CD Action 6 A/cdactioncoverdisc/quakemap/whatsnew.txt

Text File | 1996-10-06 | 12KB | 282 lines

 *** WHAT'S NEW -- QuakeMap 2.0 BETA ***   forth release


Release : 7.10.96. For Windows 95. BETA VERSION.

BUG FIXES - sorry for the numerous bugs of the third release

DOCUMENTATION - a draft. Thanks to Mike Melzer who updated it from
QuakeMap 1.1. Please read the Introduction !

Texture browser may be used in old or in new mode (text list or
images list - because image list doesn't look good at 256 colors)

Completed entity list, with all the monsters found in Registred Quake.
Also added a few new polyhedron shapes (prisms), and teleporter
models. There is also an easier way to set "spawnflags" describing
at which difficulty settings the entity appears and sometimes other
special flags.

A configuration dialog box lets you personalize various parameters

Included : a demo level. See how to make a hierarchically organized
level, with doors, teleporters, lifts, etc.

Map preview in the explorer, before you open the map

Plane "tagging" - you can tag the side of a polyhedron, and then
"paste" a side of another polyhedron to this tagged side, so they
exactly touch each other. You can also cut a polyhedron in two parts
using the tagged plane as separation.

New buttons : "new cube" - easier than having to open the "new..."
window; and "Zoom" to instantly zoom out until the whole level is
visible

Syntax highlighting and auto indent in the code editor

Map files that where impossible to load due to a polyhedron error may
now be loaded, by just ignoring the bad polyhedron

Default view mode is "Gray out of view", no longer "Show whole level"

You can change or add icons for the "new entity" list. They are stored
in Models.qme, in entry Icons, as a bitmap.



*** What were new in third release (1.10.96) ***

Brush substraction. Yes, it is now here (not too early !)

Unlimited UNDO/REDO on anythink in the map editor !
(for RAM saving, the list is limited for now to 25 entires and is
cleared before launching Quake)

Polyhedron moving or distorsion is visible while you are dragging
them. No more guessing what your drag will do : see it in real-time.

Textures are organized in groups. Very practical for finding the
textures you are looking for.

You can extract Descriptions as .txt files according to the standard
layout, like the texts you can read as description about maps (author,
description, comments, editor(s) used, etc)

You can bound QuakeC routines to pressing AND RELEASING a key. You can
also have QuakeMap automatically add Quake instructions to the
autoexec.cfg.

Examples modified : check Radar.qme and BindTest.qme

Accelerated QuakeC compiler (by reducing a lot the time required for
it to load and analyse the original progs.dat)

You can run QBSP/VIS/LIGHT and then Quake on a part of a level (used
during the level development process)

A maximum of RAM is freed up before launching Quake

SOON: syntax highlighing in QuakeC code editor

New polyhedron selection method. You can now select a polyhedron even
if it is completely contained in another polyhedron, by clicking
several times at the same point, until the desired polyhedron is
selected.

Zoom-in in map editor : it zooms in the direction of the selected
objects, instead of just zooming to the screen center

Enlarge/shrink polyhedrons may be done along a single axis (for
distorsions)

New command in menus : QuickGO (same as GO but bypasses VIS)

New buttons in interface (see by yourself)

... and other minor stuff (bug fixes, ...). In particular, corrected
a problem that several people reported while using QBSP, which could
not find the texture wad. I think this were caused by a difference
between the DOS- and the Win95-based versions of QBSP, and it should
no more occur with this version of QuakeMap.



*** What were new in second release (25.09.96) ***

New texture browser. Displays several textures at the same time.
Still need to divide textures into more practical groups.

Rotation is implemented, as well as symmetry. You can rotate anything
from a single polyhedron to groups to the whole level.

... and other minor stuff (bug fixes, ...)

NOTE: the version of QBSP I use doesn't like stuff that is "too far"
from the three axis. It refuses to compile a level that got 15░
rotation around axis X and 15░ more around Y. If someone gets better
results than me, please e-mail me what version of QBSP you use.



*** What were new in first release (20.09.96) ***


Essentially, what is new is the "QuakeMap Explorer", which allows you to
regroup several kind of lumps : maps, QuakeC code patches, file descriptions,
etc. See below for a summary of these features.

Besides this summary, this beta version contains no documentation associated
with QuakeMap Explorer, as it is still under development. Experiment yourself.

The level editor, renamed to "QuakeMap Editor", also got some improvements.
Read them at the end of this file.


 *** SHAREWARE ***

You may *not* use Quake 2.0 BETA after that the final 2.0 is out.
*Please* upgrade to the final version as soon as possible.
QuakeMap 2.0 (final) will be Shareware. Please read the corresponding
instructions as soon as you download it.


 *** What is QuakeMap Explorer ? ***

                                               (**) = not implemented yet

  It is no more centered on MAP files, altough you can still use it as
  you did with version 1.1; instead, it is centered on a proprietary
  file format, near than PAK files, which allows me to store some
  information about maps that couldn't be stored in a standard MAP file,
  like grouped polyhedrons.

  More interestingly, we can now regroup several other datas than maps
  in this proprietary file format. For example : new textures, or new
  files to replace or complete ID standard files, like sound and model
  files.

  Consider this : large maps often require A LOT of computing power, a
  lot of time, and a lot of RAM to compile (I've "only" 16Mb - and I'm
  having trouble compiling some large maps). That's why it would be
  useful to distribute BSPs instead of (or with) MAPs. But BSPs are
  large files, and it is illegal to distribute them, anyway, because it
  usually contains some of ID's original textures. So I added the
  ability to import BSP files, textures removed, in QuakeMap's files.
  Not only does this reduce size, it makes the distribution of BSPs
  legal. Then, on another computer, QuakeMap reconstructs the original
  BSP, using textures from the local computer's PAK (or unPAKed) files.

  Right now, I have even included parts of the REACC program I made and
  distributed (see DEACC & REACC). REACC is a compiler like QCC, which I
  wrote without knowing that ID would release QCC. The purpose of
  including REACC into QuakeMap is double.
                                                First, it will provide
  another way to distribute QuakeC patches - a better way, because you
  will distribute only portions of files that changed, not full files
  like now. The interest of it is to allow you to use several patches at
  once. This is usually not easy with the current method of distributing
  complete modified files : to play with several of the patches,
  you have to figure out what really changed in which file, and regroup
  yourself the changes. QuakeMap's integrated patch compiler should be
  able to deal with multiple patches from multiple sources.

  Second, it will allow us to associate QuakeC patches with particular
  levels. We'll then be able to build level-specific programs, like we
  did in Hexen. For example, we could do something like Hexen's first
  level, where there are walls that make a half turn, fire a few fireballs
  on you, and then rotate back in place. This could be done in a standard
  QuakeC patch, but associating this patch with the level make it far
  easier to use, and prevent oneself from playing the level without the
  patch or vice-versa.

  It also provides a consistent way of assigning actions with new keys -
  you know, "impulse" commands. You'll be shown a list of new actions the
  installed patches provides, and you'll have to choose a key for each
  of them. QuakeMap will then automatically remap impulse numbers as
  needed (useful for several patches from serveral sources) and
  write the "autoexec.cfg" to bind them with the keys you choosen.


  I also plans to make a light-weight DOS run-time, easily distributable
  and configurable, which would expand files of the proprietary file
  format into playable files, with the correct directory structure, add
  textures to BSPs, as well as compiling QC patches and prompting for
  key assignment.                                                  (**)

  Wow ! Nice program, isn't it ?



 *** What's new in the map editor (QuakeMap Editor) ? ***


* entities start spots are all shown on the map, with a little cross. You can
click on them to select entities. You don't have to look through the entity
list until the find the one you're looking for.

* entity list is hiearchical, i.e. you can regroup entities and polyhedrons in
regions and sub-regions. Use drag'n'drop to move entities and groups into and
out of sub-groups.

* multiple selection allowed. Use the Shift or Ctrl key (no difference) to
select multiple polyhedrons and/or entities. Selected objects are put in a
temporary group, named "(selection)". You can drag and move, zoom, rotate, and
'symmetrize' the whole group at one. To create a non-temporary group, select
objects and rename "(selection)" to something else. In this way, you make the
hierarchy of the level.

* clipboard operations (cut-copy-paste) on single entities as well as on whole
groups.

* proprietary file format (i.e. the QuakeMap Explorer) stores this
hierarchical information. But you can still work directly on .map files. Just
be aware that saving a level into a .map file removes its hierarchy.

* texture managment : now you pick up textures from the list of every
textures found in Quake (ca. 500 ! They will be divided into groups, I
promise). You don't have to worry about "gfx/filename.wad" any more : choose
"Extract textures" in the menu, and every texture that you used is extracted
into a temporary .wad file. You don't need to unPAK your pak0.pak and
pak1.pak files - QuakeMap is capable of looking for textures that are stored
in .bsp files themselves stored in .pak files !

* substractive polyhedrons : select two polyhedrons, and the second one will
be used to "cut" the first one, which will be turned into a group of
polyhedrons going "around" the cutting polyhedron. Used to dig holes
(like doors) into walls. (**) not implemented yet. You must still use the old
"cut along plane" menu command.

* new buttons in the interface :

# the button with the (new) icon pops up a list of predefined entities and
polyhedrons from which you choose the object to add to your level. No more
separated list for entities and polyhedrons. The whole list is itself
hierarchical (choose the "populating level" group, open the "weapons" subgroup
and pick up the weapon you want). This list is stored in the proprietary map
format, in file "Models.qme". It can be modified the way you modify other
levels.

# the button with the (trash) icon deletes the selected object(s).

# the button with the (entity list) icon brings you back to the hierarchical
entity list and toggles between normal and full-screen view of this list
(useful for complex levels).

# the button with the (group) icon begins or ends a multiple selection.



 ***

Remember, this is a BETA version. Don't forget to look for the final version,
planned to be released before the end of september. Any comment, suggestion
or bug report is welcome.

As usually, I won't assume any responsability for whatever might occur by
using my program, either directly or indirectly. No warraties !


Armin Rigo.                           ([e-mail])