MAking Plugs

How do you make ships, missions, systems, new goverments, and what are the formulas for them? I also would like to know what 3d graphics program I would needed to make the ship graphics. Could anyone tell me were to get a good worm hole pic or other pics to use? Would some one help me with the technical part like helping me with all the atributes, formulas? because to tell you the truth I have no clue how to make one. 😕

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Read the Annotated EV Bible - available at the Add-ons section.

Download the Infini-D 4.0 demo - (url="http://"http://www.metacreations.com")www.metacreations.com(/url)

Wormholes are invisible - they are black holes, after all

Ask around on the EV Developer's Corner for wholesome advice from the masters..

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"Please accept my resignation. I don't want to belong to any club that will have me as a member."
- Groucho Marx

(This message has been edited by ColdFusion (edited 04-28-2000).)

Quote

Originally posted by Azeral:
**How do you make ships, missions, systems, new goverments, and what are the formulas for them? I also would like to know what 3d graphics program I would needed to make the ship graphics. Could anyone tell me were to get a good worm hole pic or other pics to use? Would some one help me with the technical part like helping me with all the atributes, formulas? because to tell you the truth I have no clue how to make one.😕
**

Hoo, boy, have you got a lot of work ahead of you!

Unfotunately, there is no single document or reference for all the information and tools you will need. Many of the things you need are available in the archive on this site. I am not going to discuss graphics programs because I know very little about them, but I can list some other things you will need. First, of course, are the EV and EVO Bibles, basic references describing the various resources such as ships, planets, weapons, etc. used in plug-ins - preferably the annotated editions. The EV/EVO bibles do not really give instructions on making plugs, but they are the best references for what the various resources are and what they do. Also there are (or were, not sure if they are still available) two plug-in FAQs which amplify some points and fill in some of the gaps in the bibles. Another good reference is 'EV Objects Formulas' which mostly deals with how to calculate resource ID numbers - very important if a plug is to work correctly. Also a very useful document is the 'ResEdit Beginners Guide' which is an introduction to using Apple's resource editing application for making plug-ins.

You will also need a number of applications for working on plug-ins. The absolutely necessary program is a general resource editor, either Apple's free ResEdit or a commercial program called Resorcerer. There is a shareware plug-in editor called 'EV-Edit' which is probably best avoided becuase of its numerous bugs, even though it is much easier to learn to use than the general resource editors. Even if you decide to use 'EV-Edit', you will still need ResEdit or Resorcerer for some jobs and to clean up the bugs created by EV-Edit. Another essential tool is 'Plug Checker' for debugging your plugs. There is a very good mission editing application called 'Schmelta-V' designed for EV but it can be adapted to use for EVO. EV-Edit can be used for making systems (the only thing it is really good for) but 'EV Developers Map' and 'EVO Developers Map' are safer to use for that purpose. For easing some of the tedious calculations, 'EV Formula Calc' and 'FlagMaker' are very useful.

That should be enough to get you started. Someone else will have to offer recommendations on graphics applications.

Good luck.

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Joe Burnette

"I find that humans can be divided into only two meaningful categories: Decent Humans and Sonsofbitches; both types appear to be evenly distributed
among all shapes, colors, sizes, and nationalities." -- Keith Laumer

I can add only this:

(1) Start small--don't try for a total conversion, all-singing, all-dancing plug your first time out. Make a plug with new missions only. Then one that adds a new ship or two. Then one that adds a new planet or system. The practice will do you good.

(2) Ask questions--a lot of what you do at first won't work and you'll have no idea why. But every situation you'll run into has likely been seen by somebody on this board.

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PlanetPhil
what is to give light must endure burning