HOW TO MAKE A LEVEL

This is a tutorial where you can learn how to edit all files on a JnB level or solve your problems.

 

Linux updates: 9 Aug 2002. Tools to make levels on a UNIX, Linux system.

Last update: 16 Sep 2001. Added JnB level background for download

7 Sep 2001. Information about water-blood cheat in level.pcx and splash.smp.

6 Sep 2001. How to put blinking things in menu.pcx.

 

First of all unpack a level in this way:

"unpack.exe [levelname].dat"

"jnbunpack [levelname].dat" [Linux]

 

I recommend you to unpack jumpbump.dat, so, the files you not edit, are the default.

Required programs:

On Linux:

These are the files to edit:

File Format

File Name

Description

PCX

level The zone where you play.
mask The mask of "level.pcx"
menu The screen where you select players.
menumask The mask of "menu.pcx"

DAT

calib The joystick/joypad calibration data.

TXT

levelmap The map of the zone.

GOB

font The font of the level.
numbers The displayed numbers on the scoreboard
objects The objects of the zone.
rabbit The movements of the rabbits.

SMP

death Sample played when a rabbit dies.
fly Sample played when you are near the flies.
jump Sample played when you jump.
splash Sample played when you fall into the water.
spring Sample played when you jump on a spring.

MOD

bump Music played when you play in the zone.
jump Music played on the select players screen.
scores Music played in the final scoreboard.

 

level.pcx

Description: The zone where you play.

Program for edit it: Paint Shop Pro. The Gimp [Linux].

How to edit: Draw a nice image for make a level with PSP, and if you want to see the map, do this:

Click on File/Preferences/General Program Preferences. Then click on "Rulers and Units" and type, in Grid section, Width=16 and Height=16. Then Apply. And last, click on View/Grid.

Now you can see the map and will be useful for make levelmap.txt

The map is 16 rows and 22 columns, and another 3 columns at the right for scoreboard. The image size is 400x256 pixels and uses 256 colours. Download the original background here and use it for your own. Remember this: all the image files on the level (PCXs and GOBs) must have the same colour palette.

These are the colour numbers of the default palette that are changed when using BLOODISTHICKERTHANWATER cheat:

Water colour number
turns into
Blood colour number
145
turns into
176
146
turns into
177
147
turns into
178
148
turns into
179
149
turns into
180
150
turns into
181
151
turns into
182

 

mask.pcx

Description: The mask of "level.pcx"

Program for edit it: Paint Shop Pro. The Gimp [Linux].

How to edit: This is a black image file with white parts. The black zone is behind the rabbits and the white zone hides the rabbits. Be careful, don't make white the three columns at the right for can see the scoreboard. Here is an example:

This is a part of "level.pcx"

And this is a part of "mask.pcx"

Look! Dott is behind the box!

menu.pcx

Description: The screen where you select players.

Program for edit it: Paint Shop Pro. The Gimp [Linux].

How to edit: The easiest you can do here is this: Type on the top your Nick and your e-mail and the title of the level. But you can draw too a nice level entrance, but remember to draw an obstacle for jump it and select players. Something cool: Everywhere you use the colour No255, will be blinking like the credits letters. Remember this: all the image files on the level (PCXs and GOBs) must have the same colour palette. Look here at each of the rabbit's way for make the menu screen:

Get this image file in .PCX format here, put it in your level and it will guide you for where you must put thee obstacle and the floor where is supposed to run on the rabbits.

menumask.pcx

Description: The mask of "menu.pcx"

Program for edit it: Paint Shop Pro. The Gimp [Linux].

How to edit: This is a black image file with white parts. The black zone is behind the rabbits and the white zone hides the rabbits. Be careful, don't make white the bottom for can see the credits. Here is an example:

This is a part of "level.pcx"

And this is a part of "mask.pcx"

Look! Dott is behind the box!

calib.dat

Description: The joystick/joypad calibration data.

Program for edit it: None

How to edit: When you pack the .dat file, just play it, before playing, you calibrate your joystick/joypad.

levelmap.txt

Description: The map of the zone.

Program for edit it: Notepad.

How to edit: Just take a look in the PSP Grid of "level.pcx" and type:0 for air, 1 for ground, 2 for water, 3 for ice and 4 for a spring (just like "Number Code Land" level). Remember, is a 22x16 grid. Some useful information:

font.gob

Description: The font of the level.

Program for edit it: Paint Shop Pro & GOBMaker. The Gimp and gobpack[Linux].

How to edit: With PSP edit "font.pcx" (found at GOBMaker Projects in BCD) drawing all letters, numbers and marks and save the image. Remember this: all the image files on the level (PCXs and GOBs) must have the same colour palette. Run GOBMaker, then open "font.gmp" (GOBMaker Project) and change the letters. These are the frames of "font.gob":

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

!

"

'

(

)

,

-

.

/

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

9

:

;

@

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

a

b

c

d

e

f

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

g

h

i

j

k

l

m

n

o

p

q

r

s

t

u

v

w

x

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

y

z

~

ä

â

Ä

Â

ö

Ö

numbers.gob

Description: The displayed numbers on the scoreboard

Program for edit it: Paint Shop Pro & GOBMaker. The Gimp and gobpack [Linux].

How to edit: With PSP create a nice PCX image with the ten numbers starting by zero (each number can't be bigger than 16x22 pixels) and save it as "numbers.pcx". Remember this: all the image files on the level (PCXs and GOBs) must have the same colour palette. Run GOBMaker, open "numbers.pcx" and create "numbers.gmp". Then make "numbers.gob"

objects.gob

Description: The objects of the zone.

Program for edit it: Paint Shop Pro & GOBMaker. The Gimp and gobpack [Linux].

How to edit: With PSP edit "objects.pcx" (found at GOBMaker Projects in BCD) drawing all objects of the level. Remember this: all the image files on the level (PCXs and GOBs) must have the same colour palette. Run GOBMaker, then open "objects.gmp" (GOBMaker Project) and change the objects. These are the frames of "objects.gob":

Frames

Objects

1-6

Spring working

6

Spring stopped

7-15

Water Splashing

16-20

Dust

21-25

1st and 2nd butterfly looking at the right

27-32

1st and 2nd butterfly looking at the left

33-38

3rd and 4th butterfly looking at the right

39-44

3rd and 4th butterfly looking at the left

45-57

Pieces of Dott

53-60

Pieces of Jiffy

61-68

Pieces of Fizz

69-76

Pieces of Mijji

77-80

Blood

 

rabbit.gob

Description: The movements of the rabbits.

Program for edit it: Paint Shop Pro & GOBMaker. The Gimp and gobpack [Linux].

How to edit: With PSP edit "Rabbit.pcx" (found at GOBMaker Projects in BCD) drawing all the frames of the movements. Remember this: all the image files on the level (PCXs and GOBs) must have the same colour palette. Run GOBMaker, then open "rabbit.gmp" (GOBMaker Project) and change the objects. Be careful, if the frames are bigger than 16x16 pixels, you can't go up the screen because a frame of the rabbit will stay up blinking. These are the frames of "rabbit.gob":

Frames

Movements

Direction

Rabbits

1

Standing

Right

Dott

1, 2, 3, 4

Running

5, 6, 7, 8

Jumping/Swimming

9

Die

10

Standing

Left

10, 11, 12, 13

Running

14, 15, 16, 17

Jumping/Swimming

18

Die

19

Standing

Right

Jiffy

19, 20, 21, 22

Running

23, 24, 25, 26

Jumping/Swimming

27

Die

28

Standing

Left

28, 29, 30, 31

Running

32, 33, 34, 35

Jumping/Swimming

36

Die

37

Standing

Right

Fizz

37, 38, 39, 40

Running

41, 42, 43, 44

Jumping/Swimming

45

Die

46

Standing

Left

46, 47, 48, 49

Running

50, 51, 52, 53

Jumping/Swimming

54

Die

55

Standing

Right

Mijji

55, 56, 57, 58

Running

59, 60, 61, 62

Jumping/Swimming

63

Die

64

Standing

Left

64, 65, 66, 67

Running

68, 69, 70, 71

Jumping/Swimming

72

Die

 

death.smp

Description: Sample played when a rabbit dies.

Program for edit it: FastTracker II. Soundtracker [Linux].

How to edit: This editing information is the same for all SMP files. With FastTracker II open a WAV file for a death and save it as death.smp. It must be an 8-bit sound.

 

fly.smp

Description: Sample played when you are near the flies.

Program for edit it: FastTracker II. Soundtracker [Linux].

How to edit: This editing information is the same for all SMP files. With FastTracker II open a WAV file for the fliues and save it as fly.smp. It must be an 8-bit sound. You must be near the flies for hear them but if you run to them, they will fly away. For hear them the best, use the LORDOFTHEFLIES cheat.

 

jump.smp

Description: Sample played when you jump.

Program for edit it: FastTracker II. Soundtracker [Linux].

How to edit: This editing information is the same for all SMP files. With FastTracker II open a WAV file for jumping and save it as jump.smp. It must be an 8-bit sound.

 

splash.smp

Description: Sample played when you fall into the water.

Program for edit it: FastTracker II. Soundtracker [Linux].

How to edit: This editing information is the same for all SMP files. With FastTracker II open a WAV file for splashing and save it as splash.smp. It must be an 8-bit sound. This sound will be longer and slower if you use BLOODISTHICKERTHANWATER cheat.

 

 

spring.smp

Description: Sample played when you jump on a spring.

Program for edit it: FastTracker II. Soundtracker [Linux].

How to edit: This editing information is the same for all SMP files. With FastTracker II open a WAV file for a spring and save it as spring.smp. It must be an 8-bit sound. You can hear it also in POGOSTICK cheat.

 

bump.mod

Description: Music played when you play in the zone.

Program for edit it: FastTracker II. Soundtracker [Linux].

How to edit: You can compose your own playing music, but if you think it's too hard, the best you can do is downloading a nice one.

 

jump.mod

Description: Music played on the select players screen.

Program for edit it: FastTracker II. Soundtracker [Linux].

How to edit: You can compose your own intro music, but if you think it's too hard, the best you can do is downloading a nice one.

 

scores.mod

Description: Music played in the final scoreboard.

Program for edit it: FastTracker II. Soundtracker [Linux].

How to edit: You can compose your own scoreboard music, but if you think it's too hard, the best you can do is downloading a nice one.


Did you edit all the files you wanted? Type in DOS mode:

"pack.exe [mylevel].dat"

"jnbpack -o [mylevel].dat file1 file2 file3" [Linux]

 

If this isn't enough and you have problems e-mail me: bkronb@hotmail.com

For Linux related things contact me: gurkan@linuks.mine.nu