                                              
                         
                               
                                   
                                
                         THE Quake Model Editing Tool
                            by the Satanic Cabbage

                     version 0.15d  (beta copy)  26/05/97

 Author:  The Satanic Cabbage (Matthew Shepcar)
  Email:  qmet@imagixx.net
    WWW:  http://altar.imagixx.net/qmet/

-Introduction--- -  -

This is an early version of QMET, the Quake Model Editing Tool.   Many very
cool features are planned including multi layer skin editing and animation
through use of skeleton based inverse kinematics.   This version includes
the following features:

 > Realtime rendering of models with fake phong shading
 > Simple mouse based interface for all operations
 > Vertex editing
 > 3D skin painting
 > Import new skins by drag and drop
 > Explore the contents of your drives using browser windows
 > Create animated GIF files

QMET is very incomplete at the moment but a rundown of how to use the
program in its current state follows:

-Getting started--- -  -

Quake stores the 3D model files within .PAK files in the ID1 directory.
There are many utilties available for extracting files from .PAK files
if you wish to do this.   QMET will also load model files from within
the PAK files.   This is not fully implemented yet and the only way
to get it to work is to specify the model file on the command line.   You
must include the file extension .MDL otherwise QMET will fail to load
the file.   Here's an example:

 QMET player.mdl

Alternatively you can open a browser window by clicking on the first
button on the main toolbar.   The browser is similar to a Windows '95
Explorer and you shouldn't have too much difficulty operating it.

-Viewing models--- -  -

Once you've got a model open you can start to play.   To view an animation
you need to pop the model tree up.   Move your mouse pointer over the
icon at the end of the toolbar to do this.   You can keep the model tree
open by clicking on the tree button.

Use the model tree to select skins, animations and frames.

Camera control is quite simple in QMET.   Hold down the left button in a
blank area of one of the viewing panes and then move the mouse to control
the camera angle.   You can also pan the camera by holding the right
button.   To zoom in and out hold down BOTH buttons and move the mouse
up or down.

-Vertex editing--- -  -

Pop up the toolbar in a 3D window pane by moving the mouse over the little
yellow arrow.   Click on the button to show the vertices.   You may now
drag the vertices about to change the shape of the model.

To select multiple vertices hold down the CTRL key and click on each of the
required vertices.   You can also draw a box around a number of vertices
to select them.   Do this by holding down the SHIFT key and then drawing
your box.

-3D skin painting--- -  -

You can draw on a model simply by using the left mouse button on the model.
It is useful to zoom in quite close when you're doing this.   Clicking
the right mouse button will fill an area with the current colour.

You can choose colours from the palette at the bottom of the screen.
You can also pick up an existing colour from a skin by holding down the ALT
key and clicking the left mouse button on the model.

-Importing skins--- -  -

To import a skin, open a browser window in a directory containing some
skins in either PCX or BMP format.   Drag a skin over an open model window
to preview the skin.   The skin will flash up on the model while the mouse
is held over the window.   To drop the skin into the model release the
button.

There is no way to delete skins yet...

-Animated GIFs--- -  -

QMET allows you to record an animation as an animated GIF.   Choose an
animation off of the model tree first.   Then resize a 3D window to the
size you want your GIF and pop up the flyout menu and click the record
button!   The file will be saved as ANIM.GIF in the current directory
(ie the one you started QMET from).

-INI file settings--- -  -

The QMET.INI file may be altered to configure some of the options in QMET.
Here is a list of the available settings:

 > QUAKEDIR
    Informs QMET of the location of Quake
 > VIDMODE
    Add the line VIDMODE=2 to switch QMET into 800x600 mode.
 > DEFAULTMODEL
    Set a default model file for QMET to load on startup
 > ANIMATEPLASMA
    Add ANIMATEPLASMA=0 to disable the animated plasma
 > REVERSEPITCH
    Set to 1 to reverse the Y axis of the mouse for pitch control
 > REVERSEPANNING
    Set this to 1 to flip the X and Y axes during panning
 > STARTINONEPANE
    Set to 1 to load models in one pane mode by default
 > DEFAULTLIGHTING
    Set to 0 to disable phong shading by default
 > NOLFNS
    Set to 1 to disable long filename support under Win '95
 > NOWIN95
    Prevents QMET from attempting to detect Win '95
 > TMODESHAMBLER
    Don't try it... (it might not work anyway)


-Known bugs--- -  -

Don't you just hate these sections?

 > Dragging an object from the model tree kills it
 > 3D skin painting sometimes paints a pixel on the wrong side of the
   model
 > Resampling a skin and then switching to skin viewer mode isn't a
   good plan
 > You can resize a window so that the titlebar disappears beneath the
   main toolbar
 > If you have too many windows open then they will not fit on the winbar
   and there is no way of scrolling
 > 'Take piccy' button is a bit dodgy
 > Whatever else I forgot to mention but you'd better remind me if you
   find anything else anyway...

-Credits--- -  -

Thanks to Screwtape for drawing me those lovely piccies for the toolbar
buttons!

-Final note--- -  -

Make sure you get on down to the web page to see the latest news!   And
don't forget to email me if you like this program, you have any cool
ideas or you want to report a bug (heaven forbid!).   Thanks for your
support,

SCabby!
