WA Editor - A Guide to New Features

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Lazy Loof
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WA Editor - A Guide to New Features

Post by Lazy Loof » Sat Jun 01, 2019 5:48 am

WA EDITOR - A GUIDE TO NEW FEATURES
Hello all! This is a small guide to all the new features introduced in OpenWA or WA# editor. If you are upgrading from vanilla editor to OpenWA, this guide is MUST to follow!

I. Custom Textures For Existing Objects
(Completely replenished in 10.2)
Earlier editor only had official support for JPG textures. But now we have did some changes, you can use normal as well as transparent textures.
All types of textures are required to be put in UserData/Custom/Objecttextures folder. You can store textures in JPG, PNG, DDS, TGA, BMP formats. You can also put textures in other folders but it is highly recommended to store textures in this folder for consistency.

A. Texture without transparency: Using them is easy. Most of the objects from 10.2 now have additional "Texture" adjuster in their end. The default is usually "None!". Simply click on that adjuster and you will be asked to enter TextureName. Now you can either type the whole location of texture from editor folder with extension or begin with "?" and type the name of texture with extension and game will redirect to UserData/Custom/Objecttextures (recommended way). If the specified texture doesn't exist, game will revert to default texture.

B. Texture with transparency: Blitz3D has some problems dealing with transparent textures so you may have to do a complex work in order to get transparent textures into work.
1) Create your original texture with alpha map you want to use and save it as [NAME].ext (ext=PNG, TGA or DDS, e.g mychomper.png)
2) Create a second texture which has alpha channel extracted from the original texture with all except pure white (255,255,255) set to pitch black (0,0,0), and save it as [NAME].mask.ext (ext=PNG , TGA or DDS, e.g mychomper.mask.png)
3) Now in the editor, type [NAME].ext (ext=png, tga or dds, e.g mychomper.png) following the steps given in A and you're done.


II. Custom Models
(Completely replenished in 10.2)
Did you know WA Editor also supports Custom Models?
However, since the starting, the custom models were only supported in one extension format for models which was 3DS and one texture format which was JPG.
So fat now we have added the feature of using B3D and X models as well as using BMP, PNG, TGA and DDS textures.

How to use? Place the model file [NAME].ext (ext=3DS, X or B3D) and texture file [NAME].ext (ext=JPG, BMP, PNG, TGA or DDS) in UserData/Custom/Models folder. Now in editor, select CustomTex in CustomModel category and enter [NAME] in "Model" field. Editor will automatically search for all required files and if successful, will display the model with correct texture.
You can also type "/" to go to root directory of editor and enter the full path to model (without extension) but this is NOT recommended.

Advanced Notes:
If you wanna use transparency with the PNG, TGA or DDS textures, then you need to follow the steps given in B of section II. Also note that the editor loads models in following order: X, B3D and 3DS. It loads textures in following order: DDS, PNG, TGA, BMP and JPG.
There's also a "Texture" field. It works same as given in Section I i.e allow you to texture the model independently. If you put "!None" in this field editor will search for texture along with model, but if you fill something then game will not use texture with the model but use the texture given in "Texture" field. However, it is compulsory to ship your model with a model texture as you did in vanilla editor, even if you are overriding it using "Texture" field.
The older way of vanilla editor to use models is also supported, you will need to use "custom" object in CustomModels category for that. This way is only recommended for compatibility with older versions of editor. Other than that, it is recommended to use the new method. You can view MS tutorials how to use custom models in vanilla editor. However do note that it has many limitations like you are only limited to use JPG textures and also cannot you apply new textures to model apart from what is available along with model (see above).


III. Hub Builder GUI
(Introduced in pre-OpenWA releases)
Now you can create hubs with a special GUI prepared for Hubs. This GUI has following components:

A. Hub selection screen: It is similar to adventure select screen. Here, you can enter a new file name for your hub, edit or delete existing hubs, just like adventures.
Image

B. Hub Main Screen: This is the main place for your hub. Here you can enter title and subtitle of the hub, as well as configure your main hub adventure and other adventures used by your hub.
Image

1. Entering the Title and SubTitle of the Hub: Title of the hub is the text that appears in the hub selection screen in player. You MUST set a title for a hub. SubTitle is the optional text which appears when you select a hub in Hub Selection screen in the player.

2. Managing Adventures: Now comes our main work of managing the adventures! You can select adventure number or "Hub" slot from the Adv# column in the left. Clicking on number# or Hub will take you to the Hub Adventure select screen where you can select an existing adventure or make new adventure. Once done, the number# or "Hub" will be lighted meaning that this slot is already filled with an existing adventure.
Once the slot is filled then you can select it to edit the adventure, replace the adventure with another one or delete the adventure. Adventures are saved in UserData\Custom\Editing\Current\Adventures. Therefore, an adventure can be used in more than one hub.

3. Four ways to exit:
a. CANCEL+EXIT: Cancels the current configuration and gets back to adventure select screen.
b. SAVE+EXIT: saves the current configuration to UserData\Custom\Editing\Current\Hubs\[NAME]\hub.dat
c. BUILD+EXIT: builds your hub with current configuration copying your hub, adventures, logos (if exists) to the required locations so you can play/test your hub. It also saves your current configuration and gets back to adventure select screen.
d. COMPILE+EXIT: compiles the hub with current configuration into a *.WAH file in Downloads Inbox and Downloads Outbox folder in UserData\Custom that can be uploaded in the forums. It also saves your current configuration and gets back to adventure select screen.

C. Hub Adventure Select Screen: It is also smilier to adventure select screen. Here you can select any adventure to add to your hub or create now adventure for your hub.
Image

D. Adding Hub Logo (optional): This has to be done manually. Hubs can have two types of logo: one logo with name "hublogo.jpg" which appears when you select the hub in the hub selection screen in player. Second logo, with name "wonderlandadventures.bmp" is the logo that appears in the adventure title screen. Place any one of these files or both of them in UserData\Custom\Edition\Hubs\[NAME] folder. After that, whenever you will build or compile the hub, these files will automatically be verified and compiled/copied.


IV. WA Editor Settings Screen
(Introduced in 10.1.0)
Now the editor has brand new Settings screen for setting different options related to the editor!
Image
Currently, following options are supported:
1. Graphics: You can either set editor to be in windowed or fullscreen mode.
2. Editor UI: The main editor 3D UI is available in two user interfaces: the first is brand new user interface developed by HumanGamer (which is shown by default) and the second is the good ol' screen you're equipped with!
3. Use Old Level Format (Advanced): forces the editor to save levels in old format so it can run in older versions of WA Editor (highly not recommended unless you really want to do so!)
4. Custom Content Compiling: If you enable this, all the custom content used by your adventure/hub will be copied into "<FILENAME>_content"
folder in UserData\Custom\Downloads Outbox folder while compiling. You can also initiate this action by just CTRL + click on "COMPILE + EXIT" button in adventure/hub master screen (even if the option is disabled :) )
5. Font: You can now use custom font for editor screen. Fonts are to be stored at Data\Fonts. If you want you can use the already shipped GNU Free Mono font, by typing FreeMono instead of Default.


V. WA Editor New Commands
Here's a list of new commands in WA Editor:

Command 14: This command changes the music of the current level. Data1 is the music track number to change to. Note: settings Data1 to 21 will play piano music.
Command 15: This command charges the magic glove with a magic. Data1 is the colour of the magic (0 for Floing, 1 for Pow and so on) and Data2 is the number of charges to give to (must be between 1 and 9 both inclusive)
Command 16: This command changes the focus of the camera into any other object. By default, the camera focuses the player. Data1 is the ID of the object for the camera to change focus to. If Data1 is -1 the camera focuses back to the player.
Command 17: This command changes the logic of tile with X=Data1 and Y=Data2 to Data3. Values are 0(Floor), 1(Solid Wall), 2(Water), 3(Active teleporter), 4(Swimming turtles and transporters), 5(Lava), 10(StinkerWeeExit), 11&14(Ice and Brr Floats), 12(Ice Corner)
Command 18: This command changes the object tile logic. Yes, you read it right! The game also has logics for specific objects. Data1 and Data2 are the X and Y coordinates of the tile and Data3 is the bitmask representing the tile logics of various objects. Here are valid values:

Code: Select all

01 00 - 2^0 - ???
02 00 - 2^1 - player
04 00 - 2^2 - Talkable NPCs
08 00 - 2^3 - wee stinkers, baby boomer
10 00 - 2^4 - items
20 00 - 2^5 - Scritters, crabs
40 00 - 2^6 - transporter, sunken turtle, sunken crab
80 00 - 2^7 - turtle, sleeping crab, untalkable NPCs, fireflowers, grow flowers, ducky
00 01 - 2^8 - bowlers, chomper, retro monsters, ghosts
00 04 - 2^9 - boxes(barrels, cuboids, retro box etc)
Command 22: In vanilla editor, command 22 messed up everything if it was used in dialogs, however this bad bug is fixed now, so you can use Command 22 in dialogs without any problems. :P
Command 65: This command changes the player expression. Data1 is the index of expression.
Command 101: This command starts a custom cutscene with Data1 as number of cutscene to start. An detailed guide to this is coming soon.
Command 118: This command displays hub complete message.
Command 119: This command remove magic from glove.
Command 120: This command starts WA3 ending cutscene. Once cutscene is over and cutscene is run from a hub, player lands on level "Data1" with X and Y being Data2 and Data3 respectively. If run from adventure, you will land on main menu.


VI. WA Editor Other Features
  • New magics:
    • Bounce Magic colour 8: Homing magic from WA1E is back now! :)
    • Barrel Magic colour 9: Spawns blink barrels. These barrels if destroyed, teleport you to the location where they were destroyed.
    • Homing magic versions: Setting Data4 of GloveCharge/OnceCharge to 1 makes them behave as homing.
  • New glove dischargers, they can remove magics of specific colours. White discharger can remove all types of magics. OnceDischarge version works only once and removes only one charge if Data2 is 1, or all charges if Data2 is 0 (for compatibility reasons).
  • Player can now recognize and unpack WA2 files with compatibility shims to they can work. (note that certain "glitchy" levels will not work)
  • Sorting of custom adventures by creator names and tag names
  • Custom Content Compiling - Using this powerful feature while compiling, editor can correctly identify which custom texture, model, icon, leveltexture, watertexture etc you have used in your adventure/hub and can automatically copy them into UserData/Custom/Downloads Outbox/[AdvName]_Content folder. Then you can easily upload them in the forums and don't have to keep track of custom content you have used. You can go to Settings screen and enable this feature, as its disabled by default. You can also initiate this action by just CTRL + click on "COMPILE + EXIT" button in adventure/hub master screen (even if the option is disabled :) )
  • You can now select almost any colour between 0-15 for teleporters, gems, cuboids, laser gates and star trails
  • Bridges and springs are now available in all the colours
  • Custom textures applicable to block gates, flipbridges and transporters
  • There are now two types of bridges: one with SubType 1 that respond to colour changes and SubType 0 for backward compatibility
  • Multi-Object mode in the 3D editor
    • Number of objects on tile is displayed next to X,Y coordinates
    • Ctrl+Left Click places objects without deleting other objects on tile
    • Ctrl+Right Click cycles copies object parameters cycling through objects on tile
    • Ctrl+Del deletes last copied object from tile (just Del deletes all objects on tile)
  • Now you can use hotkeys for saving or loading games
    • L+[NUMBER] loads the game from save slot [NUMBER] if it exists
    • Ctrl+[NUMBER] saves the game to slot [NUMBER]
  • New "undo slot"
    • If you load a save, the current game is saved in "undo slot"
    • If you overwrite a save, then that save is saved in "undo slot"
    • To access the "undo slot", press L+U
  • Toll gate now supports negative Cost# values. Star gate with negative cost value will have its cost PlayerStars+|Cost|. Works similarly for coin gates too
  • Secret Feature now disclosed!
    • You can switch between WA1/WA2/WA3 simply by using the same wg.exe
    • This feature is known as "Game Switch" (if you have another nice name please share :) )
    • Check "how_to_gameswitch.txt"
  • New NPC Wee Stinkers
    • These Wee Stinkers use regular Stinker NPC model instead of their original MD2 models
    • You can set their body, hats and accessories too
    • New WOP: NPC/Wee Stinker 2.wop
  • Added level/dialog delete functionality to the editor
    • Hold delete key while clicking on a level/dialog to delete it
    • Files are not deleted but renamed with the .bak extension
  • New "complete hubs" functionality
    • You can now create complete hubs with their own menus, savefiles, players and other stuff
    • Hub wlvs can be given saved names
    • Advanced functionality in editor for "complete hubs"
    • New exe "hubmanager.exe" for managing complete hubs
  • You can now give special "character name" to your stinker
  • You can now use some keywords in dialogs for displaying player character name
    • [PLAYERNAME] displays Player Character Name
    • [PLAYERNAME!] displays Player Character Name followed with "!"
    • [PLAYERNAME?] displays Player Character Name followed with "?"
    • [PLAYERNAME.] displays Player Character Name followed with "."
    • [PLAYERNAME...] displays Player Character Name followed with "..."
    • [PLAYERCAPS] displays Player Character Name in capital letters
    • [PLAYERCAPS!] displays Player Character Name in capital letters followed with "!"
    • [PLAYERCAPS?] displays Player Character Name in capital letters followed with "?"
    • [PLAYERCAPS.] displays Player Character Name in capital letters followed with "."
    • [PLAYERCAPS...] displays Player Character Name in capital letters followed with "..."

VII. Vanilla Editor Features That Were Not Officially Mentioned
This cool section describes some of the "hidden" features of vanilla editor that were never officially mentioned!
  • Using command 4 to modify objects in another level: Data4 value is the number of level where you want to run the command 4! Yes you're right! You can now run command 4 from one level to make changes in any other level! This was PRESENT in vanilla, however it was not working for some reason. This is now fixed since 10.1.0. I mentioned this here because it was already a coded feature, but didn't worked. (so technically a "bug" that has been fixed)
  • Command 12: Data2 is the step size of volume of musics. What this means is that if Data2 is 0 volume will change instantly, but if its a *valid* natural number then volume will increase by Data2. Similarly Data4 is step size of music pitch/tempo. This way you can gradually modify musics in your levels by combination of command 12s.
  • FNC 6: FNC 6 was never officially documented. It functions exactly same as FNC 5, except it doesn't removes the item from inventory.
  • Feature related to "secret thingy": viewtopic.php?f=24&t=27721

VIII. WA Editor Fixed Bugs Since Vanilla
  • Fixed lag in Windows 10 and Wine
  • Fixed corrupted profile bug
  • Fixed stars background in adventure title screen when you launch any adventure from custom adventure select screen
  • Fixed strange cube in hub load and save load screens
  • Secret code changed, view credits to know more
  • Fixed jungle temple background in wonderfalls texture bug
  • Fixed minor editor bug where the More adjusters button was not updated when grabbing objects
  • Fixed hub menu crash bug that happened when clicking somewhere on the menu without a hub selected
  • Fixed sound effect when clicking on "Play Custom Hub" button
  • Fixed PlayerLevelStartingYaw bug for hubs
  • Freezing shadow/fire stinkers crash bug fixed (you can now freeze shadow and fire stinkers :D)
  • Fixed particles position when an item is collected
  • Fixed command 22 not working properly for dialogs
  • Fixed menu texts using large amount of triangles (MNIK)
  • Fixed improper render tweening
  • Fixed "save before exit" menu having wrong color in its main heading (since MOFI!)
  • Fixed editor automatically adding "DefensePower" adjuster while grabbing NPCs (since vanilla!)
=============================

This topic is currently in construction. :)
Previously known as Aryan101
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Lazy Loof
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Posts: 460
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Re: WA Editor - A Guide to New Features

Post by Lazy Loof » Fri May 07, 2021 5:15 am

Bump for a update!

I have now decided to have the OpenWA editor guide in PDF format instead of putting out the information in the forum. This will be a lot better than previous one and users can store it offline.

And yes if you want you can now reply to this topic and ask for any help if needed. :)
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Wonderman109
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Re: WA Editor - A Guide to New Features

Post by Wonderman109 » Mon May 10, 2021 4:05 pm

That sounds very useful!
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