----------------------------------------
Aliens vs. Predator 2 EDITING TOOLS v1.0
December 14, 2001
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Please note that these tools are provided "as-is" and are not
officially supported by Monolith Productions, LithTech Inc., Fox
Interactive or Sierra Entertainment. INSTALLATION AND USE OF THE
TOOLS CAN RENDER YOUR INSTALLED VERSION OF AvP2 INCOMPATIBLE WITH
OTHER USERS ONLINE, OR EVEN COMPLETELY UNUSABLE. AN INSTALLATION OF
AvP2 MODIFIED BY THE TOOLS CANNOT BE COVERED BY SIERRA TECH
SUPPORT. These tools do not include game source code.


Overview:
---------

What's included in this package:

- DEdit, the AvP2 world editor (also contains texture and sprite
utilities).
- ModelEdit, the AvP2 model editor.
- LithRez, a command-line program for packing and unpacking AvP2
.REZ (Resource) files.
- Softimage 3.7 exporters.
- Maya and 3d Studio Max Exporters
- Sample level files.
- Documentation (including step by step instructions for using
DEdit and ModelEdit).
- Links to on-line resources



Terms used in this Document:
----------------------------

GameDirPath:
    This refers to the full path to the folder where Aliens versus
    Predator 2 ["AvP2"] is installed.  By default AvP2 is installed
    to "c:\Program Files\Fox\Aliens vs. Predator 2".  However since
    you may have changed this, paths will be defined in terms of
    GameDirPath (e.g., GameDirPath\Tools is where the Tools are
    installed)


Installation Notes:
-------------------

You must have AvP2 version 1.0.9.3 or higher installed in order to
install the AvP2 Tools.  Your system must meet the AvP2 minimum
system requirements.  An additional 12 MB of free space are
required on the drive where AvP2 is installed.

The AvP2 Tools Installer installs the AvP2 Tools to the folder
GameDirPath\Tools (e.g. "c:\Program Files\Fox\Aliens vs. Predator
2\Tools").  The tools may not run properly if they are moved from
this location!

Double-click avp2tools.exe and follow the prompts to install the
Tools.

In addition, the AvP2 Game Resources must be unpacked (using the
unrez.bat file discussed under the LithRez section below) to the
folder GameDirPath\AvP2 (e.g. "c:\Program Files\Fox\Aliens vs.
Predator 2\AvP2").  You will not be able to use DEdit if the AvP2
Game Resources are not unpacked to this directory. Unpacking the
Game Resources requires an additional 700 MB free space on the
drive where AvP2 is installed.


-----
DEdit
-----

DEdit is the tool that you can use to create and modify levels.
Before you can do this, you must first unpack (extract) resources
from the Aliens vs Predator 2 resource files. This should be
handled automatically during Tools installation but you may also do
it again manually at a later time.  For instructions, please see
the "Lithrez" section of this document.  Once the resources have
been extracted, you can use DEdit to integrate them into your
levels.

To run DEdit, just double click on GameDirPath\Tools\DEdit.exe.

For detailed information on the use of DEdit, please see the DEdit
documentation:

    GameDirPath\Tools\Docs\AvP2DEdit.html


---------
ModelEdit
---------

ModelEdit is the tool that you can use to modify AvP2 models (.abc
files).

To run ModelEdit, just double click on
GameDirPath\Tools\ModelEdit.exe.

For detailed information on the use of ModelEdit, please see the
ModelEdit document:

    GameDirPath\Tools\Docs\AvP2ModelEdit.html


-------
LithRez
-------

Lithrez is a command-line utility which can pack and unpack AvP2
'.REZ' files.  You must use this to "unlock" the media, models,
textures, etc. that are contained in the AvP2 .REZ files before you
can edit them with DEdit or ModelEdit.  LithRez is located in the
Tools folder and will display the following help if run without any
parameters:

    Usage: LITHREZ <command> <rez file name> [parameters]

    Commands: c <rez file name> <root directory to read> - Create
              v <rez file name>                          - View
              x <rez file name> <directory to output to> - Extract
    Options:  ?v                                         - Verbose
    Options:  ?z                                         - Warn
                                                           zero len
    Options:  ?l                                         - Lower
                                                           case ok

    Example: lithrez cv foo.rez c:\foo
             (would create rez file foo.rez from the contents of
             the directory "c:\foo" the verbose option would be
             turned on)


A simple DOS batch file (unrez.bat) has been provided to simplify
the process of unpacking the AvP2 Game resources for you.  To
unpack the AvP2 Game Resources, just double click on "unrez.bat"
located in the Tools folder. Make sure you have at least 700 MB
free space on the hard drive where AvP2 is installed before running
the .bat file.

If you create your own add-ons (that you plan to distribute), you
will need to store your resources in a new .REZ file (e.g.,
MyMod.rez).  For these resources to be available to the game you
must add the following line in the advanced options section of the
AvP2 launcher:

     -rez MyMod.rez

(NOTE: be sure to check the "Always specify these command line
parameters" check-box so these resources are always available to
the game.)

Alternatively, you can add the "-rez MyMod.rez" to a string value
named "Update Command Line" in the
"HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Monolith Productions\Aliens vs.
Predator 2" registry key.

If you want to run custom multiplayer worlds on the dedicated
server, you will have to set up a special .txt file which the
server reads to find the world path:

  1) Make a text file named "customrez.txt" in your AvP2 folder.
  2) Edit the customrez.txt file, adding the names of the custom
  .rez files you want the server to load when you launch the
  dedicated server. You have to follow the format

    [Rez]
    Rez0 ="mod1.rez"
    Rez1 ="mod2.rez"
    Rez2 ="mod3.rez"

  For instance, if I have a "coolguns.rez" file with altered weapon
  models and a "fastpred.rez" file with a modified
  characterbutes.txt attribute file and I wanted my server to use
  both of them, my customrez.txt would look like this:

    [Rez]
    Rez0 ="coolguns.rez"
    Rez1 ="fastpred.rez"

It is important to note that if the .rez files share contained
files, for instance if both coolguns.rez and fastpred.rez had a
modified weapons.txt inside them, the second one in the list will
be the one that is used. So in the example above the server would
end up using the weapons.txt attribute file in fastpred.rez even if
coolguns.rez had one as well.

You should only include new resources in your .REZ file.  For
example, if you created a new DeathMatch level (MyCoolLevel) that
was based on existing AvP2 textures, you would only need to include
the MyCoolLevel.dat file in your add-on .REZ.  Your resource
folders might look like something like this:

     c:\MyMod\Worlds\Multi\DeathMatch\MyCoolLevel.dat

To create the MyMod.rez file you would run LithRez as follows:

     GameDirPath\Tools\LithRez.exe cv MyMod.rez c:\MyMod


-----------------------
Softimage 3.7 Exporters
-----------------------

Softimage was the primary 3D package used in the creation of models
and terrain for Aliens vs. Predator 2.  Exporters were used to
translate the geometry, texture and animation information from
Softimage 3.7 into a file format that could be read by one of our
proprietary game creation tools (ModelEdit and Dedit).

These exporters, and documentation on how to use them can be found
in:

     GameDirPath\Tools\Exporters


--------------------------------
Maya and 3d Studio Max Exporters
--------------------------------

Alias/Wavefront's Maya and Discreet's 3d Studio Max were used for
additional terrain
preparation.

These exporters can be found in:

     GameDirPath\Tools\Exporters

A tutorial illustrating how to use them can be found at:

     GameDirPath\Tools\Docs\terrain_tutorial1.doc


------------------
Sample Level Files
------------------

Included are four sample uncompiled AvP2 level files (.ED files).
These levels will appear under the GameDirPath\AvP2\Worlds
directory after the AvP2 Game resources have been unpacked (see
LithRez section above).  These files are:

    GameDirPath\AvP2\Worlds\SinglePlayer\Sample_Alien.ed,
    Sample_Pred.ed, Sample_Marine.ed

        - Predator, Marine, and Alien reference levels that
        demonstrates the use of several fundamental and complex
        AvP2 objects, including:
            * GameStartPoint
            * WorldProperties
            * TranslucentWorldModel
            * Door
            * AI
            * Scripted events
            * Cinematics
        * StarLightView

    GameDirPath\AvP2\Prefabs\Skies\Sample_simplesky.ed

        - A simple skybox.  This level demonstrates the level
        design concepts necessary to create a simple skybox,
        including the use of:
            * SkyPortals
            * DemoSkyWorldModel

    GameDirPath\AvP2\Prefabs\Sample_complexsky.ed

        - A complex sky.  This level demonstrates the level design
        concepts necessary to create a complex sky, including:
            * Panning clouds
            * Sun/Sun flares
            * Indexing of sky objects

    GameDirPath\AvP2\Worlds\Multi\DM\Sample_DM.ed

        - A reference death match level that demonstrates basic
        AvP2 death match concepts, including:
            * Spawn points
            * Powerups

    GameDirPath\AvP2\Worlds\Multi\Evac\Sample_Evac.ed

        - A reference Evac level that demonstrates basic AvP2
        teamplay concepts, including:
            * Team spawn points
            * EvacZone

    GameDirPath\AvP2\Worlds\Multi\OverRun\Sample_OverRun.ed

        - A reference OverRun level that demonstrates basic AvP2
        teamplay concepts, including:
            * Team spawn points
            * PowerUps


-----------------
On-line resources
-----------------

For more information, please visit the following websites:

     The Official Game Site
     http://avp2.sierra.com

     Sierra Entertainment
     http://www.sierra.com

     FOX Interactive
     http://www.foxinteractive.com

     Monolith Productions
     http://www.lith.com


Thanks
------

We hope you enjoy AvP2 and we look forward to playing all the
modifications that you make!

        - The AvP2 Team
