Andy Clifton Presents

*** Mr. Fixit ***
version 0.12

This is leved.txt, the comprehensive documentation for the level editor.

Since the level editor functions in virtually the same manner as the game in
most respects, I will only cover those areas of its operation that are
significantly different.

* Starting The Level Editor
Click "Level Editor" on the main menu. You will be prompted for a file name.
Select an existing level set to edit it, or type the name of a new file to
create a new level set.

* The Level Editor Options
Press <F1> to access the Level Editor Options window. All these controls are
covered in the online help, and they should be self-explanitory anyway, so
I won't cover them here. The only thing worth mentioning is that you can
quickly save the current level by pressing <s> while editing.

* Basic Operation
The level editor works in almost the same manner as the game. You select
parts and place them on the level. The difference is that in the level editor
you never run out. Also, the wrench works differently; clicking on a part with
the wrench with the left mouse button deletes the part, clicking with the
right button has the same effect as the wrench in the game, it removes the
parts from the level and puts it back in its drawer.

Notice that there are two new parts in the toolbox, and a new drawer. The new
parts are the key and the spike. Even though they're in the toolbox, you can
select them just like regular parts. The new drawer contains starts and exits.

In addition to new parts, you can now access the Part Options window. Just
click the right mouse button on a part in a drawer. (This doesn't work for
the spike, the key, starts, or exits.) From here you can modify a parts count
directly (instead of using the wrench), and select a modification for the
part.

Notes On Parts
(If you forget some detail about some part or modification you can access the
in-game online help by clicking the help icon with the right mouse button.)

    * Spike, & Key
      These cannot be modified, for obvious reasons.

    * Starts & Exits
      There can only be one start and one exit on the level. If you place a
      new start, the old one will disapper.

    * Teleporters
      There can only be two (or fewer) of each teleporter, total (on the
      level + in the drawer). If you can't seem to place a teleporter, check
      to see if its count is the problem. If there is only one teleporter
      on the level, then the ball will pass through it unaffected.

Notes On Modifications

    * The modifications Spin, Change Color, and Change Size all fit into a
      class that I like to call Part Changers. What I mean by this is that
      these modifications change one part into another part *that doesn't
      have to have the same modification*. E.g. blue pipe is set to Change
      Color, while the level is running it changes to a red pipe, the red pipe
      need not change back to blue. You can set the modification for the red
      pipe to whatever you want. If you set it to Change Color, then the parts
      will swap color back and forth, as expected. But you don't have to do
      that.

    * The Swap modifications have an interesting effect if the part in
      question is on the edge of the screen. If a part set to Swap Left is
      on the left edge of the screen, it will swap with whatever is on the
      right edge of the level. That is, the level wraps around at the edges,
      but only for Swaps. This doesn't apply to Move or Rebound, which both
      treat the edges of the level as obstructions.


