[ < ] [ > ]   [ << ] [ Up ] [ >> ]         [Top] [Contents] [Index] [ ? ]

2.4.4.6 Using Crystal Space

Before attempting to run any of the Crystal Space sample applications, ensure that the files `standard.zip' and `stdtex.zip' reside in `CS/data'. These files contain resources and textures which are used by several of the example programs and map files.

You need to have one or more map files in order to run WalkTest. These are the files which contain the maps and rooms which you can explore with WalkTest. The most commonly used example map file is `flarge'.

Note: It is not currently possible to launch the Crystal Space demonstration applications by double-clicking on them via the Finder on MacOS/X, the Viewer in MacOS/X Server 1.0, or from the the Workspace Manager's File Viewer on OpenStep and NextStep. This problem is a result of a limitation of the Finder, Viewer, and Workspace Manager applications. When the Crystal Space demonstration applications are launched, they expect to find the configuration files `scf.cfg' and `vfs.cfg' in the current directory---which is generally the same directory in which the Crystal Space applications reside. Unfortunately, neither Finder, Viewer, nor Workspace Manager provide the necessary information for Crystal Space to locate these administrative files. This problem will be corrected in the future once a suitable work-around has been devised. Therefore, at this time, all Crystal Space applications must be launched from the command-line.

Before running the demonstration programs for the first time, you should create a file named `user.cfg' in the `CS/data/config' directory. You can use this file to increase the ambient light level used for map files since the default level is typically too dim on the Apple/NeXT displays. To correct this problem, edit `user.cfg' and add a line to it similar to the following:

 
Glboal.Engine.Lighting.Ambient.White = 70

Some potentially good choices for this setting are summarized below. If these values do not work well for you, experiment with others until you find one which is suitable.

Platform Setting
MacOS/X Glboal.Engine.Lighting.Ambient.White=70
MacOS/X Server 1.0 Glboal.Engine.Lighting.Ambient.White=70
OpenStep Glboal.Engine.Lighting.Ambient.White=50
NextStep Glboal.Engine.Lighting.Ambient.White=50

Important: The first time you explore a map after changing the ambient white value, you should run WalkTest with the `--relight' option. This causes Crystal Space to recalculate the lighting information in the map in order to take advantage of the new ambient light value.

Note, however, that this process may be time consuming, particularly for certain sizable maps, so be patient. In other cases, Crystal Space may determine, on its own, that lighting needs to be recalculated. This is a normal occurrence and should not cause alarm.

As a general rule, you may find it useful to specify the `--relight' option with newly downloaded maps, or at any other time that the lighting in a map seems to be somehow incorrect.

To run WalkTest with a particular map (for instance, `flarge') for the very first time, type:

 
walktest --relight flarge

Subsequent uses of the map file do not require `-relight', in which case you can type:

 
walktest flarge

Once invoked, you will be able to explore the map file (`flarge') by using the navigation controls (see section 4.2.1 Keyboard Interface). To explore a different map, substitute its name in place of `flarge'.

Other interesting applications, such as Blocks or csDemo, can be run by typing the application's name at the command line:

 
blocks
csdemo

Finally, it is possible to use the Apple/NeXT defaults system to inform Crystal Space applications about the location of the Crystal Space resources. The `CrystalSpaceRoot' setting can be configured with an absolute path which points at the root of the Crystal Space resource hierarchy within the filesystem. It is most useful to configure this setting in the global defaults domain. For example, on MacOS/X, MacOS/X Server 1.0 (Rhapsody), or OpenStep, you could invoke this command from the command-line:

 
defaults write NSGlobalDomain CrystalSpaceRoot "/usr/local/CS"

On NextStep, you would invoke this command:

 
dwrite Global CrystalSpaceRoot "/usr/local/CS"

It is also possible to instruct Crystal Space applications to ignore the value of `CrystalSpaceRoot' by assigning the `CrystalSpaceRootIgnore' option a value of `Yes'. This is most useful when you would like to have a particular application ignore the value of `CrystalSpaceRoot' set in the global domain. For example:

 
defaults write walktest CrystalSpaceRootIgnore "Yes"


[ < ] [ > ]   [ << ] [ Up ] [ >> ]         [Top] [Contents] [Index] [ ? ]

This document was generated using texi2html