worked on it, and it had more features and build functions and still used tiles but more and had con functions RPT may be interested in looking to port Undead to it...oh and 32 bit colors would be nice..of course all the guru's here are gonna comment on this and i figure this is the most appealing way for one to learn so ... shoot! http://www.3drealms.com/ubb/images/icons/smile.gif

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undeadtc (http://www.dukeworld.com/undead) The most anticipated Zombie TC on the net.
Vinine100@aol.com

[Usurper]

It's just the editor, not an engine. It'll work with Duke and many other build games. TerminX is taking requests for functions, but they should be feature enhancements instead of things like 32 bit color (which unfortunately is nigh impossible).

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Usurper
DN3D RTCM (http://dukertcm.totalconversions.com)
The slacker has awakened!

[cyborg]

TX, add some sort of console to allow full control over map items - ie allow us to type in values for different properties. Something like OGLBT.

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Duke Nukem Resources for Totalconversions and Modifications (http://dukertcm.totalconversions.com)
Build game information on...
Game Connection (Internet play) (http://dukertcm.totalconversions.com/Knowledge_Base/Base_Game-Connection.shtml)
Sound card setup (http://dukertcm.totalconversions.com/Knowledge_Base/Document_Sound-Setup.shtml)
...and more.

[Guest]

Yeah, my name is in the readme file!. http://www.3drealms.com/ubb/images/icons/smile.gif

Remember that link, as whenever all those people who keep on breaking and loosing their CDs or have the dodgey version of it ask for where they can find build, you can now show them mapster build.

[TerminX]

Hey guys, download the new 0.23ß (http://dukertcm.totalconversions.com/mapster/mapster.exe).

There is a bug in 0.22 that saves new maps incorrectly.


-TX

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Project X TC - http://www.dukeworld.com/projectx
Mapster - http://dukertcm.totalconversions.com/mapster

[Admiral_Bob]

Here's some features I was planning for mine (you could implement them in yours):

<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>Able to work on multiple files at the same time<LI> Have individual 2D and 3D windows, so you can edit in 2D and see the results in 3D without needing to switch<LI> Have simple wizards that set up various sector effectors (ie. ask for start and end heights for platforms, etc). Also the editor could hide any irrelevant stuff about sector effectors from you (optional), for instance for the door auto-close, all that matters is the LoTag of the SE and not the direction, etc...<LI> Able to do search and replace on sprites/sectors for any kind of fields, such as tiles, hitscan etc.<LI> Able to input specific height/x/y values (instead of having to press pgup/pgdn so many times)<LI> Able to hide certain layers of sectors (to make it easier to work on mutiple stack sectors)
[/list]

I was also thinking of making a level repair utility which could help repair levels which have had their sector trees corrupted by build (or by the user incorrectly deleting sectors).

Duke Nukem 3D uses 8-bit colour graphics anyway, so there's no point in having the editor use 32-bit colour because the end result won't be any different.

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[Manson]

I havn't tried it yet, so this might allready be in. But how about allowing the mapper to define the sprite angles x-actly?

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[cyborg]

This is a proposed interface redesign I sent to TX which you may want to comment on:

This document outlines the layout principles.

Basic layout - I rethought things since I talked to you to simplfy the implimentation. (Hope I've gotten these dimensions correct).


Standard information - this is displayed when nothing else is being displayed - the default view if you like displaying essential information that is not really specific to anything in particular. This is hopefully self explanitory.

~ means near clickable bit. This will mean that one can click on the 'X' for example and will be prompted at the CLI to type in the new value. At last we can find those lonely SE's straight away! Just type in the crash co-ords! Also rename the map and get a precise angle. Just remember to refresh the pane after input!

Help - this could be both contextual and indexed - ie if you click help at this infopane you get a brief explanation of wtf is going on here. Clicking it again turns help off.
Or you could create a browser type system wherby you can go through a help file.
I like contextual - cause it's simple and sweet and gets the info you need straight away.
Scrollable text area may be a good idea (scrolling will be needed for file system - see later)
A key list would seem a good idea here.

Search brings up a value search dialogue (see later)


Sprite information - brought up by using '-TAB on highlighted sprite (' because ALT-TAB is the windows task button).
Layout is, well, changeable to taste really but you get the idea. Flags are nice and clear. Basically all the text is clickable to change a member's value. For flags clicking on Flags (cstat) would allow entry in decimal. Clicking on individual bit would allow 0 1 setting. Very flexable.



Wall information - ' TAB again. Basically the same as for sprites so the same applies here.


Sector - again very similar. Left out filler (seeme least useful byte, it could be bodged in)


File Dialogue.
If Save - save map with current name with no prompting.
If Save As - bring up dialogue, if click on map name bring up prompt in CLI to confirm name and then save.
If Load - load map when clicked.
If New - start new map with default name.
If Exit - confirm exit in CLI.

Bit on the side controls scrolling. Not sure how it would be best to handle scrolling though, the infopane doesn't look like it's setup to do it. Might be possible just to refresh it with a pointer to show where to start showing files.


Search Dialogue - basically a manipulation tool.

Search for - click on it to prompt for value.
Replace with - optionally replace with another value.
Type - the current type of thing being searched for
Sector,sprite,wall - select type to be searched for and show last one found to meet current criteria.
Find - find the first thing to meet criteria.
Next - find the next thing to meet criteria.
Go to - show the sector/sprite/wall info for currently found object

Any ideas on how to make this more powerful would be good.



------------------
Duke Nukem Resources for Totalconversions and Modifications (http://dukertcm.totalconversions.com)
Build game information on...
Game Connection (Internet play) (http://dukertcm.totalconversions.com/Knowledge_Base/Base_Game-Connection.shtml)
Sound card setup (http://dukertcm.totalconversions.com/Knowledge_Base/Document_Sound-Setup.shtml)
...and more.

[This message has been edited by cyborg (edited 12-17-2000).]

[TerminX]

New version of Mapster is out today, folks.

New features include:

The new color scheme

Different sprites displayed differently in 2D mode:
Floor flattened sprites are shown as normal sprites with a box around them.
Wall flattened sprites are shown as a sprite with three tails, the two long ones indicating the direction. (You'll see.)

More info messages in 3D mode

The new "location" command for 3D mode. This command, 'L, allows you to manually set the x, y, z coordinates and angle of a sprite. It also allows manual adjustion of sector floor and ceiling z values.

Clipboard graphic select - this is a 3 way selection for the way that graphics are displayed in the 3D mode clipboard, adding two new modes, small size and not displayed.

"Autoinfo" for 2D mode - by pressing F9, you can cycle through three different information modes where the object information is obtained by simply doing a mouseover. The modes are: 1 - sprites/walls 2 - sectors and 3 - no information displayed.

The getnumber256 function has been modified to accept negatives. getnumber256 is the fuction used to allow input of numbers in 3D mode, so now you can set negative shades, etc.

Click here to go to the Mapster site and download Mapster 0.27ß (http://dukertcm.totalconversions.com/mapster)


-TX


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Project X TC - http://www.dukeworld.com/projectx
Mapster - http://dukertcm.totalconversions.com/mapster

[This message has been edited by TerminX (edited 12-20-2000).]

[Manson]

This is begining to look very great!

BTW: Will Mapster allow the (hopefully comming) SOS for EDuke?

[TerminX]

Mapster will support anything Duke supports, and the SOS will probably be controlled by sprites anyways.


-TX

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Project X TC - http://www.dukeworld.com/projectx
Mapster - http://dukertcm.totalconversions.com/mapster