DragonFly On-Line Manual Pages

Search: Section:  

GDEDIT(6)                   DragonFly Games Manual                   GDEDIT(6)


NAME

     gdedit - Level editor for golddig


SYNOPSIS

     gdedit -l level [-w width] [-h height] [world]


DESCRIPTION

     golddig is a fast action game designed for use with the X window system.
     gdedit is used to create and edit new levels which can be used by
     golddig.  For details on the game, refer golddig(6).

     The -l option sets the level number for editing.  This may be any integer
     greater than 0.  The -w and -h options set the width and height of the
     level when creating a new level.  The world option is used to select a
     world name.  A world is a distinct set of numbered levels.  Any valid
     file name may be used as the world name.  Different worlds may be used to
     allow users to control private sets of levels. Default is "goldlev".

     If ~/.golddig/worldname### or /usr/local/share/golddig/worldname###
     exist, they are used as templates (in this order).

     gdedit is used as a graphics editor.  Each level is divided into a grid
     of blocks.  The blocks are "painted" by pressing the left mouse button
     down and moving the mouse.  The right mouse button always erases blocks.
     A new block type is selected by a keyboard key.  Currently, the following
     block types are supported:

     <space> - draw spaces
     ! - draw escapes
     # - draw walls
     $ - draw golds
     - - draw ropes
     < - draw left arrows
     = - draw tubes
     > - draw right arrows
     @ - draw stones
     ^ - draw anti-spaces
     a - draw armors
     b - draw bad guys
     c - draw chutes
     d - draw down arrows
     e - draw reverse monsters
     f - draw up arrows
     g - draw ghost bricks
     i - draw invisible blocks
     j - draw jump pads
     k - draw kill zones
     l - draw power shovels
     m - draw super jump pads
     n - draw nuclear shovels
     o - draw anchors
     p - draw players
     q - draw speed boots
     r - draw parachutes
     s - draw step ladders
     t - draw teleporters
     u - draw leave levels
     v - draw vertical ropes
     w - draw windows
     x - draw extra bricks
     y - draw heavy fogs
     z - draw time stops
     | - draw ladders
     ~ - draw portable ropes

     A player block sets where the player begins in the level.  If more than
     one is used in a level, all but one will be ignored.  Bad guy blocks set
     where the bad guys begin the level.  There is a limit to the total number
     of bad guys, and that number is compiled into the game.  Pressing
     control-W inside the editor window will stop editing and save the level.
     Pressing control-C quits without saving.  Pressing control-E will erase
     the contents of the editor.  The properties of the rest of the block can
     be determined with experimentation.

     gdedit saves the levels in ~/.golddig, which is searched first on startup
     of golddig.  If a level should be accessible by all users, it has to be
     copied manually to /usr/local/share/golddig.

     A really good level has several properties.  The first important property
     is efficiency.  A good level makes careful use of all of the available
     space unless it is trying to achieve a specific effect.  Another critical
     property is fairness.  A player should always be forewarned or have an
     escape if trouble comes up.  Nothing is more irritating than a killer
     trap where the user had no way of guessing that it was coming up.  It is
     also important to avoid tedious and repetative levels.  Really difficult
     traps should be rewarded with lots of gold.


SEE ALSO

     golddig(6)


FILES

     ~/.golddig - local directory for levels.
     /usr/local/share/golddig - global directory for levels accessible by all
     players.
     /usr/local/share/golddig/goldlev### - default levels used when no world
     name is specified
     /usr/local/share/golddig/default - default level used when specified
     level doesn't exist.


AUTHORS

     Alex Siegel at Cornell University during 1989 and 1990.


BUGS

     This game is the first totally bug free program ever written.

DragonFly 6.5-DEVELOPMENT       March 11, 2001       DragonFly 6.5-DEVELOPMENT

Search: Section: