Home Edutainment Collection 4: Games & Extensions/Aztech-HomeEdutainmentCollection-Vol4-3DGamesExtensions.iso/rdoomed/readme.txt

Text File | 1994-12-06 | 20KB | 422 lines

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                Renegade Graphics DoomED Deluxe v. 2.20
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If you haven't run the installation yet, run install.exe from windows.

USE MORE THAN 256 COLOR MODE IN WINDOWS IF AT ALL POSSIBLE!!!
The overhead for palette management is horrible and brings things
to a crawl, so use a better graphics mode, buy more graphics ram,
get a real computer.

DON'T USE 16 COLOR DRIVERS.  If the editor looks *really* bad it's
because you are using windows in only 16 colors.  Run windows
setup and choose a 256 color or more driver.

Read the installation notes and be sure to at least browse through this
file once.  Don't miss reading the controls guide at the end of this file!

IMPORTANT INSTALLATION NOTES:
        *Copy RUNBSP.BAT and BSP.EXE to your Doom directory or
        anyplace you intend to save WAD files.

        *The following files were placed in your editor directory, if
        you don't already have copies of these in your WINDOWS\SYSTEM
        directory you should move them there.  Then delete them from
        the editor directory. VBRUN300.DLL, COMMDLG.DLL, CMDIALOG.VBX
        and THREED.VBX.  In many cases you will already have these files.

        *If at all possible, use a graphic mode under windows with more
        than 256 colors available.  It will be much faster.  If you
        can use 32k or 64k colors it will be great.  1024x768 with
        64k colors and you will be in heaven.

        *ATI Mach users (and possibly others).  If you are using a
        utility that lets you change graphics modes 'on-the-fly'
        (without restarting windows) you may experience some
        re-draw errors.  This is due to incompatibilities with
        the graphics drivers and can't be helped.  Turn off the
        'winswitch' feature on your ATI Desktop to avoid this.

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Welcome to the EASIEST to use editor for Doom and Doom II.  This editor
has been created with ease of use and simplicity of action in mind. You
don't have to deal with arcane commands and numbers or difficult to
use tools.

After you play with the editor a little bit, be sure to at least read
the quick documentation part of the manual.  Otherwise you are sure to
be missing out on some important features.

There are two cheat codes in DOOM II which are helpful when editing,
IDCLIP replaces IDSPISPOPD (yay!) to allow you to walk through walls
and inspect things faster or to get around problems in the level.

IDFA [Fun Ammo :-)] is similar to IDKFA except you don't get the keys,
this is useful for testing the flow of levels since you still have
to get any keys but don't have to waste time in dispatching monsters.

Don't forget the -nomonsters Doom command line option when you just want
to look at structure.

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                                   FEATURES
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* indicates new


Edit Doom or *Doom II* seamlessly

        * Fast wad conversion converts from Doom to Doom II useable wads
                by clobbering any invalid textures

MAP Navigation

          Use arrow keys to move around map
          Control+O to turn object labels on and off.
          Coordinates of mouse or closest object are displayed on status bar
          +/- to zoom in and out
          Control+C to get a 'centering' cursor, next clicked postion becomes
                center of display
          Mini-map control shows reduced view of map and viewport for fast
                selection of display

Object Editing

          Control+I to insert new object (select attrib and type from pop-up)
                then click on map to place as many as you like
          Control+D for Delete mode, any object clicked will be deleted
          Right-click (inspect) an item to change it's attributes or type
          Continuous display of object types and coordinates
          Easy and natural drag and drop object placement

Texture/Attribute editing

          Lines which have a special associated with them are highlighted blue
          Click on the center of a line to select it and its zone
          Floor/Ceiling heights in blue boxes
          Brightness in white box
          Zone Special and tag in green boxes
          Line Special and tag in red boxes
          Press '?' near specials to get a menu and inspect or change value
          Press '?' near tag to highlight zone/line with same(link) tag value
          Press 'Next' near tag to automatically assign next available tag
          Drag and Drop flat texture assignment
          For wall texture slots, press 'U' to used the texture in the
                combo box below, '-' to assign no texture.
          Combo boxes at top and bottom contain the floor and wall palettes
          Select wall or floor icons to edit the pallete and manage palettes
        + Detail box shows raw line/sidedef/sector numbers for special changes
          Interactively change current sector floor hight with Ins/Del keys
          Interactively change current sector ceiling hight with Home/End keys
        * Interactively change current sector hights with PgUp/PgDn keys
        * Interactively change current sector brightness with [/] keys
          Paint tool lets you quickly change textures and other attributes


Structure editing

        * Improved display techniques allow faster redraw and reduce display
                errors when manipulating nodes
          Ruler tool shows horizontal, vertical and diagonal distance
                between points
          Sector delete tool removes an entire sector
          Copy attributes tool makes contiguous rooms and halls easier to edit
          Delete individual line segments by moving vertices on either
                end of a line together making the line dissapear
          Combo drop downs containing the user palette make default
                texture selection faster
          Sectors for insertion of voids on contained sectors is easier,
                simply click on the center of the sector to be
                selected from the sector tool.
        * Interactively change current sector floor hight with Ins/Del keys
        * Interactively change current sector ceiling hight with Home/End keys
        * Interactively change current sector hights with PgUp/PgDn keys
        * Interactively change current sector brightness with [/] keys
          If no sector is selected you are changing attribs for NEXT sector
                to be drawn.

Bitmap Fiddler

          Larger picture size for easier viewing
          Optional 2x zoom when viewing graphics

Explanation of Delete Functions:
--------------------------------
The Renegade Graphics editor is deliberately designed to hide the technical
complexities of level design.  This is why you will never have to deal with
sector, sidedef and line numbers.  It is also the reasoning behind the
behavior of the sector insertion tool, you always have complete sectors,
there is never a possibility of an incomplete sector or stranded line.

Following this same principle there are two delete abilities, one for
lines, the other for sectors.  Removing an unwanted line is very simple,
move one of the vertices on the end of a line to meet the other vertice.
Now that line is gone and the sector has one fewer sides.

To remove an entire sector, choose the sector tool in structure mode, then
click on the center of the line segment of the sector you want to remove.
This selection is identical to selecting sectors in the attribute/texture
mode.  If the line belongs to two sectors, selecting with the second
mouse button will select the second sector.  Then click the delete sector
button (the red x) and the sector will be removed.

Any lines that also belonged to another sector are NOT removed.  This means
that if you delete a sector which is completely within another sector,
you will be left with a void where that sector was.  If you now wish to
remove the void, simply delete individual lines by moving vertices together.
You will simplify it down to a triangle, then a line, then a stranded
vertice.  Ignore this vertice, it will be cleaned up the next time you
edit the level or run it through the bsp.

Fixed from previous versions:
-----------------------------
Problem with more than 1100 sidedefs per level fixed.  Problem manifested
itself as the BSP reporting no sidedefs and the editor failing with an 'out
of range' error when the level was next loaded.  This problem is fixed.

Occasionally a single vertice from a loaded level would inexplicably be at
completely wrong coordinates.  Fixed.

Previously fatal condition "Can't find the PNAMES in the Master WAD file..."
is no longer fatal.

Texture Palette save and load features now 100% reliable

Bitmap Fiddler able to display 100% of Doom graphics

A BMPS directory is no longer created.  This saves a great deal of disk
space at a small cost in speed when editing palettes.


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                            KEYBOARD REFERENCE
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(Keystrokes are read by the map screen itself, occasionally if a control
is selected that control might not be passing on the keystrokes and you
will have to click on the map first, this is rare.)

        Control+S is a quicksave.  This dumps the current level to
        a file called QUIKSAVE.BSP in your editor directory, then
        you can continue working.

MAP NAVIGATION (All Modes)

        To zoom in and out use + and -.  You can zoom faster by holding
        the control or alt keys.

        To move around the map use the arrow keys, this will pan 1/4
        screen in a given direction.

        Center the screen at a new point by pressing 'C' and then
        clicking on the new center.  Shift+C will cause a zoom and
        center.

        Preset Zoom levels Shift+F1=10%, Shift+F2=50%, Shift+F3=100%,
        Shift+F4=200%.

        Redraw Screen by pressing the SpaceBar.  Occasionally the
        screen will become clutter, especially in structure mode,
        and you can quickly redraw the screen by slapping the space.

        To toggle the gridlines on and off press G.  Change the
        spacing of the lines with Shift+G.

MODE CHANGING (All modes)

        Key     Action
        ===     ============================================================
        T       Go to thing(object) mode and/or set to inspect (not ins/del)
        I       Go to thing mode and/or set to object insert/delete mode
        V       'vertice' mode.  Go to structure mode and/or set
                to vertice tool.
        P       Go to special/line(paint) mode.
        L/S     Go to structure mode ready to insert sectors or switch
                to sector tool.

THING/OBJECT MODE

        Control+O toggles labels on screen.
        I sets to insert/delete, T sets to move/inspect.

SPECIAL/TEXTURE MODE

        The floor/ceiling heights and brightness of the currently
        selected sector can be changed with keyboard controls for
        speed.  All of these normally increment by 8, but holding
        Shift causes the increment to be 1, Alt causes it to be 32.

        [/]             Decrease/Increase sector brightness
        Ins/Del         Raise/Lower Floor height
        Home/End        Raise/Lower Ceiling height
        PgUp/PgDn       Raise/Lower Floor AND Ceiling height, moving entire
                        room up or down.

        Control 1/2/3/4
                        Switch to the corresponding palette if they have
                        been created and saved with the palette editors.

STRUCTURE MODE

        The same controls used to modify the current sector in
        special/texture mode can be used to modify the settings of
        the next sector to be drawn.

        D will delete the currently selected sector.

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                              RGDOOMED.INI
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These items can be set in your RGDOOMED.INI.

;Sound on and off
ClickSound=True/False
;If you have a B&W printer try color once anyway, you might
;like the settings better, especially if you have a decent laser.
Printer=Color/B&W
;Startup zoom level
MapZoom=50
;Forces the editor to ask you for location of your DOOM.WADs again.
Installing=T/F
;Startup GridSize
GridSize=64
;Startup SnapSize
SnapSize=8
;Turn grid or point snap on automatically
SnapOn=True/False
GridOn=True/False
;Color of gridlines
GridColor=&HFFFF& ;Yellow
GridColor=&HFFFF00 ;Cyan
;Automatically load this wad file
AutoLoad=d:\doom2\whatever.wad
;default dir for saving wads
WadDir=d:\doom2


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                               QUICK GUIDE
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You will find this editor to be much easier to use than the old ones.
Every aspect of the program has change, with the exception of its ease
of use.  That was always good.

Look at structure mode (start a new map, it goes right to it).

It's much easier to draw structures now.  Just start drawing, it will
be pretty obvious what to do.  Just draw out rooms, draw sectors in
rooms, draw hallways connecting them... it's all almost 100% automatic.

You will notice that the map is really easy to understand, the outside
walls or edges of a column/void are drawn a darker black.  (Print out
a map, sexy eh?).  If two sectors are joined properly the line between
will be thin.  This is an obvious visual cue that sectors are or aren't
joined.

Notice that you can set the textures and heights/brightness of the next
sector you are going to draw, and you can 'pick up' the attributes of
a sector on the map just by clicking on it.  Make it a habit to click
on the sector you are going to attach the next sector to, then make
adjustments to the floor/ceilng heights etc and draw the sector.  This
makes designing a level as you go really easy, almost too easy!

If you want to draw a column/void inside a sector, it is easiest to
draw it with the right mouse button, this makes the new area a void
automatically.  If you select a sector that is inside a sector and
then delete it (press D) it becomes a void.  If you are going to
leave the void there, make sure you turn off the 'Two Sided' attribute
of the lines that make it.

To remove a void from a sector, move the vertices together deleting lines
until you have a triangle.  Then make a line, then a point.  The void
is now gone.

Now look at special/texture mode.  Displays will pop up as is appropriate
to what is currently selected.  If you click somwhere in a sector but
not close to a line, the sector highlights and you can see the flat
textures, special if any, heights, etc.  Click on a line but not in a
sector (on the outside side) and only the line is selected and only info
about that line is shown and modifiable.  Click on the side of a line
in a sector and that sector, line and side are shown.  Click on the
other side of a two-sided line and that side and sector are shown.

To change floor/ceiling textures hit the arrow icon next to the box in
the upper left corner.  A list of textures will appear (the current
palette).  Choose a texture by clicking on it or moving up and down
and hitting enter.  Notice you can see the actual texture.  To assign
the texture to the floor or ceiling grab onto it, drag it over and drop
it on the floor or ceiling box.

To change wall textures click on the list at the top of the side
information and choose a texture.  Now press the 'use' button next
to the texture area you with to assign it to.  To blank that texture
section press the '-' button.  Notice that only the texture segments
that would be visible in the game are shown, so it is easy to see
if you are looking at a step side or whatever.

To assign a special to a sector; Select the sector, then hit the
button that says 'special'.  The current special assignment if any
will be shown.  To pick or change just click on the new one.  Double
click on it or hit enter.

To assign a special to a line that affects a sector, first select the
sector the special will affect.  Hit the 'Get Tag' button, this will
assign the next available tag number to the sector.  Now pick the
line that will affect this sector.  Hit the 'Get Next Tag' button
and the same number should be assigned to the line (this feature
will not work right on a level which has been manually edited an
messed up by another editor, then you will have to edit the
tags manually).  Then hit the special button and pick the special
for this line.

Some specials are sensitive to direction.  If you find that the special
you assigned doesn't seem to work the way it should (i.e. you can't get
out of a teleporter) then select the line and press the 'flip line'
button.  This will change the direction of the activation.  Note that
this is the only reason you would ever want to flip a line.

You can locate the line or sector associated with another sector or line
with a tag easily.  Pick the line or sector you are interested in and
click the 'Find Tag' button.  The associated line or sector will be
highlighted.

QUICK PAINT (sub mode)

There is a nifty feature within the special/texture mode.  It allows you
to rapidly assign any combination of attributes to lines, sectors or
sides.

To use it select a sector and/or line and or/side and set the attributes
as you want them to be.  Now press the quick paint icon.  A box will
appear where you can select which attributes you want to use to 'paint'
with.  You may select any combination.

Now click around the map 'painting'.  Sectors and lines will be left
highlighted so you can tell where you have been.  When you are done or
want to change the paint settings click on the quick paint icon again.

THING/OBJECT MODE

Great, simple, awsome.  There are two submodes which are picked or
switched between with T and I.  In T mode you are moving or inspecting
and changing objects.  To move an object just grab it and move it
somplace else.  To inspect it or modify it click on it with the
right mouse button.  The rest is obvious.

In I mode you can insert or delete items.  The currently selected
item type and attributes are shown in the upper left corner.  Simply
click anywhere on the map to insert the object there.  FAST!

To delete an item click on it with the right mouse button. POOF!

Enjoy this thing!  We put a hell of a lot of work into it, I didn't even
get to finish Doom II yet and it ticks me off!  So if you think this thing
is cool, register it please so my wife doesn't leave me :-)