TED5 Replacement - KEDfW (Keen Editor for Windows)

Utilities for editing Keen:Galaxy and Keen:Dreams levels.
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Boeing747
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TED5 Replacement - KEDfW (Keen Editor for Windows)

Post by Boeing747 »

Info: This topic was split by andy.

Yes I'm planning a CK4/5/6 TED5 replacement - Level Editor.
But i can't understand the fileformat an the headers of gamemaps.ck?
I know, it's a big project but it might be an alleviation for all Windows
NT 4.0 and above (including Windows 2000/XP/Server 2003 they're
NT based ya know ;)) users. Troubles with TED5 in DOSBOX -> click here.[/b]
Last edited by Boeing747 on Thu Aug 26, 2004 11:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by KeenRush »

Yes I'm planning a CK4/5/6 TED5 replacement - Level Editor.
Cool plan, B! I'm not familiar with those formats, but I have one suggestion I would use if I'd be making a Keen 4-6 editor. Make two tools (or have the other built in the other as a feature, whatever):
1. level editor
2. level packer
With the level editor one could make levels to the Keen game of his/her choice. Then he could save them as level editor's own format (it would be simple; Keen episode number as byte, level width and height as integer, every tile and every sprite as integer). One could save as individual level files, and then later, with that other tool make episode files (in that file there could be just the names of the levels and names of the level files). Then, in the 'packer' one could load episode list (or modify it and save it), and make GAMEMAPS.CKx. Like, the tool would convert all the level files to Keen format and to one big level pack that could be run in Keen.
That way would also ease the work of some mod maker teams; they could easily swap the levels and episode lists, and it would be easy just to load the level file and quickly made GAMEMAPS of the levels that are in episode file. :)
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Post by Boeing747 »

This sounds quite interesting.
I've understood:

The level editor is like ted5.
It makes project files and all around them.

The packe is an compiler that compresses
the levels into the ID/Apogee format TED5v1.0.

I need:
o Level editor
- Some bmps each ck episode with ALL tiles of commander keen 4 - 6 (perhaps KD, too?)
o Ted5 compiler:
- A list with dataformats and specifications of the header(s) of TED5's GAMEMAPS.CK?
- The compression algorythm (best would be a sample code for VB6)
- Stoaring rules.
- Filesize limits

With the tilebitmaps I could begin the editor today!
For tests i'll try to extract the tiles running ted5 in dosbox
and trying to make screenshots. But it would be a hard work
and the Tiles wouldn't be realy usable. If I save it in 16colors
the colors will be wrong. If i'll save it in 24bit, the bmpfile is too large.

I think i must wait a long long time for the algoritm in VB6 code :(
But i'll know anone of you can give me what I need :o)

I'm a bloody beginner in modding ck.
But I'm very good at programming in VB6.
Nevertheless I can'T say to me: "I'm a profi!"

My plans: I'd like to put a "play"-button on the toolbar of my editor.
If you are editing a level, you could quicktest it out. You could specify
the DOSBOX location with the special *.conf file to start CK.
The only condition is: You MUST specify a projectfilename before you can
press this button!

The compiler will only be a cmd-application without ANY Windows.
Error messages will be stored in a logfile or as messageboxes.
The reason is: BAT-processing is very useful and some profis could
like this. And the compiler.exe will be smaller.

Tip: I always use UPX to pack my executables and dll's.
UPX = Ultimate Packer Executables
This is quite secure and the VB6-compiler often put up to
100 kb zerobytes in the executable. I've heared UPX can
slow the code. But I've tested it out and for VB6 purposes
it is as fast as unpacked executables. UPX is the modern
way to compress executables with Win32PE format.

PS: I have a name for my editorpack: KEDfW (Keen Editor
for Windows) The Project file header will start with "KED1" 4
characters as LongInteger. The 1 stands for the Version.
0 = Beta, 1 = 1.0, 2 = 2.0 ...

But there will be an text-based projectfileformat, too.
This is for people, who dislike binary file formats.
It coudl be an file in INI-Format like dosbox.conf.
With windows notepad you can bundle level files (HEADER: KEDLV1).
The compiler will read both formats.
Last edited by Boeing747 on Mon Aug 09, 2004 2:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Developping status

Post by Boeing747 »

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Post by KeenRush »

Sounds interesting, agree. The form looks good as well. I suggest to put there some labels that show all the time the current x and y coordinate of the pointer (in tiles, of course), and the same as hex values.

Anyways; try KeenMod2; it can export the original tilesets and sprite placers they used in the original Keen 4-6 and in TED. :) There's that Keen Dreams tileset exported somewhere as well, but I can't remember where.

Good idea might be browse around TED a while, and see how it works -- and make a better one. ;)
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Post by Boeing747 »

Where can I get KeenMod2? I'll try browsing andy's page.
Okay I found it. Suggestion: A Download-area would be good!
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Post by Boeing747 »

Now I'd extracted the Tiles. But I hav a problem: How can i draw
the tiles within the transparency info? I'll try something: Using MaskBlt
of GDI32 api. But I never used MaskBlt.
I'll make the background-tiles first.

Idea: I could implement CK Vorticons in the Editor.
This would be a sollution fot many ck-fans.

--- Devstatus ---

http://www.plsplayer.de/devstatus/ked.png
http://www.plsplayer.de/devstatus/kedrunning.png

The tileselector is finnished. You can select a tile by klicking
on the tiles and draging with the mouse over the tiles.
Or you can use your Keyboard when the tilebox is focused.

Edit:
--- Devstatus 2 ---

I've found the VB-Commands to draw the keen sprites
transparent within the mask bmp. I'd tested it out and I'll
implement it today

Edit:
--- Devstatus 3 ---

Finished. The first BETA-Version is completed.
But without TED5 Support!
Go http://www.plsplayer.de/kedfw/KEDfW.rar for Download!
Enjoy.
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Post by Boeing747 »

Are all users sleeping?
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Post by levellord »

Zzzz....huh?
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Post by KeenRush »

Mmmh, I wish I could be sleeping now.. Soon I'll have to go for this year's first school day. :(

Anyways, I totally forgot! I'll check that first beta when I come home today later. Also, judging by the screens and text, it's gonna be really good. :)
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Post by Boeing747 »

And what do you say after the beta-test?
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........

Post by xtraverse »

So this is simply a thing that writes and reads three-layer level maps?

It's very basic but shows a good start for a level editor.
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Post by Boeing747 »

Yes. But I need your help for a "level compiler" :o(.
While you thinking about the compiler or so, I'm coding
my editor. I plan to add pattern fill, Backgroundwizards or so.
Using the 4th bytearray I'll ad an editing for creating logical
thigs in the levels. E.g.: A goplat switch or something.

Can someone split this topic into The MakeOver part and
KEDfW part?

Edit: Spelling ;o)
Last edited by Boeing747 on Fri Aug 13, 2004 12:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by levellord »

Full support to 747, I'd like to see a new level editor!
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Post by Boeing747 »

Thanks! I've done debuging through the editor and bugfixed it a bit.
I'd made Areafilling faster. Next step: Pattern fill ;o).
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