
            T H E   C O N T I N U I N G    A D V E N T U R E S   O F
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                .    .          version 3.71
                                     by
                              Edward D. Collins


     Ŀ
        INTRODUCTION   
     

     This program is sort of a compliment to my CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF
     CYBERBOX game.  If you're reading these words and have never seen
     this game, you will probably be at a loss as to what this program is
     all about.

     Basically, this program makes it about as easy as possible to create
     rooms for "The Continuing Adventures of CyberBox."



     Ŀ
        HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS   
     

       A 286 (or better) processor.
       A VGA graphics card and color monitor.
       Some creativity!



     Ŀ
        PROGRAM FILES   
     

     Files CA-EDIT.EXE requires
     
       CURSR-01.DAT  -  the cursor-image data file
       BOXES-01.DAT  -  the box-image data file
       CA-EDIT.TXT   -  this documentation file

          Note: With some of these later versions, as I've continued
          to add features, some people have reported having problems
          loading the program into memory.  If you are having such
          difficulties, try loading the program WITHOUT the
          documentation file by using the "no-doc" command-line switch.
          For example...

                  ca-edit no-doc

          will bypass loading the entire doc file and free up almost
          50K of conventional memory.


     Other Files Used
     
       CA-CYBER.CFG  -  the configuration file
       V*.DAT        -  room-volume files

         The configuration file is not required to run the program.
         However, if this file is located in the current directory,
         the program will read it and use the values stored there
         for the cursor speed, text color, cursor-image file,
         box-image file, etc.
     


     Ŀ
        LOADING THE PROGRAM    
     

     To run the program from the DOS prompt, simply type "ca-edit" or
     "ca-edit no-doc".  The second option bypasses loading the doc file.

     This program can also be run from Microsoft's WINDOWS but I have
     noticed when I do so on my system here at home, I see undesirable
     screen flickers during various times.  If this occurs on your
     system, try running the program from a true DOS prompt.



     Ŀ
        HOW TO USE THIS EDITOR   
     

     After loading the program, you will find yourself presented with an
     empty room and the main menu which will appear at the bottom of the
     screen.  The options available from the main menu are:

   LOAD VOLUME   CHOOSE ROOM   EDIT   SAVE TO   PLAY   LOAD FROM   SAVE TO
    FROM DISK      TO EDIT     ROOM   MEMORY    ROOM    MEMORY      DISK


     These options will be explained in detail below.

     Let's say you've decided that you would like to try your hand at
     creating a brand new room.  After the program loads you will
     automatically be placed in the LOAD VOLUME FROM DISK screen since you
     MUST select a room-volume file to edit.  All the room-volumes that
     are present in the current directory will be displayed.  You would
     select one of these if you wish to edit a room that already exists.
     In your case, since you would like to start a brand new volume you
     would choose the VOL-NEW room-volume.

     At this point you will automatically be placed in the CHOOSE ROOM TO
     EDIT screen.  Use your cursor keys to highlight the desired room and
     hit ENTER.  The room will automatically be displayed on the screen.
     In your case it will be empty so you will not see any boxes inside.

     Now select the EDIT ROOM option.  A shimmering box will appear in the
     middle of the screen.  This is your editing cursor.  Use the arrow
     keys on your PC keyboard to move this cursor to any of the 247
     possible "squares" in the room.  After doing so, simply hit the
     appropriate function key to place whatever box you want at this
     location.

     Continue placing boxes in this manner, at whatever location you wish.

     After creating a room or a even partial room, you may wish to "test"
     what you have created so far, to see how it will work in an actual
     game.  Hit the ESCAPE key to exit back to the main menu.  Now, before
     choosing the PLAY ROOM selection, SAVE THIS SCREEN, either to memory
     (usually) or to disk.  After saving the screen, you can now select
     the PLAY ROOM option and play the game as you normally would.

     After you have finished playing the room and generally trying out
     what you have created so far, exit back to the main menu.  You will
     then wish to reload this room.  If you saved it to memory, then
     simply select the LOAD FROM MEMORY selection and select the memory
     slot in which you saved it to prior to playing.

     Notice that order of the first five menu choices is the order you
     will generally use.
     
     So a typical editing session might go something like this:

         Load the room-volume you wish
         Select the room in this room-volume you wish to work on
         Enter the EDIT ROOM mode and start creating/editing your room
         Exit back to the main menu and SAVE this room in MEMORY
             (say for example, memory location 1)
         Enter the PLAY ROOM mode and try your room out
         Exit back to the main menu and recall (LOAD) this memory location

     Then you will probably...

         Re-enter the EDIT ROOM mode and continue working on it
         Exit back to the main menu and again SAVE this room in MEMORY
            (If several changes have been made since the last save, I
            like to save it to a different memory location.  However if
            I've only made a small change or two, I simply overwrite my
            last memory location.)
         Again enter the PLAY ROOM mode and try your room out.

     So basically it's edit-save-play-load, edit-save-play-load, for the
     duration of the session.  EDIT the room, SAVE this design, PLAY and
     try out this design, and then reLOAD it to continue working on it.

     When you have finished creating your room or are simply finished
     working on it for this session, you will then probably wish to save
     it to disk.  To do so, simply choose the final option on the main
     menu titled SAVE TO DISK.


     
     Ŀ
        MENU KEYS   
     

     LOAD VOLUME FROM DISK
     
     This option, when the program first loads, is selected for you
     automatically.  In fact you cannot even exit this screen until you
     DO choose a room-volume file you wish to work on.  However, later
     during the session if you wish to enter this screen to load a 
     different room-volume, and then change your mind, the ESCAPE key will
     exit without loading a new volume.

     Simply use your left and right cursor keys to select the room-volume
     you wish to work on and then hit the ENTER key.


     CHOOSE ROOM TO EDIT
     
     This selection too, is automatically chosen for you when you first
     run the program.  While inside this screen, simply use your up and
     down cursor keys to select the room you wish to edit and hit the
     ENTER key


     EDIT ROOM
     
     While you are in this mode, the four arrow keys will move the
     editing cursor around the screen.  The listed function keys will
     place the appropriate box on the screen.  Hit ENTER to toggle the
     function key boxes.

     For convenience, the spacebar will place the LAST box the cursor
     surrounded.  This comes in VERY handy, so it is wise to make a
     mental note of this.

     Also for convenience, any of the bottom keys on your keyboard (z, x,
     c, v, b, n, or m) will CLEAR the selected box!

     While you are in the edit mode, there are several ALT-key
     combinations which you may wish to use:

         ALT-L  -  shifts every box on the screen one square LEFT.
         ALT-R  -  shifts every box on the screen one square RIGHT.
         ALT-U  -  shifts every box on the screen one square UP.
         ALT-D  -  shifts every box on the screen one square DOWN.
         ALT-C  -  clears the entire screen.


     SAVE TO MEMORY
     
     This selection will save the room, as it currently looks on the
     screen, to memory.  A prompt will come up asking which memory
     location (or which memory SLOT, if you prefer) you wish to save this
     room to.  At any time you can have three rooms saved in memory,
     whether they are different rooms, the same rooms, partial rooms, etc.


     PLAY ROOM
     
     This selection enters the PLAY ROOM mode where you can actually play
     or solve a room you have created.  While in the PLAY ROOM mode, you
     can...

           hit "T" for <T>AKEBACK, just like in the actual game.
           hit "R" to <R>etry this room.  Hitting "R" will set the
               room back to the way it looked when the move count
               was last at zero.

     Before you are allowed to enter the PLAY ROOM mode, you must have
     placed a cursor somewhere on the screen.  (A room is not valid unless
     a single cursor is present somewhere!)


     LOAD FROM MEMORY
     
     This selection will load the room that is currently stored in the
     memory location you specify.


     SAVE TO DISK
     
     This selection will save the room, as it currently looks on the
     screen, to disk.  It will save it within the room-volume that is
     currently loaded.  A confirmation prompt will appear showing you
     which room-volume and which room withing the room-volume, will be
     overwritten.

     Although not listed on the main menu (there wasn't enough room)
     there are two other valid options:


     Read the <D>ocumentation file
     
     If you have not exercised the option of bypassing the documentation
     file with the "no-doc" command-line switch, this option will pull
     up this file you are now reading.


     ESCape
     
     Hitting the ESCAPE key will exit back to DOS after the customary
     confirmation prompt.



     Ŀ
        COMMAND-LINE PARAMETERS   
     
      ca-edit no-doc

         will bypass loading this entire doc file and free up almost
         50K of conventional memory.


      ca-edit no-interrupt

         will bypass the CALL INTERRUPT logic I'm using to draw some of
         my fonts.  You may wish to try this if you're experiencing 
         problems in the LOAD VOLUME FROM DISK screen or the CHOOSE ROOM
         TO EDIT screen.



     Ŀ
        BUG REPORTS   
     

     If you feel the program can use improvements in any area, or more
     importantly, if you find any programming bugs, I would appreciate it
     very much if you would let me know.  With a program of this size and
     complexity, there is always the possiblilty for an error or two.  I
     apologize in advance if there ARE any bugs.

     

     Ŀ
        REGISTRATION   
     

     None!  This program is free.



     Ŀ
        MISCELLANEOUS   
     

     You will note that when playing THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF
     CYBERBOX, the author's name whose designed each room is displayed
     vertically on the right hand side of the screen.  If you send me a
     room YOU yourself design, please let me know how you want YOUR
     name to be displayed.

     This program was written and compiled using Spectra Publishing's
     PowerBASIC, version 3.00c.

     I've tested this program on as many different types of systems as I
     could, and I've experienced no problems.  If it doesn't work on YOUR
     system, I'd be interested in knowing what type of setup you have.
     (The name of the VGA graphics card, monitor, operating system, etc.)

     Once again, I'd like to thank Doug Beeferman, who wrote the original
     CyberBox game.  Obviously if it weren't for him, I never would have
     written my game or this room editor program.

     I'd like to thank the following people for helping me test this
     editor before releasing it to the public:

     Version 3.00
                  Petr Simon of the Czech Republic
                  Mike McKee of Webster City, Iowa

     Version 1.00  -
                  Bill Collins of Durango, Colorado
                  Kelly Collins of Santa Ana, California


     Happy CyberBoxing!  And drop me a line!  I really would like to hear
     your comments.  Direct all correspondence to the following address.


                    Ŀ
                        Edward D. Collins             
                        1427-B Prospect Avenue        
                        Placentia, CA                 
                        USA              92870-3807   
                    


                                               Edward D. Collins
                                               ed@edcollins.com
                                               edwardcollins@yahoo.com
                                               October 3, 2002
      


     Ŀ
        REVISIONS   
     

     Updates in Version 3.71
     
         Recompiled the program so that the glitch I fixed in 
          ca-cyber.exe (7.41) would work here too.


     Updates in Version 3.61
     
         Recompiled the program so that the glitch I fixed in 
          ca-cyber.exe (7.22) would work here too.


     Updates in Version 3.51
     
         Recompiled the program so that the glitch I fixed in 
          ca-cyber.exe (7.11) would work here too.


     Updates in Version 3.43
     
         Recompiled the program so that the glitch I fixed in 
          ca-cyber.exe (7.06) would work here too.


     Updates in Version 3.42
     
         The name of the current room was not alway being displayed when
          returning from the documentation file.

         Since many keyboards now have the word HELP printed on the F1
          key, when the main menu is up the F1 key will now bring up the
          documentation file, in addition to the <D> key.


     Updates in Version 3.31
     
         Changed the program to conform with the changes I made in
          "The Continuing Adventures..." in regards to the new naming
          convention of the room-volume data files.


     Updates in Version 3.23
     
         Added the new 'no-interrupt' command-line switch for any
          users who may be experiencing problems in the LOAD VOLUME FROM
          DISK screen as well as the CHOOSE ROOM TO EDIT screen.   

         Corrected a minor bug in the <R>etry logic in regards to   
          resetting the room back to the way it was.

         Corrected a minor glitch in the way the room is redraw after
          exiting the documentation file.


     Updates in Version 3.11
     
         Changed the program to conform with the changes I made in
          "The Continuing Adventures..." in regards to the new format
          for the room-volume data files.


     Updates in Version 3.00
     
         Changed the format of the program so that now it loads an entire
          room-volume file and allows the user to edit any of the rooms
          within this file, rather than simply loading a single room at a
          time.

         Added the <T>ake Back feature, while play testing a room.

         Added the <R>etry feature, while play testing a room.

         Changed the title screen (slightly).

         Fixed the SAVE TO MEMORY feature so that it now correctly saves
          the number of moves currently used at the time of that save.

         Added the "no-doc" command line switch which operates
          identically to the same switch in "The Continuing Adventures..."

         Added the two new SELECTORS to the fourth 'boxes toggle' switch
          in the EDIT ROOM mode.


     Updates in Version 2.00
     
         Changed the program to conform with the changes I made in
          "The Continuing Adventures..." in regards to the new box-image
          data files and the new cursor-image data files format.

         Slightly changed the format of the room files to more closely
          match the format used by the actual game.



            T H E   C O N T I N U I N G    A D V E N T U R E S   O F












                       
                                            
                                  
                                                 

                       ( Documentation Version 3.71a )

                    The Continuing Adventures of CyberBox
               is Copyright (c) 1994-2002 by Edward D. Collins
                            All Rights Reserved

                            end of file 
