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Hey! Please help me! ive bin making a 3D level Creator for aaages! Im now on the 4th version! I need to know how to do a few things so i can make this version better than the other 3!

do you know how to:

1./ save matrix and object data so that other people can load it up (in other words save the levels that you make)

2./ file access, so i can load up textures at the click of a button
and how do i show the files on screen?

If you can help in any way, please get in touch.

Thanx!

1. You could build a data table using arrays and UDTs(DBPro) which describes
the name, location, angle and possibly type of objects within the level. The
information could be setup and stored within a file for later retrieval within
your editor or game engine.

For more ideas here's a link to the DBPro forum. Someone else is doing something
similar. It may help you. http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=100122&b=1

2. You could build a custom UI to get the files. I think TDK Man did some functions
for DBC for this. I would recommend using BLUE GUI to get access to the OPEN/SAVE Dialogs,
and you could build a complete UI for your editor, but that's my opinion. There are
a few free alternatives. You could use the DARKSIDE DLLs to at least get the dialogs your
after. I think DB User 2006+ is working on a freeware plugin alternative to BLUE GUI.
I haven't checked DB User's progress in some time, so I don't know how close he is to
completing it.

Thanks! I'll give it a go!

1 other thing, what should i save it as?! would it be a .BSP file or a model file? or sumfin else! and how would people be able to load it up?

It depends on your approach. DBPro is capable of saving objects as .DBO files natively.

If you did what I suggested above, you would save all of the objects in your map
separately. You would probably want to organize them into different folders depending on
their classification. Maybe you would group all of the walls or rooms in one folder, all
of the static objects in another such as tables, chairs, statues, bookshelves, or whatever.
Then within your editor you could load and place them in your scene. You could even use
DB primitives for this as well, which you would create within your code for the editor.
You would then keep track of all the objects in the map with an array table. Then once the map
is saved, your editor would save all the information about the map as a script file. The
complexity of the file depends entirely on you. You could even save information about
lighting, cameras, object rendering modes such as wireframe, culling, and transparency,
ect. The sky is the limit. You would then load the file the same way it was saved back into
into the editor. The routines that load a map can be supplied with your finished editor. This
way people can load up their maps in their own game engine.

There are many ways to do this. Do a little research, think about it, and then decide on
what will work for you.

Thanks!