DX Sprite Editor Readme


This is the Sprite-Editor/convertor for DX Boulderdash.
This program is mainly intended for personal use, but people who are interested in creating their own graphics for DX Boulderdash, and who are not afraid to use some buggy beta software: This is for you.


some quick guidelines:

Graphics for DX Boulderdash are created in one big bitmap.
DX Boulderdash can recognise sprites of 16*16 pixels and sprites of 32*32 pixels.

Step 1:
Sprites of 16*16 should be created in a bitmap of height 640 pixels, width 320 pixels in 256 colors.
In this package you will find the bitmap of the emerald sprites as an example.
You can use any graphical package (like MS PAint or Paint shop Pro) to alter this bitmap as a base for your own graphics or to create a new one. Just make sure it's 640*320*265 colors and saved as en UNCOMPRESSED windows bitmap.
For 32*32 sprites the bitmap should be of 640 pixels width and 1280 pixels height. If you want a base for this size: enlarge the emerald bitmap 200 %. you can then Edit it and save it as UNCOMPRESSED windows bitmap.

Step 2:
run the DX-SpriteEditor.
Click on "Load DX Map" and select your Sprite-bitmap.
This program will cut your bitmap in pieces of 16*16 or 32*32 pixels. You can click on the Sprite map to display the sprite and you can edit it also a bit by selecting the right color in the palette and dray on the sprite-surface.  

If your satisfied with your work, select "tools/ options" and enter the number of sprites you want to save. This is, how many sprites (counted from the top left of the bitmap) are in the bitmap.

Press "ok" and then "Save Imagelib" enter a name and save it preferably in the DX Boulderdash Directory.
(If you have altered your sprites in the Spriteeditor, you may want to save the bitmap as well: "save bitmap")

Step 3:
You only have to do this step once, so skip this if toy allready have a *.bam file.
Copy the file emerald.bam (found in the DX Bouylderdash Dir) and rename it to the name of your new imagelibrary, only with extension ".bam". It's very important that the "iml" file and the "bam" file have the same name before the '.', otherwise DX Boulderdash won't find your spriteset.

Step 4
If you have used the emerald bitmap as a base, you can skip this step.
run the DX-Animation Editor.
This is a program that assigns the correct sprite to the correct action in DX Boulderdash.
If you have created a new imagelib from scratch, Hmm, You might try to use this program, however: it's VERY user unfriendly ..... so be warned.

first, load your sprites in "images/ load image library"
If it's the first time you've loaded your sprites, and copied the emerald.bam file, the animationframes will be incorrect, so press "files/new" to clear all the frames.

on the left, you see a list of all available objects in DX Boulderdash. click on an object to display it's animation frames (will be set to 0 now).
To test a new spriteset it's best to select the most important sprites first (dirt, steel wall, stone wall, little fellow, rocks, diamonds, ....) and put the same sprite on all animation frames.
To do that, drag the correct sprite from the spritemap below to the upper left spritecanvas of the page (the top one above the objectlist) (or you can enter the spritenumber in to spinbox besides it).
the sprite will appear there, then press "fill" to set all the animation frames with this (main ) sprite.
repeat this for the main sprites. 
then select, "view/description" and enter the imagelib verion. This is to indicate which sprites are in the spriteset, so DX Boulderdash knows which lwevels can be played with it.
If you haven't got a clue what this means: set it to 5.

Save your bam-file (That's what you've created now: and Boulderdash Amination Map) (Press "save")

make sure you've put the 2 files (*.iml and *.bam") in the DX Boulderdash Directory and run DX-Boulderdash. You can noe select your new spriteset and play it !

But there are no animations yet !!!!
 
to inseert the animation, it's best you check out how the DX-Animation editor works, by loading the emerald spriteset and see how the settings are for each object.
There are 8 animation section, each with 8 frames. for moving object, Action1 is for moving left, action2 for moving up, action 3 is moving right, action 4 is moving down.

put the correct sprite on the correct position (by drag and drop or by entering it manually)
Don't forget to set the speed (the bottom slider).

Repeat this for all objects, and there you go: your own spriteset fort DX Boulderdash.




Step 5:
Make sure you have the *.bam file and the *.iml file in the DX Boulderdash directory. start DX Boulderdash and you can now slect your spriteset.






I know this is not very usable yet, but as I said: It's mainly for personal use, and for the freaks.
If you're having trouble using it: drop me a mail: boulder@steffest.com


good luck
Steffest
 
