Please Help.

[Black hand Bika]

I have a question that I'm hoping is fairly straight forward.

I would like to know if and how I can use different wall/floor types in the Editor. In my custom game I only have the one option....the basic. Howwever if I open the editor to DM2 let's say, It has a whole bunch of different wall types; cave, grass, dm2walls, etc...

I was thinking of moving/copying the files for those types to the custom game, but I'm not too sure where to find them if that's how it's supposed to be done.

[Gambit37]

For existing wallsets that are already packed into RTC, simply open up the TXT file of the dungeon that uses them and copy the definition into your own text file.

For example, if you open DMII.TXT in Notepad or another text editor, there are lots of blocks of text near the top that look like this:

Code: Select all

NAME=(WALLSET_THICKET)
WALL_FRONT1...=(BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_FRONT1,NULL)
WALL_FRONT2...=(BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_FRONT2,NULL)
WALL_FRONT3...=(BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_FRONT3,NULL)
WALL_LEFT1....=(BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_LEFT1,BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_LEFT1_ALT)
WALL_LEFT2....=(BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_LEFT2,BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_LEFT2_ALT)
WALL_LEFT3....=(BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_LEFT3,BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_LEFT3_ALT)
WALL_SIDE0....=(BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_SIDE0,BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_SIDE0_ALT)
WALL_SIDE1....=(BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_SIDE1,BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_SIDE1_ALT)
WALL_SIDE2....=(BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_SIDE2,BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_SIDE2_ALT)
WALL_SIDE3....=(BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_SIDE3,BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_SIDE3_ALT)
WALL_FAR3.....=(BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_FAR3,BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_FAR3_ALT)
WINDOW........=(BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_WINDOW)
ROOF..........=(BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_ROOF,NULL,NULL,NULL)
FLOOR.........=(BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_FLOOR,NULL,NULL,NULL)
SHADE.........=(BITMAP_WALL_THICKET_SHADE,100)
FONT..........=(NULL)
MAP_ICON_WALL.=(BITMAP_MAP_ICON_WALL_THICKET)
MAP_ICON_FLOOR=(BITMAP_MAP_ICON_FLOOR_THICKET)

Copy these complete blocks into your own TXT file and away you go -- you can now select the new wallset for any level in your dungeon.

To create a new wallset from scratch is significantly harder...

[Black hand Bika]

Thanks man, I'll have to try that when I get home....as for making walls, well that'll have to wait for another time.

[Black hand Bika]

So I've managed to get my wall sets as an option, however I'm unable to find a way to apply different wall types in my dungeon as it is in DM2, where you have forest & dungeon on the same level.

I've taken it upon myself to map out the entire Undermountain, and I've reached in my mapping the cavern levels and would like to at least get the feel of it. Damn, it's alot of work, but fun nontheless.

[beowuuf]

You either have to cheat and have teleporters to split it into two levels, or you can apply wall and flooritems that mimic another wallset - except this needs to be done on every single tile. The cheatin' teleporters is probably the easiest method for large areas, you will be amazed at how many levels DM2 really has! Basically everywhere with an archway in PC DM2, the ones monsters coulodn't get through, is a clever bridge between levels

[ian_scho]

Ahhhhh, that's how it was done, Beowuuf. I was wondering about those archways. Kelly used a similar idea for his DMJava pack, clever bugger.

[Lost Wizard]

Greetings Peoples and other organisms,

Thanks to the advice in this thread I have successfully compiled several test files with rather *ahem* whimsical names.

And now for the dummiest of dummy questions.

How do I delete unwanted files from the RTCeditor?

I have tried every command I can think of; and have even deleted Return to Chaos_V0.49(including ZIP file) from my computer.

However, when I reload and extract RTChaos the files are still listed in the editor.

Where the heck are they storing this information?

I would certainly appreciate any help or advice on this issue.

Thanks, Lost Wizard

[Gambit37]

By unwanted files, do you mean custom images and sounds that you've used in your dungeon?

If so, just go back into the Add/replace graphics and sounds screens, find the resource you want to remove and click the delete button.

Welcome to the forums.

[Lost Wizard]

Hi, Thanks for the greeting.


I am talking about the file names.

When I activate the Editor I open one of the files, In this case DM_Original. I make some minor changes and then I save it to a new file name.

Well, I couldn't figure out why none of my Test dungeons were accessible when I activated the game. So I kept creating new test files with new names.

Then I followed Georges link to this forum and learned how to compile by reading this thread.

Now when I activate the Editor, and hit the open file command I get the File Name and File Type lines. When I open the File Name line I get a drop down menu which lists all my created Files. That is what I want to delete.

[linflas]

ohhh that's the recently open files list.. i guess this is stored somewhere in windows registry.

[Gambit37]

Oh, right. Yes, those are stored in the Registry somewhere. And unless you know what you're doing, I wouldn't go poking around in there -- you can easily screw up your system.

[Lost Wizard]

Well, That certainly explains why I couldn't find them.

I will definitely take your advice Gambit 37, I blew up my computer a couple of years ago while playing with windows operation files. I had to reload my windows from scratch.

I must say that I am having a jolly good time. I just finished an all nighter in the dungeon.

I had forgotten how much I loved this game back when I was playing it in 1994 @ 95.

Thank you, Mr. Gilbert for providing this game for us.

[Gambit37]

I must say that I am having a jolly good time. I just finished an all nighter in the dungeon.

Ah, it's been a long time since I did that, but yes -- always was great fun (if resulting in a very grumpy Gambit the next day due to lack of sleep).

Can't beat a night time session in the dungeon!

(Ooo-er)

[Gambit37]

Actually, you *can* delete those files from the drop down list. There is a history stored in Windows called "My Recent Documents". You can clear this, but note that it will clear the list for every application, so if you regularly use the Recent Documents features in your apps, you probably don't want to clear it.

If you *do* want to clear it (in XP), right click on the task bar, and select Properties. Then clcik the Start Menu tab on the new popup screen, and then select the Customise button. On the next screen there is an option to clear the history of recent documents. You might need to click the Advanced tab to find it.

[Lost Wizard]

I got it!!! YAY!!!

I didn't even know that function existed. Apparently it is automatically set to be hidden in XP. I have it displayed in my Start menu Now.

Thanks for all the help.

Note to others: After eliminating the Text files I was no longer able to access The RTC files to make changes. The compiled test dungeons can still read the RTC files and the Dungeon is playable. But I can no longer Edit them.

Mr Gilbert warns against that in his instructions for the editor; But I didn't understand the instructions.

[Gambit37]

???. The Clear History function only removes references to the files, it doesn't delete the ACTUAL files.

It sounds like you've also deleted the text files manually! No, you really don't want to do that! They are your master source files of your dungeon, if you delete them you have to start again from scratch.

.TXT file is your source file that you build in the editor
.RTC file is the compiled file -- it's a protected and shrunk version of the .TXT file and if you've used any custom graphics and sounds in your dungeon, they are also merged into the .RTC file. This is the file you release to the public when you want them to play your dungeon. You never release the .TXT file.

Oh dear!

[linflas]

maybe we should write an "RTC basics for dummies" sticky post ?

[zoom]

Probably the dmwiki would be a place to link to, once "RTC basics for dummies" is completed?

[Lost Wizard]

Greetings all,

"RTC basics for Dummies" would be a great Idea. Hear Ye, Hear Ye.

I just performed a test. I cleared my recent documents and reopened the editor. the TXT files for the two dungeons that i saved last night are still there and easily accessible.

Gambit37 must be correct. somewhere along the line while I trying to figure all that stuff out I manually deleted the TXT files.

I remember experimenting with various files while I was trying to clear the unwanted files.