QCEditor v0.8 Beta ================== Thank you for trying out QCEdit v0.8. This project is two months in the making between another project by the author, Javier Heredia, called ID4Doom. I hope you will all enjoy using this product. TABLE OF CONTENTS ================= I. BASICS II. QUAKE-C EDITING III. USING QCEDIT FOR QUAKE-C EDITING IV. REQUIREMENTS I. BASICS --------- Although the basics of Quake-C editing is a very complicated thing, like almost anything else you can master it if you put some focus into it. A prime example would be the work QUAKE COMMAND (http://www.nuc.net/quake) is doing. So far they have created an airplane for us to use and are currently working on a massive teamplay patch along with a QuakeKart (think Quake-MarioKart). This kind of patch can be done by anyone if they try hard enough. II. QUAKE-C EDITING ------------------- I won't bore you with the specifics, but be warned that if you do not know C, Quake-C will be Greek to you. Mind you, I do not claim to be a master of Quake-C, but I'm a good programmer to make it easier for you. :) The first thing you have to have in order to edit Quake-C is a QC compilier. So far there have been at least three that we will deal with. The first is QCCDOS.EXE, which was the QCC compiled by John Carmack of id and released with the source code. The second is QCCWIN.EXE (or sometimes just QCC.EXE), which is a Win32 port of the DOS version. The third is ADVQCC.EXE which is a faster and less limited version of the Win32 version. ADVQCC.EXE is also a Win32 application. All three are availible at FTP.CDROM.COM under the /pub/idgames2/quakec/utils directory. The next thing you need is id's own Quake-C code files. They usually have .QC extensions with them and include a file called PROGS.SRC. The PROGS.SRC file is what is read by the QC compilier. The first line is the file it will create after it has completed compiling (usually PROGS.DAT). The rest of the PROGS.SRC file is a listing of all the .QC files it will compile _IN ORDER_. This is important to remember because functions created in .QC files can be accessed by any .QC file that is compiled after the first .QC file. That is why PLAYER.QC comes before any of the monster .QC. PLAYER.QC contains the gib fucntions, and any .QC file that uses it _MUST_ be compiled after PLAYER.QC. The final thing you need is to learn the language of Quake-C. Since even I do not know this, you will need to read the Quake-C specs I have included with QCEdit. Read them thoroughly or reference them if you need help, either way works. III. USING QCEDIT FOR QUAKE-C EDITING ------------------------------------- QCEdit is not a compilier, it is a front-end. It will make your life a lot easier by making it easier to access your .QC files, compiling them, and run QUAKE with your patch with simple menu commands. Other features are the ability to edit your PROGS.SRC file, make new .QC files (it will then append the file to the PROGS.SRC file), change patches inside the program, and list all availible patches. We'll go into this one by one. ACCESSING YOUR .QC FILES The first thing you must have is EDIT.COM in your path, or the same directory as QCEDIT.EXE. If not, you cannot use this. QCEdit will call EDIT.COM and you will do the bulk of your editing there. NOTE: The next full version will probably include an internal text editor so as to not make it dependant on outside programs, but so far all attempts have failed. If any of you have a good text editing source code for Turbo Pascal v7.0, please send it my way and expect a HUGE reward. (Just a thank you email...I'm just as poor as the next college student. :) COMPILING YOUR .QC FILES QCEdit will search for a file called QCCDOS.EXE, QCC.EXE, or ADVQCC.EXE. If do not have any of these, the included QCC.EXE will work for just about any computer. Simply place QCC.EXE in the same directory as QCEDIT.EXE or in your path. QCEdit will call the compilier you have and it will take care of everything. NOTE: The next full version will probably NOT include an internal compilier, although it'd be cool if it did. :) However, if any of you are crazy enough to make a QCC for Turbo Pascal v7.0, send it my way. Let's show these C programmers that Turbo Pascal is a good language! RUNNING QUAKE WITH YOUR .QC FILES Before running QUAKE, make sure you have compilied your .QC files. A line after the .QC files will display information about your current PROGS.DAT file (file size, date and time last modified) if it exists. If it doesn't then you will not see this line. Just run QUAKE and your patch will be run with QUAKE. NOTE: The next full version will NEVER include an internal QUAKE since you MUST have the full version of QUAKE to use any Quake-C patch. This program will make sure you have the full version, if not it will not run _AT ALL_. EDITING YOUR PROGS.SRC FILE The PROGS.SRC file includes all information the compilier reads, therefore this is the most important file you must have. If you need to compile new .QC files, they must be listed in the PROGS.SRC file or they will not be compiled. NOTE: Nothing here. I just love running gags. :) MAKING NEW .QC FILES With a simple keystroke, a new .QC file will be called and appended to the PROGS.SRC file. Neat huh? NOTE: Last one, I swear. CHANGE PATCHES All this does is read another PROGS.SRC and refresh the screen to match it's contents. It's simply easier than exiting and restarting with a new patch. NOTE: Okay, I lied, but this is the LAST one. LIST AVAILIBLE PATCHES This willl not look for PROGS.DAT files, but for PROGS.SRC files. See the REQUIREMENTS section of this isn't working for you. NOTE: See, I told it was the last one. IV. REQUIREMENTS ---------------- Several things must be here in order for QCEdit to run without errors (I hope ;). PROGS.SRC Most PROGS.SRC have the first line reading '../PROGS.DAT' which must be changed to read just 'PROGS.DAT' .QC FILES .QC Files must be in the same directory as your PROGS.DAT file and all files must be in a subdirectory off the main QUAKE directory. In other words, if your QUAKE directory is C:\GAMES\QUAKE and the name of your patch is PROJECT, the PROGS.DAT, PROGS.SRC, and all .QC files must be in the C:\GAMES\QUAKE\PROJECT directory. Understand? Good. QC Compilier I've included one, but you many use any compilier called either QCCDOS.EXE or QCC.EXE which must either be in the same directory as QCEdit or in your path. QCEDIT.INI This will be created if one cannot be found. DO NOT DELETE THIS. Well, that's all the information you need to use QCEdit v0.8 Beta. I hope you enjoy using this product. If you must get in touch with me just email me at the address below, and while your waiting for a reply, go check out the work being done on ID4Doom. :) JAVIER HEREDIA Project Leader -- ID4Doom QCEdit v0.8 programmer JHERED02@serss1.fiu.edu http://www.fiu.edu/~jhered02