Extra

level starters | advanced features | extra

eXtra
(taken from http://www.editor23.co.uk/) (E-mail author Lara Severi)

~Creating Textures~

To create your own textures you will need the Texture Edit program. Once you have downloaded this program making and editing TGA's couldn't be easier!

Texture Basics

Each texture map is made up of a collection of 'tiles' and each tile is 64 by 64 pixels in size. You can make your own tiles by creating a bmp that is 64 by 64, then add whatever you want to the tile and simply import the finished tile onto your 'target image' in the Texture Edit programme. My advice is not to go over 30 rows of tiles (4 in a row) for file and level size
reasons.

Have a look through books and websites for pictures that could make good textures. Or load up your favourite graphics programme and make your own tiles.

Transparencies & Animations

When making tiles transparent you have to use the following colour - red- 255 green - 0 blue - 255. This is used in water, mist, cobweb and grate textures. If you want to add animations to your tiles, use a graphics programme then import the finished tile onto your map.

Texture Edit Basics

In the Texture Edit program use the 'target image' blank map for your new or edited TGA and use the 'source image' blank map for TGA's with tiles you want on your map ('target image'). Use the 'precise selection' to align tiles that are not 64 by 64 pixels. Use the 'double size window' to see the selected tile larger. To transfer tiles from the 'source image' to the 'target image', select a tile in the 'source image', click on an empty tile in the 'target image' and press the 'grab tile' button.

~Outfit Creation~

Have patience and lots of it!

Save, and save often!

Plan what sort of theme you want your outfit to have e.g. camouflaged. Then think about if it would match with the type of level you are going to build.

Screenshot past clothes textures, from TR games then import the screenshot onto paint, cut out a corner then, paste and re-size it onto each texture!

Scan some of your own clothes and resize and import a portion of the scan onto Lara’s textures.

Before you start to modify the appearance of a wad, save a backup copy of the original in
another folder.

When you are finished changing Lara's clothes or you just want to see how far you have proceeded you don't have to build, convert and play a level to find out! Instead, open the room editor and load a texture map and the modified wad. (You have to open a texture map before an object set otherwise the objects will appear black). Scroll through the object set until you find the object 'LARA SKIN' Observe and zoom in on the object to view your progress.

When making your outfit consider that Lara is wearing the clothes! So add crinkled lines and shadows to give the outfit that 'worn' effect.

When you are finished your outfit share it with the world! (Make your outfit downloadable on the web)

Good luck!

~Creating Outfits Using Strpix 3~

Loading WADS and opening Strpix 3

If you want to change Lara's clothes or edit the appearance of any object within a wad, it is recommended you get your self a copy of Strpix 3. When you have Strpix 3 place it in a new folder along with the "Solid" bmp provided--this is used to texture meshes when the "Solid" mode is activated; more about this later.
To run Strpix 3 you need the glu32.dll and opengl32.dll system files. You can download them from the Microsoft website or look in your system files folder and place them in your Strpix folder. Strpix 3 is best run with a resolution of 800*600 and will either need a Colour depth of 16bit or 32bit, depending on how good your graphics card is. You can change these settings by clicking the right button on your mouse, on the desktop. Scroll down the menu that appears and choose the option "properties" then click the "settings" tab.
Double click on the Strpix 3 icon to open the program. To open a wad click on the "file" menu and choose the option "open wad". Then choose the wad you want to modify and press open. When the wad has fully loaded you will notice that the once empty gray box (left hand side of the program) and the small black box in the right hand side of the program will now be filled with what appears to be parts of objects broken up into pieces...

Textures -- importing & exporting

The box on the left hand side of the program, displays what is called "textures". These textures are the images that cover the surface of objects. Without textures, objects would reveal their original appearance--a collection of meshes, displaying polygons. Use the pull down menu below the texture view box to see the other pages of textures. You can click on individual textures with your mouse and with a texture selected you can either press the "import" button and import a texture from a bmp saved on your system, made to replace the existing texture. Or press the "export" button to save the selected texture as a bmp, so it can be edited and then imported back in to the wad.

Meshes (the black window) -- applying textures to them

The small black window in the right hand side of the program, displays what is called "meshes". Meshes are the parts which make up an object. E.g. to make the Lara object there are foot meshes, hand meshes and a head mesh etc. You can view the meshes in three different ways -- wire frame -- the mesh is displayed un textured. Solid -- the mesh is covered in the solid bmp. Textured-- The mesh is textured. To change Lara's clothing or the appearance of any object you click on a texture in the "texture view window", press the keyboard control key "ctrl", then click on a mesh and the texture will appear on the chosen mesh. When you are finished editing the wad simply click on the menu "file" and select the option "save wad" this will update the wad with any changes you have made. When you are finished using Strpix 3 simply press the cross icon or click the "file" menu and select the option "exit" to close the program. To view your changes in game rebuild the wads .TOM file in the level converter. E.g. if you edited the Catacombs. Wad you would re-build the "Catacombs. TOM" file.

The Basic Strpix 3 Controls

- RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON = Rotate the object.
- RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON + CTRL = Zoom in / out the object.
- RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON + SHIFT = Pan the object.

- LEFT CLICK = Put texture to polygon.
- LEFT CLICK + SHIFT = Flip texture
- LEFT CLICK + CTRL = Get texture from Polygon.
- LEFT CLICK + ALT = Rotate texture

~Creating Outfits Using Strpix 2~

To change Lara's clothing or the appearance of any object within a wad, using Strpix 2:

Click on the Strpix 2 icon to open the program.

Click on the "file" menu and select the option "Open Wad".

Choose a wad you want to modify and press open.

When the wad is fully loaded choose the option "Save As BMP", found within the "file" menu.

Now the wad will be saved as a BMP.

Close Strpix 2 by clicking on the cross icon or selecting the "exit" option found within the "file" menu.

Find the bmp you just saved and open it.

Find Lara's textures and re-texture / colour it, then save.

Open the Strpix 2 program again and select the option "Open BMP", found within the "file" menu.

Open the bmp you've just edited.

Select the option "Save In Wad", found within the "file" menu.

Find the wad you selected when you extracted the textures, select it and press save.