                     PIXSTR v.2.2 Rev 0
                     ===================
                Programmed by Raider Croft
             La Serena, Chile. March 2004.
               raider_croft_01@hotmail.com                     

            Tomb Raider Libraries by Turbo Pascal.
                   Tegucigalpa, Honduras.   
                   cyber_pascal@yahoo.com
___________________________________________________________________
please maximize this window.

INDEX
1.- What is PixStr?.
2.- Differences between PixStr and StrPix.
3.- About Screens Resolutions!
4.- Working with PixStr.
5.- Using DXF.
6.- Official site for PixStr distribution.
7.- Comments, Ideas...
8.- History.
9.- Thanks.


1.- WHAT IS PIXSTR?
==================
It is a software who lets you open any TR file (from TR1 to TR5) and edit things like:
-Models Textures
-Models (with a CAD program)
-Static Meshes Light.
-Apply shinny effect to Movables and Meshes (NOT Static Meshes).
-Add new Texture Pages and define manually size of textures.
-and More.

With this software, and just a little of imagination, you can create very good models for your levels, for example personalized objects, Retextured Items, and a Good outfit for Lara. (See the About image: a TRC outfit created just with PixStr v.2.00)

2.- DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PIXSTR AND STRPIX
=========================================
a) The Name :-)
b) PixStr opens COMPILED levels (tr1,tub,tr2,tr4,trc) and StrPix just can open Wads for tr4.
c) PixStr is just starting (v.2.00) and StrPix goes in v.3.9 rev 1 (as i remember)
d) PixStr was created IDEALLY for the UNOFFICIAL Level Editor users, but StrPix was created thinking just in the TRLE users.

3.- ABOUT SCREENS RESOLUTIONS
=============================
PixStr will work OK with:
*800x600 resolution and Small Fonts (96 dpi)
*1024x768 resolution and Small (96 dpi) or Large (120 dpi) Fonts

IF YOU ARE USING:
*640X480 resolution
*800x600 and Large fonts (120 dpi)
Then you will see Warning messages everytime you execute PixStr.

My monitor DOES'N SUPPORT resolutions higher than 1024x768, so i DON'T assure that the program will work OK in that resolutions.

4.- WORKING WITH PIXSTR
=======================
*Selecting an Item(model):
You can choose:
-Movable (Group of Meshes)
-Static Mesh
-Mesh (As part of a Movable)

*RED polygons:
These are the "Colored Polygons", and i recommend you to use the "Convert Colored to Textured" option (Special menu) when you are going to export to DXF format.

*Working With Textures:
-Select a texture piece of the panel.
-The texture will be showed in the "Current Texture" box. If the texture is bigger than the box, then you can select the "proportional" option, and the texture will be adapted to the box.
-Click on the face where you want to apply the Texture.

You can change the properties of the Current Texture:
-Opaque, Transparent or Semi-Transparent attrib.
-Flip Horizontal/Vertical
-Export/Import current texture to BMP.

*Selecting a Mode for working:
-Wireframe, Solid, textured or Points (points mode is used for TR4 and TRC for knowing the Vertix's number, and then use the Remap option. Points mode is NOT available for the complete movable).

*Working with Static Meshes Boxes:
-You can Enable/Disable the "Show Box" option.
-You must select: Visibility or Colisional  to work with Boxes.
-You can change the Height, Width and Depth of the Static Mesh, or use the "Automatic Bound" Button.

*Working with Static Meshes Lights:
-You can Enable/Disable the Lights Mode.
-Select intensity: 0 maxium brigtness 31 maxium darkness.
-You can select wich vertex will be affected when you apply the light.
-Click on the Face of the model (Static Mesh) to apply the Light.

*Working with Shinny Effect (TR4 and TRC)
-Select the Intensity.
-You have two ways for aplying this effect:
a) Click on APPLY TO ALL FACES. Then the shinny effect will be aplied in ALL the current Model.
b) ENABLE (or disable) The Shinny Effect option, then just Click in a face of the Model. When you are clicking the faces, you are aplying the Shinny Effect, and you can apply the current texture too.

Remember there is available too the "TRansparent Shinny" option. Enable this option if you want to apply this effect.

NOTE: The Shinny Effect CAN'T BE APLIED IN STATIC MESHES (just in Movables and Meshes).
For more info about Shinny Effect, Please visit the PixStr's brother (Strpix3) website:
http://www.geocities.com/cyber_delphi/strpix3/index.html
Section "The Shinny Effect"

*Working with Menus
===================
-EDIT: CTRL+U for Undo and CTRL+R for Redo. JUST ONE LEVEL for Undo/Redo.

-TEXTURES:
   a) Export/Import BigBMP: Export/Import the group of textures of the complete level to a BMP file.
   
   b) Export/Import Current to BMP: The same idea, but with the current texture.

   c) Export All/Import and Replace:
     You can export ALL TEXTURES of the current model to a single BMP file:
     -Select the model (for example a Movable)
     -Go to Textures Menu, and select EXPORT ALL.
     -Now when you have edited the bitmap, you can import all pieces in the menu Textures, IMPORT AND REPLACE.

   d) Import TExture Pages/Define Mouse Selected:
     -On the Menu Textures choose Import Texture Pages. The bitmap you are importing must be 256 width and 256x height.
     -Now, for work with this new textures, you MUST define the size: SHIFT+CLICK and move the mouse. A yellow rectangle will appear, and when the texture has an optimum size (4x4, 4x8, 20x64.. etc) the rectangle will show a White Net inside. Then you go to the Texture Menu, and select "Define Mouse Selected". Now the texture piece is available for be aplied in your models. 

   e) Animated Textures:
    You can see the available animated textures and their frames. Then with Double Click you can select a texture piece and had it as "Current Texture".
Apply the texture to the Model. Of course (on this version) the texture will be seen frozen, but in the game, the texture will be animated.
If you want to manage Textures of the Level in an advanced way, then use TP's TRtexture Manager.

-SPECIAL:
   a) Convert Colored to textured: Change all the colored polygons for the current texture. I RECOMMEND YOU ALLWAYS use this option before export to DXF.

   b) Retexture: Apply the current texture to the complete Movable/Mesh/Static Mesh.
   
   c) Apply Intensity Alpha: Apply the SemiTransparent Attrib to all textures of the current Movable/Mesh/Static Mesh, BUT remember: Sometimes textures were applied to two or more items in the level.

   d) Remap Vertices:
   This option is usefull for TR4 and TRC levels.
   Please, go to PixStr's brother (Strpix3) website: And learn how and when use this option:
   http://www.geocities.com/cyber_delphi/strpix3/index.html
   You must read the "LARA's PONYTAIL PROBLEM" section.

-VIEW:
   a) OpenGL buffers. You can select if you want an AUTOMATIC OPENGL BUFFERS UPDATE. If this options is selected, then everytime you import textures, the CHANGES will be seen in the panel, but if the option is not selected, then everytime you import some textures, the changes you have done to the texture will NOT be showed in the panel (changes are not showed, but they "ARE" there).
I recommend you to Disable this option JUST if the Opengl buffers update operation spends a lot of time (in my PC with tr4 and trc levels textures are updated slowly)   
 
   b) You can select the BackGround color: White or Black.
   
   c) Enable/Disable the Perspective Correct. ATTENTION: Maybe PixStr can run slowly if this option es enabled.

-HELP:
   a) Language: Select here the Language (Shift+f2 for edit)
 
   b) OpenGL buffers configuration: You can select the Buffers size (16, 24 or 32 bits). Select the best option for your PC (recommendded 16 bits)

*Working with modified Levels
=============================
   If you are opening a level modified with TRviewer, then textures will NOT be showed correctly.
If you have reports about another tool that makes the same "error" (like TRviewer) you can notify me to my email raider_croft_01@hotmail.com

5.- USING DXF
=============
You can select a Mesh/Static Mesh and then:
-EXPORT TO DXF: The mesh selected is saved in DXF format, then you can edit it with your favorite CAD program.

-IMPORT DXF: You can import a DXF, and this model will REPLACE the selected Mesh.

IMPORTANT:
-Colored Polygons are showed in Red. When you export to DXF, the colored polygons ARE NOT considered. When you import a DXF, the polygons in color are losed.

-The DXF type COMPATIBLE with PixStr is that who uses 3DFACES entities,  where Triangles are defined using 4 vertex, duplicateing the third vertex.

-When a DXF is imported over a Static Mesh, then the model is imported with a light intensity value of "0".

-When a DXF is imported over a MESH (a part of a movable) then the model is imported with calculated light reflection values.

-Dimensions of the models in DXF are in a scale of 1/100, i mean, a model with the dimensions 10.24 x 10.24 are the width and height of a TR sector.

-The generated DXF by PixStr includes a layer for each group of differents textures used in the moel, the name of each layer is in the way: "TEXTURE_XXXX" where "XXXX" is the number of the Texture and filled with "0" to the left for getting always a size of four digits, for example: TEXTURE_0008, TEXTURE_0040, TEXTURE_0120 etc.

-Models drawed in a CAD program MUST have polygons drawed on the ClockWise direction, and only the frontal part is rendered.

-Maybe exists a LIMIT in the amount of Vertex or polygons per model, On this moments, they are unknownn. If yor level crashes then the limit of vertex/polygons is overloaded.

6.- OFFICIAL SITE FOR PIXSTR DISTRIBUTION
=====================================
For Spanish Speaking People:
-LARA CROFT REGRESA (http://come.to/TR6)

For English Speaking People:
-THE VAGRANT'S WORLD (http://home.acadia.net/userpages/vagrant/)

7.- COMMENTS, IDEAS...
======================
Any comment, idea, Bugs Report, etc.. are received in my email: raider_croft_01@hotmail.com or in my Web Site LARA CROFT RETURNS (http://come.to/TR6)

8.- HISTORY
===========
a) PixStr v.1.00 Rev 0: Released in November 2002

b) PixStr v.1.00 Rev 1: Now all meshes are added to the TreeView (Like Lara's angry face). Thanks to TP for his help.

c) PixStr v.2.00 Rev 0:
-Bugs Corrected:
   Models are correctly exported to DXF.
   Textures show correctly the Page.

-Improvements:
   In the source code.
   Colored to Textured, Retexture, Intensity Alpha now available for the MOVABLE.
   User selects the OpenGL buffers size (16,24,32 bits)
   Movables now have a NAME for an easy editing of the level.
   User defines if wants an Autmatic Buffers Update.
   Background Color now is saved when you quit the program.
   Now PixStr is adapted for users who use Large Fonts (See the third point of this document).
   When you are exporting to DXF you will see a warning message if the Mesh has colored faces.

-New Features:
   Shinny Effect available for TR4 and TRC. Can be aplied to Movables and Meshes (NOT static Meshes).
   Points Render Mode. With CTRL+Click you can know the vertex number and then use the Remap Option.
   Add New Pages. You can add 1 or more texture pages and define manually the size of textures.
   You can see the Animated Textures and select one frame as "Current".
   And maybe the most important feature: You can export all textures of the current model to a single BMP file. Then you can modify it and import over the model.

d) PixStr v.2.2 Rev 0:
   -Now this tool can run on Windows XP :D
   
   -Bug Fixed: In previous versions, some textures, as Lara's face textures in TR4 levels, couldn't be selected manually (on the textures panel).
    Now it is fixed.
    NOTE: The algorithm search for the FIRST texture on the "click zone", so MAYBE the texture selected is not exactly the texture you want... i mean, the program could select a Flipped copy of the texture, etc.
   
   -The super ultra secret code is now released :-p

9.- THANKS
==========
Since i saw StrPix as a tool for the TRLE, i wanted it for tr1->tr5 (for the Unnoficial level editor users), but it was never created... Until now.

THANKS to Mr. GHOSTMAN, who tell me a VERY DETAILED BUGS reports. Thanks a lot, man.

THANKS TO TURBO PASCAL for his libraries. He shared his work with me before the libraries were available on his web site. Thanks for teaching me a lot of TR things, because with your help i am releasing this PixStr program.

THANKS to everybody who has wanted this tool long time ago, and to people who is happy with its creation.

And finally THANKS to PixStr users. I know they will give me ideas, comments for the upcomming versions.

Raider Croft.
MARCH 2004