Software to help build terrains for a map.
Tutorial is included in the package.
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EasyGen 1.2 03/03/2002
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Author: Francesco Bancalà
http://digilander.iol.it/ilbanca/
+----------------+
0. About EasyGen
1. Installation
2. Features
3. Knwon bugs
4. Credits
5. FAQ & Troubleshooting
+------------------------+
0. About EasyGen
----------------
EasyGen is free.
With EasyGen you build up terrains and export them
as Quake3 source map (including alphamap and metahsaders).
Bitmap import/export is also supported but EasyGen can do
all the job by itself.
Supported games:
- Quake3
- Return To Castle Wolfenstein
- generally all games based on Q3 engine, who need
a source map(.map), an alphamap(.pcx) and a metashader
script(.shader) to compile a terrain entity.
(if you want to to learn more about this process
read the Official Terrain Manual written by Paul Jaquays
contained in the latest GTK installations)
1. Installation
---------------
Make sure to extract all files contained in the zip in the
same folder.
After you've extracted the zip, EasyGen folder should looks
something like this:
EasyGen\modifiers\*.* - modifiers
EasyGen\save\sample.egn - sample terrain
EasyGen\tutorial\*.* - tutorial stuff
EasyGen\EasyGen.exe - executable
EasyGen\btnexgenipl32.dll - a dll
EasyGen\readme.txt - this readme.txt
EasyGen will not run if 'btnexgenipl32.dll' is not in the
same folder.
Also EasyGen needs to know your work mod folder under
root folder (ie baseq3\, missionpack\, main\ etc etc), you will
be prompted to browse for that asa you start EasyGen. I repeat
for the last time, you need to browse for a MOD folder, not for
the root folder.
2. Features
-----------
> Terrain shape manipulation through several modifiers
(Hill,Cone etc etc).
> Program your own modifiers with an easy asm like language.
read 'custom_modifier.txt' to learn how to do that.
> Direct exportsource map plus alphamap and metashader script.
> Alphamap import/export.
> Bitmap import/export.
> Models (md3) are loaded automatically from
//models/ folder
PS: this version DOES NOT support loading from previous beta
versions of EasyGen.
If you want to load a terrain that you made with EasyGen0.8
or earlier, you must do it through a bitmap that you have
exported with the past version.
3. Known Bugs
-------------
- Resizing the width(x|y) of the grid when lock is OFFdoes not
resize the alphamap. (altering divisions does it).
- I don't know what could happen if you use textures of
different sizes, if you don't want get in troubles use textures
of all the same sizes (all 256x256 or all 128x128, ...)
- I think you'll find other bugs, please let me know 
4. Credits
----------
Tnx to:
.idSoftware for the game
.NeHe for his OpenGL tutorials - http://nehe.gamedev.net/
.http://www.codeguru.com/ for his kick ass programming forum
.guys of http://www.quake3world.com/ level editing forum
.Binary Technologies for his powerfull image library
Binary Technologies
http://www.binary-technologies.de
.KitCarson for breaking my balls to implement texture support
Special thanks to:
.RKone: for helping me solving an export bug.
.^Lord Squart^: for some useful suggestions.
.Hubas: he had to face an advanced version of the export bug
and still give me useful suggestions
He also wrote the tutorial
.djbob: for telling me the way to fix the texture render bug
.snickelfritz: for his alphamap tutorials
.me
5. FAQ & Troubleshooting
-------------------
Q: What the hell is this gray and white grid?
A: you can get the damned grid for several reasons:
1. the width of each division along X and/or Y axis is not
a power of 2. Use 128 or 192 or 256(most used). You set
these values from the Grid TAB, 'Div.Width.', enter two
values (one along X and other along Y, generally the same),
then press Apply on the right.
2. You have played with the keys of the terrain entity from
GTK, or renamed and/or edited the alphamap and shader files
generated by EasyGen. To do this you ust know exactly what
are you doing because there are linked references by names
in that stuff. (filename and names inside text files)
3. Corrupted shaders? Try moving out custom pk3 from you mod
folder.
Q: Why do the textures look fine from EasyGen and from Quake3
are all shifted along a direction?
A: This seems to be a bug of some q3map versions. To fix this
edit your alphamap(PCX) exported by EasyGen with a 2D graphic
program such as PaintShopPro and remove the first vertical line
of pixels. If the original alphamap was 33x33 the final one must
32x33. Sounds strange but it works.
Q: Mmm what are the various xxx_vxinfo.txt files under my EasyGen
directory ?
A: mapname_vxinfo.txt is generated when you insert the terrain into
an existing map. When you insert the terrain EasyGen simply append
the terrain entity to the end of your map. Vertexremapshader
information is not inserted because it must be inserted into
worldspawn entity that somewhere inside the map file, and I had no
time to program a complete map parser. So you must insert it manually
with a text editor, inside the worldspawn. This is a critical operation
for someone, I know. Back up first.
6. Final Stuff
-------------
Programming is an hobby for me, so I take no responsability
if your pc blows up while running EasyGen !
Feedback, bug report, suggestions, are appreciated 
If you'd like to have EasyGen as a plugin for GTK/Q3R, write
me and I'll think about it, btw I think it works better
standalone.
Quake3Arena and RTCW are registered trademark of 'id Software' !
> http://www.quake3arena.com
> http://www.idsoftware.com
EasyGen.zip (156)