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X-Troll Products - Eclipse Block Editor

This editor is the deluxe version for Eclipse Software Design, it was used on many games and had been developed for designing the levels of Lethal Xcess. The original version was coded by Blue Devil / Gigabyte Crew, but it was slow and had many flaws, so Cyclone / X-Troll decided to improve it. The 1st thing that was rewritten, was the screen-rendering routine, which was originally done in GFA-Basic like the whole editor. In this version the screen is rendered in pure assembler which means its better to handle and got much better responses.

SC1224 upper left slice SC1224 upper slice SC1224 upper right slice
SC1224 left slice Download the Eclipse Block Editor 3.99 by Heinz Rudolf SC1224 right slice
SC1224 lower left slice SC1224 lower slice SC1224 lower right slice

The improved and completely redesigned editor has many advanced features:

  • supports *.NEO, *.PI1 and *.IFF files for all picture file operations
  • importing blocks from pictures
  • converting pictures to block objects
  • deleting double blocks
  • deleting unused blocks
  • merging blocks from another level-file
  • integrated workscreen for precombining larger bock objects
  • save screenshots
  • integrated support for a graphic-tool to paint new blocks
  • automated calculation of map-size from various parameters
  • capable of importing/exporting byte-maps if less than 256 blocks are used
  • advanced disk support (format disk, create folder, delete file)
  • integrated help system and key information
  • automatic resolution change between low and medium resolution

Block Editor Short Reference

This brief summary gives you all the keys that can be used within the Block Editor. It's no complete manual, but I hope you find it helpful.

Map Editor Key Commands

ESC  exit to main menu
HELP  show help screen
CURSOR  scroll map blockwise
CTRL CURSOR scroll map pagewise
SHIFT CURSOR jump to end of map
G get block from current map position
SPACE  select block from blockset
+ - increase/decrease block number
CTRL 0-9 set jump marker to current map position
ALT 0-9 get jump marker an jump to marker position
J jump to coordinate
BACKSPACE  cut block object
UNDO block object on/off
H hide block object on/off
F fill block object with selected block
R random fill block object with selected blocks
W show work screen
N call painting utility (NEOchrome)
RETURN or ENTER  show current picture
L load picture
S save snapshot from current map position
B convert current picture into block object
U zoom map
M show zoomed map
C delete/insert columns
Z delete/insert rows

Workscreen Key Commands

ESC  exit to map
HELP  show this screen
L load workscreen
S save workscreen
C clear workscreen
BACKSPACE   cut block object from workscreen

Select Block Key Commands

ESC  exit to map
HELP  show this screen
UP / DOWN   scroll blocks blockwise
INSERT  insert empty block at current position
DELETE  insert empty block at current position
C cut workblock
P paste workblock
E edit workblock
O overlay block to workblock
L load picture with blocks
S save visible blocks as picture
N call painting utility
A add new blocks from current picture

Pixel Editor Key Commands

ESC   exit
HELP   show help screen
C clear workblock
F fill workblock with color 1
H flip workblock horizontally
V flip workblock vertically

LEVEL-FILE-FORMAT

There are three files for each level, they are divided into a header file (*.LVL), a file containing the map objects (*.MOB) and the blockmap itself (*.MAP).

Unfortunately there are at least two level formats that have been used by BlockEdit. All of them are still supported on load, but they are no longer used for saving.

Level Files before Version 3.3

These level files (*.LVL) are rather simple:

Adress  

No. 

  Type   Content   Name   Description
$0000 16 word   pal   colour palette consisting of 16 words in STE format
$0020 1   word   blk_cnt   number of map objects in *.MOB file
$0022 1   word   map_wd   map width in blocks
$0024 1   word   map_ht    map height in blocks

The length of the header file is 38 bytes.

The map object file (*.MOB) contains the number of blocks specified within the header file. The blocks are 16 px squares in 4 planes, so each block consumes 16 lines with 16 px in 4 bitplanes (bytes), that's a total of 128 bytes per block. Each single bock is stored in one go.

The mapfile (*.MAP) itself consists of an array with [.w] block numbers in it. The size is given within the header file.

Level Files for Version 3.3 and later

With Version 3.3. of BlockEdit the level file format (*.LVL) was changed to the following structure:

Adress  

No. 

  Type   Content   Name   Description
$0000 1 long "ECLP" magic   Magic Key
$0004 1 long "0000" version   Version Information
$0008 1 word blk_cnt   number of map objects in *.MOB file
$000A 1 word map_wd   map width in blocks
$000C 1 word map_ht   map height in blocks
$000E 1 word 1 pal_cnt   number of colour palettes following (Default=1)
$0010 16 word pal   colour palettes with 16 words each
(STE Format)
1 word 0 palsw_cnt   number of following palette switches
(Default=0)
  * word   palsw_y   y-position of palette switch
(only if palsw_cnt>0)
  * word   palsw_pal   ID-number of used palette
(only if palsw_cnt>0)
10*2 word jmpstore   jump markers x / y coordinates
(10 jump markers)
1 word scr_wd   game screen width
1 word scr_ht   game screen height
1 word x_speed   x scrollspeed
1 word y_speed   y scrollspeed
1 word vbls   number of vbls in game
1 word hertz   vertical refresh in game
4 word     internal coordinate information

The length of the LVL file should be 110 Bytes if there are no additional palettes and colour switches.

The map object file (*.MOB) contains the number of blocks specified within the header file. The blocks are 16 px squares in 4 planes, so each block consumes 16 lines with 16 px in 4 bitplanes (bytes), that's a total of 128 bytes per block. Each single bock is stored in one go.

The mapfile (*.MAP) itself consists of an array with [.w] block numbers in it. The size is given within the header file.

 

© 1991 Heinz Rudolf (Cyclone/X-Troll)


 

X-Troll a demo crew on Atari ST, Atari STE and Mega ST 16 bit computers was founded in 1988 and consisted of Sunnyboy, Nexus 6 and the Cyclone. Their releases were: Acid-Intro, Sprite Magic, The final Swobbler, The Longscreen, The Cyclones New Year Demo, AudioPac Demo, Digidrum Demo and the best Atari game ever Lethal Xcess, the follow up to Wings of Death.

 
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This page has been updated 04.05.2008