Avara Level Design Manual

Avara Level Design Manual version 1.0.0 docs.com copyright ©1995-1996, Juri Munkki http://www.replacement Introduction One primary consideration in the Avara design has always been to make level editing as easy as possible. No special purpose level editors are necessary, although they are quite possible to write, if standard tools are not available. Avara is a set of tools for producing several different kinds of networked games. The design is 100% object oriented, so it is easy for us to expand it, yet remain compatible with existing levels. Avara level design may seem complicated at first, because there are so many parameters that you can change. The key is that you don't have to change them if you don't want to. Start by just using the default object parameters and then explore the possibilities by changing the parameters one by one. Level Directory Files Avara levels are defined as PICT files or resources. ClarisWorks™ is the recommended program for designing Avara levels, but other programs may also be used, as long as they create similar PICT files. To use PICT files, you need a level directory file where the level you edit has been declared to exist in a file. The level file has to be in the same folder as the level directory file. To use PICT resources, the level directory file must indicate that the level is loaded from a resource and the resource must be placed in the level directory file and named correctly. Level files (PICT files) are recommended for debugging and trying out levels and level resources (PICT resources) are recommended for shipping or distributing levels after they have been fully developed and debugged. With PICT files, you don't even have to quit Avara to make a change to a level. Just open the directory file into Avara and every time you make a change, reload the level from the file by clicking on it. Resources The level directory file contains one 'LEDI' resource with a resource id of 128. This resource serves as a directory to all the levels this file contains or accesses. In addition to this resource, the file may contain any number of 'BSPT' (Binary Space Partitioned Tree) resources for describing object shapes and any number of 'HSND' resources for compressed sounds. The only required resource is the 'LEDI' resource. If the following paragraphs seem difficult to grasp, don't worry: you may not need the informaton. 'BSPT' resources are created from DXF (AutoCAD™ drawing exchange file) files by running them through the BSPSplitter program and the BSPViewer program. Colors for 'BSPT' resouces are defined in a ColorLib file where DXF layer names are mapped into RGB (red, green, blue) colors. The BSPViewer program can be used to verify that visible surfaces are correctly defined in an object and correct the faults, if…