home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Cream of the Crop 21
/
Cream of the Crop 21 (Terry Blount) (October 1996).iso
/
doom
/
fmecad64.zip
/
FMECAD64.TXT
< prev
Wrap
Text File
|
1995-09-01
|
11KB
|
257 lines
********************************************************************
FMECAD by Carlos Gomez
********************************************************************
OVERVIEW
FMECAD is an object editing program for Dark Forces. Objects in
the FME (frame) format would include keys, batteries, energy,
medkits, and other things that you can pick up during the game.
FMEs are also used as scenery. Such as chains, cups from Jabba's
ship, the infamous ashtray, and several lights. You can recognize
an FME instantly, because it will always look the same no matter
where you view it from. There are two types of FMEs. Compressed
and Uncompressed. So if you are knowledgeable with DFuse you can
extract an FME from the SPRITES.GOB and move it to the directory
where FMECAD lives. If you don't have DFuse you will have to download an
ungobbing utility. You don't need to do this though. You can
start an FME from scratch!
FMECAD will also allow you to animate up to 32 frames. It will also allow
you to save your animations in .PAC format, which is explained in
more detail below.
CREDITS I would like to thank all of the AOL DFers for all
of their help.
Special Kudos to Keemo and Krud.
Krud actually has his own lawyer. Can you say "Retainer".
Keemo is actually crazy enough to run tech on FMECAD. Perhaps
Gerrr-ronn-nehh-moee, would be a better name. Keemo also penned most
of this text. Thanks Dude-lys
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
If you are playing DF, then you have plenty of horsepower. Or..386x25 w 1meg
XMS and SVGA compatible w/512k vid mem will fire it up. Oh yeah, better have a mouse.
Can't even quit without it. Besides, who draws with the keyboard. Uh..
anymore.
LIST OF FUNCTIONS
All commands are activated by using the left mouse button unless
otherwise specified. Colors can be changed by using the left mouse
button on the palette in the lower right corner of the screen.
DRAWING AREA
Left mouse but = Color Block with current color
Right mbut = Color Block with color zero > Erase
MENU ITEMS
New = starts a new file
Load = load an existing file
Save = save file
Filename = Can use up to 17 characters to describe a pack of 32 frames
Activation - left mouse button
Deactivate - enter or escape
File Num = Will scroll for saved packs of 32 frames
Activation - left and right mouse button
Eras = Erase currently selected frame with confirmation prompt
FClr = Find Color - "What color is that" left mbut to activate/ put cursor
on block you want to identify in the Drawing Area- left mbut again
sets current color to color in Block
Grid = Toggle grid on and off
Prev = View selected frame in 320x200 mode ( closest to DF )
AnPr = Animate Preview in 320x200 mode
Uses Animate selected numbers to run
PAL = Load a different palette from the FMECAD directory. Must be 768 byte
file with .PAL extention.
Quit = No save with confirmation prompt - must manually save stuff before
quitting. I'm sweating already.
Frame = Frame Advance
Activation - left and right mouse buttons
Insert = Insert Advance - Choose where to stamp copy of currently
selected frame
Activation - left and right mouse buttons
Insert Frame = Insert a frame with confirmation prompt
Animate = Action button for animation
1 to 32
AniLwr AniUpr
AniLwr = Animate Lower Bound / which frame to start with for
animation
Activation - left and right mouse buttons
AniUpr = Animate Upper Bound / which frame to end with for animation
If AniUpr is a smaller number then AniLwr, the animation
will happen in reverse.
Activation - left and right mouse buttons
Delay = How long to delay in between frames. The animation is
pretty fast and you probably will not see anything happen
if the delay is on 0.
Activation - left and right mouse buttons
Loop = how many times to view animation
Activation - left and right mouse buttons
Extract to .FME = Will save your file as an .FME. With confirmation
and file name prompt.
Load FME to Frame = Provide the name of the fme, must be in FMECAD dir,
to be loaded to the current frame. Will erase current
frame before loading.
FLIP = Flips ( mirrors ) current frame
LSM = upper left to lower right mirror line
RSM = upper right to lower left mirror line
UDM = up/down mirror line
RLM = right/left mirror line
CCW = rotates frame 90 degrees counter clock wise
CW = rotates frame 90 degrees clock wise
D = mirrors frame diagonally
''''''''''''''Special Note''''''''''''''''
I wrote this puppy with convience in mind. With that in mind, I tryed to
make FMECAD as intuitive as possible. Still, we all have pressed the wrong
button at some point and saw hard work disappear. At first, I wrote it so
that the frame advance button would be the only button that would "SAVE"
the frame to memory. Not very friendly indeed.
A complier book fell on my head and in my unconciousness, I dreamed of the
perfect program. One that would operate flawlessly and take out the trash.
One that could perform what was in my minds eye and one that would mow the
yard. Obviously, there was some damage, but the point is that I kept those
ideas as platforms and have plenty of confirmation prompts. Just in case.
FMECAD PAC Format
Files will be saved as 1.pac, 2.pac etc.. up to 100.pac that
gives you up to 3200 frames to save. The PAC format needs to be understood
to those who would like to make conversion programs. FMECAD will gladly
accommodate up to 99x by 99y by 32 frames.
Here is my header:
TYPE header1
PACNAME AS STRING * 17 = Name of PAC file
TOTPAC AS INTEGER = How many PACs in directory
PAL AS STRING * 768 = Palette stored in PAC
TOTFRAMES AS INTEGER = Total frames stored in PAC
END TYPE
TYPE header2
COMPLFT AS INTEGER - The COMPress names are used at save time
COMPRHT AS INTEGER - to mark the correct location in the Drawing
COMPTOP AS INTEGER - Area. Essentially, the x1,x2,y1,y2 coordinates
COMPBOT AS INTEGER - in a 99 by 99 grid. 0x,0y is LFT-TOP
FRAMEFILELEN AS LONG = The byte length of the frame
FRAMETAKEN AS INTEGER = Will be 1 through 32
END TYPE
DIM HEAD1 AS header1
DIM HEAD2(1 TO 32) AS header2
A final note on the COMPress vars: FMECAD only saves a square of what
was actually drawn and not the whole 99 by 99 grid. The COMPress
function finds the x1,x2,y1,y2 coordinates and only saves that amount.
Frame files can be large 627,746 bytes alone for 32 99 by 99 frames.
So watch your drive space!
PAC byte by byte
PACNAME = Bytes 1 through 17
TOTFRAMES = Bytes 18 and 19. This number gives you the "how many times" to
read in your load loop.
Now the PAC can be read in a LOOP
FRAMENUM = 2 BYTES
COMPTOP = 2 BYTES
COMPBOT = 2 BYTES
COMPLFT = 2 BYTES
COMPRHT = 2 BYTES
FRAMEFILELEN = 4 BYTES
Once those are read, an array of integers can be dimensioned to
FRAMEFILELEN