Chartbusters 1/CHARTB01.BIN/328.CCEDIT.DOC

Text File | 1996-02-28 | 59KB | 1,271 lines

  CCEdit  -- a Command and Conquer Editor
CCEdit v2 (revision 1), written by Andrew Griffin.


CONTENTS:
[1]  Important Notices
      [1-1]  Copyright Notice and Distribution Restrictions
      [1-2]  Warnings
      [1-3]  What's new in revision 1
[2]  CCEdit Reqirements and Files
      [2-1]  Hardware requirements
      [2-2]  CCEdit files
      [2-3]  Where to get the files from
[3]  How To Use CCEdit v2
      [3-1]  Starting the program
      [3-2]  Keyboard shortcuts
          [3-2-1]  Main menu shortcuts
          [3-2-2]  Secondary menu shortcuts
      [3-3]  Mouse actions
          [3-3-1]  Main menu actions
          [3-3-2]  Secondary menu actions
      [3-4]  Changing the values
          [3-4-1]  Input boxes
          [3-4-2]  Lists
          [3-4-3]  Plus and Minus Buttons
      [3-5]  Buttons and their actions
          [3-5-1]  Save All button
          [3-5-2]  Default All button
          [3-5-3]  Use Patch button
          [3-5-4]  Make Patch button
          [3-5-5]  Reload All button
          [3-5-6]  Save button
          [3-5-7]  Def button
          [3-5-8]  Reload button
          [3-5-9]  Close button
[4]  Patch Files
      [4-1]  What is a patch file?
      [4-2]  Why do I need a patch file?
          [4-2-1]  Synch errors
      [4-3]  Using and making patch files
[5]  Unit and Building Characteristics
      [5-1]  Speed
      [5-2]  Armour Thickness
      [5-3]  Secondary weapon
      [5-4]  Primary Weapon
      [5-5]  Owner
      [5-6]  Power Required
      [5-7]  Power Produced
      [5-8]  Cost
      [5-9]  Visual Radius
      [5-10] Hit Points
      [5-11] Weapon Payload
      [5-12] Invulnerability
      [5-13] Construction Type
      [5-14] Double Fire Ability
      [5-15] Rotor Blades
      [5-16] Transport Ability
      [5-17] Draw Graphics
      [5-18] Tech Levels
      [5-19] Turning Speed
      [5-20] Tiberium Capacity
      [5-21] First Build Level
      [5-22] Unit Can Be Selected
      [5-23] Enemies Will Attack Unit
      [5-24] Aircraft Cannot Land
      [5-25] Can Be Built
[6]  Supplementary Notes on Some Units and Buildings
      [6-1]  Dinosaur Units
      [6-2]  Viceroid and Mobile HQ
      [6-3]  A-10, Hovercraft, Gunboat, and Transport Plane
      [6-4]  Walls and Fences
      [6-5]  Multiplayer-Only Units
[7]  Problems Running CCEdit v2
      [7-1]  Failure to initialise your graphics card
      [7-2]  Not enough memory on your graphics card
      [7-3]  No Microsoft mouse driver detected
      [7-4]  Setting video mode failed
      [7-5]  Error creating a patch file
      [7-6]  Suspected XMS problems
      [7-7]  Unfreed XMS memory
[8]  Andrew's Stupid Quotes
[9]  Last Minute Notices and Thanks

------------------------------
Chapter [1]: Important Notices
------------------------------
[1-1]: Copyright Notice and Distribution Restrictions
=====================================================
   Command and Conquer is a trademark of Westwood Studios Inc, and is so
   acknowledged. Any trademarks not mentioned here are still acknowledged.
   GDI and NOD logo graphics (c) 1995 by Westwood Studios Inc.

   This program is Copyright (c) 1996 Andrew Griffin. All rights reserved.

   You are granted the right to freely distribute this program (and its
   associated files) with the following restrictions:
   I.   It (and its associated files) may not be included in cdrom
        compilations or on magazine cover disks without the express
        permission of the author.
   II.  That no charge be made for the copying or distribution of this
        program and its data files (beyond normal and reasonable access
        charges).
   III. That no changes be made to any of these files.

   If you would like the right to include this program and its files on a
   cdrom compilation or magazine cover disk, write to the author at
   "[e-mail]" on the Internet. If this address bounces, visit the
   WWW page mentioned in section [2-3] where you will find my current email
   address.

   Please note that CCEdit is no longer considered freeware, and that
   versions prior to v2 are no longer supported. See section [9] for details.

[1-2]: Warnings
===============
   ********************************************
   ********* THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT *********
   ********************************************

 * This program makes changes to the file: game.dat. This file is
   required to play Command and Conquer. You may feel safer if you
   make a backup copy of this file.

 * You use this program at your own risk. If anything happens as a
   result of you using this product, I am in no way accountable for
   any damage caused.

 * I do not guarantee that this program will work on your system. It
   works on mine, that is all I can say.

[1-3]: What's new in revision 1
===============================
   Revision 1 is a major upgrade to CCEdit v2. In the first release, CCEdit
   required a different ccedit.dat file for each and every version of Command
   and Conquer. This is no longer the case.

   With revision 1, CCEdit now scans the game.dat file to work out what
   section to edit. This means that I should never have to look at the code
   for this program again, and that you should never have a problem with
   CCEdit failing to recognise your version of Command and Conquer.


---------------------------------------------
CHAPTER [2]: CCEdit v2 Requirements and Files
---------------------------------------------
[2-1]: Hardware requirements
============================
CCEdit v2 is now fully graphical. To run it, you need the following hardware:
 - a 386 or better CPU
 - a microsoft compatible mouse driver loaded
 - 512K or more of memory on your video card
 - a VESA compatible video card (capable of 640x480 256 colour mode)

   It is recommended that you have at least 800K of XMS memory available
   when using this program, as CCEdit will be able to make use of this memory
   which will result in faster screen redraws in certain parts of the program.
   You will also need at least 3 XMS handles available (the default number
   of handles for himem.sys is 32, so you should have no problem here).

[2-2]: CCEdit files
===================
   In your CCEdit distribution, you should have received the following files:
   ccedit.exe, ccedit.doc (this file), ccedit.dat and lookdat.dat

   In order to use CCEdit v2, you must have the ccedit.exe, ccedit.dat and
   lookdat.dat files in your Command and Conquer directory. CCEdit will not
   be able to run without these files.

   If you used the first release of CCEdit v2, then you will already have a
   ccedit.dat file. The new ccedit.dat file replaces that one - old ccedit.dat
   files are incompatible with revision 1 (see [1-3] for the reason why).

[2-3]: Where to get the files from
==================================
   You can obtain any of the CCEdit v2 files by going to one of the WWW pages
   listed below (there will undoubtably be other sites carrying these files,
   but these are the sites I know have them):

           http://wellness.uwsp.edu/other/agriffin/
           http://www.isl.net/~mohit/ccedit

   You can also visit my personal homepage at

           http://adam.com.au/~buggy

   although this site is slower than the other sites, and might not exist
   if I change access providers.

   These pages contain all the CCEdit v2 files.

   They also contain my current email address (in case I change my present
   address).

   If you find that CCEdit is unable to work with your version of Command
   and Conquer, then please email me at "[e-mail]" and I will see
   what I can do. However, unless Westwood really change things around,
   this version of CCEdit should work with all present and future versions
   of Command and Conquer.

   At no point will I knowingly create a version of CCEdit for any pirate
   version of Command and Conquer. This is a great game, and Westwood
   deserves their money. Do not use this program unless you have bought
   Command and Conquer.


---------------------------------
CHAPTER [3]: How To Use CCEdit v2
---------------------------------
[3-1]: Starting the program
===========================
   The program and data files are distributed as zip files, so you must
   first unzip those files (using a program like pkunzip) into your
   Command and Conquer directory.

   Please make sure that you have a ccedit.dat file, and the hardware
   requirements to run this program.

   To the DOS prompt, simply type in:  ccedit
   and press return.

   There will be a brief pause during which time the screen will stay dark,
   and if everything went correctly, the title screen will be displayed.
   You will receive the message the CCEdit is identifying your game.dat file,
   and when it has done that, a message that you should press any key on
   the keyboard, or click the mouse button, to continue. The time it takes
   to scan the game.dat file to work out where to edit depends mainly on the
   speed of the machine (on my DX4/100 it takes about 3 seconds), but also
   (although to a much lesser extent) which version of Command and Conquer
   you are running. The scan would be much faster if I knew some assemably,
   but I don't, so it isn't.

   You should now be displayed with the main menu.

[3-2]: Keyboard shortcuts
=========================
   For those of you who feel more at home using the keyboard than the mouse,
   I have added in as many keyboard shortcuts as I was able to. This lets
   you move around the menus faster.

   Whenever you see a button marked 'Yes', you can either press the 'y'
   key, or the 'Enter' key to select this button. Whenever you see a button
   marked 'No', you can press the 'n' key to select this button.
[3-2-1]: Main menu shortcuts
----------------------------
   On this screen you have access to the following keyboard commands:
   'i'   Takes you to the Infantry screen.
   'v'   Takes you to the Vehicles screen.
   'b'   Takes you to the Buildings screen.
   'a'   Takes you to the Aircraft screen.
   'e'   Exits the program.
   's'   Has the same effect as clicking on the Save All button.
   'd'   Has the same effect as clicking on the Default All button.
   'u'   Has the same effect as clicking on the Use Patch button.
   'm'   Has the same effect as clicking on the Make Patch button.
[3-2-2]: Secondary menu shortcuts
---------------------------------
   The available keyboard commands are the same regardless of whether you
   are in the Infantry, Vehicle, Building or Aircraft secondary menus. The
   available keyboard commands are:
   's'   Has the same effect as clicking on the Save button.
   'd'   Has the same effect as clicking on the Def button.
   ESC   Has the same effect as clicking on the Close button.
   TAB   Selects the next unit/building for editing (this wraps around when
         moving from the last unit/building).
   Shift-TAB
         Selects the previous unit/building for editing (this wraps around
         when moving from the first unit/building).
   Up Arrow
         Has the same effect as Shift-TAB.
   Down Arrow
         Has the same effect as TAB.

[3-3]: Mouse actions
====================
   Whenever I mention clicking on something, it always means clicking on
   it with the left mouse button.
   Whenever you see a white word, clicking on that will do something,
   such as change a value, bring up a list, or switch screens.
[3-3-1]: Main menu actions
--------------------------
   Clicking on the word 'Infantry' will take you to the Infantry screen.
   Clicking on the word 'Vehicles' will take you to the Vehicles screen.
   Clicking on the word 'Buildings' will take you to the Buildings screen.
   Clicking on the word 'Aircraft' will take you to the Aircraft screen.
   Clicking on any part of 'Exit Program' will exit this program.

   See section [3-5] for the effects of clicking on the buttons on the
   right side of the screen.
[3-3-2]: Secondary menu actions
-------------------------------
   When you are in one of the secondary screens (Infantry, Vehicles,
   Buildings, or Aircraft), clicking on the name of the unit/building on
   the left hand side of the screen will make that unit/building the
   current unit/building being edited.

   See section [3-5] for the effects of clicking on the buttons on the
   bottom of the screen.

   There are 3 buttons next to each numerical value in the top right
   section of the screen. The first (and largest) button will pop up
   an input box (see [3-4-1] for dealing with input boxes). The next
   two buttons are Minus and Plus buttons respectively (see [3-4-3] for
   dealing with these buttons).

   Depending upon which secondary screen you are on, there will be a number
   of different values which you can click on to bring up lists, or change
   values.

   See section [3-4-2] for dealing with lists.
 Infantry Screen
 ---------------
   Clicking on the weapon of the current unit will bring up a list of
   available weapons.
   Clicking on the owner of the current unit will bring up a list of
   available owners.
   Clicking on the tech level of the current unit will bring up a list
   of available tech levels.
 Vehicle Screen
 --------------
   Clicking on the primary weapon of the current unit will bring up a list
   of available weapons.
   Clicking on the secondary weapon of the current unit will bring up a
   list of available weapons.
   Clicking on the owner of the current unit will bring up a list of
   available owners.
   Clicking on the tech level of the current unit will bring up a list
   of available tech levels.
   Clicking on the armour of the current unit will bring up a list of
   available armour levels.

   There are also a number of switches which are either in an 'On' or 'Off'
   state (or 'Yes' and 'No' for Display Graphics). If you click on these
   words, you will switch their value (from 'On' to 'Off' and vice versa).
   These switches are for: stealth ability, double firing ability,
   invulnerability, and display graphics.
 Building Screen
 ---------------
   Clicking on the weapon of the current building will bring up a list
   of available weapons.
   Clicking on the owner of the current building will bring up a list of
   available owners.
   Clicking on the tech level of the current building will bring up a list
   of available tech levels.
   Clicking on the armour of the current building will bring up a list of
   available armour levels.
   Clicking on what this building can create will bring up a list of
   available construction types.

   There are also two switches which are either in an 'On' or 'Off' state.
   If you click on these, you will switch their value (from 'On' to 'Off'
   and vice versa). These switches are for: double firing ability, and
   invulnerability.
 Aircraft Screen
 ---------------
   Clicking on the primary weapon of the current unit will bring up a list
   of available weapons.
   Clicking on the owner of the current unit will bring up a list of
   available owners.
   Clicking on the tech level of the current unit will bring up a list
   of available tech levels.
   Clicking on the armour of the current unit will bring up a list of
   available armour levels.

   There are also three switches which are either in an 'On' or 'Off'
   state. If you click on these, you will switch their value (from 'On'
   to 'Off' and vice versa). These switches are for: invulnerability,
   transport ability, and whether the aircraft has a set of rotor blades.

[3-4]: Changing the values
==========================
   There are 3 different ways to change the values available for editing
   (apart from the 'On'/'Off' switch). These are through input boxes,
   lists and plus/minus buttons
[3-4-1]: Input boxes
--------------------
   There are two types of input boxes: those for numerical data, and
   those for text data. If you want specific information on boxes dealing
   with text data, see Make Patch button (secion [3-5-4]).

   There are 3 parts to an Input box: the value being edited, a Cancel button
   and an Accept button. The Cancel button is the small button in the upper
   left corner. The Accept button is the OK button in the lower right corner.

   You use the keyboard to enter the value you want that variable to have.
   Use the backspace or delete keys to erase the current data, and type in
   the new value. For numerical boxes, only the keys 0-9 will be accepted as
   valid.

   If you enter a value which is large than the acceptable maximum for that
   variable, it will be reduced to the maximum allowable.

   Instead of clicking on the Cancel button, you may also press the Escape
   key on your keyboard to get rid of the input box with no changes being
   made. Likewise, you can press the Enter key on your keyboard instead of
   clicking on the Accept button.
[3-4-2]: Lists
--------------
   Once you have brought up a list, there are a couple of ways to exit it.

   The first is to press the Escape key on your keyboard. This gets rid
   of the list with no change to the value. You can also press your right
   mouse button, which has the same effect as pressing the Escape key.

   The other way is to click on one of the available values, which gets
   rid of the list, and changes the value of the variable being edited.
   Please note that a couple of values on the ownership and tech level
   lists are not available (such as those which show up an Not Applicable)
   as these are outside of the useful values.
[3-4-3]: Plus and Minus Buttons
-------------------------------
   There are two versions of these buttons.

   The first is found only when editing the visual radius of a unit/building.
   This type will stay depressed and not increase in value for as long as
   you hold down the mouse button (and the mouse cursor is over the
   particular button). This was done because the small range of the
   visual radius (maximum of 10) needed a way for very slow changes to be
   made.

   The second variety of these buttons increses the value of the variable
   constrantly, for as long as the button is depressed. This allows for a
   much faster increment/decrement of the value. The amount that the variable
   is changed by depends on the maximum value of that variable. Those that
   have a low value (127 or 255) are increased/decresed in steps of 1. Those
   that have a much larger maximum value are increased/decreased in steps of
   5 (except for the power required variable for the Temple of Nod, the
   Advanced Communication Centre and Obelisk of Light, which have a step
   value of 1).

[3-5]: Button Actions
=====================
   There are a number of different buttons in CCEdit, each of which does
   something different when clicked. These buttons are:
[3-5-1]: Save All button
------------------------
   When this button is clicked, CCEdit writes all editable values to the
   game.dat file. It is especially useful when using a patch file or using
   the Default All button.
[3-5-2]: Default All button
---------------------------
   When this button is clicked, all values in memory are changed to the
   default values of Command and Conquer. Please remember that these changes
   only affect the values in memory - you must still save them to the
   game.dat file (using the Save All button).

   As a precaution, you are asked whether you are sure you want to change
   all the values to their original values. This is to stop you from losing
   all your work if you hit this button by accident.

   Also, please note that the price of the Gun Turret was increased to $600
   from its original price in the 1.18 patch. The default price for the
   gun turret remains at $250 for the 1.07 versions of the ccedit.dat file
   but has been increased to $600 for the later versions.
[3-5-3]: Use Patch button
-------------------------
   When this button is clicked, you are shown a list of available patch
   files that were created with CCEdit v2 (note that those patches created
   with the cc-p program distributed with the v1.5 version of CCEdit are
   not usable by this program).

   A maximum of 77 patch files can be displayed. If you have more than 77
   patch files, then only the first 77 will be displayed. These files are
   sorted in the order they were created, with the oldest appearing first.
   If you click on the name of one of the patch files, the values in memory
   are changed. If you want to make these changes permanent, you need to
   save them to the game.dat file. Do this using the Save All button.

   If there are no available patch files in the current directory, you are
   told of this fact. Click on the OK button to get rid of this message.
[3-5-4]: Make Patch button
--------------------------
   When this button is clicked, it will attempt to create a patch file of
   the current values that can be edited by CCEdit. These values are those
   that are currently in memory, not those that have been saved to the
   game.dat file.

   You are first asked to give the new patch file a name (the default is
   newpatch). Do not give it an extension, as it is automatically given
   the extension .pat (this is required for the Use Patch function). Please
   note that only lower case letters and numerals are accepted, in an
   attempt to prevent invalid file names being created. The file name
   given can have a maximum of 8 letters (to fit in wth DOS's 8.3 file
   naming system).

   If you have changed your mind and no longer wish to create a patch
   file, click on the little button in the upper left corner of this input
   box. The process will be aborted. You can also press the Escape key
   on your keyboard to abort this process.

   Once you are happy with the name, click on the OK button in the lower
   right corner of this input box, or press Enter on your keyboard.

   If the named patch file already exists, you will be asked whether you
   want to overwrite it. If you do, press the Yes button. If you do not
   want this file to be overwritten, press the No button, the process
   will be aborted.
[3-5-5]: Reload All button
--------------------------
   When clicked, CCEdit refreshes all the editable values with those that
   are in the game.dat file. This gets rid of any and all changes you have
   made since the last time you saved your work. Because of this, you are
   first asked whether you really want to do this. Click on the Yes button
   (or press Enter on your keyboard) if you want to do this. Click on the
   No button (or press Escape on your keyboard) if you don't want to refresh
   all the values.
[3-5-6]: Save button
--------------------
   If this button is clicked, the values for the current unit/building
   will be written to the game.dat file. No other information will be
   written to the file (the values for the other units/buildings will
   not be written out).
[3-5-7]: Def button
-------------------
   If this button is clicked, the values for the current unit/building
   will be reset to their default values. Other units/buildings are not
   affected. Note that this change is not written to the game.dat file,
   but just affects the values in memory. You must still write them to
   the game.dat file (using either the Save All or Save button).

   Also, please note that the price of the Gun Turret was increased to $600
   from its original price in the 1.18 patch. The default price for the
   gun turret remains at $250 for the 1.07 versions of the ccedit.dat file
   but has been increased to $600 for the later versions.
[3-5-8]: Reload button
----------------------
   When this button is clicked, CCEdit re-reads all the values for the
   current unit/building from the game.dat file. This will get rid of any
   changes you have made to that unit/building since the last time you
   saved your work. It has no effect on any other unit/building, just the
   one currently being displayed.
[3-5-9]: Close button
---------------------
   Clicking on this button simply takes you back to the main menu, whether
   you were in a secondary screen or the Use Patch screen.


------------------------
CHAPTER [4]: Patch Files
------------------------
[4-1]: What is a patch file?
============================
   A patch file is a small file (about 3K) that contains all the values
   that can be edited by CCEdit v2. It is independent of the versions of
   Command and Conquer used to create it, so there is no problem with, say,
   creating a patch file from a 1.19 version of Command and Conquer and
   then using it with the German 1.07 version of Command and Conquer.

[4-2]: Why do I need a patch file?
==================================
   The main reason why you would want to create a patch file is so you can
   create a customised version of Command and Conquer. You might have a
   particular set of values that you enjoy using, and instead of having
   to set these values by hand, all you need to do is create a patch file
   containing these values.

   This is especially useful when you play multiplayer games. If you wish
   to play a multiplayer game of Command and Conquer but use values
   different from those that Westwood decided upon, you need to make sure
   that all the players have the same values in their game.dat file,
   otherwise you will get a synch error (see [4-2-1]). With a patch file
   you can just give your opponent the small patch file, have them apply
   that, and your files will (should) be identical and you should have
   no problems.
[4-2-1]: Synch errors
---------------------
   If you use this program and play multiplayer games of Command and Conquer,
   you must make sure that all people in the multiplayer game have the same
   values, otherwise you will get a synch error and will be kicked out of
   the game. Westwood programmed it this way, so make sure that you have the
   values correct. You should not attempt to cheat in multiplayer games by
   using this program.

   There are some other occasions which can cause synch errors, but as these
   circumstances have nothing to do with using CCEdit, I won't mention them
   here.

[4-3]: Using and making patch files
===================================
   See sections [3-5-3] and [3-5-4] on how to create and use patch files.


----------------------------------------------
CHAPTER [5]: Unit and Building Characterisitcs
----------------------------------------------
   There are certain characteristics which will only take effect at the
   beginning of a level, or when a new unit of that type is produced. The
   way around this is just to restart the level. From memory, this includes
   stealth ability, hit points, and ownership (there are probably others).

   There are some maximum values that I am not 100% sure about (such as
   maximum power required), but in these cases I decided to be safe rather
   than sorry (likewise the maximum of 32K for hit points).
[5-1]: Speed
============
   Units all have a maximum speed of 127 (this is very fast - the recon bike
   has speed 40 normally). However, there are a few problems with setting
   the speed high that you should know about.

   Infantry units behave very wierdly when given speed values above about
   30. Their movement becomes increasingly jerky, and eventually it will
   appear that there are 3 units where there should only be one, and at this
   stage that unit becomes very difficult to move around. It is recommended
   that you keep infantry speed below 30.

   Air units (mainly orca and apache) also behave strangely when given
   extremely high speed values. Sometimes they will simply refuse to land
   on a helipad, even thuogh there are no other helicopters trying to land
   there. This can get extremely frustrating. I don't know of an exact value
   at which this begins to occur.

   Decreasing the speed of the A-10 means that it drops its bombs in a much
   smaller area, but also makes it much easier to kill with defensive
   missiles. Increasing the speed of the A-10 increases the area over which
   it will drop its bombs.

[5-2]: Armour Thickness
=======================
   There are 5 levels of armour available to be placed on your vehicles or
   buildings. These increase in strength ranging from 1 (the weakest) to 5
   (virtually indestructible). No unit in the game has a natural armour value
   greater than type 3, so I'm not 100% sure whether types 4 and 5 are
   completely legal. Nevertheless, they work and don't cause Command and
   Conquer to crash.

[5-3]: Secondary Weapon
=======================
   Only one unit (the mammoth tank) comes with a secondary weapon by default,
   but this allows you to give secondary weapons to all vehicles. However,
   they operate in a manner which is different to the primary weapons.

   For those vehicles which have turrets, the secondary weapon is fired when
   the turret turns around to fire at a new opponent. For vehicles which
   do not have turrets, the story is a little different, and more complex.

   When vehicles do not have a turret and are given secondary weapons, they
   will fire their primary weapons when in a direct line (horizontally or
   vertically) to their opponent. When not in a straight line, they will fire
   their secondary weapon to attack ther opponent.

   When giving a unit a secondary weapons which has a longer range than its
   primary weapon, that unit will begin to attack enemy units with its
   secondary weapon whenever an enemy unit comes within range of that weapon.

[5-4]: Primary Weapon
=====================
   This is the weapon that the unit/building attacks with, and there are only
   a few things that you should be aware of.

   If you give a unit/building (except for the Obelisk) the laser, then
   whenever that unit/building fires its weapon, there will be no graphic
   associated with the weapon discharge. The sound effect is still there
   however. I haven't found out why this is happening.

   Putting the napalm bomb on anything other than the A-10 is a pretty
   pointless excercise, as the bomb falls straight down on the square from
   which it was launched. While this does not damage the unit firing the
   bomb, it also doesn't do much (if any) damage to surrounding units.
   However, giving infantry napalm bombs is definitely interesting when they
   are in large groups.

[5-5]: Owner
============
   The ownership variable is set to determine which side (GDI, NOD, both, or
   neither) can build that particular unit/building. Remember that some
   units/buildings do have pre-requisites (check out Westwood's FAQ) before
   they can be built, so those pre-requisites must also be set (eg. grenadiers
   require a barracks - they cannot be built with just a hand of nod).

   Please note that there is no known way of producing the dinosaurs,
   viceroids, hovercraft, A-10, gunboat and transport plane so changing the
   ownership on these items is a pointless exercise.

   Also note that in single player mode, that the computer will continue to
   rebuild its buildings even if they are marked as 'Cannot be built'. This
   only affects the human player in single player mode.

[5-6]: Power Required
=====================
   This is the amount of power that a building drains from the available
   power supply. Only the Temple of Nod, Advanced Communication Centre and
   Obelisk of Light can have a required power value of greater than 127.
   These three structures can have a maximum power requirement of 32,766.

   The minimum power requirement is 0.

[5-7]: Power Produced
=====================
   This is the amount of power that this type of building contributes to
   the power pool. Only the Advanced Power Plant can produce more than
   255 units of power. The Advanced Power Plant can produce 32,766 units
   of power.

   The minimum power produced is 0.

[5-8]: Cost
===========
   Most units/buildings have a maximum cost of 32,766, but there are a
   few exceptions that you should know about.

   The minigunner has a maximum cost of 255. The walls and fences have a
   maximum cost of 255. The dinosaurs also have a maximum cost of 255,
   although it is probably better to leave their cost unchanged.

   The minimum cost (except for the dinosaurs) is 1.

[5-9]: Visual Radius
====================
   This determines how many black squares of the map are cleared when a
   unit moves into range, or when a structure is built. Remember, it is
   a radius, so this amount is cleared on all sides.

   There is a maximum value of 10 for the radius.

   If you give a unit a large radius (such as 10), what occasionally
   happens when that unit unloads from a transport helicopter or
   hovercraft is that some part of the map near the unit that should have
   been uncovered will remain black. Simply move that unit (or another)
   to uncover the dark area. It seems as though the black is removed from
   the edge of the visual radius rather than from all squares covered by
   that unit's vision.

[5-10]: Hit Points
==================
   There are three classes of hit points: light unit, heavy unit and
   building.

   Light units all have a maximum hit point value of 127. These units are:
   all forms of infantry, the stealth tank, mobile HQ, SSM, artillery,
   rocket launcher, and all aircraft.

   The heavy units all have a maximum hit point value of 32,766. These units
   are the remaining vehicles.

   Buildings are different again. They have a maximum hit point value of
   16,382. If they have a value greater than this, then they fail to build
   correctly.

   Please note that the walls have a maximum hit point value of 255, but
   editing their hit points does not make them stronger.

   If you have increased the maximum hit point value of a unit and load
   up a savegame in which these units already exist, then these units
   will appear to be damaged as the hit points they currently have is less
   than the new maximum. They still have the same amount of hit points as
   before, but will appear to be injured.

[5-11]: Weapon Payload
======================
   This changes the amount of ammunition that the aircraft carry. Increasing
   it means that the aircraft can stay out longer without needing to rearm
   itself. Changing the payload of the A-10 will increase the length of its
   bombing path (it does not turn back for another pass over the target until
   it has dropped all of its bombs). The A-10 will drop a number of bombs
   (or other weapon) equal to three times this number.

   Please note that the rearming rate of the helipad is constant, so
   completely rearming a helicopter which carried 127 missiles will take a
   very long time.

   The maximum allowable payload is 127.

[5-12]: Invulnerability
=======================
   When turned on, this unit/building type cannot be hurt in any way.

   However, buildings can still be captured by engineers, but cannot be
   blown up by commandos.

[5-13]: Construction Type
=========================
   This determines what a certain structure type allows you to build. There
   are a few things that you shuold know about this, however.

   In all cases, having multiple structures that have the same construction
   type (ie multiple barracks) decreases the time needed to build that
   unit/building.

   While setting a building other than the barracks or hand of nod to have
   the ability to build infantry will decrease the time needed to produce
   infantry units, they cannot be built FROM structures other than barracks
   or hand of nods. What i mean by this is that although, say, a power plant
   can give you the ability to build infantry units, if you just have a
   power plant and no barracks/hand of nod, then any infantry which you
   build will not appear. They will not emerge from buildings other than
   the barrack or hand of nod.

   Likewise for the building of vehicles. Vehicles will only emerge/be
   delivered from weapons factories and Runway Delivery Systems. They will
   not emerge from other buildings.

   Fortunately, any type of building with the ability to build structures
   will be able to place down newly built structures.

[5-14]: Double Fire Ability
===========================
   When on, this ability causes the unit/building to fire its weapon twice
   instead of once. This also affects the seondary weapon, it the unit has
   one.

   Note that if the unit/building kills its opponent with the first of its
   shots (and there was a delay before the second fired), the next time it
   attacks, it will use the shot that remains from this interrupted firing
   pair. So, there will be a single shot, the reloading delay, and then it
   will resume is double firing pattern.

   I think that when the obelisk has its double firing ability set, that
   when it attacks an opponent, it fires both lasers at the same time,
   rather than having a delay between attacks. At least, that is what I
   make of it.

[5-15]: Rotor Blades
====================
   I added this purely for fun, it just alters the graphics of the aircraft
   a little and has no othe impact on the game. You can give a set of rotor
   blades to any of the aircraft, or take them away from those aircraft
   (the apache and chinook) that already have a set.

[5-16]: Transport Ability
=========================
   This ability allows an aircraft to carry infantry (or, in the case
   of the transport plane, to deliver the newly created vehicles to the
   Runway Delivery System).

   When set for the orca and apache, the display showing how many infantry
   units it is carrying replaces the display showing how much ammunition
   it still has.

   An important note when giving the apache the transport ability is that
   when an infantry unit gets on and gets off, the graphics stuff up in
   a really big way. Don't worry about this, it doesn't seem to affect the
   game at all. The graphics will return to normal once the apache takes
   off again.

   It is important to note that if the transport plane does not have the
   transport ability turned On, then it will be unable to deliver units
   to the Runway Delivery System. This means that Nod will be unable to
   build new vehicles. Any money spent on undelivered vehicles is just
   wasted.

[5-17]: Draw Graphics
=====================
   Added so that you can see the dinosaur units (you need to play a mission
   that has some dinosaur units in it to see them).

   Please note that this is not the same as the stealth ability. These units
   are treated as though they are completely visible by opposition units,
   and will be attacked when they come in range. It is mainly a disadvantage
   for human palyers.

   When a unit doesn't have its graphics being drawn, the status bar showing
   how much health it has left is also not drawn. The only way to tell if
   you have selected an undrawn unit is through sound.

   When a unit dies however, you do see their death graphic.

[5-18]: Tech Levels
===================
   This only affects multiplayer games, it has no effect on what you can
   build in single player games. Remember that some units/buildings have
   pre-requisites, so use your head when changing the tech levels. eg. making
   orcas and apaches tech level 3 is useless if helipads are still tech level
   6.

   When it says that the tech level is Not Applicable, it just means that the
   default value of the tech level is outside the normal 1-7 range.

[5-19]: Turning Speed
=====================
   This determines how fast a unit (vehicle or aircraft) will be able to
   change direction. The higher this number, the faster it will be able to
   change directions.

   You may experience some control problems if you give a vehicle both a
   high Speed and high Turning Speed (it will occasionally go running off in
   another direction, especially if it has a secondary weapon).

[5-20]: Tiberium Capacity
=========================
   This reflects how much tiberium a buildings can store. Only the refinery
   and silo can store more than 127 units of tiberium. These two structures
   can store up to 32K of tiberium.

   While it may seem that the refinery/silo is full (all the boxes have turned
   green), they will continue to store tiberium until their new limit has been
   reached. It seems that a box represents a set amount of tiberium stored.
   Just wait until you get the 'Silos needed' message.

[5-21]: First Build Level
=========================
   This is a very useful variable. It determines in which level of the game
   this unit/building can first be built by the human player. It is a level
   common to both the GDI and NOD mission levels (eg. setting Repair Bays
   as a level 14 building means that GDI will be able to first build them
   in the 14 mission, but NOD will never be able to build them [as there are
   only 13 missions in the NOD sequence]).

   Remember that some buildings have pre-requisites (eg. the Advanced
   Communications Centre needs the Communications Centre to be built first),
   so you will need to make sure that these pre-requisites are of the same or
   lower level.

   It is doubtful that building the Temple of Nod early will give you access
   to the nuclear missile, as you still have to collect the three steel crates
   before gaining access to this missile.

   However, if you build the Advanced Communications Centre early, you do get
   access to the Ion Cannon.

   A problem that you should know about: Nod does not seem able to build
   helipads (and hence apaches) by setting the first build level lower. They
   need to capture (or start with) a helipad to be able to build them. This
   is probably coded into Command and Conquer (they only should need the Hand
   of Nod to build).

   There is a similar problem for the rocket launcher unit.

[5-22]: Unit Can Be Selected
============================
   When set to On, this aircraft can be selected. When Off, you are not able
   to select the unit, and hence are not able to move it around. See section
   [6-3] for details about how to use this in a useful way.

[5-23]: Enemies Will Attack Unit
================================
   This is the variable that allows the Nod transport plane to fly in new
   vehicles without being attacked by any missile troops. If you want the
   current aircraft to get attacked by missile troops (and by ground forces
   when it lands), set this to Off. If you do not want these troops to attack
   this aircraft, set it to On.

   One thing to note is that while SAM sites will not attack a unit (I used
   an orca) that is attacking it and has this variable set to On, a bazooka
   infantry unit will attack any aircraft that attacks it, even if it has
   this variable set to On. It is likely (but untested by me) that vehicles
   will attack units that attack them (if possible), regardless of this
   variable, but structures will not.

[5-24]: Aircraft Cannot Land
============================
   If this is set to On, then this aircraft will not be able to land on the
   ground. It will seem to 'float', and you will not be able to move it, even
   if you are able to select it.

   It Off, then the aircraft will be able to land, just like the normal
   helicopters.

   Please note that if you set this to Off for the Transport Plane in a
   single player game and the computer is NOD, then it will be able to drop
   its newly bought vehicles anywhere on the map, not just where its runway
   it. This lets it bring new vehicles directly to the front line of the
   battle. See section [6-3] for details on how to use this in a useful way.

   Also, if you set this to On for the A10, then it will have problems using
   its napalm bombs in the correct way. Instead of flying over the target,
   it will attempt to attack the target like a helcopter, and so will drop
   its bombs well away from the intended target.

[5-25]: Can Be Built
====================
   This flag determines whether that particular unit/structure can be built.
   It does affect what the computer can build, not just the human player.
   When On, this unit/structure can be built. When Off, it cannot be built.

   Using this flag, it becomes possilble to build the dinosaurs, viceroid,
   A10, transport plane, hovercraft and gunboat.

------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER [6]: Supplementary Notes on Some Units and Buildings
------------------------------------------------------------
[6-1]: Dinosaur Units
=====================
   There are 4 dinosaur units in Command and Conquer (why? ask Westwood, not
   me). Normally, these units cannot be built, but there it is now possible
   to be able to produce these units.

   Firstly, set the Draw Graphics to On, so you can see these units once
   you build them.

   Now, set the Ownership to GDI, NOD or common.

   Lastly, set the Can Be Built variable to On.

   Now all you have to do is to set the level at which they will first
   appear (using the First Build Level variable). When you build the weapons
   factory or runway, you will be able to build and control them.

   However, their graphics are quite jerky, and are not very smooth when
   being moved around. Their death animations are nice, however. Also, they
   regenerate when eating infantry (not sure if this happens when eating
   vehicles).

   There is no little icon on the sidebar showing the dinosaur (you just get
   a blank square), suggesting that Westwood never intended you to be able
   to build them. You still get a name and price where there picture should
   be (when you move the mouse over the non-icon).

[6-2]: Viceroids and Mobile HQ
==============================
   You'll see a viceroid occasionally in multiplayer games, but, like the
   dinosaurs, they are not normally able to be built. Just follow the same
   method as to get the dinosaurs buildable:

   Set the Ownership correctly, make them buildable, and then set the level
   at which they are first available to be built.

   Viceroids regerate when on tiberium.

   The mobile HQ only appears in multipalyer games where you are playing
   Capture the Flag with bases off. You should be able to build them by
   setting the first build level to an acceptable number.

   Be warned about the Mobile HQ: it one is destroyed, all of your vehicles
   and structures are blown up and you lose that mission. It is probably
   best not to built one :)

[6-3]: A-10, Hovercraft, Gunboat, and Transport Plane
=====================================================
   Being able to build the hovercraft and gunboat is not very useful as
   you can't really control them. The hovercraft just travels down the screen
   and disappears off the edge while the gunboat travels across the screen
   going left to right, and back again. It will attack any enemies it sees,
   and ignores the different terrain types, but as you need a weapons factory
   or runway to build one, it is likely that you will end up with gunboats
   strolling through your base.

   All you have to do is set the Can Be Built variable to On, and set the
   appropriate build level.

   You are also able to build the A10s and transport planes, but the method
   for building them is a little different (if you want to be able to control
   them as well).

   Firstly, you need to set the Can Be Built variable to On, and set the
   appropriate build level. Now, to control the A10 or transport plane, you
   must set the Unit Can Be Selected variable to On, and the Cannot Land
   cariable to On. You will now be able to build, select and move around these
   two units.

   However, it is important to note that these units will not behave and move
   in the same way as helicopters. The A10 will no longer be able to use its
   napaml bombs in the same way (even when called in by an airstrike).

   The transport plane has the ability to carry 5 infantry units (like the
   chinook), but when infantry units load into the transport plane, the
   graphics of the plane stuff up in a big way (like they do for the apache
   helicopter).

   Interestingly, the A10 and transport plane both have the appropriate icon
   on the sidebar, so  assume that you would have been able to buy these units
   in an early (unreleased) version of Command and Conquer.

[6-4]: Walls and Fences
=======================
   Unfortunately, almost none of the values available for editing actually
   does anything. This is a real shame, and leads me to suspect that they
   are not treated as proper structures by Command and Conquer.

   The values that I know will do something are: cost, tech level, and
   probably ownership. Changing the first build level will also work.

   None of the others seem to do anything, but you are welcome to try your
   hardest.

[6-5]: Multiplayer-Only Units
=============================
   There are four units that you can only build in multplayer only games:
   the transport helicopter, the commando, the chemical warriors, and the SSM
   (surface to surface missile launcher). However, using First Build Level,
   you can make it so that you will be able to build these units in the single
   player game.

   Remember that these units do have pre-requisites before they can be built,
   so they will need to be built first (you may have to alter their first
   build level as well).

---------------------------------------
CHAPTER [7]: Problems Running CCEdit v2
---------------------------------------
   This is the section to consult is you cannot get CCEdit v2 up and
   running properly when you should be able to.

   Hopefully no one will ever have to consult this section.

   Don't do stupid things like running CCEdit in a multitasking environment
   and deleting the game.dat file while it is still running. That is not a
   very constructive thing to do :)
[7-1]: Failure to initialise your grahpics card
===============================================
   If you get the following message:
     "CCedit was not able to initialise your graphics card for the
      desired resolution. Make sure that your card is able to operate
      in 640x480 256 colour mode. If you have a card that is 100%
      VESA compatible, then you should never get this message.
      You might like to try loading a graphics driver which should
      have been distributed with your graphics card."
   Then you are in a bit of trouble.

   What this means is that your graphics card is not 100% VESA compatible,
   and as such, is missing a few vital components that are needed by the
   graphics library I am using.

   What you should do is load up a VESA driver (which should have come
   with your system) and try again.

   If you are the owner of a pre-1995 designed Packard Bell system using
   the Headland Technologies graphics card and you have received this
   message, you should load up the HTVESA.COM driver which was supplied
   with your system and try again. It should now work. I don't have a
   Packard Bell system, but this solution was given to me by one of the
   beta testers.

   If you have tried loading up your VESA driver and it still doesn't
   work, then you are really out of luck. There is nothing I can do about
   your problem.

   Fortunately, this is unlikely to be a problem for the majority of
   people as nearly all cards are VESA compatible nowadays.

[7-2]: Not enough memory on your graphics card
==============================================
   If you get the following message:
     "You graphics card has less than the required 512K of video memory
      required to put CCedit into its required graphics mode.
      CCedit cannot be run on a system with less than 512K of
      video memory."
   Then you are in serious trouble indeed.

   To be able to be work in the required video mode (640x480 256 colour
   mode), your graphics card needs at least 512K of memory. From this
   message it seems as though you have less than this amount. Other than
   buying a new video card, or putting more memory on it, there is
   no solution to this problem.

   If you are playing Command and Conquer on a system with this little
   video memory, it begs the question: Why?

[7-3]: No Microsoft mouse driver detected
=========================================
   If you get the message:
     "Unable to locate a Microsoft compatible mouse driver.
      Please make sure you have one loaded."
   Then CCEdit was not able to locate a Microsoft compatible mouse driver.
   You need to have such a mouse driver loaded before you can use this
   program. Do a bit of looking (or ask a friend), and you should be
   able to find a Microsoft compatible driver pretty easily.

[7-4]: Setting video mode failed
================================
   If you get the message:
     "CCEdit failed when trying to put your system into 640x480 256 colour
      mode."
   Then I have no idea what is wrong.

   I put this in as a final check, but cannot envision a scenario in which
   it might occur. You should be able to set 640x480 256 colour mode on
   any SVGA video card, and your graphics card has the required amount of
   memory, and has been recognised, but for some reason you system has
   failed when being set to this video mode.

   I guess some sort of congratulations are in order for your system stuffing
   up in a very strange way.

[7-5]: Error creating a patch file
==================================
   If you get the error:
     "An error occured while creating the patch file ..."
   then the following has occured.

   For some reason, CCEdit has been unable to create the patch file using
   the name you specified in the text box. You should not have been able
   to do this as only letters and numbers should have been accepted.

   A possible reason may be that your drive (or directory) cannot be written
   to, or that you don't have permission to write to this directory. Another
   possibility (very remote) is that no new files can be created due to
   some limit being reached.

   This area is a bit out of my depth in terms of the various technologies
   and their limitations. I've no idea what went wrong. You should not get
   this message if you entered a valid filename.

[7-6]: Suspected XMS problems
=============================
   If you suspect that CCEdit is having problems using XMS memory on your
   system (ther shuold be no reason why it would), then you can force
   CCEdit to not use XMS memory, even if there is enough for it to use.
   To do this, you start CCEdit using the command line:

           ccedit -noxms

   This forces CCEdit not to use XMS memory. You will notice a slowdown
   in some areas of screen updates when CCEdit doesn't use XMS memory. The
   screen updates will also not be as smooth as when CCEdit is using XMS
   memory.

[7-7]: Unfreed XMS memory
=========================
   I've tried to make CCEdit crash as gracefully as possible if it does
   bomb, but one problem you might get is that it is possible for the XMS
   memory not to be freed if CCEdit crashes badly. Hopefully this should
   never happen, and that I've done all the possible error checking, but
   you should know that if this happens, you will need to reboot your
   computer to get this XMS memory back again.

   This should NEVER happen.

-------------------------------------
CHAPTER [8]: Andrew's Stupid Quotes
-------------------------------------
   Here are a couple of quotes from the CCEdit v1.5 documentation that
   obviously are no longer true :)

   "... This is the last version unless there is a serious bug in it. There
    will be NO FURTHER RELEASES!"

   And,

   "So You Want This in Graphics???
    -------------------------------
       HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
       Never! You don't want to pay for this editor, I don't want to do any
       graphics. Its as simple as that. Text is more than adequate."

   Obviously this is no longer true (you're looking at the product of both
   of these promises being broken). I did update CCEdit (mainly because v1.19
   was released by Westwood), and this is the end product.


--------------------------------------------
CHAPTER [9]: Last Minute Notices and Thanks
--------------------------------------------
   I was going to make this a shareware editor and ask for a $15 donation,
   but at the last minute decided to make it a $0 donation. If you do wish
   to send some money over in appreciation for this program, email me and
   I will supply you with my postal address. Please note that this program
   is NOT freeware, just shareware that doesn't cost anything to register.

   I've tried to make these notes as comprehensive as possible, and have
   tried to get all the bugs out of the program. If you find a bug in this
   program, please let me know, wth a bit of detail about the problem: posts
   such as "ccedit doesn't work. please help" aren't really that helpful.

   It goes without saying that Seth E. Williams ([e-mail]) deserves
   huge wraps for his great work on the title page.

   Thanks go to Wladimir van der Laan for generously sharing his information
   about how to identify the game.dat sections. Without his help, I'd still
   be using the multiple ccedit.dat files system.

   I'd like to send a thanks to the people who took part in the beta test
   of this product. They are responsible for the final look-and-feel of
   this product.

   I'd also like to send a big thank you to the various people who gave CCEdit
   a permanent home on the WWW:
      Mohit Dewan (and the InfoNet ISP for providing the webspace),
      and George Heeres (for providing the uwsp webspace).

   Remember, don't ask for the source code to CCEdit (any version). I just
   delete email that asks for the source code, no matter the quality of the
   rest of the post.

   And on a long chance: if you are a computing firm in Adelaide, I'll be
   finishing my computer science degree this year. Any and all offers of job
   interviews are warmly received, and happily accepted.


Thank you,

Andrew Griffin