
                  **************************************
                  ***** THE LEVEL EDITOR FOR CUBEX *****
                  **************************************

                                      BY X-ACT CREATIONS 1999,2000,2001

Preliminary
-----------

   This file contains details which explain various features about the
CubeX Level Editor. If you have access to the Internet, visit the CubeX
website at http://cubex.xactcreations.cjb.net to have a better
explanation, including screenshots and diagrams, of how to construct
new levels for CubeX.

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1. How to Design a New Level
   -------------------------

1.1 What are the requirements for the CubeX Level Editor?
    -----------------------------------------------------

   The CubeX Level Editor requires only the following resources:

   VGA display or better
   Mouse

   Please note that, unlike for the CubeX game, the Level Editor
requires a mouse. That means that if you don't have a mouse or
appropriate mouse driver, the CubeX Level Editor won't run.

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1.2 How do I start the CubeX Level Editor?
    --------------------------------------

   To execute the CubeX Level Editor, change to the folder where
you've installed CubeX and execute the file CUBEDITX.EXE.

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1.3 The Menu Bar
    ------------

   After a short initialisation pause, the upper part of your screen
should contain a red bar with some buttons, with the rest of the screen
being empty. This red bar is called the Menu Bar. You access all the
commands of the Level Editor from here. The lower part of the screen
(the remaining part) is used to draw the new level. Let's explain the
Menu Bar first, and leave the drawing of the level for later.

   Choose: From here, you can choose another sprite to place in your
           level. The menu bar changes to all the possible sprites.
           Click on the one you want.

    Rules: This button is used to associate a rule with a cube or
           movin, or to view the rule of a cube or movin.

     Time: This button is used to change the time limit for the level.

     Load: You can load a level you've been writing from here.

     Save: You can save your level to a standalone file or to the game
           with this button.

     Quit: Can't believe you don't know what this does.

   We'll elaborate on the Rules button when we reach a later section.

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1.4 How to draw on the Drawing Area
    -------------------------------

   The Drawing Area is the whole area on the screen under the menu bar.
Click on anywhere on it and drag with the left mouse button. You'll
notice a horizontal white rectangle following your mouse pointer.
Release your mouse button... and bingo! A platform appears. Now let's
change what to draw. Click on Choose in the menu bar, and choose (for
example) the ladder. Now click on anywhere on the platform and drag
downwards with the left mouse button. Release... and a ladder attached
to your platform appears.

   If you want to erase something from your level, right click and drag
the area you wish to delete, and release. All the objects enclosed in
that area will be deleted.

   Let's explain how to draw all the things you can choose from the
Choose button in the Menu Bar:

       UMPTY DUMB-TY: Click on the place you want to be drawn. Note
                CUBE: that you can only draw one player; the program
               MOVIN: prohibits you to draw more.

            PLATFORM: Click, drag and release horizontally. Note that
   HORIZONTAL ROLLER: in the rollers' case, you cannot start drawing
        DISAPLATFORM: from the extreme left or right.

              LADDER: Click, drag and release vertically. Note that in
     VERTICAL ROLLER: the rollers' case, you cannot start drawing from
          DISALADDER: the extreme top or bottom. Also, the tip of the
                      ladder or disaladder is drawn automatically by
                      the program, which incidentally means that you
                      cannot start drawing ladders from the extreme top
                      of the screen.

          TELEPORTER: Click on the place where you want the teleporters
                      to be. Note that you can have either zero or two
                      teleporters of the same type on the screen at any
                      one time.

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2. WHAT CAN CUBES AND MOVINS DO?
   -----------------------------

2.1 What can Cubes do?
    ------------------

   Draw some cubes on the drawing area and click on the Rules button
from the menu bar. Click on the cube you wish to set its rule. The menu
bar will change, since it will contain many icons which correspond to a
function that the cube can carry out. What the various icons do is
illustrated hereunder, in order from left to right:

   1) Delete a platform, horizontal roller, disaplatform or movin

   Click and drag the horizontal part of the screen you wish to be
deleted by the cube.

   2) Delete a ladder, vertical roller or disaladder

   Click and drag the vertical part of the screen you wish to be
deleted by the cube.

   3) Delete a pair of teleporters

   Click on ONE of the teleporters you wish to be deleted.

   4) Add a platform

   Click and drag on where you want the platform to appear.

   5) Add a ladder

   Click and drag on where you want the ladder to appear.

 6&7) Add a horizontal roller

   Click and drag on where you want the horizontal roller to appear.

 8&9) Add a vertical roller

   Click and drag on where you want the vertical roller to appear.

  10) Add a disaplatform

   Click and drag on where you want the disaplatform to appear.

  11) Add a disaladder

   Click and drag on where you want the disaladder to appear.

12&13) Add a pair of teleporters

   Click on the two places where you want the teleporters to appear.

  14) Add a movin

   Click on the place where you want the movin to appear. Then follow
the instructions for constructing the rule for the movin below.

   Platforms, ladders, rollers, disaplatforms, disaladders, teleporters
and movins can replace anything there was in their place, except the
player, cubes or teleporters.

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2.2 What can a movin do?
    --------------------

   A movin can only move to the left, right, upwards or downwards. It
cannot move anywhere else, i.e. diagonally. To associate a rule to a
movin, click on Rules from the Menu Bar and then click on the movin
whose rule you want to set. Then click on where the movin moves to, and
that's all.

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3. ESSENTIAL THINGS FOR A CUBEX LEVEL
   ----------------------------------

3.1 What must a CubeX Level have?
    -----------------------------

   A correct CubeX level MUST have the following features:

   1) The player's starting position, standing on a platform /
      disaplatform / roller.
   2) At least two cubes.
   3) The rules of all the cubes and movins (if present). 

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3.2 What are the limitations of a cube's rule?
    ------------------------------------------

   A cube's rule must not:

   1) Erase the player or the player's standing platform.
   2) Erase / create something horizontal over the square immediately
      below the cube.
   3) Erase / create something over another cube.
   4) Erase / create something over a teleporter.

   If your level contains any of these limitations, you are notified of
their presence when you are about to save, or immediately after
creating the rule for a particular cube.

   A cube is allowed to remove movins, or change them into something
else. A cube may also change the rule of a movin.

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3.3 What are the limitations of a movin's rule?
    -------------------------------------------

   Movins have only the following limitation: their start and
destination spots must not be occupied by a cube or teleporter. If your
level has a movin that does not obey this restriction, you will be
notified when you are about to save.

   A movin's destination spot can be occupied by another movin, thereby
removing the latter movin.

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4. TESTING AND SAVING A CUBEX LEVEL
   --------------------------------

4.1 How to save a level
    -------------------

   You have two ways of saving your level. One of them is to save it as
a standalone file. The other is to save it as one of the CubeX levels.
However, to choose the latter selection you must have tested the level,
which in turn implies that the level is free of any error.

   Saving a level as a standalone file always works, however. Click on
the Save button on the Menu Bar. The computer will ask you to choose
between the two methods of saving the level. Choose Standalone. Then
enter the filename you wish to give it (up to 8 characters). The
computer will then tell you if there are any errors in your level.
However, the level will still be saved.

   Assuming that the level has no errors and has been tested (see next
section), clicking on the Save button and then on Save to game will
save it to CubeX. Then choose the level number where you want it to be
in the game. Note that you cannot give it a level number less than 21.
If there already exists a level with that level number, the computer
will ask you if you want to overwrite that level, or insert your level
in that place. In the latter case, all the subsequent levels will be
shifted one place to accommodate the new level.

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4.2 How to test a level
    -------------------

   After saving your level without any errors, you cannot just save it
to the game. You must first test the level so that the computer
confirms that it can be done, and this is what this section deals with.

   Run the CubeX game and when it arrives at the main console, choose
Test a New Level. Enter the standalone filename of your new level and
press ENTER. Note that you cannot test a level that has already been
tested. Your new level will be shown and you can test it to see if it
can be done. If you get stuck, press ENTER and you'll immediately
restart the level from its initial positions. If you think it cannot be
done, press ESC and you'll return to the main console.

   If you manage to do it, the words SUCCESSFUL TEST will be shown on
the screen. This means that you can now save your new level in the
game! Return to the CubeX Level Editor, and follow the instructions of
the previous section.

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Written by X-Act Creations (Alexander Farrugia).
