NewHexen: Quick-Help
====================

You will need to have Hexen2 aswell as the Mission Pack (PoP) installed and fully updated to
the latest version. (Hexen2 and PoP)

Use r_mapshot 0/1 to set the mapshot mode for making mapshot screenshots.
The mapshot you've just made will be in the /scrnshot/ directory with the name of the level
you made it on.
Open it in your favourite editor and resize it to 256x256 and save the file to
the /mapshots/ directory.

For level designers, you'll need these tools:
NHSKY.EXE
NHBSP.EXE
NHVIS.EXE
NHLIGHT.EXE

NHSKY is the sky shader compiler.
It will compile a .SRC file to a .SHADER
Theres no documentation on that yet, but in the meanwhile, have a look at sky.src and demo.src
To make use of an existing shader heres some quick instructions:
When making a new shader, create a new directory under /skies/ just like /default/
Place your compiled shader file in there with the name "sky.shader"
Also place any graphics used by the shader in there.
To make use of such a skyshader directory in a level, just add the following paramater (key)
in your worldspawn entity:
"skyshader  myshad"
Where myshad is the directory name of the sky to load.
If you specify no skyshader the default (/default/) will be used.

NHBSP is the updated bsp level compiler.
It now supports floating point precision. (QuArK)
To add fog support, you just need to add a few keys to the worldspawn entity as follows:
"fog_start     0"
"fog_end       512"
"fog_density   128"
"fog_color     255 255 255"
"fog_alpha     64"
It has LOG output.
For best looks if you are planning to have a level with fog is not to run the NHLIGHT tool on
the level so theres no Light data for the level.

NHVIS is the updated vis-list optimizer.
It now has a progress indicator.
It has LOG output.

NHLIGHT is the updated lightmap tool.
It now supports LIT colored light output.
It has LOG output.
Use the "-colored" parameter to enable colored light LIT output.
In your favourite editor, where you want a light to be colored, add a key to it called "_color"
with 3 RGB values. (_color     255 128 64)
Add a key to the worldspawn called "light" and any value 0-255 to ambient light.
This can also be set from the tool commandline as "-light #"

You can also set the colour of the "minlight" (ambience). This is an option that you will want
to only use with care, otherwise your map will be the same colour everywhere.
To enable this feature, add a key to the worldspawn of the form:
"_minlight_color" "# # #", where "# # #" is the RGB value as usual.
Colours close to white are likely to be best here.

-dist n   - Scales the fade distance of ALL lights.  N>1 fades 
            faster, n<1 fades slower.  A light with a "wait" will be
            scaled once for that, then scaled again by -dist.
-range n  - Scales the brightness range of ALL lights without
            affecting their fade distance.  N>.5 makes them brighter,
            n<.5 makes them darker.  Can achieve the same affect on
            individual lights by increasing or decreasing both the
            brightness and "wait" factors.

Keep the BSP and LIT files together and in sync.
To remove colored light from the level, simply delete the LIT file.

NHCC.EXE is the HexenC compiler, in many ways is an exact match of HCC, but with a difference
that it has log output.


Installation
============
Just decompress the zip into your Hexen2 directory and you are set to go.
Be sure that you removed the "opengl32.dll" from the Hexen2 directory before running NewHexen.


Before you start
================
Before you run NewHexen, make sure to delete ALL your Config files (CFG) on
both DATA1 and PORTALS.
Leave your DEFAULT.CFG files intact, dont delete them.
This is to remove any variables not used by NewHexen.


Dont know all the commands?
===========================
Type "cvarlist" and "cmdlist" for a complete list of all CVARS and COMMANDS in NewHexen.


User Customizeable Fog!
=======================
Now its possible to make your own fog!!
To do this, heres a few new Console Variables you could try out:
"fog"         0/1   (disable/enable fog, work only for *un-fogged* levels)
"fog_density" 0.001 (the density of the fog)
"fog_red"     255   (the amount of red color)
"fog_green"   255   (the amount of green color)
"fog_blue"    255   (the amount of blue color)
"fog_alpha"   255   (the amount of "see-through")
When you enable fog the engine automatically turns-on fullbright mode.
The engine doent set it back though, you'll have to do it manually at this stage.
(r_fullbright 0/1)
The bug version 1.14 had with custom fog when changing a level has been fixed.


No need for PoP to use NewHexen!
================================
Yeah, you heard me!
The mission pack isnt needed anymore if you dont have it.
Not without its PROS, though!
Start NewHexen with the following parameter:
"-game nhpop"
Or just run the "nhpop.bat" file.
Only use this if you dont have the mission pack.
You'll be able to play your original Hexen2 without having the Mission Pack installed.
With this you'll be able to select the New Mission Pack Player Class!
(Make sure your Hexen2 is patched to the lastest official Raven Software patch)
Now run-off an finish your original Hexen2 with the Demoness!!


Water Turbulance
================
The way water turbulance is being done has been improved.
It also have a slight wave effect if you look closely.

Underwater Caustics!
====================
Now you can enjoy beutiful underwater caustics as light refracts through the water's surface and creates beutiful patterns
on underwater surfaces!!

Gamma OH YEAH!
==============
Yes, you heard right, NewHexen now supports working Gamma!!
Use the following CVAR on the console to set it to your preferred level:
"gamma 1"
The gamma CVAR ranges from 0.2 (brightest) to 1 (darkest)... the default value is 1


JPEG support!
=============
Yes, the engine now support JPG!
As you can see from the size of the new archive, its quite smaller :)

External Texture support!
=========================
The engine now supports external texture loading!
Now you can play your own custom Hexen2 maps in all its true color glory using TGA files!

Larger than Life levels!!
=========================
NewHexen now sports with upgraded level design limits!!!
You heard right, all the limits have been pushed to that of the Quake2 standard.
What size you can build in Quake2, you can now do with NewHexen!!
Note that any level that exceeds the original limits wont be able to run the level under non-NewHexen versions.

More Hi-Rez Modes!
------------------
Since Hexen2 has a limited set of "visible" video modes, all low-rez video modes have been removed to make way
for more hi-rez available for selection.

Microsoft .NET enabled
----------------------
NewHexen is compiled using VC.NET

Progs Data
----------
The progs.dat loading code has been revised to only load files with the name nhprogs.dat which helps to clean
the new portals code from the original Hexen2 progs code if it helps any. The second phase is to revisit the dat format
to increase the amount of available registers.

PAK Naming Convention
---------------------
The fixed pak naming convention has been lifted which now allows for any pak file name other than the classic
convention of pak0.pak, pak1.pak etc.
EG: korax.pak, phoebus.pak


Closing Notes
=============
The engine doesnt convert Hexen2 to a "Quake 3 Arena" spectacular.
The game will still look the same.
For gamers playing the original game, you'll notice some fixes and things Ive made working
and feeling better, added a new new things on the menus.
Most of the power in this engine will come from modifying the game using the new set of tools
which was explained above to open the game to more modern 3D engine technology.
The engine cant make the original levels suddenly burst with color for example.

It will be up to the community to take those original levels modify them so the tools
can generate the extra data the engine will use to make them look great.

A full list of features can be found on the official NewHexen website.


Like to see some stuff?
=======================
Go to the console and type the following:
"map nh_test1"
"map nh_test2"
"map nh_test3"
"map nh_test4"
"map htic2"


Thanks
======
Thanks goes to William Mull for this great idea and also for the support for this development
so far, and into the future.
Thanks also goes to Marc Allaire for his technical expertise with the introduction of his
sky shaders into the engine.
Many thanks!! :)


The Website
===========
Visit our site at http://www.newhexen/raven-games.com or http://www.korax.co.za
Contact details: newhexen@raven-games.com


Jacques "Korax" Krige.