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Zoom - Release 2 (1996)(Active Software)[!].iso
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tutorial.doc
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2000-02-07
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GRAC Tutorial (Idiot's Guide)
-----------------------------
This tutorial will teach you the basics of using GRAC. By the end of the
tutorial you will have a short game running. There is no need to read
the docs first. You will need to use a backup copy of your GRAC disk. If you
want to use a hard drive the principles will be the same, but I will assume
that you are using a floppy disk.
First of all, remember these instructions:
Put this screen to the back (the button on the top right).
Load the GRAC editor by double clicking on its icon.
Press the left Amiga key and G together to get back to workbench.
Bring this window back to the front (same button as before).
Got that? Then go ahead and do it.
You should now be back reading this paragraph. If not...
Apart from the ones who have got hopelessly lost already, you have now
learned how to start GRAC and get back to workbench. Left Amiga G will also
get you back to GRAC. This is how you can follow the tutorial
and work in GRAC at the same time. Alternatively print out the tutorial.
Part 1: Getting the game to run
-------------------------------
The tutorial is already partly set up. What you need to do now is load
it in. So click on 'Load game'. A file requester will appear. Click on
'*tutorial' then 'tutorial.grac2'.The game will load, but it is just a
skeleton, and needs some work before it will do anything.
The first thing to do is load a picture. Logically enough this is achieved
by clicking on 'Pictures'. The requester that appears has a slot named 'new
picture'. Click on that. Choose 'tutorialroom.iff' from the file requestor.
When the path requester comes up, click on the first item. This
is the screen where the adventure will take place.
The screen is a little taller than it should be, so click on 'size',then
click anywhere on the white line at the bottom of the picture. This will
delete the unwanted part. Now click on 'save' then 'exit'.
Now to load a character. Click on 'Characters', enter a name and choose
the first path. The edit character screen will appear. Click on 'Load' and
choose the file 'man.character'. To select a colour for this character's
speech, click on 'colour', then choose one from the line. Any colour in the
last 16 will do, brighter colours are better. Click on 'save' then 'exit'.
Next you need to grab some objects. Click on 'Objects', and 'new object'
to reach the object editor. Enter any name you like, then select the same
path as before.
Click on 'Load pic' at the bottom of the screen. Choose
'tutorialobjects.iff'. This screen contains all of the objects to be used in
the game.
Now to grab an object. Click on 'Grab' and the object screen appears. Draw
a rectangle around the desk by dragging the mouse. Make it as small
as possible while still containing the whole object. Release the mouse button
then click the right button once. You should now see the desk in the
main window. Move the slider to position two and grab the other part of the
desk in the same way.
Grab the computer screen, but instead of clicking the right mouse button,
click with the left mouse button at the centre of the cross underneath it.
Grab the other image of the screen in the same way.
Grab the blue book; this time click the left mouse button at the top
centre of the image. (You may not see the book in the main window; this is
because it is positioned off screen. Use the arrows to scroll it into view.)
The rest of the objects are not needed in the tutorial but you can use them
for practise later.
One more thing to do here: click on 'characters' and select the character
that you loaded previously. Click on 'Save' then 'Exit'.
You are now ready to start putting the room together. Click on 'Rooms' and
enter a name. Choose the second picture, the second object bank and the first
path.
Put down an area where the character can walk as follows: Click on 'Walk'
then 'Add'. The menu bar will disappear so that you can see the whole
screen. Draw a rectangle on the floor with the mouse. It will only cover
part of the floor, but don't worry, you can add more rectangles later to
cover the whole floor. When you have drawn the rectangle the menu bar will
return. Click on 'Exit'.
Next place the starting point for the character. Select 'points' and
'add'. Click twice anywhere in the zone that you just created, choose
'right' then exit.
Click on 'foreground', 'add', choose the image of the desk and place
it over the desk on the picture. Repeat for the other part of the desk, and
for the image of the blank computer screen.
Save the room by clicking on 'save' then exit back to the main menu.
Save the game by clicking on 'save game' and selecting 'tutorial.grac2'.
If you like, you can try running the game by double clicking on its icon
in the tutorial drawer. If you've done everything right so far, you will be
able to make the man walk around inside the rectangle on the floor (which
is now invisible). Control and C quit the game.
Part 2: Some simple actions
---------------------------
Nearly everything from now on will be done in the room editor. First of
all, add a few more 'walk' zones over the floor so that the whole area is
covered. You will have to place them so that they go in between the two
parts of the desk without touching either.
If any two zones are touching, the character will be able to walk
between them as though they were one large zone. To achieve this, click on
'join' in the 'walk' menu and then on a pair of touching zones. Repeat
until all touching zones are 'joined' (a line is drawn between them to
indicate this).
I will now explain how to add an object and animate it. Select
'background' and 'add'. Draw a box around the computer. Click on 'name'
then in the box that you just created and enter 'computer' in the
requester. Click on 'base' then on the floor by the computer, twice. Choose
direction 'left' and height 'middle'. Click on 'string' and you can enter a
description of the computer.
To make the computer turn on when it is 'operated' you will need to write
a small script. Click on 'actions' and select 'computer' and 'operate'.
The script editor will appear. Enter 'reach' in the top line. If you press
the help key you will be prompted to choose a height. After that some
numbers will appear in the same line. Don't worry about these yet. Underneath
'reach' enter 'object frame' and press help again. Select the computer
screen by clicking through the objects until you get to it, then choose the
image of the turned-on computer. Now if you save the game (that's 'OK',
'exit', 'save', 'save game',) and run it you should be able to turn on the
computer by operating it. Of course, it doesn't
turn off if you operate it again. That will require a few more lines in the
script.
Back in the script editor ('background', 'actions', 'computer',
'operate'), insert two lines before 'object frame'. The script required is
the following:
reach (numbers entered already)
compare #1,0
if 3,0
object frame (numbers entered already)
set flag 1,1
else
object frame (Help, choose the computer screen and the blank screen image)
set flag 1,0
end if
That probably doesn't make a lot of sense at the moment. Some of the
commands are similar to their Amos equivalents, like 'if' and 'paste'.
Every command, including what the numbers mean, is listed in the
'Commands.doc' file.
One more thing before I leave you to experiment: how to have an object
which can be picked up. Leave the room editor (saving first) and click on
'inventory'. This is where items in the inventory are edited. Click on 'add'
and type 'book'. Click on 'save', go back to the room editor and click on
'foreground' then 'add'. Choose the book image and position it somewhere on
the floor.
Click on 'name',select the book object and call it 'book'.
Click on 'flag',select the book and enter '-2'
Click on 'base', select the book, click on the floor next to it twice,
choose a direction and height 'low'.
Click on 'take' and choose 'book' from both requesters.
Then save the room. Exit and save the game, and try it out.
There are a few other actions you could attempt, such as opening the
cupboard or the doors. This tutorial is just a small example of what is
possible. To fully acquaint yourself with GRAC's many features, read the
documentation and have a go at designing your own game.
There is a second tutorial, which covers every aspect of creating a game
from scratch, on 'GRAC User Disk #1' from F1 Licenceware.