Arcanum World Editor

Arcanum World Editor Manual V 1.0

Table of Contents

World Ed Basics: * Starting WorldEd: *
Open Module: *
Allow Multiplayer: *
Creating a map: *
Base Terrain Types: *
Sectors (size of map): *
Starting location: *
Turning your maps into a Mod: *
The Interface: *
File *
New Map *
Open Map *
Save Map *
Save Map as *
Open Module *
Revert *
Exit (and save module) *
Edit *
View *
Zoom In *
Zoom Out *
Scrolling *
Objects *
Game Window *
Center Crosshair *
Ambient Lighting *
Ambient Colors *
Indoor *
Outdoor *
Scheme *
Tools *
Align Inventory *
Purge Destroyed Objects *
Relevel *
Generate Town Maps *
Remove Sector Light Schemes *
Find Next Useable Scenery Object *
Find Previous Useable Scenery Object *
Find Next Blocked Container Object *
Find Previous Blocked Container Object *
Adjust Critter Wanders *
Tab Panel: *
Prototype Pulldown: *
Thumbnail Window: *
Select/Edit Buttons: *
View Switches: *
Terrain Editor: *
Coordinates: *
Terrain View Window: *
Quicksave Button: *
Editor Window: *
Build Tab Panel: *
Arrow Cursor: *
Delete: *
Buildings: *
Doors: *
"P" pieces: *
Windows: *
Critters Tab Panel: *
Arrow Cursor: *
Delete: *
Critters: *
Kill Critter: *
Edit Tab Panel: *
Arrow Cursor: *
Delete: *
Tile Scripts: *
Jump Points: *
Tile Blocks: *
Environment Tab Panel: *
Arrow Cursor: *
Delete: *
Tiles: *
Scenery: *
Containers: *
Traps: *
Facades: *
Lights: *
Items Tab Panel: *
Arrow Cursor: *
Delete: *
Generic Items: *
Basic Items: *
Food: *
Scrolls: *
Written Objects: *
Quantity Objects: *
Ammunition: *
Coins: *
Keys: *
Weapons: *
Armor: *
Editing Window: *
Common Parameters: *
AC: *
Off: *
Flat: *
See Through: *
Shoot Through: *
No Block: *
Click Through: *
Don’t Light: *
Invulnerable: *
Illusion: *
Stoned: *
Hit Points: *
Internal: *
Known: *
Light Button: *
Dark Shadow: *
Don’t Animate: *
Don’t Cast Shadow: *
Indoor Ambient: *
Outdoor Ambient: *
Custom: *
Resistance: *
Scripts Button: *
Object Specific Parameters: *
AC Adj: *
Age: *
AI Data: *
Alignment: *
Ammo Type: *
Basic Stats: *
Blend: *
Blending: *
Bonus to Hit: *
Conceal: *
Crit Body Type: *
Crit Hit Chart: *
Crit Miss Chart: *
Damage: *
Derived Stats: *
Effects Dscr: *
End Line: *
Faction: *
Flags: *
Aloof: *
Always Locked: *
Animal: *
Boomerangs: *
Busted: *
Can Use Box: *
Fence: *
Hand Count Fixed: *
Hexed: *
Identified: *
Is Fire: *
Is Magical: *
Jammed: *
Kill on Sight: *
Locked: *
Locked Day: *
Locked Night: *
Loud: *
Magically Held: *
Marks Townmap: *
Mechanical: *
Mute: *
Needs Target: *
Never Locked: *
Nigh Invulnerable: *
No Auto Animate: *
No Blood Splotches: *
No Decay: *
No Disintegrate: *
No Display: *
No Drop: *
No Flee: *
No NPC Pickup: *
No Pickpocket: *
Nocturnal: *
Non-Lethal Combat: *
Only Cast Highest: *
Persistent: *
Positional Audio: *
Respawnable: *
Silent: *
Sticky: *
Stolen: *
Throwable: *
Torch/shield loc: *
Transfer Light: *
Two Handed: *
Uber: *
Undead: *
Unressurectable: *
Unrevivable: *
Wanders: *
Wanders in Dark: *
Waypoints Day: *
Waypoints Night: *
Won’t Sell: *
Gender: *
Generator: *
Is this a generator?: *
Generator ID: *
Inactive On-Screen: *
Spawn Beat Rate: *
Spawn Maximums: *
Concurrent: *
Ignore Total: *
Total: *
Spawn per Beat: *
Time Active: *
Hit Points: *
Inventory Source: *
Key ID: *
Level Scheme: *
Lock Difficulty: *
Magic AC Adj: *
Magic CH %: *
Magic CM %: *
Magic Hit Adj: *
Magic MS Adj: *
Magic Range Adj: *
Magic SM Adj: *
Magic Speed Adj: *
Magic Tech Complexity: *
Magic Wt Adj: *
Mana Store: *
Min Strength: *
Notify NPC: *
Origin: *
Poison Level: *
Portrait: *
Quantity: *
Race: *
Range: *
Reaction Base: *
Resistance Adj: *
Respawn Delay: *
Retail Price Mod: *
Scale: *
Silent Move Adj: *
Skills: *
Social Class: *
Sound Effect: *
Speed Factor: *
Spell 1: *
Spell 2: *
Spell 3: *
Spell 4: *
Spell 5: *
Spell Mana Store: *
Spells: *
Start Line: *
Trap Difficulty: *
Unknown: *
Wait Tolerance: *
Weight: *
Worth: *
Written Type: *
General Lighting: *
Ambient Lights: *
Dynamic Lights: *
The Edit Menu: *
Game: *
Start: *
Equipment (Autoequip.mes): *
Time (gameinit.mes): *
Story (StoryState.mes): *
Quests: *
Data (gamequest.mes): *
Log Entries (gamequestlog.mes): *
Log Entries for Dummies (gamequestlogdumb): *
Map: *
Areas (gamarea.mes): *
Lighting: *
Random Encounters (wmap_rnd): *
TownMaps (townmap.mes): *
Media: *
Movies (movies.mes): *
Portraits (userport.mes): *
Slides (slide.mes): *
Sounds: *
General (snd_user.mes): *
Scheme Data (schemelist): *
Scheme Index (schemeindex): *
Objects: *
Critters: *
AI (gameai.mes): *
Blessings (gamebless.mes): *
Curses (gamecurse.mes): *
Factions (gamefaction.mes): *
Generated Dialogs: *
Reputations (game_rp_npc*.mes): *
Rumors & Notes (game_rd_npc*.mes): *
Reputations: *
Data (gamerep.mes): *
Log Entries (gamereplog.mes): *
Descriptions (gamedesc.mes): *
Internal Names (gameoname.mes): *
Items: *
Effect Descriptions (gameitemeffect.mes): *
Keys (gamekey.mes): *
Written Items: *
Books (gamebook.mes): *
Newspapers (gamenewspaper.mes): *
Notes (gamenote.mes): *
Plaques (gameplaque.mes): *
Telegrams (gametelegram.mes): *
Scripts/Dialogs: Global Flags, Global Variables, Player Flags, Player Variables, Scriptmaker *
Global Flags (globalflags.mes): *
Global Variables (globalvars.mes): *
Player Flags (pcflags.mes): *
Player Variables (pcvars.mes): *
Scriptmaker: *
Event scripts: *
OBJ variables *
NUM variables *
Some general notes *
Counters *
Local flags *
Global variables *
Global flags *
PC variables *
PC flags *
Local variables *
Action statements *
(num) = (num) - (num) *
(num) = (num) *
(num) = (num) * (num) *
(num) = (num) / (num) *
(num) = (num) + (num) *
(obj) = (obj) *
add blessing (num) to (obj) *
add curse (num) to (obj) *
area of (obj): store in (num) *
armor coverage of item (obj): store in (num) *
armor of (obj): get in (num) *
autolevel scheme for (obj): change to (num) *
call script (num) at line (num) with triggerer (obj) and attachee (obj) *
call script (num) at line (num) with triggerer (obj) and attachee (obj) in (num) seconds *
call script (num) at line (num) with triggerer (obj) and attachee (obj) at seconds (num) *
call script attached to (obj) at point (num) at line (num) with triggerer (obj) *
change art num of (obj) to (num) *
change script attached to (obj) at point (num) to script (num) *
change this script to script (num) *
clear global flag (num) *
clear local flag (num) *
combat: (obj) attacks (obj) *
combat: force (obj) to stop attacking *
create item with basic prototype (num) inside (obj) *
create object with basic prototype (num) near (obj) *
damage (obj) for (num) points of type (num) damage *
damage (obj) unresistably for (num) points of type (num) damage *
day: store days since startup in (num) *
destroy (obj) *
destroy item named (num) in inventory of (obj) *
dialog (num) *
distance between (obj) and (obj): get in (num) *
do nothing *
drain (num) charges from (obj) *
end game and play slides *
faction of npc (obj): set to (num) *
faction of npc (obj): store in (num) *
fade and teleport: pass (num) seconds, play (num) sound, play (num) movie, and teleport (obj) to map (num) at X:(num) Y:(num) *
fade: pass (num) seconds, play (num) sound, and play (num) movie, with (num) seconds during fade *
fatigue of critter (obj): store current in (num) and maximum in (num) ) *
float line (num) above (obj) *
get location of (obj) and store X in (num) and Y in (num) *
give (obj) spell mastery in college (num) *
give (obj) the effect (num) with cause (num) *
give (obj) xps for a quest level (num) *
gold of (obj): adjust by (num) *
goto line (num) *
grant one fate point to (obj) *
have (obj) instantly become prone *
have (obj) perform animation (num) *
have (obj) try to steal 100 coins from (obj) *
have (obj) use (obj) on (obj) using skill (num) with modifier (num) *
have critter (obj) become a follower of (obj) *
have critter (obj) run to X:(num) Y:(num) *
have critter (obj) stop following his leader *
have critter (obj) wait for his leader *
have critter (obj) walk to X:(num) Y:(num) *
heal (obj) for (num) fatigue points *
heal (obj) for (num) points *
heal (obj) for (num) poison points *
hit points of (obj): store current in (num) and maximum in (num) *
hour: store current game hour in (num) *
hour: store hours since startup in (num) *
kill (obj) *
lock state of (obj): set to (num) *
loop break *
loop end *
loop for (obj) *
magic/tech: adjust (num) by item (obj) used by (obj) on (obj): store in (num) *
magic/tech: adjust (num) by item (obj) used by (obj): store in (num) *
mark map location (num) of pc (obj) as known *
minute: store current game minute in (num) *
newspaper: float current headline over (obj) *
newspaper: queue (num) with priority (num) *
object type of (obj): store in (num) *
origin of npc (obj): store in (num) *
play sound (num) *
play sound (num) at (obj) *
play sound scheme (num) and (num) *
print line (num) with a message class of (num) *
random number (num) to (num): store in (num) *
reaction of npc (obj) to pc (obj): adjust by (num) *
reaction of npc (obj) to pc (obj): set to (num) *
reaction of npc (obj) to pc (obj): store in (num) *
remove blessing (num) from (obj) *
remove curse (num) from (obj) *
remove from (obj) the effect (num) *
remove from time queue the call to script (num) with attachee (obj) *
remove this script *
rename (obj) as (num) *
reputation: give (obj) the reputation (num) *
reputation: remove from (obj) the reputation (num) *
return and RUN default *
return and SKIP default *
rotation of (obj): set to (num) *
rumor: quell rumor (num) for pc (obj) *
rumor: set rumor (num) for pc (obj) *
schematic UI start: display for (obj) *
script eye candy: play (num) on (obj) *
script eye candy: stop (num) on (obj) *
scroll distance: store in (num) *
set day standpoint of critter (obj) to X:(num) Y:(num) *
set day standpoint of critter (obj) to X:(num) Y:(num) on map (num) *
set global flag (num) to true *
set local flag (num) to true *
set night standpoint of critter (obj) to X:(num) Y:(num) *
set night standpoint of critter (obj) to X:(num) Y:(num) on map (num) *
set PC (obj) quest (num) to state (num) *
set PC (obj) quest (num) to state unbotched *
set quest (num) to global state (num) *
skill (num) of (obj): store in (num) *
slideshow: queue slide (num) *
social class of npc (obj): store in (num) *
spell eye candy: play (num) on (obj) *
spell eye candy: stop (num) on (obj) *
spells: cast spell (num) on (obj) *
spells: cast unresistable spell (num) on (obj) *
spells: have (obj) cast free and unresistable spell (num) on (obj) *
spells: have (obj) cast free spell (num) on (obj) *
spells: have (obj) cast spell (num) on (obj) *
spells: have (obj) cast unresistable spell (num) on (obj) *
spells: stop spell (num) on (obj) *
stat (num) of (obj): adjust by (num) *
stat (num) of (obj): store in (num) *
story state: set to (num) *
story state: store in (num) *
teleport (obj) to map (num) at X:(num) Y:(num) *
toggle (obj) invulnerability *
toggle (obj) open/closed *
toggle (obj) state on/off *
toggle item (obj) inventory display on/off *
toggle monster generator (num) on/off *
toggle the blocked state of sector at location X:(num) and Y:(num) *
touch art (num) *
transfer item named (num) from (obj) to (obj) *
transform Attachee into basic prototype (num) *
unfog townmap (num) *
weapon of (obj): get in (num) *
written start in (obj) set to (num) *
written UI start: book (num) for reader (obj) *
written UI start: image (num) for reader (obj) *
written UI start: plaque (num) for reader (obj) *
Conditional statements *
(num) <= (num) *
(num) == (num) *
(obj) can hear (obj) *
(obj) can open the container (obj) *
(obj) can open the portal (obj) in direction (num) *
(obj) can see (obj) *
(obj) has a body spell *
(obj) has at least (num) gold *
(obj) has bad associates *
(obj) has bless (num) *
(obj) has curse (num) *
(obj) has item named (num) *
(obj) has mastered spell college (num) *
(obj) has maximum followers *
(obj) has mirror image *
(obj) has reputation (num) *
(obj) has surrendered *
(obj) is an animal *
(obj) is at location X:(num) Y:(num) *
(obj) is busted *
(obj) is dead *
(obj) is identified *
(obj) is in combat *
(obj) is in dialog *
(obj) is invisible *
(obj) is invulnerable *
(obj) is named (num) *
(obj) is open *
(obj) is polymorphed *
(obj) is prowling *
(obj) is shrunk *
(obj) is switched off *
(obj) is undead *
(obj) is under the influence of spell (num) *
(obj) is waiting for leader's return *
(obj) is wielding item named (num) *
(obj) is within (num) tiles of location X:(num) Y:(num) *
(obj) knows spell (num) *
(obj) was jilted by a PC *
global flag (num) is set *
it is daytime *
items are being rewielded *
local flag (num) is set *
monster generator (num) is disabled *
npc (obj) has met pc (obj) before *
npc (obj) is a follower of pc (obj) *
npc (obj) is a monster of specie (num) *
PC (obj) has quest (num) in state (num) *
pc (obj) knows rumor (num) *
quest (num) in global state (num) *
rumor (num) has been quelled *
sector at location X:(num) and Y:(num) is blocked *
Dialogue *
Dialogue Test Field *
Dialogue Result Field *
Quests *
Script Attachment Points *
EXAMINE *
USE *
DESTROY *
UNLOCK *
GET *
DROP *
THROW *
HIT *
MISS *
DIALOG *
FIRST HEARTBEAT *
CATCHING THIEF PC *
DYING *
ENTER COMBAT *
EXIT COMBAT *
START COMBAT *
END COMBAT *
BUY OBJECT *
RESURRECT *
HEARTBEAT *
LEADER KILLING *
INSERT ITEM *
WILL KOS *
TAKING DAMAGE *
WIELD ON *
WIELD OFF *
CRITTER HIT *
NEW SECTOR *
REMOVE ITEM *
LEADER SLEEPING *
BUST *
TRANSFER *
CAUGHT THIEF *
CRITICAL HIT *
CRITICAL MISS *
Useful Lists: *
Spell List: *
Eye Candy List: *
Script Eye Candy List: *
Scenery List: *
Item List: *
Unique NPC: *

World Ed Basics:
WorldEd is a tool that allows you to create your own game based on existing art used in Arcanum. When using WorldEd, you are creating and editing the contents of a module. This module is stored in a *.dat file. The dat file acts like a zip file that the Arcanum executable can read. When a module is opened, the dat file is uncompressed to a series of temporary folders. When a module is closed, it recompresses the dat file and deletes all temporary folders. If somehow WorldEd is terminated without the module being saved (such as WorldEd crashing or being ended by the Task Manager), these temporary files will remain and WorldEd can attempt to recover any lost data when it is run next.
The dat file created during this process is what will be sent out or downloaded in order to play a custom game. Any dat files found in the modules directory can be selected for play in the options menu of Arcanum.
Important Note: You should NEVER play Arcanum or any custom modules while WorldEd is open. WorldEd attempts to modify dat files which may be in use by the game.

Starting WorldEd:
To begin WorldEd, click "Start—Programs—Sierra—Arcanum—Editor--World Editor".
Open Module:
When WorldEd loads, a screen will pop-up asking you to select a module. A module is a group of files and directories that form a game. In the window you will see any modules that you have available to edit. You may click on one of these names, or in the box beneath the text "Enter Module Name", type in the name of the module you wish to create. Entering the name of a non-existent module automatically creates a new one.
Allow Multiplayer:
After you have entered in the name of the module you wish to create, you will need to decide whether or not the game you are making will be a multi-player or single player adventure. If the module you are making will be a multi-player game, you will need to indicate it by checking the box marked "Allow Multiplayer". If this is not checked and you hit the ok button, the engine will assume this game is supposed to be played by one player at a time. You will not be able to change this setting at a later date, so it is important to decide now.
When making your decision about creating a multi vs. single player module, there is something important to keep in mind, which is map size. In a single player adventure, you can teleport from one map you have made to a completely different one. So you can make a small map for your town, and then the dungeon beneath can be an entirely different map. Teleporting to different maps cannot be done in a multi-player game. In a multi-player module, every area MUST be on one map. You can make your multi-player map large, thus you can teleport to different looking/feeling areas and trick the player into thinking they are traversing several different maps. In the example of the town and dungeon, the town would be created and far to the right (out of the scrolling view of the player) you would make your dungeon.
A good start-up size for a multiplayer map is 100x100. You may not need all that space, but it’s there if you do.

Creating a map:
When you have created or selected a module, the first thing you will see in your view screen is an expansive terrain of green grasslands. This is just the way WorldEd loads by default. You will want to make your own map from scratch and adjust a few parameters.
To create your own map, go to the top options bar and select "File-New Map". A warning will pop up after you clicked new, it will ask "do you want to save changes to untitled". You don’t care about the default map that WorldEd created, so select "NO".
Base Terrain Types:
The next thing you will have to choose when creating your own map is your base Terrain Type. A base terrain type is what your maps terrain will be to begin with. For instance, if you started with "snowy plains" selected, your map would be snow filled terrain as far the eye can see. Keep in mind that you will be able to edit these base terrain types at any time during the creation of your map. Even though you may select snowy plains to start, you can throw a patch of jungle or mountains in at any time using our Terrain-Editor. So select the terrain type that most of your map will be filled with.
Sectors (size of map):
The sector size (x and y) will determine how large your map is. A sector is roughly a ¼ mile square. As a reference, the continent of Arcanum was created with a default start size of 2000x2000 sectors. It took us more that 2 years to fill it up decently, so you may want to start with something smaller J . 64 x 64 is the default size. I would recommend 100 x 100 for a multiplayer map.
Starting location:
The starting location is where the player will begin his adventure when your module loads. In Arcanum, we set the starting location to be the crash site. In your game, just choose wherever makes the most sense.
To set the starting location of your player, load whichever map you wish to be the starting area. Once the map is loaded, right-click on the spot on the ground where you wish your player to appear. In the dialogue box that pops up, select "Set as Start Location". When you run your module now, you will begin in the spot you selected!
Keep in mind that having a start location is required. If you try to close a module you are working on and have not designated a start location, you will receive an error message.
Turning your maps into a Mod:
To turn your maps into a module that you can load and play, simply go and select "file" and then "compress module". If you have not saved the map you are working on, it will prompt you before it begins the process. You must also have selected a starting location and closed all windows opened under the Edit menu, or you will be prompted to do so. Once the compression is complete, it will display a "finished" window. Now if you load Arcanum, you will find the module you just created inside the "Options" menu. There you can scroll through all the different modules you have in your modules directory.
Compressing the module creates the *.dat file that contains all of your game data. This *.dat file is what you would send to a friend so that they could play your game. When you receive a *.dat file and wish to play it, make sure it is in the root of your modules directory.

The Interface:
The interface of WorldEd has been created to make most functions of module generation as easy as possible. There is a lot you can do with this tool, after all… we made Arcanum with it! Here is a diagram and a basic explanation of the different screen areas of WorldEd.

File
New Map
Create new map within the current module.
Open Map
Open existing map within the current module.
Save Map
Save changes made to your map.
Save Map as
Save your map with a new name. Both this new map and the old map will appear in your module.
Open Module
Open existing module or, by entering a new module name, create a new one. Opening a module while one is already active will automatically compress the active module.
Revert
This will undo any changes you have made since last time you saved your map.
Exit (and save module)
This will exit WorldEd and automatically save and compress the current module.
Edit
This menu gives you access to all of the text files that control your module. If you select any of the mes files from this menu, they will be opened using whatever program you have associated with the *.mes extension. If you haven’t associated a program with the MES extension, I recommend you choose notepad. A detailed explanation of each of these files is located in the MES file section.
You will also have the ability to run ScriptMaker from this menu. ScriptMaker should be run to edit any scripts OR dialogues. You can read more about this utility in the ScriptMaker section of this manual.
View
Zoom In
Zooms in while in top-down view. (keyboard shortcut "-")
Zoom Out
Zooms out while in top-down view. (keyboard shortcut "+")
Scrolling
Here you will be able to adjust the speed at which the screen scrolls. The default setting is the fastest and will probably be the only setting you will ever need. (keyboard shortcut: The numeric keypad scrolls the editing window screen.)
Objects
Here you can hide or unhide most objects that appear in the editing window.
Game Window
Toggling this activates a red box outline which indicates what the player will see when he plays the game. This box is 800x400.
Center Crosshair
Toggles a crosshair to indicate the center of the screen.
Ambient Lighting
Unchecking this will deactivate the default lighting scheme for this map. It will all the lights up to full brightness. Keep in mind this has no bearing on the actual game. This is only for viewing purposes in WorldEd.
Ambient Colors
All of these options adjust the lighting view. These options are for viewing purposes only. None of the parameters set here adjust how the map will look when played.
Indoor
Controls the ambient light level for interior areas.
Outdoor
Controls the ambient light level for exterior areas.
Scheme
This will let you choose between different lighting schemes available in your module. By default you have two you can choose from, but you can create your own. When they are created properly, they will appear automatically in this dialogue. See "General Lighting" for more info.
Tools
Align Inventory
You will probably never use this tool. It looks for items that have bad data associated with them. If you run this tool, nothing will should ever happen. If by some chance you have items that are in a bad state, this will correct them.
Purge Destroyed Objects
You will probably never use this tool. It looks for objects that have been destroyed, but not deleted. If you run this tool, nothing will should ever happen. If by some chance you have objects that are in a bad state, this will correct them.
Relevel
This tool goes through all creatures on the map and reinitiates their level schemes, if they have one attached.
Generate Town Maps
See TownMaps section.

Remove Sector Light Schemes
You will probably never need to do this, but if you do…. This tool removes any hand defined sector light schemes for every map in the module.
Find Next Useable Scenery Object
This will cycle through all scenery objects in the game that have a script attached to the "use" attachment point. This is very useful on larger maps. Example: Let’s say you have a garden and, if you pull on a rose, a fairy appears. If there is an entire garden it can be hard remembering which one you set. This will center the editor window the rose in the garden.
Find Previous Useable Scenery Object
This is the same as the "find next useable scenery object" tool, except that this one cycles through the objects in the opposite direction.
Find Next Blocked Container Object
Containers can not be opened or used if they are in a tile that is blocked. Tiles can be blocked either by hand using the Tile Blocking tool, or if an object is present in that tile.
Find Previous Blocked Container Object
This is the same as the "find next blocked container object" tool, except that this one cycles through the containers in the opposite direction.
Adjust Critter Wanders
This tool operates on all NPC’s on the currently edited map. This will adjust the wander states of the NPCs. The wander states of individual NPCs can be edited by right-clicking on them, and looking at their "flags" section.
Tab Panel:
Here is where you will access all the tools to place or alter anything placed in your world. Available tools are grouped appropriately in each of the tabs.
Prototype Pulldown:
When placing an object into the editor window, you will frequently notice that a name appears in the prototype pulldown. This usually means you can click within this field and scroll through different groups of prototypes.
Thumbnail Window:
Here you will see a reference image of what you are about to place in the world.
Select/Edit Buttons:
The select button will allow you to browse different prototypes within the current selected prototype group. The edit button will allow you to change the art of the current selected prototype.
View Switches:
These two buttons toggle between isometric and top-down view. Every object in the items, critters and environment menus can only be placed in the isometric view. Buildings can only be created when in the top down view. Everything else can placed in either one.
Terrain Editor:
This button activates the terrain editor. The terrain editor will allow you to edit large portions of terrain.
Coordinates:
When you hover over any tile in the editor window, you will see the x,y location in the coordinate window. You can also enter x,y coordinates into this window and hit "set" or press enter to reset the view to that location on your map.
Terrain View Window:
This area will represent a rough view of what the base terrain type of your map look like. By default it is all green because the initial map load defaults to green grasslands.
Quicksave Button:
This button provides a quick way to save the map you currently working on. If the map save is current, you will notice this button turn grey.
Editor Window:
This is the viewport in which all editing of the map will take place.
Build Tab Panel:
Arrow Cursor:

The arrow cursor is found in all the tabs and simply returns you to selection mode. Just click on the arrow button to activate.
Delete:

Buildings are placed in the world much the same way that tiles and other scenery objects are, just point and click. When laying down buildings though, you MUST be in the top view mode. To enter the top-view mode of WorldEd just click on the "top-down" button on the left hand panel.
To begin laying down buildings in WorldEd, we must first make sure the building icon is active in the "build" command tab. Once this button is depressed, you will see a building image appear in the window beneath. You can use the "previous/next" keys to cycle through the different building types.
To construct a building, initiate the top-down view and left click on one of pink dots. The first dot that you click will represent the first "post" of your building. With a dot left-clicked and held, drag out a rectangular shape until it is the size and shape you desire. Once you have a shape you like, just release the left-click and your building will be created! Now go back to the ¾ view and check out your new structure.
If you want to add to the building, simply go back to top-down view and begin clicking inside the structure and drag out a new piece. If you want to create interior walls, click and hold and drag out a shape that is only one of those pink dots wide. This is the way indoor and outdoor walls are made.
If you wish to delete any building you have created, select the delete icon

in the "build" tab and ctrl-click on the structure. This will delete pieces of the building. Just keep clicking until it’s all gone.
Doors:

Doors can be placed anywhere there is room on an existing wall. Doors can be placed on exterior as well as interior walls. Every wall set has a different selection of doors.
To place a door, select the door icon in the "build" tab panel. With this button select, simply left click on a wall to place a door. To cycle through variations, left click on the door again. If you want to expand the entry to double doors, click on either the left or the right side. Keep in mind that not all wall sets have multiple door variations and you MUST have room on the wall to place your door. Doors will not appear when too close to windows or edges of walls.
By default, all doors begin with the same behavior. Doors, by default, are unlocked and can be destroyed if dealt more than 70 hit-points. This works a lot of the time, but sometimes you want to set specific behavior for the door. To do this, right click on the door and select edit. This brings up all of the options available. A detailed description of the options you have is below….
"P" pieces:

P-pieces are pieces of art that adorn walls to add difference and flavor. The first piece of art completed for this function was an image of pots and pans. That’s where the "p" came from. P-pieces come in many shapes and sizes and are different depending on which wall set you are using. Some wall sets have many p-pieces available and some have none.
To adorn your walls with p-pieces, you must be an isometric view and have some walls to place these on. Select the p-pieces icon in the "build" tab panel. To administer a p-piece, just left-click on any wall and, if there are p-pieces for the wall set, you will see it appear. To change an existing p-piece you can click on the p-piece to cycle through ones that size, or you can click just to the left and right of it to see larger variations.
Windows:

Windows can be placed on most all of the wall-sets in WorldEd. Windows, unlike doors, have different default properties depending which type you lay down. Some windows, by default, cannot be opened (large plate glass windows) and some cannot be seen through (boarded up or stained glass windows).
To place a window in WorldEd, select the window icon in the "build" tab panel. With this button selected, simply click on any part of an existing wall. This will place a window. To cycle through window variations, click on the window again. To change the size, click to either the left or the right of the window. Keep in mind that doors and windows all need appropriate space from wall edges and each other.
When a window is first placed it will assume its default behavior, but you have the ability to change all of its properties. To edit window properties, hover the window and right click and select edit. This will bring up a screen full of options for you to adjust. A detailed description of the options you have can be found the "Editing Window" section.
Critters Tab Panel:
Arrow Cursor:

The arrow cursor is found in all the tabs and simply returns you to selection mode. Just click on the arrow button to activate.
Delete:

The critter button is used to place all people, monsters, and animals in the game. With this button selected you can cycle through all the different creatures available in WorldEd.
Kill Critter:

Kill critter is used when you want to keep an NPC, you just want him dead. The way it works is by dealing out 32000 points of damage. This ensures a timely death. J Just click on the kill critter button and then click in the editor window on the creature you wish to kill.
Note: If you kill someone and they are not facing the direction you think is appropriate, you can right-click on the body and hit rotate until it is right.
Edit Tab Panel:
Arrow Cursor:

The arrow cursor is found in all the tabs and simply returns you to selection mode. Just click on the arrow button to activate.
Delete:

Tile Scripts are very easy to understand. A tile script fires every time a PC or an NPC walks over it. A tile script is laid down on the terrain using the button. This button can be found under the Edit tab. Right-clicking on the tile script brings up this window:

You will enter the script number in the ID field.
A few helpful hints:
The "Triggerer" for tile scripts is the PC or NPC that walks over it.
There is no "Attachee" for tile scripts (tile scripts are not objects in the way that critters or items are). Therefore, if you wish to do something that requires an Attachee, such as looping for someone or something when the tile script is triggered, then you will have to use the "(obj) = (obj)" script command, entering "Attachee = Triggerer". In essence, this makes the triggerer of the tile script the attachee as well.

Jump Points:

Jump Points are used for teleporting the PC from one location to another. Jump points can teleport you around the same map or can transport you between different maps in your module.
To create a jump point, click on the jump point button and left click in the editor window for placement. When you click a blue-hatched box will appear on the ground followed by the jump point editing window. Within that window, select the map you wish to teleport to from the pull down menu. Then enter the x and y coordinates of the tile you want the player to land on. Now when you play the game, if someone steps on this tile he will be teleported.
Keep in mind, the blue-hatched jump point representation you see in WorldEd will not appear in the game. If you wish the player to clearly know there is a teleport point there, I suggest adorning that location with some obvious scenery.
Tile Blocks:

Blocking tiles prevent the player from moving to that specific location. You will see two types of blocking tiles, generated and placed.
Generated blocking tiles are ones that are built into certain facades and tilesets. Generated blocking tiles cannot be edited. They will always be blocked. An example of a generated blocking tile is the deep water tileset. If you select deep water and spray it down in the editor window, you will notice a dark red-hatched tilesize piece of art appear on top of the water. This is indicating that the player will not be able to walk on these tiles. Generated blocked tiles are also very common on facades and scenery.
The next type of blocking tiles are placed. Placed blocking tiles are ones that you can lay down or remove at any time. To place a blocking tile of your own, select the "edit" tab and click the tile-block button. With the TB button active, you can click in the editor window to mark tiles as non-walkable. When you block a tile you will notice the red-hatch indicator is bright red. This is how you can identify the difference between generated and placed tile blocks. If you wish to remove a tile block, just click on the tile again with the tool still active, this will remove the block.
A quick word about scenery and blocking tiles: If you place any of the larger scenery objects on the ground, you will see a blocked tile appear beneath it. Certain groups of scenery prototypes will always block the tile they are placed in. You can read more about scenery objects in the scenery section.
Environment Tab Panel:
Arrow Cursor:

The arrow cursor is found in all the tabs and simply returns you to selection mode. Just click on the arrow button to activate.
Delete:

Tiles are what the world of Arcanum is built on. They are the foundation found everywhere you play. A tile is an area of space that is 80 pixels wide by 40 pixels high. Characters always stand in the center of a tile unless walking/running/sneaking. Although npc’s snap to a tiles center, scenery and items of all kinds can be positioned anywhere within a tile.
In WorldEd, changing the art of the tiles is extremely simple. With WorldEd loaded and a map ready to edit, select the environment tab on the left-hand panel. If you select the tile button, you will be in tile-editing mode. This will allow you to lay down water, marsh, dirt, rock, and many more within the editing window of WorldEd. When you select the tile button you will see a picture of a brown dirt swatch appear beneath it. If you press the "select" button beneath dirt image it will bring up a list of all available tiles to lay down. Just double-click on the one you want and left click to spray in the edit window. You may spray these down in both top and ¾ views of the editor.
There is one thing that you need to keep in mind when it comes to choosing tile types, indoor vs. outdoor. Some tiles are linked automatically to the outdoor light setting and some are linked to the indoor light setting. This accommodates the difference between interior and exterior locations. If you were to spray down grass, it would reflect the outdoor lighting so as day turns to night, the colors of the ground will change. You wouldn’t want that effect on a wood floor of a house. Interiors colors you would want to remain static as the light changes outside. So if you were to lay down an interior tile outside, you might notice it is much darker than the other tiles because it is getting its lighting from the interior setting. Additionally, interior tile sets do not transition between each other. An outdoor tile of grass place on a pool of water will create all the necessary ground transitions between the two. An indoor tile placed anywhere will simply be that indoor tile.
Scenery:

Scenery objects are what you place in WorldEd to decorate your scene. Scenery objects have different defaults depending on which prototype you use. Most of the settings have to deal with the player being able to walk through, shoot through, or see through them. You will find that they are almost always appropriately set, but you can adjust them at any time if you wish.
To place a scenery object, select the environment tab panel and click on the scenery icon. By default, the bed will appear as the first piece of scenery you can lay down, but you can browse all the default prototypes by clicking on the pulldown menu above the thumbnail. Here you can see a list of all prototype scenery in the game. They are organized this way to help when choosing which scenery you wish to use.
After you have selected a prototype, you may want to change its look. Click on the edit button beneath the thumbnail to bring up all of the available options. Here you can cycle through different pieces of art to represent your scenery object. Select one that you like and hit OK. Now you can place that object in your scene by left clicking in the editor window.
Something you may need to adjust frequently is beds. Beds can only be used if the module you are creating is a single-player adventure. In multiplayer there is no way to advance time while someone sleeps. If you want to place a bed that can be slept upon in your single player game, you will need to do the following:
Place a bed in your scene and right-click on it. Select "edit".
Click on the scripts button.
Now click on the circle to the left of the "use" field. This will make the script number we are about to type in tie into the "use" of the bed.
Below in the "script" entry box, type in number 1893 then hit ok. This script is something we have pregenerated for use in this instance.
Now your bed can be slept in. It will function the same way as beds in Arcanum when you purchase a room at the Inn.
If you want to place a bed as scenery and forego the ability to sleep in it, just place one. The beds default behavior is to act only as dressing in your scene.
Containers:

Containers are objects that can hold multiple items. Containers can be empty, can have hand placed contents, or can use "substitute inventories".
To place a container, select the Environment Tab and click on the container icon. By default you will see a thumbnail of the "arcane chest". If you select the pull-down menu above the thumbnail you can see many different container defaults. If you wish to edit the look of your container before placing it in your scene, select the "edit" button beneath the thumbnail. This will bring up all the art available for chests in our game.
The default containers have all have "inventory sources" attached to them. An inventory source is list of objects that can appear in a container when attached to it. When the game loads, containers with inventory sources will randomly pull from their list and fill the chest full of goodies. This is great for shopkeepers and for your basic dungeon chests.
To create a custom chest stocked with items you specify, select "empty chest" from the prototype pulldown. This prototype does not have any default inventory. With this container placed in your scene, you can put any object into it by dragging the item on top of the chest and dropping.
If you wish to remove all the items in a container, you can right-click on it and select "poop". This will dump all the contents of a container on the ground. You may have to move the container to see the objects beneath it.
Note: To make a chest available to an NPC for bartering, you need to make sure the NPC has an internal name (see editing). Right-click on the container and select "Remember for Substitute", then right click on the NPC and select "Set Substitute Inventory". This will attach the chest to the NPC. Keep in mind that chest needs to be fairly close to the NPC, or the NPC will not recognize its existence. As a rule of thumb, if while playing Arcanum, the chest is centered on the screen and you can still see the NPC somewhere in the game window, the chest is close enough.

Traps:

Traps are placed on the ground and affect anyone who enters into the tile they are place in. To place a trap, open the environment tab and select the traps button. By default, you will see a magickal trap. If you hit the select button beneath the thumbnail you can choose between the seven trap types available in our game. To place the selected trap, just left-click in the editor window to place it.
Arrow traps require an additional trap object to be set. This object is called a trap-source. The trap-source defines where the arrow will come from when the trap is stepped on. To place the trap-source, just click the pulldown menu above the thumbnail and select "TrapSource". You can place these any where in your scene and they will only show up in the WorldEd editor window. You will not be able to see these in the game, the player will only see an arrow fly from this location.
Note: Arrow traps will use whichever trap source is closest to fire from. Make sure you place your trap source no more than 6 tiles away from the trap or it may not fire. If you want the arrow to come from a particular trap source, see Counter 2 below.
All traps can be adjusted after being placed. If you right-click on a trap and select "edit", then click on the "scripts" button, you will see 4 counters below in the script window. Here is how each of the counter functions.
Counter 0: Adjusting the number in counter 0 will adjust the minimum damage dealt out by the trap.
Counter 1: Adjusting the number in counter 0 will adjust the maximum damage dealt out by the trap.
Counter 2: Counter two can get a little tricky. Counter two is only used for arrow traps because arrow traps are the only ones that require a trap source. If you have multiple trap sources in an area, you can define a number for them in their counter 2 area. If you copy that number into your traps counter two, the arrows will fire from the trap source with the same number.
Counter 3: Counter 3 defaults to zero, which will probably work for people most of the time. By giving counter 3 a new number, you are saying "in addition to firing the trap like normal, play a spell on whoever steps on me". The appropriate spell numbers can be found in the spell list towards the bottom of this document.
Another function of traps is the object you receive when disarming it with Expert training. Every trap, except for magickal, when disarmed by an Expert will insert an object into the player’s inventory. The object you receive given the type of trap is in the chart below.
Here is a chart breaking down what each trap-script does.

Facades:

Facades are groups of ground tiles that form a picture. This image, although a flat 2d picture, can trick the player into thinking they are before a grand castle or bottomless chasm.
To place a facade, click on the façade button in the "environment" tab panel. You will see a thumbnail appear in the window beneath accompanied by a number and the facades name. There are 372 facades in the game. To page through them use the previous/next button. Once you have selected one, simply click in the editing window and you will see your façade appear.
To delete a façade, select the delete button in the "environment" tab panel. Left click on the façade in the editor window and the façade will be erased. When the façade is erased, it will leave behind a patch of tiles that represent whatever the façade’s base was when we created it. We defined the base in order to determine what sounds would play when a character walked over it. So if you delete the boat façade, you will see a patch of wood where the boat once was. Just draw over this area with whatever tile is appropriate to your scene.
Remember, facades are simply tiles in a group. Some facades are outdoor tiles and some are indoor, so lighting will affect facades differently. Also, since facades are tiles, everything will be drawn on top of the façade.
Lights:

The lights that this button lay down are referred to as dynamic lights. I highly recommend you read the "General Lighting" section for more info on lighting your maps.
To place a dynamic light, select the environment tab and click on the light icon. If you click on the "select" button you will get different variations of lights you can place. By clicking on the edit button, you will be able to define the color of the light you are about to lay down.
Now, if you try to place a light into your scene now you might not be able to see it. The reason for this is that the outside ambient light is so bright you cannot see the dynamic light that has been placed. I usually start by selecting "view—ambient colors—scheme" and changing the time value to 20. This makes worlded display eight o’clock time of day colors (the time value is military time, 0 for midnight and 23 for 11pm). Now that the light is less bright outside, you can see the lights you place into your outdoor scene. Indoors, by default, begins darker so lights can be placed and seen immediately on interiors.
To set a light to be a shadow, choose a light, place it, and right click on it and select "edit". Select the check box "dark (shadow)". Now anything that makes it into this light will be darkened instead of lit.

Items Tab Panel:
There are several different types of items in Arcanum. There are generic items, weapons, armors, food, written objects, scrolls, ammo, money, and keys. All have different properties and all can be edited.
On thing to keep in mind before I describe Items any further. There are two basic types of items. One type of item is a prototype. Prototype items are ones that we have generated in house. These items usually have specific properties that are important to the game. In all of our menus when you are scrolling through different types, you are scrolling through prototypes. The other type of item is what we call a "custom" item. This is any item you edit by hand. If you right click on anything and change its properties, you are no longer dealing with a prototype, you are dealing with a "custom item". This does not affect the original prototype, this only changes the object you are editing.
There are six different categories of item editing screens you will come across: Generic Items, written objects, quantity objects, keys, weapons, and armor.
Arrow Cursor:

The arrow cursor is found in all the tabs and simply returns you to selection mode. Just click on the arrow button to activate.
Delete:

The delete button is found in all of the tabs. It can delete anything on the screen except for walls and tiles. Just select the delete button click on any object in the editor window to remove it.
Generic Items:
Generic items are basic items, food, and scrolls. Most objects in the game are generic items with different art and effects. For example, scrolls have a script attached to them. When the scroll is used it will heal a target by 40 points lets say. If you attached the same script to a piece of bread, it would do the exact same thing. The real difference between bread and scrolls is the art (which you can change to anything you want) and the script number typed into its "use" slot.

Basic Items:

To select a basic item click on the button and hit the select button beneath the thumbnail. Here you will see a list items we used in the game. Basic items can rarely be equipped and mostly are used as schematic pieces, quest items, and non-returnable thrown objects (like grenades).
Food:

In the food category you will find everything to make organic/chemical based schematics and bread and other basic foodstuffs. If you click in the pulldown beneath the tabs, you will see general, herbal, potions, and therapeutic. Currently, only general and potions contain prototypes. Select general or potions in the pulldown menu and hit the select button to browse the different types.
Scrolls:

Scrolls are objects in the game that have specific scripted behaviors attached to them. If you hit the select button you can browse the scroll prototypes we have generated for the game. An example of a scroll would be the "scroll of disarm". This script disarms traps. In WorldEd, you have the ability to create your own scripts thereby creating your own custom scroll behaviors. To access the different types of scrolls hit the select button.
Written Objects:

There are five different types of written objects you can access from the pulldown menu, books, newspapers, notes, schematics, and telegraphs.
Written objects are very simple to use and to understand. Written objects are similar to other items in the game, except for a few options at the bottom of their Edit Window:

The "Written Type" pull-down menu allows you to change the designation of a written object when you lay it down. Therefore, you could change a note into a telegram, if you so desired.
"Start Line" refers to the message file line that the written object will draw its content from. Here is a list of the written objects, and the message files associated with them:
Book: gamebook.mes
Newspaper: gamenewspaper.mes
Note: gamenote.mes
Schematics: (you cannot access this file)
Telegrams: gametelegram.mes
All of these message files can be accessed in World-Ed using the Edit Menu. There are detailed descriptions of those message files and how they work in the section describing the Edit Menu.
For example, if you laid down a book, and you entered 1020 in the start line for that book, then that book, when used in the game, would display the contents of the book entry on line 1020 in gamebook.mes.
"End Line" is no longer used and should be ignored.
Quantity Objects:
Ammunition:

Ammunition has four different categories in the pulldown menu; arrows, bullets, charges, and fuel. Different weapons in the game require different types of ammunition. To place ammunition, select one of the four types from the pull down menu, then click in the editor window to place it. To edit the amount of ammunition, right click on the newly placed object and hit edit. In the edit screen you will see a field that says "quantity", this is how many units of ammo this object contains. Change the number in the field to change the amount of ammo.
Coins:

Coins are money in the game. This is the only type of currency available. To place coins just left-click in the editor window to place the object. Once the coins item is place you can right-click on the object and select edit to adjust the amount. In the edit screen you will see a field that says "quantity", this is how many units of coin this object is worth. Change the number in the field to change the amount of coin.
Keys:

Keys are objects in the game can unlock locked objects. Keys are like most other objects except that when you right-click on a placed key and select edit, you will notice a different field. Within the edit window, there is a field called "Key ID". This is how the locked object knows to become unlocked when this key enters it. If you place a door, lock it, and edit it and give it a key id of 8, then give a key the same number 8, the key will be able to unlock the door. This works the same for chests and windows. Note that two Key ID’s are reserved:
0 - no key will open this lock or this key opens nothing
1 - any key will open this lock or this key opens any lock
Weapons:

Weapons are wielded objects that are used to inflict damage! Some weapons have spells that can be cast while wielding them, such as the staff of healing. Some weapons require ammo to use. Weapons are broken into eleven categories. To see all the different categories click on the pulldown menu above the thumbnail. Once you have selected a category, click the "select" button to browse the different variations.
There are many different weapon prototypes we offer, but all of these can be edited. To create your own custom weapon, just place a similar weapon in the editor window and right-click and select edit.
Armor:

Armor is considered anything that you wear. Armor includes many different categories that you can see by clicking on the pulldown menu above the thumbnail. Many armor objects have effects and scripts built into them. You have the option of editing any of the existing properties to create your own custom armor. The first and easiest step to changing armor is the edit button.
When you select a prototype of any piece of armor, before you lay it down, you can click on the "edit" button next to "select". This will bring up every different variation of this type of weapon. Just select the one that you think is best and place it in the editing window. Now it will have the same stats of the prototype you chose, but it will look like whatever you changed its art to.

Editing Window:
You can right-click on almost any object in WorldEd and select the "edit" option. This brings up the "edit window". The edit window may be arranged slightly different from one object to the next, but many of the parameters you can edit are the same.
This section is broken down into two different parts. The first part is common editing parameters and the second part is object specific parameters. Common editing parameters are ones that ALL objects in the game have, like "internal name" and "hit-points". Object specific parameters can be found in only one or a few of the objects in worlded, like "fire damage" and "magic-tech complexity".
This section will list all editable parameters. Next to each parameter you will see a list of which objects have the parameter to edit.
Common Parameters:
Here is a list of common parameters to all objects.
AC:
This sets the Armor Class of the object.
Off:
This will switch the object to the "off" state. With this selected, you will not be able to see it in the game. In the editor, however, it will be appear green and translucent.
Flat:
This flag forces the object to be drawn flat. It will appear like a rug or carpet, everything else in the game will be drawn on top.
See Through:
If checked, the object will not be taken into consideration when determining if the player or npc can see through it.
Shoot Through:
If checked, the engine will assume this object will not block a ranged attack.
No Block:
The "No Block" checkbox toggles whether or not an object creates a blocking tile where it is placed.
Click Through:
The mouse cursor will target any object or the tile under this object, i.e. it cannot be targeted with the mouse.
Don’t Light:
Removes all lighting applied and displays the object at full brightness.
Invulnerable:
The object will be impervious to damage.
Illusion:
The object is illusionary (no longer supported)
Stoned:
The object is treated as stone by the render (i.e. drawn in gray scale)
Hit Points:
This field defines how much damage an object can take before being destroyed or busted.

Internal:
This is an internal name for the object, used to uniquely identify the object to scripts.

Known:
This field controls the description of the object. For critters and magical items, this is the name of the object after you have met/identified the object.
Light Button:
The light button gives the player the option of attaching a light to any object in the game. When selected, this button will bring up a window with a few options. Most options will be unavailable for selection until a light has been selected. Click on "select" to see a list of light options. Once a light is chosen, other options will be available.
Dark Shadow:
This will invert the light and create a dark shadow.
Don’t Animate:
If this light has animation, this will disable it from playing.
Don’t Cast Shadow:
This will prevent a shadow from being drawn on this object (since they are only drawn on critters, this is a pretty specific flag)
Indoor Ambient:
This will force the color of the light to be the same as the indoor ambient light setting.
Outdoor Ambient:
This will force the color of the light to be the same as the outdoor ambient light setting.
Custom:
Here is where you can bring up the color picker and determine what color you wish your light to be.
Resistance:
These resistances can range from 0 to 95:
Damage: resistance to regular damage, such as being struck by a sword, arrow or bullet
Electrical: resistance to electrical damage
Fire: resistance to fire damage
Magic: resistance to magical spells and item effects
Poison: resistance to poison (this reduces the incoming poison level by the specified percent)
Scripts Button:
The script button will give you access to the script entry window. This window will show every script attachment point available for this object. For more information of editing and applying scripts, see the "Scripts" section.

Object Specific Parameters:
AC Adj:
Armor.
This number is how much to add to the wearer’s AC.
Age:
Critters.
This is the creature’s age. It doesn’t have much affect in the game, but it can be tested for in scripts.
AI Data:
Critters.
This is the number of the AI packet for this creature. You can set valid values using Edit->Objects->Critter->AI.
Alignment:
Critters.
This the creature’s alignment, which ranges from –1000 (pure evil) to 1000 (pure good), with 0 being neutral.
Ammo Type:
Weapons.
This selects which type of ammo the weapon will consume when fired.
Basic Stats:<