Map editing ...

[675015eab58c6MaususAtlas]

Hi all,

I red the ShockEd tutorial and I found it nice to begin easely my first steps to make my first box level

But I found nothing that allows me to modify an original level like medsi1. For example, when I load medsci1.mis and if I want only to change the wall disposition or texture, I saw that I can not select them like I did with my little box level. I am sure that I did not see something important

And you have the solution. Yes, I am sure, you have it

[675015eab5ae3Kolya]

You need the unstripped missions.

[675015eab5c2aMaususAtlas]

Ok, I download them immediately and I ll have a look tomorrow

But, how did they "unstripped" them ? Why the mis files are "stripped" by default in the game ?

Once again, I have too much questions and no answers

Thanks for your help. :worship:

[675015eab5d4eKolya]

The unstripped missions were released by Irrational. These are the files the game designers worked on before portalisation. After portalisation they are called "stripped" for some reason. A lot of changes can't be made anymore once a MIS was portalised.

This is my layman knowledge about shockEd. Corrections or expanding on the matter is welcome.

[675015eab5e9aMaususAtlas]

Ok, I understand now what "unstripped" is meaning

I will have a look if there is a way to unstripped all the maps because some of them do not appears as unstripped in the package you gave to me. Here is the list :

 - eng2
 - hydro2
 - ops3
 - ops4
 - shodan

I will give you more information if I found something interesting. I promise

Sincerely yours, Mausus Atlas.

[675015eab5f83Kolya]

That's correct, not all missions were released as unstripped versions. Someone would have to rebuild them but so far there wasn't the need or the motivation for anyone to do so.

[675015eab6328Nameless Voice]

These are the files the game designers worked on before portalisation. After portalisation they are called "stripped" for some reason. A lot of changes can't be made anymore once a MIS was portalised.

That's not quite accurate.
Portalising is the process of compiling the basic level geometry of cubes and other shapes into a 3D world.
Once the mission has been portalised, this geometry is technically no longer needed, as the worldrep is completely separate from the primitives that make it up.
Of course, if you change anything in the mission, you will have to rebuild the worldrep, which needs the level geometry again.
When LGS and Irrational shipped Thief and SS2, they stripped out all the geometry with a special stripping tool before releasing the final maps, since it was no longer needed.
Why? I don't really know. Presumably to save a tiny bit of space on the disk and maybe decrease load times a little.
What it means is that the levels can't be changed any more, because the level geometry has been stripped out.

[675015eab64bdMaususAtlas]

This night, I worked hard to find the unstripped version of the five last listed levels. It seems that nobody have them and then they are lost for ever

I had another idea : Find the source code of ShockEd can help us to unstripped these files, peraphs. But once again, after lots of research, I failed ... :cussing:

I will try to find new ideas to see if we can use binary editors to tweak some parameters in the game. I will be more lucky this time ... peraphs

Hmmmm ... about the bin editor, have you a link to a very good freeware one that can really help me ?

Thanks again for your replies.

[675015eab66b1MaususAtlas]

Once again, after lots of research, I did not find anything that can help us to tweak "stripped" maps. I used a binary tool to have a look in the mis files. The "unstripped" ones can be slowly red and the part where the floors, ceils and walls are described can be located. It is difficult, but possible to do. But the "stripped" ones are unreadeable : the structure of the same part is now very different and hide the informations to my eyes. I am going to be slightly mad.

Ok, if anyone have a good idea ... do not hesitate to give to me. New ideas are welcome here.

Ok, I had lots of research since five days and it seems that I am not good enough to find one real new information about tweaking "stripped" maps ... Is someone knows where I can find these damn "cyber modules" to upgrade my research skill ?

[675015eab67cfNameless Voice]

The original terrain brush information is gone, there's not much you can do to get it back.
You can, however, change the objects in the stripped missions; it's just the terrain that is untouchable.

[675015eab68e0Kolya]

I wouldn't spend too much time with "binary editors" and such.
Ask yourself what you want to do. If you want to make a mission for SS2 then shocked is all you need to start.
If you want to tweak the original game, you can change the unstripped missions as you like as well as shock2.gam.
There's a lot you can do. Don't concentrate on the stuff you can't do at the moment too much.