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1994-07-08
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199 lines
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOOM Construction Kit Ben Morris
Beta-test release Zerius Development
bmorris@amtsgi.bc.ca
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Very super-important notice
------------------------------
This is a BETA COPY of DCK. No expectations should be made as to its
stability, and I would suggest that you DO NOT TRUST IT with important work
until the final release.
This means you should take several precautions when working with it: Save
your work under a new filename after making changes with DCK. As far as
I've seen, DCK has never corrupted a WAD file in loading or saving, but
it's best to be safe.
*** PLEASE DO NOT DISTRIBUTE THIS VERSION *** past infant2.sphs.indiana.edu.
I'd like to keep it there until the final release is complete.
Legal Stuff
--------------
Please note the following:
DOOM is a trademark of id Software.
DCK is NOT an id Software product, nor is Zerius Development in any way
affiliated with id Software.
id Software will NOT provide any support for DCK for this reason; please do
not contact them regarding DCK. Instead, contact me at the email address
above.
DCK will not work on the Shareware version of DOOM at id Software's public
request.
You may not distribute any part / whole of this version of DCK.
DCK is a trademark of Zerius Development.
What kind of feedback I'd like
---------------------------------
Pretty much anything! If there's something about the program that you
think should be improved, removed or added, please send me some email
describing in detail what you'd like to see and if possible, the best way
to do it.
Bug reports are extremely important; please don't hesitate to write about
every little thing you find wrong (wrong: inconsistencies in the program's
design, cosmetic or otherwise), and certainly anything that makes the
program screw up (screw up: crash, put garbage on the screen, display
incorrect information.)
I'll try to answer every piece of mail that I get.
How to use this beta copy
----------------------------
First off, you'll need a mouse. I considered implementing keyboard
mouse-emulation, but there was just so much more I could do with the mouse.
Let me know what you think.
DCK will not run on anything less than a 386.
But then, neither will DOOM. :)
I *STRONGLY* suggest reading (at least) the last two chapters of the docs
(about 5 pages for both chapters, currently.) It'll explain a lot.
The following files are included with the release:
README.NOW │ This file.
REVISION.DOC │ Revision (update) documentation. Details each change
│ between beta releases.
DCK.TXT │ Documentation for DCK. This file is a butt-ugly text
│ only print file of the MS-Word docs, but it's all I could
│ come up with in an hour or two. The REAL text docs will
│ look a lot better, I hope :)
VGA256.BGI │ Required. DCK uses this to display textures.
DCK.CFG │ Required. DCK's configuration file. Go through this with
│ a text editor and check it out! DCK should work fine
│ without changing it, though.
DCK.ADF │ Required. DCK "Automation Definition File." Defines
│ defaults for different texture motifs (styles), and will
│ include other automated features in the future.
│
│ You must run DCKADF.EXE each time you change this file
│ for the changes to take effect.
DCKADF.EXE │ Required. Produces DCK.AD from DCK.ADF (see above.)
DCK.HLP │ Required. DCK help file (used by DCK.)
DCK.EXE │ DCK. Run DCK /? for a list of command-line
│ parameters (not every one of them works at the
│ moment.)
What don't work and what I know don't work
---------------------------------------------
- There is ONE most annoying bug that I can't track down. If you see a
bunch of white and black bars (or similar junk) on the status bar, SAVE
YOUR WORK and reboot your computer before continuing editing. If it
happens often, *please* attempt to record the conditions under which it
occurs and send them to me in email. Thanks :)
- The consistency checker isn't 100% functional. (It doesn't check sectors
for closed paths yet.) It's FAST. Press ALT-C to use it!
- The cursor-size toggle doesn't work. It did at one point, and it will
again. I'll be back.
- External textures don't work yet. The only place DCK will find textures
is DOOM.WAD.
Just a few other things (Qs and As)
--------------------------------------
Q: Where's the @(*#!@(# key reference?
A: Press F1. =)
Q: Will DCK be available in a protected mode version?
A: Probably not. I'm using Borland C++, which doesn't support 32-bit
compiles. (I've heard tell that a 32-bit version of their DOS compiler
is in the works, however. maybe!)
DCK doesn't really need it. Why? The biggest memory hog in DOOM
editors is all the data that's loaded with a level. DCK doesn't load it
all; it only loads what it needs (ie: the vertexes, things, sectors,
sidedefs and linedefs.) All the other information is copied from the
original .WAD file when saved (if no changes have been made to the map.)
And finally...
-----------------
Thanks very much for taking the time to beta-test DCK. I hope, with your
help, to make DCK the best map editor around!
-- Ben
Technical Information
------------------------
Development system --
Gateway 2000 486dx2/66 VLB
CrystalScan 1776 LE monitor
ATI Ultra Pro-VLB
Gravis Ultrasound (20 snd_channels)
340 meg and 120 meg HDD
8 megs RAM
Tested on --
AST Bravo 386sx/16
ALR 386dx/40
Gateway 2000 Pentium/60 PCI
Gateway 2000 486dx/33
All test systems had at least a 256k VGA card, a mouse, a color
monitor, and 500k of free memory. DCK was tested with a variety
of memory managers, including QEMM, Windows and HIMEM.SYS.
Compiled with --
Borland C++ v4.02 (C compile, 386 instructions enabled)
TLINK v6.2
Libraries used --
Standard graphics (BGI) and C libraries.
Code information --
19,000 lines (including comments)
31 modules
Other programs used --
Icons: DeluxePaint ][ Enhanced
History --
Conceived and commenced work on May 1st, 1994. Pre-beta released
June 10th.
Author --
All code designed and written by Ben Morris.
Alpha testing and lots of ideas by James Atchison.