Chapter 2
Introduction
2.1 *A word from Klaus Breuer*
Well, here's the v1.2 version of the FAQ!
I've had lots of feedback and got pointed into a lot of
interesting directions - thanks to everyone who helped out so
far!
2.1.1 *Printing the FAQ*
A word of caution for those of you who'ld like to print this FAQ:
the table of contents alone takes up 9 pages on my printer.
You're probably better off reading the whole thing with an ASCII
editor (easier to search for keywords, too).
Personally, I use the most excellent LIST program from Vernon
Buerg (no, I'm not affiliated, just a happy user).
If you have access to a Unix box (everybody should :), here's a
command you can use to print the whole thing in PostScript,
cramming 300 lines of text per page:
alias a2lj5c2 "lwf -pA4 -i1 -s5 -c2 -fC \!* | lpr -Plj4 -h"
^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^-Courier Font
DinA4 5pt 2 column
2.1.2 *Flames*
It's funny, you know. Everybody who does anything on The Net is
going to be flamed sometime, no matter what he does.
So, let's get some things straight:
* This FAQ will be posted in its totality to
alt.games.duke3d and the BUILD editing list, because
that's where it belongs.
* If you can't be bothered to read the FAQ, don't flame me
for not including somethig in it. Especially if it's in
there already.
* Except for this general announcement, I do not respond the
flames, mail bombings, or whatever.
* Since I'm not using Windoze or somesuch, I can delete huge
amounts of flames with a single keypress. So don't bother.
2.2 Intended Audience
Since 3DRealms was kind enough to bundle their editor with the
game itself, lots of people have dreamed of creating their own
levels - their own worlds.
However, the BUILD editor was written by hackers for hackers;
documentation is scant.
Thus this paper should help everybody who intends to design his
own levels. However, you should be willing read all the info in
here and experiment as well. If you have a problem, study this
text, look at the original maps and experiment. Don't ask the Net
about it right away.
Creating a map is real easy. Creating a *good* map is very hard,
requiring not only perseverance and patience but time and -yes-
even a bit of brains ;)
2.3 *About the "UnOfficial" DUKE NUKEM 3D EDITING FAQ*
Welcome to the release v1.2 of the "UnOfficial" DUKE NUKEM 3D
EDITING FAQ.
What does that mean? Version 1.2 is the seventh release of the
FAQ, "UnOfficial" means absolutely nothing, DUKE NUKEM 3D is the
name of the game, Editing is what the FAQ is all about and FAQs
are [F]requently [A]sked [Q]uestions (with answers, of course :).
Here's how revision classification works. If a new version of
the FAQ only has a small amount of information changed or added,
the version number is increased by 0.1. This is called a "minor
revision."
If a new version of the FAQ has a substantial amount of new
information changed or added, the version number is increased by
0.5. This is called a "standard revision."
If a new version of the FAQ has a huge amount of added or changed
information, major parts of the FAQ are rearranged, or major
parts of the FAQ are rewritten, then the version number is
increased by 1.0. This is called a "major revision."
All chapters containing changes from the last versions have their
chapter headings enclosed in **'s. In earlier versions of the FAQ
I used a rather more complex system showing how long ago which
chapter was last changed but it became too much work - this thing
has simply grown out of all proportion.
Also, ##'s are at times found in the text - these denote
questions I urgently need help on, and any feedback is especially
appreciated.
2.4 Getting the "UnOfficial" DN3DE FAQ
The "UnOfficial" DN3DE FAQ is posted every month (or earlier if a
new version is released) on the following Usenet group:
alt.games.duke3d
The "Subject:" line of the post will be "'UnOfficial' DN3D
EDITING FAQ v??.??" where "??.??" is the version number of the
FAQ.
The FAQ is also posted to the editing mailing list as soon as a
new version comes out.
An HTML version is available at
http://ww.aber.ac.uk/~ngh94/duke.html
New releases of the "UnOfficial" DN3D EDITING FAQ will be
uploaded to internet ftp sites as soon as I find suitable sites.
The file name of the upload will be "dnefaq??.faq" where "??" is
the version number of the FAQ.
ATTENTION: ALL BBSes, Compuserve, America Online, GEnie, and all
other information services. PLEASE conform to the naming
standard of the "UnOfficial" DN3D EDITING FAQ when placing this
file on your system.
2.5 *Adding to the FAQ*
If you want something added to the FAQ, please send E-mail to
"sz0759@rzmail.uni-erlangen.de" (no quotes), explaining what your
addition is.
It will be reviewed, and if accepted, added to the next FAQ
version. In the E-mail, please supply your name and E-mail
address.
Please note that all submissions to the FAQ become the property
of the author (Klaus Breuer) and that they may or may not be
acknowleged.
By submitting to the FAQ, you grant permission for use of your
submission in any future publications of the FAQ in any media.
The author reserves the right to omit information from a
submission or delete the submission entirely.
If you send me binaries, please use the standard UUENCODE program
to do so. I can't read the Base64 format or whatever it is that
Windoze uses.
2.6 *The DN3D EDITING mailing list*
Ginger (lattav@vnet.net) has set up a very active mailing list.
To subscribe, send email to: majordomo@oozoo.vnet.net
Put in the body of the message: subscribe duke3d-edit
A digested version is also available, send email to the same
address, but the body of the message should be: subscribe
duke3d-edit-digest
To unsubscribe, send the line
unsubscribe
to duke3d-edit-digest-request@oozoo.vnet.net
The mailing list digests are archived at
oozoo.vnet.net/pub/duke3d
2.7 The DN3D EDITING ftp site
We now have an ftp site where everything for editing duke maps
will be found. The address is oozoo.vnet.net/pub/duke3d-edit.
2.8 *WWW sites*
There are LOTS of WWW sites around. Here are just some pointers
(in alphabetical order) which should get you started:
http://fluffy.neb.net/Duke
http://www.3drealms.com
http://www.aber.ac.uk/~ngh94/duke.html
http://www.cris.com/~Demogorg/main.html
http://duke3d.crystalball.com/stereo/tfiles.html
http://www.ea.ucla.edu/~kd/Duke3D/index.html
http://www.fluffy.neb.net/Duke
http://www.frii.com/~afs/allabout.cgi/dn3d
http://www.koan.com/~ryman
http://www.newreach.net/~avenger/
http://www.salamander.net/~avenger/msques.html
http://www.servtech.com/public/duke3d/
http://www.whiterock.com/kinglink/duke3d.html
http://www.wi.leidenuniv.nl/~cwong/myindex.html
And these sites have particularily many MAPs:
http://duke3d.crystalball.com/stereo/maps1.html
http://users.aol.com/brnyrstomp/levelsf.html
http://www2.awinc.com/users/dgronlun/duke3d/duke3dlevels.html
http://www.whiterock.com/kinglink/duke3dlev.html
http://www.i2.i-2000.com/~richardg/levels.html
Finally, there's a german site too:
http://members.aol.com/cwaitschie/duke3d/duke3d.htm
2.9 IRC
The IRC channel of interest is #duke3dedit.
Don't ask the 'The 3D mode is messing up my screen' question
there. Please.
2.10 *Acknowledgments*
I'd like to thank 3DRealms for bringing out such an astonishing
game! After two years, we finally seem to have a DOOM killer.
Also, it's real nice of you guys to add the BUILD program into
the package! We've never had an editor out so fast :)
Thanks to Allen H Blum III, Richard "Levelord" Gray and Kenneth
Silverman for writing the Build docs. We all know you were in a
big hurry and the docs nearly didn't make it to the CD, so we
especially appreciate your work!
ALPHABETICAL ORDER:
Ahmed Hammad (aka Spasmo) (cosc19z5@bayou.uh.edu)
RightShift sprite selection/nonclip move trick and
helped with the sliding door. The metallic tile
idea is also from him.
Allen H. Blum III
(Stryker@metronet.com)
Thanks for showing up in the mailing list and
answering questions! Especially the 'shade a whole
room at once' idea is way cool. (Treat him to
dinner, Buy Major Stryker ;)
BKlehr (bklehr@aol.com)
Caught some FAQ bugs and found out how to make
shootable mirrors (bulletholes!).
Brett Gmoser (gmoser@gramercy.ios.com)
Wrote a long tutorial covering all kinds of
things.
Brian Gentry (gentryb@wasc.egginc.com)
Found out about switch sounds.
Brian Kidby (thekid@ornews.intel.com)
Wrote the 'DeathMatch Level Design Guidelines
v1.0' for DOOM, which I've used as a basis for my
'DukeMatch level design' section.
Bullethead (???)
Wrote a couple of interesting lab notes, shedding
light on some more obscure parts of BUILD.
Cho Yan Wong (aka Tempest) (pwong@pobox.leidenuniv.nl)
Wrote several very good tutorials.
Chris Longhurst
(chrisl@division.co.uk)
Found out about pulsing lights and clamshell
doors.
Dan Benge (DanBenge@ix.netcom.com)
Ideas on level design and the Alice In Wonderland
effect.
David Moisan (dmoisan@shore.net)
Many thoughts on level design.
Ginger Latta (lattav@vnet.net)
Has agreed to set up a mailing list, even
including a digested form. She's also setting up
an ftp site for us!
Jeff Oliver (jroliver@cs.sci.csupomona.edu)
Teleporter info.
Jesse Lambert (slcsj@cc.usu.edu)
Did the nice ASCII logo.
Jim (jek19@ios.orci.com)
Help on rotating doors.
Joe Giddings (goldcard@intrstar.net)
Worked out lots of info about the different
palettes.
John Allen Christian
(hugejohn@ix.netcom.com)
Info on Build keypresses (tilting floors).
Jonas (JoXonoX@aol.com)
Sprite flag meanings.
Kris Lloyd (klloyd@uniserve.com)
Info on user-controlled force fields and Duke's
crashinf car/helicopter as well as (finally!)
respawning minibosses.
Mark Lee (mark.lee@gecm.com)
Had the idea about making bridge sprites single-
sided.
Mike Forst (mcforst@uniserve.com)
Found out about the BIGFORCE tile.
Moritz Weigt (wtiger17@aol.com)
Found out about sprite difficulty settings.
Nigel Hughes (ngh94@aber.ac.uk)
Converting the FAQ to HTML format.
Rober Coward (rcoward@madge.com)
Found some FAQ errors and Duke bugs.
RoboJim (Robojim@aol.com)
Info on grapplers, garbage/stripper respawns,
telephones and train setups.
Samiel (samiel@fastlane.net)
Wrote the tile renumbering utilities.
Scatt Man (scattman@bssc.edu.au)
Ambience, once-only sounds and demo camera info.
Also wrote the sound list (now I don't have to do
it myself, yaay!).
Sir Hoppy (glenn@interaccess.com)
Pointed out some errors in the air vents section.
Steffen Itterheim
(100606.2141@compuserve.com)
Apogee Staff, is also answering questions on the
mailing list - thanks!
Steve C. Brown (sbrown@praline.no.NeoSoft.com)
Help with F8 key.
Thomas Mueller (tsmuelle@cip.informatik.uni-erlangen.de)
He found out lots of basic workings like
Teleporters, Swimming Pools, etc and put me on the
right track in regard to sector effectors.
THANK YOU! If, for some reason, I did miss you, PLEASE send me
e-mail!
Finally, I'd like to thank everyone who reads this FAQ, you are
what the FAQ is for!
2.11 Accurate information
An attempt has been made to make the information in this FAQ as
accurate as possible. Unfortunately, due to the fact that the
game was recently released, and updates, add-ons, and new
information are being worked on each second, it's hard to keep
up.
2.12 Help with new levels
If you are building a new level and are experiencing trouble,
feel free to contact me about it. Chances are that you are not
the only one with this problem, and I can add it to the FAQ.
Also, your particular difficulty could be an interesting side-
effect of something else, and others might want to hear about it
as well.
However, *please* read the FAQ fully before asking me about
anything :)