PropertyEditing

Property Editing

Some modes provide controls for modifying properties. For the majority of properties, common controls are used.

Common Controls

Labels (Text)

All labels allow copying their text into the clipboard. When hovering with the mouse cursor over a label, press the keyboard shortcut for copying (Ctrl+C) to put the text of the label into the clipboard. Paste the text then in a text editor for further use.

Some labels, which are mode dependent, allow modification of their value through the following means:

• Pasting: Similar to copying, with a text in the clipboard, hover the mouse cursor over the label and press the keyboard shortcut for pasting (Ctrl+V).
• File Drop: It is also possible to drag-and-drop a text file from the file browser onto a label.

If successful, the text will be updated. Mode documentation will note which fields allow modification.

Combo Box

This is a box which allows a single selection from a list of items. Combo boxes can be identified by their three dots (...) on their right side. With a click of the primary mouse button (typically the left one), the list can be shown. If more items are available than shown, use the mouse wheel to scroll through the list.

The list can be hidden by clicking the main box again (no change of selection happens), or by selecting an item from the list.

Note: The GUI framework of this editor is not very sophisticated. Opened lists don't hide automatically if you click somewhere else (focus stealing). This may even end up in a weird GUI state. Be sure to always close the list yourself.

Slider

A slider is the most common variant of property editing, it allows selecting a number from a number range. It can be identified by a red bar within the box and the current number value. The red bar is the slider, indicating the current value within the range. The minimum value is on the far left of the box, and the maximum value is on the far right of the box.

To change the value in coarse steps, press-and-hold the primary mouse button (typically the left one) within the box and drag the slider where you want it. To change the value in single digit steps, use the mouse wheel to change the value.

Some properties only allow 0 or 1 as their values (typical yes/no properties). In these cases, the slider is either on the far left, or on the far right.

Special controls

Bitfields

Some properties are stored in bitfields, which split up one integer value into smaller parts. Some editing modes may provide modification of such bitfields with a combination of a combo box and a slider. The combo box is used to select the part, and the slider then is used to modify the specific value.

Texture selector

Some properties, most notably those for texturing the level, require the selection of a texture. Since textures are not easily remembered by their name, the editor allows selection by scrolling through thumbnails of textures.

This control always shows the selected texture on the left side, and the list of available textures next to it, on the right side. The list can be scrolled by using the mouse wheel. To select a texture, click on one within the list, and the preview will be updated. Furthermore, the selected texture is also highlighted in the list.

When clicking on the texture preview (the leftmost thumbnail that can't be scrolled), the list is scrolled to the selected texture.

Audio labels

Resources with audio can be imported and exported.

To import audio, drag a compatible audio file from the file browser and drop it onto the audio field, which displays the current length in seconds, or the text "no audio". To export the current audio, perform another drag-and-drop action, this time dragging a folder, into which the exported audio shall be saved.

Exported audio will always be as .wav files, in unsigned 8-bit PCM format with one channel (mono). Import supports .wav files with one channel, in either 16-bit PCM or 8-bit PCM format. For the best sound quality, it is recommended to already provide 8-bit files as sound utilities will have better conversion algorithms than the editor.

Block puzzle editing

Block puzzles have their own, dedicated control that shows when selecting a panel with a block puzzle (and properly specified data storage object). Based on the layout parameters of the puzzle, this control shows the grid using characters. A cell can be changed by using the Mouse Wheel, and offers the following cell types:

• ".": Empty cell
• "X": Inactive switching node
• "+": Active switching node
• "F": A full node (forwarding power with one incoming connection)
• "H": A hollow node (forwarding power with two incoming connections)

Nodes "+", "F", and "H" have two variants each. The second variant is in brackets, e.g. "(F)". These variants are handled equally by the engine, and haven't been encountered in the original game. To be on the save side, use those without brackets.