@DATABASE DentEd.guide @(C) Copyright © 1994-1995 Silltunna Software Ltd. @$VER: Dentaku-26 Help V2.1 @NODE MAIN "Dentaku-26 Map Editor Help" Dentaku-26 Map Editor Version 2.1 On-line Help System (C) 1994-1995 Silltunna Software Ltd. Registered Level Designer Release @{B}Reference@{UB} @{" Menus " link MENU} Menu operations. @{" Palettes " link DentEd:Help/Palettes.guide/MAIN} Palettes. @{" Keys " link KEYS} Other keyboard short-cuts. @{" Editors " link DentEd:Help/Editors.guide/MAIN} Editor parameters. @{B}Introduction@{UB} @{" Installation " link INST} How to install this software. @{" Requirements " link REQM} System requirements to run this software. @{" Overview " link OVER} General introduction and terminology. @{B}Important Information.@{UB} @{" Limitations " link LIMT} What works and what doesn't. @{" Updates " link UPDT} Where, when and how to get updates. @{" Bug Reports " link BUGS} How and where to report bugs and ideas. @{" Contacts " link CONT} Who to get in touch with if you have a difficulties. @{" Support BBS " link SBBS} The support BBS and DentEdNet for exchanging ideas. @{" History " link HIST} Revision history and changes. @{B}Legalities@{UB} @{" NDA " link NDAS} Non-Disclosure Agreement. @{" Disclaimer " link DISC} Legal Requirements. @{" Credits " link CRED} People behind the scenes. @ENDNODE @NODE NOTIMP "Not Currently Available" Sorry this option is either incomplete or unavailable to level designers at present, please leave any comments or suggestions on the Silltunna Support BBS. More options will become available as update patches are made available on the BBS, keep your eye's peeled! @ENDNODE @NODE MENU "Menus" @{" Project " link DentEd:Help/Project.Menu/MAIN} New, Open, Save, Save As, Revert to Saved, Close Workbench, Test Map, About, Quit DentEd. @{" Edit " link DentEd:Help/Edit.Menu/MAIN} Cut, Copy, Paste, Erase, Select All, Save Clip, Load Clip, Reverse Wall. @{" Modes " link DentEd:Help/Modes.Menu/MAIN} Add, Move, Drag, Polygon, Edit, Delete, Wall, Door, Object, Transporter, Creature, Takeable, Set Player, Magnify. @{" Define " link DentEd:Help/Define.Menu/MAIN} Texture, Pattern, Window, Object Create/Change, Animation, Free Hand, Creature, Floor/Ceiling, Background, Weapons, Drugs, Flicker Channels, Player Start. @{" View " link DentEd:Help/View.Menu/MAIN} Full Map, 50%, 100%, 200%, 300%, 400%, Custom, Show Game Grid, Set Grid, Show Grid, Snap-to-Grid, Set Length, Snap-to-Length, Show Walls, Show Doors, Show Objects, Show Transporters, Show Creatures, Show Links, Show Normals, Show Clip, Show Object Bounds, Redraw. @{" Styles " link DentEd:Help/Styles.Menu/MAIN} Apply to Selected, Create from Selected. @{" Settings " link DentEd:Help/Settings.Menu/MAIN} Screen, General, Include Files, Tool Palette, Edit Palette, Graphics Palette, Info Palette, Texture Palette, Style Palette, Ruler Palette, Load Settings, Save Settings, Save Settings As, Help @ENDNODE @NODE KEYS "Extra Keys" F1-F6 Default snap grid settings 1/4/8/16/32/64. -/= Zoom level out/in by 10%. Alt -/= Skip to previous/Nect include file on Texture Palette (Must have a texture selected). Cursor Keys Scroll map in cursor direction by a block. Ctrl + Cursor Keys Scroll map to edge in cursor direction. Del Delete the currently selected item. @ENDNODE @NODE INST "Installation" Installation ************ Use the installation script provided to install the software on your harddisk. The editor REQUIRES one assign to get the whole thing running, which should be added to your User-startup or Startup-sequence if the installation reports that the action was not possible. The assign should be: Assign DentEd: :DentEd @{B}NOTE:@{UB} do not type the '<' '>', simply replace this section with the name of the drive you installed the software too. The last thing you need to do is copy your keyfile to the DentEd:Silltunna/ drawer and all should be well. @ENDNODE @NODE REQM "System Requirements" System Requirements ******************* DentEd requires an AGA compatible machine running at least V3.0+ of the operation system software. It should run in a minimum of 2 megabytes of chip memory but would work much better with extra fast memory. A harddisk drive is pretty essential as the graphic files are currently quite big. It will NOT run AT ALL without at least a 68020 processor. The Editor has been developed on a 10MB Amiga 4000/030 running at 25mHZ. @ENDNODE @NODE OVER "Overview" Overview ******** The editor sticks as closely to the standard Amiga style guide as possible so that anyone with a little experience of Amiga computers should be able to pick up and use the editor pretty quickly. One thing that should be mentioned is that because the right mouse button is used for other operations, it will not always pull down the menu options. If you find you cannot access the menu bar, simply move the mouse to the top of the screen and then press the right button and the menus will pull down. The whole editor revolves around the map display. Quite simply the is a two dimensional, overhead view of a plan or map. Various @{B}items@{UB} can be added to this map. Currently available items are Walls, Doors and Fixed Objects. @{B}Walls@{UB} These are just a bit self explanatory and I can't think of what to say! @{B}Doors@{UB} These are like walls but can be triggered by the player or switches to reveal a passthrough to another room or corridor. @{B}Fixed Objects@{UB} These are stationary graphics that can be animated and destroyed (though not currently!). For example Barrels, Columns, Trees etc. You can manipulate these items with a host of editing functions such as add, delete, edit, move, drag etc. There are a couple of limitations that the map system has that you will need to no. The map is made up of 'Game Grids' these simply are an area of the map 64 * 64 pixels in size. These are shown in the editor as dark grey boxes. Through each game grid no more than eight walls or doors or both can pass. Objects and other options available later have no limitations on amounts other than memory permitted by the actual game. Include Files ************* All graphics for the editor are stored in 'Include Files'. These are simply groups of associated graphics, all bundled together in one files. For example all the 'Brick' graphics are in the Brick textures file. There are currently a few different types of graphics, these are: @{B}Textures@{UB} - Single frames 64 * 64 pixels in size used for walls, switches, doors etc. @{B}Patterns@{UB} - Single frames 16 * 16 pixels in size used for walls. @{B}Windows@{UB} - Single frames 64 * 64 pixels in size with areas that allow things behind it to appear through. Used for walls, doors. @{B}Wall/Door Animations@{UB} - Multiple 64 * 64 pixel frames, can be used as animations on walls or animated opening doors. @{B}Floors/Ceilings@{UB} - Single frames 64 * 64 pixels in size, used when floors and ceilings are enabled. @{B}Backgrounds@{UB} - Larger than normal frames and can be used as a backdrop. @{B}Fixed Objects@{UB} - Single frame or animated, complete with destruction sequences, variable size. You MUST include some files before you start creating you map. You will need some textures, floors/ceilings and maybe backgrounds before you can create a working map. It is also a good idea to use the @{"Modes/Set Player" link DentEd:Help/Modes.menu/SPLY} option to set the players start position away from the top/left edge of the map. There are options available within the editor for defining new graphics but these are NOT available to level designers at present, any graphics you feel may be useful, please drop @{"Richard" link CONT} a note explaining what you would like to see. @{B}NOTE:@{UB} You MUST use the Define/Player Start option to pick valid floor/ceiling or floor/background options before you try to test your map! Failure to do so will result in a corrupt game display or complete non-functionality. (See @{"Player Start Editor" link DentEd:Help/Editors.guide/PLYR}) @ENDNODE @NODE LIMT "Limitations" Limitations *********** @{B}NOTE:@{UB} You MUST use the Define/Player Start option to pick valid floor/ceiling or floor/background options before you try to test your map! Failure to do so will result in a corrupt game display or complete non-functionality. Currently there are a lot of options in the editor that the test map routine does not support. These options largely tend to have no effect if used, so they should not cause any problems, but you may wonder why they are not doing anything. @{B}Not Working@{ub} Walls Animations Flicker channel options Switches Doors Animations Many of the options 'do nothing' Destruction (no weapons to shoot with!) Objects Animations Flicker channel options Destruction (no weapons to shoot with!) Also NONE of the sound fx options are currently supported. @{B}Known Problems@{UB} Try not to run off the edge of the map use the @{"Modes/Set Player" link DentEd:Help/Modes.menu/SPLY} option to set the players start position away from the top/left edge of the map. Visual quirks - Walls running parallel, very close together, i.e. less than 16 pixels often mess up when your close to them. Walls joining at 90 degrees often show through straight walls. | | ------------- ^ | This edge can be seen Doors jump right by one pixel when opened, and do not join seemlessly to walls, particularly if you are trying to add a hidden door. Collision detection - Quirky, you can get through the joins os walls and doors. All of these problems are being addressed, updates will be made available as soon as they are complete. If you have any other problems please return a completed @{"bug report" link BUGS} form. @ENDNODE @NODE UPDT "Updates" Updates ******* Updates will be uploaded fairly regularly to the Silltunna Support BBS in the Dentaku-26 conference for downloading by you the level designers. Additional information will be available so that you know what is new and what bugs are fixed. These updates will most often be patch files, which will be much smaller than the original archive you downloaded for this. These patch files will bring your editor, bang up to date. From the 7th May onwards ALL map files will be upwardly compatible, any changes to the map file structures will be fixed with small utilities that will become available at the same time as editor updates. If needed, these utilities will simply scan all your map files and fix them for newer versions of the editor. Please remember you should only save maps to the DentEd:Maps drawer. DO NOT save map files to other drawers as it is likely to hinder the editor upgrade process, and therefore if any problems do arise with the map file format, not all your maps will be converted. @ENDNODE @NODE BUGS "Bug Reports" Bug Reports *********** If you have any problems, or you find things that do not appear to work properly or at all, please document the info as described below. Also any suggestions or improvements would be much appreciated. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bug Report Form: Full Name: Registration Number (on About screen): Contact Number: Computer Model: Configuration (Ram/Accelerators/Extras): Please describe your actions that lead to the problem, also can it be reproduced easily or was the problem a one off. Does the bug hang the machine or just not complete a task properly?: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please send all bug reports and suggestions to @{"Mark Fitt" link CONT}. (You can leave mail at the Silltunna BBS for me). @ENDNODE @NODE CONT "Contacts" ********************************************************************* Contact Details =============== ********************************************************************* @{B}>>> 1. Graphics and level design queries <<<@{UB} Contact... Richard Voice: (01789) 842105 Modem (BBS): (01789) 842105 (10 pm to 9 am daily) EMail: silltunna@pmgl.demon.co.uk SnailMail: 5 Wyvern Close, Wellesbourne, WARKS, CV35 9TA Note: Please enclose S.A.Es with postal (snailmail) queries/requests. Silltunna Support BBS ===================== All Dentaku-26 related files can be found on the BBS, in the Silltunna menu (press [6]), [P]rivate area, private [D]entaku menu, [D]entEd files access: 101 That will include all maps, upgrades, graphics, sounds, etc... Upload files in the usual way. ********************************************************************* @{B}>>> 2. Editor, bug reports and technical queries <<<@{UB} Contact... Mark Voice: (0171) 253 3756 Modem: Available on request SnailMail: 44 Alford Court, Wenlock Street, LONDON, N1 7JW Note: Please enclose S.A.Es with postal (snailmail) queries/requests. ********************************************************************* @ENDNODE @NODE SBBS "Support BBS and DentEdNet" @{B}DentEdNet@{UB} is now available on the Silltunna Support BBS to ALL level designers. It will give you a chance to exchange ideas and messages with each other and also the ability to contact Richard and Mark. ********************************************************************* Want something different? Call the... ____ / __ \__ __ ___ /\ _ ______ / /\_\__//_// /\ / /\ / \_____ ____ ____ \____ \ / \_ \__\_\/ / // / // ______ \ / __ \ / __ \ \__/ /\ \__ \ / /\/ / // / // /\____/ /\/ /\/ /\/ /\/ /\/ _ / / __________/ /\/ / / /_// /_// \__/\ \ \/ / / \/ / / \/ // \_________ /_______ / _/ / __________/\____/\ \__/ /\ __/ /\_________________/\ \_______\_ / /\_\/\/\_________\/\___\/ \_\/ \/\_\/ \________________\/ \\/ / \/ \/ \/ [ SUPPORT BBS ] (01789) 842105 BBS opening hours : Every evening from - 10 pm until 9 am and Sundays from 9 am until 12 pm >>>>>>>Once validated there are NO file ratios!!!!!!! The Silltunna Support BBS is the "home" of Silltunna Software. The BBS will have all the latest information on Silltunna software and any Silltunna products. The latest pd and private demos, upgrades, add-ons, etc... will also be here - but their availability will depend on your access level. At the moment you can hear all about Dentaku (the Amigas answer to Doom) and how it is progressing - you can also input YOUR ideas into the project! There are also several quality files on-line - especially ZX Spectrum snapshots , the latest and best pd games, demos, fonts, etc.... The Silltunna BBS only has good stuff - no more useless downloads. Oh....and don't forget the friendly Sysop - me!!!!! See ya there... Richard Whittall. @ENDNODE @NODE HIST "Revision History and Changes" History ******* V1.0+ - Internal versions. V2.0 - 07/05/95 ° First release to level designers only V2.1 - 11/05/95 ° Added the ruler pallete. ° Added the tool pallete. ° Fixed slight problem on Wall Editor, could incorrectly allow windows on a normal wall if it was changed to segemented, this only occured on loaded map files. @ENDNODE @NODE NDAS "Non-Disclosure Agreement" Non-Disclosure Agreement ************************ You have previously signed a legally binding contract not to disclose or pass on any information regarding the Dentaku-26 project, Game , Editor, Documents or associated files. Therefore you are NOT permitted to distribute the previously mentioned files in ANY form whatsoever, Or discuss information relevant to the project with anybody unless they are also a part of the project group and have signed similar documentation. @ENDNODE @NODE DISC "Disclaimer" Disclaimer ********** THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE PROGRAM, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE PROGRAM "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION. IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY REDISTRIBUTE THE PROGRAM AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER PROGRAMS), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. @ENDNODE @NODE CRED "Credits" Credits ******* @{B}Game Design:@{UB} Programming: Alex Amsel Graphics: Richard Whittall 3D Rendering: Nigel Critten SoundFX: Alistair Brimble Additional Graphics: Additional Programming: Mark Fitt @{B}Editor Design:@{UB} Programming: Mark Fitt Graphics: Richard Whittall @ENDNODE