RESMaker version 1.0 by Dave Palmowski Table of Contents 0: Introduction 1: Basic information 2: Basic operation 3: Advanced operation 4: Advanced information 5: Help Me! 6: Copyright information --- Section Zero Introduction Thanks for downloading RESMaker. I must confess it's been sitting in limbo on my hard drive for several months. I originally intended it to be used for the heavy RES manufacturing I'm doing for my big movie, but I later realized I could help the Stunt Island community more if I made it easier for everyone to make RES files. (It's no secret that not everyone likes makeres, after all!) With RESMaker, you can do basic RES file creation. That is, you can take your objects (remember to have them in the right format, that's the .bin file from the BSAVE command in the old editor) and put them into a RES file that Stunt Island can use without having to write one of those unpopular little resource descriptor files. This document is a basic manual to the program. If you really really need help, drop me an e-mail or a message on the SIFA board if you think your question will help everyone. I'll see what I can do. --- Section One Basic Information Alright, you've downloaded/unzipped/installed RESMaker. What now? You want to start creating RES files? Run RESMaker as you would any other program, double click on the resmaker.exe file or if you've opted to put it on the start menu or desktop, click on the RESMaker shortcut there. The main window of RESMaker will appear. The first thing you'll probably notice is the unglorious clutter of buttons. Don't hate me for that. Please. I tried my best to group them logically. So, what does this mess do? Well, by using RESMaker, you can import a group of files (most likely object files for Stunt Island) and "compress" them (anyone who understands a RES file will understand that one*) into a handy dandy RES File that Stunt Island can understand so you can use your custom props in the game itself. The next couple sections explain all of this, so read on if you're the type that likes to be told how something works instead of experimenting. --- Section Two Basic Operation "How do I create a RES File with this mess?!" It's a relatively simple process. (Relative to say, thermonuclear dynamics) First, click the "add object" button. A new window will appear, asking you to locate your object. You'll note the window only displays .bin files for default, making it easy to locate in the mass of files you may have on your computer. Once you've found the file you want, click on it and hit ok, or simply double click on the filename. You'll notice it's added to the "contents" listbox. Repeat this process as neccessary to add all of your objects. Next, click the "insert name" button. A polite request box will ask you to enter a name for your object. Each item in the name list corresponds with the item in the object list with the same position. For example, the first name on the name list goes with the first object on the object list. The second name goes with the second object, and the seventh name goes with the seventh object all the way down to the bottom of the list. That reminds me, you can have a maximum of 255 objects in the file. Now that your objects are all set and ready to go, give your group a title. This is the name that will appear on the main prop list (when you click "add") in Stunt Island, and will become the group name for this RES file. If you're happy with your RES file setup, hit the "Go!" button. Unless you have an inequality between the number of objects and the number of names, or no objects/names at all, a dialog box asking for the RES file will come up. Type in the name for your new RES file and hit Ok or the Enter/Return key. After a bit of work, RESMaker will inform you that the save is complete and then return you to the main screen. When you're done, just hit the "Exit" button. --- Section Three Advanced Operation There's a bit more to the program, but the basics to being able to use it have already been discussed. Let's take a look at what else you can do. -Indices Every RES file has an index number from 0 to 255. Stunt Island enumerates these files and refers to them internally by number. No two RES Files can have the same index number (well, they can, but it can have traumatic consequences when one of them assumes priority over the other) and many of the numbers are used by Stunt Island by default. For a complete list of index numbers, refer to INDICES.TXT, which lists the indices and which Stunt Island files use which numbers. If a number is blank, it should be okay to use it. Every RES file has a unique number. Look at INDICES.TXT to see which ones are used up by Stunt Island already, then assign your RES file it's own number. -Moving files/names If you find it neccessary to change the position of your object files or if you have a name in the wrong spot, simply highlight it and hit the appropriate button below the list. The highlighted item will move up or down and this way you can keep organized. Remember, though, everything is alphabetized on the prop list within the game. This is automatic, so you can have your objects in any order you want in the RES file. Be careful, though. If you make your RES file, make a set/movie, then rearrange the RES file, the sets will get messed up (This isn't my fault, it's Stunt Island's fault, I swear. I can explain if you like) and any film that you made with this RES file will not look right if you run it through makeone again. --- Section Four Advanced Information RESMaker is based on the research I've been doing into Stunt Island during the production of UFO Command Act II: UFO War. Basically, it does the same thing as makeres, but it has a GUI and should therefore be easier for the less-than-fanatical Stunt Island user to use. However, RESMaker is nowhere near as powerful as makeres. If, like myself, you're a power RESer, you'll probably find makeres much more useful. For quick file making though, without having to type out a resource script, it may have a niche. Either way, I hope it works out. Sorry, nothing else I'm working on is coming out right now. I've done alot of work, but there's still alot of work to be done on the movie, on everything. Now I know how the Team Fortress 2 team feels :P --- Section Five Help me! Having trouble with RESMaker? RESMaker is by no means perfect. As I said earlier, it's been sitting in an incomplete state for several months. Just recently, I went back and redid a large portion of it. I did a bit of testing, but I'm sure a few problems will creep in. I will also reluctantly admit that I am a far from perfect programmer. (me!=perfect) First of all, be careful, when faced with saving your RES file after hitting "Go!", directing it to a file that is already there will delete the file in order for the new one to be created. Only RES files are displayed as a precaution and to make it easier, but still, please, be cautious. (That paragraph is basically a disclaimer/waiver of responsibility) Secondly, I hate to admit this, but I'm sure that despite all the punching and twisting I did, someone will do something in the program that I did not predict (shame on me) and probably cause an error/malfunction/citywide annihiliation with the program... Hmm... You can probably rule out that last one. If you get an odd message/program malfunction or if you find a blatant problem (like Stunt Island locks up when you try to load one of your objects), try the following: -make sure your object file is ok. Remember, it has to be the .bin format from BSAVE in the old editor -make sure that if you are updating an older RES that you put the new one in the RES sub- directory of Stunt Island -make sure that the RES from RESMaker is in fact causing the problem (move it out of the RES subdir, for example, then try using a different RES file and loading an object from that file into Stunt Island) If you are really run into a corner, here's what to do. My e-mail address is available on the SIFA board, I'm sure. Please don't flood the board with your problems with my program, that would probably have negative effects for both you and me. Just send me an e-mail (I won't list my address here to avoid spam in the event this is ever exported from SIFA) and I'll see what I can do. Make sure that the e-mail's title has "RESMaker" in it somewhere. --- Section Six Copyright Information Well, I hate to be selfish, but I did make RESMaker so in the name of American ingenuity, I declare on this fifteenth day of August in the year of our Lord two thousand... RESMAKER Program Copyright (c) 2000 Dave Palmowski *-"compressed" is quoted because technically, in a RES file, nothing is compressed any further than it already is. Everything is just kinda clumped.