I want to learn how to use DLE-XP

[Yokelassence]

Yes, yes I DID do a Google search!

But I did not get back many promising results, mostly just forums posts made by other people looking for DLE-XP help

(that and I could not access those sites anyway)

I dont suppose there are any DLE-XP users around here who might know where find some good tutorials on how to use this program? I will be very grateful for any advice you can share

TIP: this is also your chance to show off your awesome editor knowledge

[Aus-RED-5]

I can help, but you will find next to nothing in regards to tutorials.

DLE-XP work much like DMB2, but with much, much more added improvements.

[karx11erx]

There had been a beginner's guide by Brainware's Bryan Aamot (maker of DMB and DMB2), but it seems to be gone. I have asked Bryan whether he still has the html and pics and if so, whether I can host them. That guide is a good start from which you will be able to understand DLE-XP's advanced features, too.

[Weyrman]

If Brian doesn't have a copy, I have a copy of the 2.1 version tutorial in print that I can scan into pdf if you like

[pokeman7452]

Here is a zip with the tutorial files that came with DMB2

http://www.mediafire.com/?n2xdrjj07z3

[karx11erx]

Here is a zip with the tutorial files that came with DMB2

http://www.mediafire.com/?n2xdrjj07z3

Cool! I hope it's html ...

[Sirius]

I think they were .doc, actually.

[karx11erx]

Bryan had some HTML help files.

[pokeman7452]

All right (so stubborn ), using the power of MS Word, I clicked the "Save as web page" button and this is what it game me...
BEHOLD!!

[Yokelassence]

OK, I have a few questions now.

I browsed through that tutorial and I have already spent 12 hours completing a simple map to professional quality. I think it looks good for a first attempt

The tutorial worked well although I noticed some instructions in the tutorial did not seem to be applicable in this version of the editor.

Take for instance it asked me a few times to select side #0 or point #0 of a cube

I could not find any button or method that let me select a null side or point, I could only select side 1-6 and point 1-4. Maybe I am just missing something?

Anyway:

-The author of Anthology added robots from Descent 3, they were really Descent 2 robots sporting custom models. How did he do this? Can it be done in DLE-XP?

-I noticed the robots from D2 Vertigo in the robot list. Do I need vertigo installed to use them?
[EDIT] Figured out the answer to this one when I downloaded Boiling Point. Man, someone needs to put a warning up before people go downloading that thing: No Vertigo, no Boiling Point.

-DLE-XP can edit textures. Can I also edit animations to create new doors and new fluid substances?

E.G: lets say I make a copy of the Lava textures and edit it to look like green radioactive sludge. Is this possible?

-How do I make a Skybox? This was not covered in the tutorial and it is probably very different to the way skyboxes are made in other games.

[karx11erx]

Sides and vertices start with 1 in DLE-XP. So 0 (DMB2) = 1 (DLE-XP), 1 = 2, etc.

You need to POLYTRON to create custom models and HAXMEDIT to put them in D2 missions.

Read the DLE-XP pages on www.descent2.de. One of them has an explanation of skyboxes and a demo level.

I wouldn't use DLE-XP to edit textures. Get Paint .NET or another image editor.

You can replace animations by creating a TGA file (uncompressed) containing all frames of the animation vertically stacked. So if a frame has 512x512 pixels, a 10 frame animation would have the dimensions 512 (width) * 5120 (height).

Use alpha channel for transparency.

In case the texture should be used as overlay for another texture (e.g. a grate) and the transparency in it should "punch through" the base texture, you need to use a special color for the transparent areas. Load a hires door texture and check that pinkish color in there, that's what you will need here.

Animation textures should have a name like "door01#0.tga" to tell D2X-XL that it's an animation.

[Wheeze87]

Any time you want someone someone to test you professional levels, you can send them my way

[Yokelassence]

Ok that clears a few things up.

I will keep practicing map making before getting into texture editing, but it definetly sounds worth a try.

And Wheeze, once I am happy with a map I will be glad to let you test it.

May take a while of course because I have a meticulous obsession with consistency

By they way Diedel, I was recently playing your map; Water Rats and noticed flowing streams of green sludge much like I described earlier. Looks im not the only one who thought of slime textures.

[karx11erx]

You can easily create some flowing texture by using a flowing water or lava texture (or some other moving texture), and putting some other texture on top of it as overlay. You don't need an overlay per frame, as Descent 2/D2X-XL will apply overlay textures to every frame of the base texture.

[Yokelassence]

Im back!

I have not posted here in a while due to other priorities, however I have made more progress on my missions. With progress comes questions.

One of my maps have ended up in a completely separate mission to the main one I am using.

How do I annex maps from other missions into the proper one? I did notice an "import" option in the HOG manager but I am not sure how to use it.

Also whats the fastest way to change the texture set in a large room? Changing the textures steadily cube by cube takes so, so very long.