Lemmix Level Editor, alpha release

[EricLang]

I copied my Lemmix announcement to this new forum.

So finally I finished the beginning of a beginning of a Lemmings Level Editor...
 
I called it "Lemmix" because the program is going to be more than just an editor (but that is not the issue now). Secondly the word "Lemmix" is almost the same as "Lemmings" so I just thought it sounded familiar.
The program is, and will always be, freeware.
 
Level designing is actually quite new to me. I only looked at LemEdit and Cheapo once or twice. I am not eager to start Cheapo because the program is not a very good friend of my monitor-settings.
I am quite familiar with all the DOS lemmings. I played all levels of "Original" and "OhNo" back in 1994 or something. Two months ago I rediscovered this great game, replayed them all, searched the internet, found this forum, found information on LVL files, etc. etc. and now we have a editor.
 
It is in an early stage that this alpha is released, but on the other hand, why not? People can play around with it already  
 
and: I need feedback about the look and feel of the program.
 
If there is feedback, I would like to use this thread for it.
 
I would like to support as much file formats as possible when loading and saving levels. Currently I am thinking about  
 
WinLemmings LVL, Lemmini INI files, CustLem, DOS clone packages. What other things are out there?
 
Direct download:
http://home.hccnet.nl/ericenzwaan/lemmix/Lemmix.zip
 
Lemmix site (at the time of writing under construction):
http://home.hccnet.nl/ericenzwaan/lemmix/lemmix.htm
 
There's no installation needed. Just unpack te zip-file and ensure that the unzipper creates subdirectories
The program needs a directory "Styles" with .lsf files.
Please read the included README.TXT before going extreme Smiley
This readme is also on my Lemmix site and will be updated when needed.
 
A few important notes about the current state of the program:
1) It can not save LVL files yet, only open them. That's my current activity.
2) Only high resolution editor now, so coordinates are converted, when opening a level.
3) Extended Graphics not supported yet
 
For those who are interested: the program is written with Delphi 7 Professional.
 
I hope you have fun using Lemmix!
 
Eric Langedijk

[EricLang]

Version 0.0.2 ready. If you download the zip-file you only need to unpack lemmix.exe.
(Edit: If you already had 0.0.1)
 
* You can save WinLemmings files (LVL) now. (no coordinate validation yet! watch out!).
* Reading leading spaces in the title of LVL files. Sometimes levels (ohno 1016 for example) start with a space or even more spaces.
* Removed all default Delphi OK- and Cancel-Glyphs from modal forms.
* Action Close level added.  
* Action Exit program added.
* Changed internal resolution-coordinate-mapping when loading or saving.
* When the "object command text" (typing in the Image) changes the time is set, so we get more intuitive input. After one second of user-silence the first key overwrites the previous command.
* Dropping file results in application coming in front.
* Changed text of Mainform. Title is included now.
* Added resolution text to statusbar.
* Floating windows are not shown automatically anymore at startup.

[EricLang]

Alpha version 0.0.3 downloadable.

Make a clean install please.

New things:
* native support for dos, win en Lemmini (+ compiler for speed)
* editing dos-levelpacks
* vgaspec-viewer
* vgaspec-creator
* displaying of dos extended graphics
* dos-file-decompression

Have fun!

[Pheee]

Are you actually releasing the graphic sets with this program?

If so isnt that copyright, I am creating an editor as well for windows, and I use the actual Lemmings files, as I didnt want to get into trouble releasing copyright material!!!

[EricLang]

Well. In this stage I am releasing the bitsmaps of all graphic sets of winlemmings as an archive with Lemmix, because my "graphic-set-compiler" is not yet optimized for winlemmings (read: very slow). When the compiler is optimized I will only deliver my executable. I'm not releasing any files, only bitmaps in an archive.
I downloaded your editor and tried it. But I am not in the "mood" to download the whole .NET framework for it

[Pheee]

Yep that is the only problem with C#, but then again most people would have it. Through windows update.

Oh Well

[EricLang]

Version 0.0.4 uploaded.
Minor changes, great LevelViewer added.
See the readme.doc in the zipfile for some details.

[EricLang]

Lemmix alpha 0.0.6 released
Some short notes:

# clean install please and read included readme.doc

# included dos-clone testplayer (tools-->play this level).

# enhanced dos levelpack editor
Small doc can be found here:
http://home.hccnet.nl/ericenzwaan/lemmix/docs/dos%20levelpackeditor.htm

[ccexplore]

I have been actively involved in trying out Lemmix, and there are definitely much improvements between the last public release and this one.̆ It is almost getting to the point where I don't need LemEdit anymore.̆ It's still obviously an alpha in many respects but already it is a good contender to LemEdit.

So I do recommend people to try it out and see.̆ (with the usual caveat that, as the readme doc suggests, make separate copies of your levels and save often.̆ I have yet to lost any levels because of the editor, but better safe than sorry)

I helped Eric out a lot with the playtest mode so the game mechanics should be more accurate than anything else out there (besides the real thing of course), at least with regards to original Lemmings, ONML and CustLemm.̆ Enough that if someone says his/her solution works in Lemmix, I'm 99.999% confident that the same solution will work in the real thing.

[EricLang]

Uploaded Alpha 0.0.7.
If you have 0.0.6, only the exe is needed. There are some extra documents to read in the zip-file.
# Added replay. Replay can be saved and loaded from disk (see doc)
# Added scrolling left and right with keyboard during play
# Added a little bit more stability when loading fails.

Forgotten in document: during replay control is regained when changing anything to the replay or clicking in air.

[EricLang]

Uploaded 0.0.8
# fixed ONML + CustLemm Game mechanic
But when I test I get the wrong zipfile.
I'll try tomorrow again. --> Edit: Fixed, some caching problem I think.

[chaos_defrost]

Cool!

I'd seriously have a lot more to say about Lemmix if I had ideas for levels to design with it... I've been running quite dry of new ideas as of recent. 

I really quite liked what I saw in 0.0.6 (the last version I got)... and there seems to be a lot of discussion about the replay function in 0.0.7+ (something CustLemm sorely needed), so... ya. Awesome.

[EricLang]

Uploaded 0.0.9
# Added Replay Frame by Frame viewing (see docs).
# Fixed WinLemming graphics drawing bug. RECOMPILE winlemming archives if you use them. This is very slow, so get some coffee while doing that. This will be fast, but later.
# Stopped delivering winlemmings archives.

[chaos_defrost]

Ok, I have, I think, 0.0.8, and I'm trying to open a level I made with a very early version of Lemmix (0.0.3, I think), and when I try to select a style (DOS, WinLemm, CustLemm, etc.) to create the level with, none of the files exist.

Where would I find these files to open the level with? The one I used for the level (Low-Res WinLemm) is not working.

[EricLang]

Maybe you did overwrite the LemmixStyles.ini when downloading the latest version.

When you open a LVL file Lemmix cannot possibly know what style it is, because LVL files are used in Original, ONML, CustLem and WinLemmings.
So Lemmix asks which style to use when opening a LVL file.

Now Lemmix needs access to the original data of these styles, which (of course) are in some directory on your computer.
To let Lemmix know where these files are you need to (manually) edit LemmixStyles.ini with a text-editor.

When you open this ini you see something like below.
The only thing you have to change is the CommonPath.
In the section of "style_0" you enter (for example)
CommonPath=C:\InsaneSteve\Lemmings\

[style_0]
StyleClass=TDosOrigStyle
CommonPath=ENTER YOUR ORIGINAL LEMMINGS DIRECTORY HERE
MainDataFile=main.dat
OddTableFile=ODDTABLE.DAT
StyleDescription=Dos Original Lemmings
StyleName=DosOrig

[style_1]
StyleClass=TDosOhNoStyle
CommonPath=ENTER YOUR ONML DIRECTORY HERE
MainDataFile=main.dat
OddTableFile=
StyleDescription=Dos OhNo! More Lemmings
StyleName=DosOhNo


Probably everything is ok then. If not let me know.
I'm really sorry, but it's the onyl way now.
BTW: WinLemmings support is in a somewhat shaky stage now.