---GF2/GP Level Editor. By Richard Franks 1995--- -----===>>>Version 1.1<<<===----- Introduction: This program should enable you to edit and create levels for Gravity Force II and Gravity Power. This program is hopefully simple and easy-to-use - if you have any comments, complaints, suggestions or a vast quantity of money then you can contact me at the address at the end of this file. Installing: Copy the Level_Editor drawer into your GF2/GP drawer - the program makes its own assigns for GF2/GP as its parent drawer. This is to make the program as easy to install as possible, if you want the editor anywhere else then change the ascii file GP_Lev_Ed. It is possible to install the Level Ed on the same floppy as GP. Files needed are: LIBS: - ASL , mathtrans. C: - IconX GFX: - entire drawer of .bmap files. Unless you do your own assigns then this will be in the parent drawer to Level_Ed Features: * Automatic decompression of files with optional recompression If you don`t want to recompress files when saving, if you are writing a level editor or something :), then change this from the MISC menu * Edits all level types To change level type choose from the 'Level-GFX` menu. * Shooters and magnets To place a shooter or magnet then just draw them onto the map. There is a maximum of 10 shooters and magnets for each level - if you exceed this and try to save - the program will tell you how many shooters/magnets you will have to remove and abort the save. * Miniture map of level on screen This shows you where you are editing relative to the rest of the level, if you want to edit anywhere else you can: (1) Use the arrow keys (2) Use the arrow buttons above the map (3) Click where you want to edit on the map * Race Levels These are checked automatically - just place the ports. Try to keep ports of the same type more horizontal or vertical rather than diagonal. Also do not place ports in the top-left corner as these will probably be ignored. * Player placement Select from the 'Level` menu or press '1` or '2` - depending on which player you want to place. * Changing water level If you don't want water then you can disable it with the 'Level` menu, you can also set the water start/finish position and the tide speed here. The water start/finish positions are indicated on screen if water is active. I'm not quite sure how the tide speed works - 10000 is normal, higher is faster. * Block selection on screen To change the current block, scroll through the choices at the bottom of the screen and click on the one that you desire. In case you are finding yourself going back and forwards through the options, you can have two offsets - to toggle between these click on the number to the right of the text display - this will be either 1 or 2. The current block that you are using is shown to the left of the text display. You can also toggle between two blocks, to do this simply click on the box that holds the current block. If there is a demand I can switch back to the origional method of block selection. * Editing the level Choose your block and click on the display to place it, to remove any error, press the right mouse button over the displeasing block * Edit GF2 and GP levels These can be selected from the `Project` menu, if you select GP then you can place cannons and pick-up pods - select these as normal from the block selection bit. * Cannons Clicking on a the cannon from the block selection bit will bring up a small requester - click on the gadgets to select the cannons target(s) and how dangerous the cannon is. I have only had 4 cannons on-screen active at once (my 500+), but I think you can have more cannons if they are spread through-out the level. * Multitasking To my knowledge this program multitasks perfectly - I tried: GP_Lev_Ed.exe *2 Swampthing.mod Blitz2 Workbench FastGif - Voyager pic Try doing that on a PC (scum!) or a Mac (ha ha ha). Ahem. New Features: (from v1) * Colour map The miniture map is now in colour (woo!), the scaling routine is not perfect but at least it looks much nicer! * Highlighting The cursor is now followed around the editing screen by a 16*16 block that inverts the background. This can be turned off and on from the MISC menu. * GFX loading The GFX are now loaded from the origional XXX.bmap files. This basically means that the Level Ed is about 240k lighter. This basically means that it is now possible to put the Level Ed on the same floppy as GP. The loading time has unfortunately increased slightly as a result - up to half a minute for the desert and alien levels on my 500+, and about 10 secs for the rest. Also I have tested it on a 1200 with Blizzard II 50 mhz, etc, etc - the graphics sometimes corrupt - if this happens to you, turn the cache off. * Filename handling This isn't actually a new feature but I forgot to mention it last time! You don't need to type `.GFB' at the file requestor or ` (Race).GFB' and if you are converting a normal level to a race level then you don't need to bother changing the filename as the program handles this automatically. This is ust to make it more simple to use - if you do type `.GFB' then that is ok also. Bug-fixes: (from v1) * The menu bug - The program is now slower but less frustrating! * The water bug - This seems to be ok now - it was just my naff addressing. The water speed is now fixed also. * The race id bug - This had the same problem as the water bug. * The Desert race - This was just me being silly - sorry! * The Arthur bug - `Arthur Pewty' is now spelt correctly :) * The name bug - The users name is now saved out ok. * The cannon bug - Cannons now work ok. Keyboard controls: In-keeping with tradition the following keys are used: (these functions are available elsewhere) Arrow keys - Scrolls around level 1 - Places player 1 2 - Places player 2 l - Loads a level s - Saves a level e - followed by 'y` quits Note: This program now goes under the definition of `Levelware'. This basically means that if you use this program regularly and you design a rather spiffing level(s) then you are morally obliged to send a copy to me so that I can play it :) Apart from that, this program is freely distributable along with this document. You can get Gravity Power from: (i) Jens Andersson or Jan Kronqvist Plogvagen 2 Volontarbacken 7c 372 33 Ronneby 372 32 Ronneby Sweden Sweden By sending Five pounds or 50 SEK. (ii) Or by getting a back-issue of Amiga Power 50 If anyone has a 500 compatible hard drive (or a bare SCSI board) that they wish to sell relativly cheap, then if you can contact me then that would be great. At present my GVP 500+ is working due to a diet-coke can and some sellotape :) Disclaimer: This program shouldn't reformat your hard-disk the seventeenth time that you load it up, but if it does I can accept no responsibility, use this program at your own risk etc, etc. Credits: Thanks to: Neil - For testing, compliments and an easy GP win Duncan - Hours of GP playing and an empty diet-coke can :) Mark Sibly - Blitz2 Jens+Jan - GF2/GP Smorphoria - Two cool music modules to listen to while coding +Skidmarks and designing levels Info: If have any comments about this program or any bug-reports then please contact me at: 6 Dunterlie Court Barrhead Glasgow Scotland G78 1BH Or by telephone: 0141-880-5889 Or you can also contact me via: neilam@spider.co.uk Oh yeah - this was programmed in Blitz 2