Starting A New Track -------------------- Load the editor or select the 'Project/New' option to clear the current map. You will need to load some sets of tiles, these are the graphic blocks placed on the grid to build the track. There are two type of tiles, flat & solid, these are largely the same, you must have at least one set of each tile type loaded. The only difference between flat & solid tiles is the the default tile that fills the map when you start CAN ONLY be selected from the solid tile sets. ° Load one or more sets of flat tiles using the 'Tiles/Open Flat Tiles' option, to load more than one set you will need to use the +/- keys to select an empty tile bank, there MUST NOT be any empty banks between banks that you are using. ° Load one or more sets of collision tiles using the 'Tiles/Open Solid Tiles' option, again use the +/- keys to select the bank. ° Select the default tile using the 'Tiles/Pickup Default Tile' option. ° Select the mystery off tile using the 'Tiles/Pickup Myster Off Tile' option. This is the flat tile that should be displayed if a ? bonus is activated over. The following must be reselected in the editor if the original Gfx/ILBM files change. ° Select a background graphic using 'Mode/Select Background' This is the backdrop displayed on the horizon. ° Select a horizon gradient using 'Mode/Select Horizon Gradient' This set the colours in the sky. ° Optionaly select a ground gradient using 'Mode/Select Ground Gradient' This should only be seleted if you track is not on the ground. Now draw you map using the tiles, a few pointers here... ° ALWAYS START YOU TRACK AT LEAST 10 * 10 BLOCKS IN. So the top/right corner of you track should be 10 blocks in an 10 down. ° Keep road areas 3-4 blocks wide. ° Tracks run in the clockwise direction. ° Keeps track crossovers to a MINIMUM! ° The starting grid has a specific layout, it must be a straight run and a few blocks at the back of the grid in the staright, before any turns can be placed. THIS GRID MUST RUN TH THE NORTH OR EAST ONLY! ° After you starting grid has been drawn, use the 'Mode/Set Kart Position' option, this will allow you to specify the point where the grid is. Just click with the left mouse on the pole grid position and you will be asked which direction the karts should start facing. The options are either NORTH or EAST. ° There is not need CURRENTLY to set a start/finish line so ignore this option. ° The size of the track should be simillar to Race1.Trk, although they can be smaller or larger. See Race1.Trk for an example of all of the above. Drawing track is done by placing/dropping a selected tile at points around the map. This should be done using 'Mode/Drop', you can selected the tile to place by selecting the 'Tiles/Pickup Flat Tile' or 'Tiles/Pickup Solid Tile' there are keyboard shortcuts shown in the menus to do this, or the right mouse button will also pickup a tile using the last selected type, i.e. flat or solid. When picking up a tile the current banks graohics for that type will be shown use the +/- bank keys to select an alternative bank. Use the left mouse button to select the tile you wish to use and the gfx window will disappear and reshow you the map area. Now you have a tile you can drop in anywhere on the map you want by clicking with the left mouse button to place a tile at the current location. The cursor keys on their own will scroll the map around block by block, or shift and cursor keys to scroll faster. Surfaces -------- Using the 'Mode/Edit Surfaces' option you can place values on the map that will change what happens if a kart drives over it. E.g Jumps/Turbos/ Bumpy/Slippery etc. In this mode you can select the surface type you want to place by typing a TWO digit number on the numeric keypad (Unless you have an A600 or course!). The current selected surface is displayed on the info palette. You can draw on the map with the left mouse or the right mouse. The left will place you selected surface, the right will always place 0 to erase any surfaces you placed by accident. Surface placement should be co-ordinated with the tiles they rest on, so that for e.g. the jump surface will only be placed on the area of the tile that should induce the jump and not around in the blank areas. The default surface is also placed when a tile is dropped on the map, this can be disabled from the settings menu. It allows you to very quickly cover large areas with a particular surface, also bearing in mind that it will alter the tiles too! (See Race1.Trk for an example of all of the above.) Boundary Lines (or collision lines) ----------------------------------- Areas on the track, like walls that you should not be allowed to drive over/through should have boundary lines placed around them. You can do this using the 'Mode/Edit Bounds' option. The general line/point editing will give you more info on the editing facilities and is located below. Place lines around the areas of the map you wish to block, the lines you place will be connected to the previous to keep a continuous line running, if you need to place another set of boundaries around another part of the map use the 'Mode/Set New Boundary Start Pos' option to start a new continious line from another point. Boundary lines drawn on the outside of the track/race area should be drawn in the clockwise direction whilst lines drawn on the inside should be dran anti- clockwise. When you place a boundary line you will see a small dotted line projecting at 90° from the center of it this is the direction the karts will bounce if this line is hit, or in other words the karts must always stay on the side of the line that the dotted line points. (See Race1.Trk for an example of all of the above.) General line/point editing -------------------------- ° Use the left mouse button to start a 'Rubber Banding' line so you can see where the line is going to be placed, pressing the right mouse button whilst the band is being shown will cancel the operation, pressing the left mouse again will place the line at the position shown. In most modes the next band will automatically be started ready for the next line/point, just cancel the operation to stop editing. ° Pressing the DEL key over a start/end point of a line will delete it, but you must be in the edit mode for the type of item you are trying to remove. i.e. to delete a boundary line you must be in 'Edit Bounds' mode. ° If you click over a point already placed on the map with the left mouse button then you will be allowed to drag the point around and move it somewhere else, again this can be cancelled witrh the right mouse button. ° If you need to add another line/point where one already exists, then hold down the shift key before and during the line placment. This will stop the editor from pickingthe point up so that you can move it. NOTE: Whilst a rubber band is active you WILL NOT be able to change the edit mode until either you complete or cancel the operation.