Arena 3D SDK
By Malcolm Smith
Open Source

[Important Note!] The only creation that you can currently distribute for Arena 3D are LEVELS. Distributing a modified player file is not allowed. Of course, this will change when I support multiple player files.

[Note #1] Note that everything is referenced in this file for the TI-89. For example, extensions are .89z and .89y. If you have a TI-92+ or Voyage 200, use the .9xz and .9xy files from the [bin92p] folder.

[Note #2] To test something in Arena 3D, you must send the following files to your calculator:

LEVEL CREATION

You have two options when creating levels. You can either create them on the computer and export them, or create them directly on the calculator.

To create levels on the calculator:

  1. Send a3dedit.89z, a3dedit.89y, and a3dsets.89z to your calculator. If you wish to test levels in the actual game, see Note #2 on what to send to your calculator.

  2. Run arena\a3dedit(). The keys are displayed in the program, so you shouldn't have many troubles creating a level. If you don't enter level dimensions, or one is a 0, the program exits.

    Just a small note: Each tile is 16x16 pixels. Each tile represents what you would see if you were looking directly at the wall in a 3D environment, NOT a top-over view. For close-ups of tiles (and to see what the game uses) see the [levels\gfx\textures] folder.

  3. Once you save your level, it should work with Arena 3D.

  4. If you want to make a level set, and you've made more than one level, run arena\a3dsets(). It should also be self-explanatory. You enter the number of map sets you want to combine, then the desired final set name, and then you choose the level sets to import. You can even combine a pre-existing multi-level set with a new single level to make a new set.

To create levels on the computer:

This is a bit more complicated than creating levels on the calculator, but it's easier once you get it started.

  1. First, you need to get Tile Studio, a free program. To run Tile Studio, you will need a PC with Windows (any version) with HiColor or TrueColor display (Tile Studio cannot be used with 256-color display). Tile Studio works best on a desktop of at least 1024x768. If you have only 800x600 (or less), be sure to maximize the window when you start (so you also see the Tile Set panel and the status line). Download TS.ZIP (1.7 Mb), unzip it and start SETUP.EXE. To unzip the file, use WinZip.

  2. Install Tile Studio to the default location.

  3. Open the [levels] folder in this SDK.

  4. Run [run1st.bat].

  5. For ease of use, I suggest running [levels\associate.reg] so that double-clicking TSP files will open them in Tile Studio. Just double-click that file, and press OK.

  6. Open [Arena3D.tsp].

  7. Click the icon to load the map view.

  8. Then, you can see the TileMap, plus whatever maps that I have created.

  9. To create your own maps, open [User.tsp] and click the icon to load the map view.

  10. Choose File>>New Map (or press Ctrl-M).

  11. Enter the map name, and the desired dimensions.

  12. Use the tiles at the bottom of the screen to create your map.

  13. (Repeat steps 10-12 as necessary, to make as many maps as you want.)

  14. Choose Code>>Generate Code (or press F10).

  15. Close Tile Studio.

  16. Run [a3dlvlmake.exe].

  17. Enter the name of the data text file. It must follow the following format:
    output_filename.bin

    Title for Map #1
    Author for Map #1
    Background for Map #1

    Title for Map #2
    Author for Map #2
    Background for Map #2

    etc.

    'Background' is based on [src\i_a3dgfx.h]. Open that file, and look at the #defines that begin with GENIDX. Ignore the defines that begin GENIDX_hud. All backgrounds are described, and have an index number. Type that index number 'Background' line for each level. You can also look at the accompanying images in [levels\gfx\bg] to pick.

    For an example, see data.txt. The '.bin' must remain

  18. Your level files should then be created, and moved up to the TI-89 and TI-92+ bin directories.

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To convert from calculator files:

Receive a map pack to the PC.
Run TTstrip on it, to make a .BIN file.
Run alev2ts.exe, and type the file name (without .bin).
Create a new map in Tile Studio.
Choose Map>>Import Map, 8-bit 1 based, and choose the file.
Switch to another map and switch back.

PLAYER CREATION

Not yet applicable.