Construction Kit 3
The construction kit is a fully functional level designer which can be used to create your own levels. It will also allow you to compile your own game which can be played through just like the other 1 player modes.
You can operate the editor almost entirely with the mouse, the keyboard can be used to do some things quicker or do some more advanced operations.
Basics
To select a sprite, click on the sprite box at the top left corner. A box will appear with all the available sprites in it. You can use left and right mouse buttons to select sprites. This will show on the upper right corner of the screen. You will notice 10 sprites. You can select and use up to 10 sprites at a time with the 1-9 and 0 key on the main keyboard. The left and right mouse button simply act as a 1 and 2 key.
Plant sprites on the grid by hovering the grid and using the mouse or number keys. If you hold ctrl down, you will grab the sprite from the board into your selection instead of planting it.
If the level under development is larger than full screen, you can use the cursor keys to scroll the level around.
The menu
Clicking on options box in the top left corner will bring up the menu, where you can do different things.
New: This resets all the grid back to dirt.
Open: Brings up the open file menu. A level can be opened by left clicking on it. Press OK to go back to the editor.
Save: Saves the level to hard drive. If the level has not been saved before and has no name, you will automatically be taken to Save As.
Save As: Brings up the Save As menu. Enter a name and press OK, or press cancel to not do a save. You will be warned if saving will overwrite a level but you can still do so if you want to.
Set Attributes: Brings up the set attributes box where you can change various aspects of the level.
Level Name: Give the level a name which will be displayed on stage select screens and when you start the level. This is optional and can be left blank
Level Type: Determine whether the level is a single player or multiplayer level. Note that some sprites can't exist in a multiplayer level. If you change to multiplayer with illegal sprites on the grid, you will be prompted to confirm removing them when you leave the attributes menu
Width: Set the width of the level in squares. The minimum width is 25 (screen width). The maximum is 100.
Height: Set the height of the level in squares. The minimum height is 17 (screen height). The maximum is 100.
Jewels Needed: Set the number of jewels that must be collected before the exit is available.
Time: Set a time limit. Note that the level doesn't have to be completed in this time, but any time left will be a score bonus. In a multiplayer level, the time limit is determined independanlty of this setting, so you can give this a high value for testing it.
Graphics/music: brings up the graphics/music options.
You can change the appearance of soil, weak walls and solid walls here. The first 4 settings also have changeable colours. You can use the colour options the the side to change this. Note that you can't have a graphic too dark. For each sprite, either the red, green or blue value must be at least 64. If its not, you will not be allowed to leave the graphics menu until its fixed.
The music can also be changed here. Select music 0 if you want no music.
Test: Test the level.
Create Game: Goes to the create game screen explained here.
Exit: Return to Cave Chaos 3 main menu.
Sprite selection
The sprite select menu displays all of the sprites in Cave Chaos 3, the objects with changeable graphics will always match the graphics selected in the graphics menu. If selecting sprites from the graphic variant box, the sprite will show that graphic and will not change when the graphic options are changed.
Drawing Modes
the drawing mode determines how you plant sprites and these buttons can be seen in roughly the top center of the screen.
Pencil: This is the default. Just hold down your mouse button to draw the sprite to the screen. Note that this is the only mode where a player can be planted.
Line: Press and hold the mouse button (or number key), where you want to start and move the mouse to where you want to finish. A line of the selected sprite will be planted when you let go of the mouse/number key.
Hollow Rectangle: Once you press a mouse button on the grid, hold it and move the mouse to draw a rectangle of the sprites at once. Let go of the mouse button to place them.
Solid Rectangle: Like the hollow rectangle. This will fill your selection box with the sprite you have selected.
Random: Click anywhere on the grid and the sprite will be placed randomly on the grid. The amount placed defaults to 20 but can be changed by right clicking the random tool.
You can also click on "shortcut" at the top of the screen. This will show you the keyboard shortcuts you can use to make level editing easier.
Tested Status
When you test a level and finish it, the white border around the level will turn pale blue. This means it has tested status or in other words, it has been proven to be possible. If you want to include a level in a compiled game, you must save it with tested status. Making any changes to the level (other than in the graphics/music options) will remove tested status.
File Types
You may be working with different types of files when making levels.
.cc3 A single player Cave Chaos 3 level. If this is written in orange, it has been saved with tested status (its possible to complete). Written in red means it hasn't been proven possible. A red cc3 can't be compiled into a game.
.cc2 A Cave Chaos 2 single player level. Construction Kit 3 can import these but graphic and music data will be lost. Also bear in mind that because of some minor differences between Cave Chaos 2 and 3, a level that's possible in Cave Chaos 2 isn't always possible to do in Cave Chaos 3, although this event is rare. Loading a .cc2 level, it will be saved as a .cc3.
.2pc/.3pc/.4pc A valid 2/3/4 player level. To install these, place them in the multiplayer levels folder.
.ipc Invalid multiplayer level. This means that the players are planted wrong. You need Red and Blue for 2 player, add Green for 3 and then add yellow for 4 player.
When compiling a game, only orange .cc3 can be used.