Master_Key.txt...
This text file provides a key to all of the tiles used to texture Lara in the bitmaps. It allows you to readily identify any section on Lara to where that texture came from in the bitmap.

Lara_Color_Mesh_Pg1.jpg...
You'll find Lara_Color_Mesh_Pg1.jpg through Lara_Color_Mesh_Pg4.jpg. These are numerous images of Lara showing a mapping of where all of the different "tiles" are that make up her exterior. I've color coded the images so that you can quickly identify which mesh number the tile exists in. These mesh numbers are invaluable in using StrPix3. They're also indexed so that you can identify where each tile's texture comes from in the bitmap.

Mesh_Color_Key.gif...
This is a list of all the Mesh numbers from inside the StrPix3 program for the Starter.WAD file. Each Mesh number is acts as a separate object in StrPix3 and by using this key to identify which mesh a particular tile exists in, you can quickly locate that tile while you're using the StrPix3 program. This is the "key" to the colors in the above mentioned Lara_Color_Mesh pages. Without this information, locating objects in StrPix3 can be quite difficult.

List_of_Meshes.txt...
This text file lists all of the Meshes displayed in StrPix3 and identifies what object each Mesh is.

Lara_BW_Mesh_Pg1.gif...
You'll find Lara_BW_Mesh_Pg1.gif through Lara_BW_Mesh_Pg4.gif. These are the same images as found in the Lara_Color_Mesh images, however, I've removed the colors. This will enable you to print out numerous copies of these pages and then you can use them to sketch your outfits on them. This will make it much easier for you to tell which tile needs to be textured in what way

Orientations_Pg1.gif...
You'll also find Orientations_Pg1.gif through Orientations_Pg4.gif. These are the same images as those directly above, however, I've added hundreds of colored lines to help you determine how the "square image" has been mapped into each tile. You'll find this a valuable tool since many of the images get cut in half diagonally when placed in triangular tile areas and half the image is omitted. Even when a rectangular image gets mapped into a rectangular tile section, the image is often mirrored and/or rotated.

tut1_starter.PRJ
This is a Level Editor project file that's designed for use with our "Starter.WAD" file. You'll have to create a few other files before you can use it. All of that is covered in the tutorial.

Move the "tut1_starter.PRJ" file into your...

C:\Program Files\Core Design\trle\maps\tut1

folder.

There's one final piece of software that you are going to need and that's an image editing program. If you don't have a halfway decent editor, you can download one by clicking the following link.

Download VCW VicMan's Photo Editor

You'll be using an image editor to actually modify and/or create the bitmap tiles that will become Lara's outfits.

Printing Out The Files

Once you have your Laras Closet Toolkit downloaded, I very strongly recommend printing out much of it. As you are designing your outfits you'll need to continuously refer to a lot of these pages. Many of the pages are color coded and you'll want to print them out on a color printer. If you don't have a color printer, I urge you to find someone who can print the pages out in color. Print them out using your printer's highest resolution capability.

You'll want to print out copies of all the files with a "jpg" extension and "gif" extension. You'll also want to print out the text files that have "txt" extensions.

I won't mandate how you organize these pages, but I will go as far as telling you how I have mine organized in case you want to do it similarly. I have a 3 ring binder with tabs. On each tab I've written the name(s) of the files that are printed out in that section. In order, they are...

My first section is a printout of "Bitmap_Pg1.jpg" through "Bitmap_Pg3.jpg." There's also "Bitmap_Key_Pg1.jpg" through "Bitmap_Key_Pg3.jpg." I've punched each of the pages so that when I turn through them, the left hand page shows the color bitmap while the right page shows the corresponding key to that page.

The next section in my binder contains "List_of_Meshes.txt." After that is "Master_Key.txt." This is followed by Mesh_Color_key.gif." The next section is "Lara_Color_Mesh_Pg1.jpg" through "Lara_Color_Mesh_Pg4.jpg." After that is "Lara_BW_Mesh_Pg1.gif" through "Lara_BW_Mesh_Pg4.gif" and finally I have "Orientations_Pg1.gif" through "Orientations_Pg4.gif."

I'll be referring to theses sections by the names of the files that were used to print out their contents.

Creating the "Starter.WAD" File and The Necessary Files to Build The tut1_starter.PRJ

Boot your TRwest program. On the menu bar click Script... Load Script... Maneuver to your...

C:\Program Files\Core Design\trle\Laras Closet\Maps

folder and select the "Starter.TWS" file. Once it loads you will see checkmarks next to objects in the right hand window. These are the objects that will be in the "Starter.WAD" file. Now click File... Save Wad as... and maneuver to your...

C:\Program Files\Core Design\trle\Laras Outfits\Starter

folder. Key in "Starter.WAS" as a file name and click... Save. When it finishes saving, go ahead and exit from the TRwest program.

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