Circulate Level Creator : Full Instructions

Circulate Level Editor

Circulate has a fully featured level editor which you can use to create your own levels !

To active this 'hidden feature', type 'EDITOR' while in the main menu. You will see a 'Custom Levels' button appear. Click this button to get started. To get the most out of the editor please read the following instructions.

If you have any questions about the editor, please contact us at :

Commands

The available keyboard commands are :

The on-screen commands down the left-hand side of the screen are :

The on-screen commands down the right-hand side of the screen, underneath the pause icon are :

Editing

A level is created by adding spheres and level components (from now on I'll refer to spheres as level components).

Creating a Component

To create a level component follow these steps :

1. Select it's type from the top-left hand options.
2. When creating a sphere or shape, select the required type.
3. Place the cursor where you want to create the component.
4. Press the 'Insert' key.

Selecting a Component

To select a level component simply left-click on it. The component will flash to show that it has been selected.

Please refer to the Walls and Details sections for more information on selecting  these types of components.

Editing a Component

You can now change the components properties using the top-right hand menu. This menu changes depending on which type of component you are editing.

Moving a Component

To move a level component follow these steps :

1. Select the component.
2. Leave the mouse cursor over the component.
3. Click and hold the left mouse button.
4. Drag the component to where you want it to go.
5. Release the left mouse button.

Hold down the 'Shift' key while moving a sphere to prevent the sphere from overlapping other level components.

Deleting a Component

To delete a level component follow these steps :

1. Select the level component you wish to delete.
2. Press the 'Delete' key.

Copying a Component

To copy a level component follow these steps :

1. Select the component you wish to copy (it will flash)
2. Move the cursor to where you want to create your copy.
3. Press the 'Insert' key.
4. Please note the original component is still selected.

Components

The following section describes the options available while editing each type of component (object). These options appear on the top-right hand side of the screen while a component is selected.

Many of these components (objects) have values which can be adjusted using on screen '+' and '-' buttons. Use the Ctrl and Shift keys to alter how much these buttons will effect the value. ('Ctrl' multiplies by 10, 'Shift' divides by ten).

SPHERES

To create a sphere of a specific type :

1. Click on the 'Spheres' option in the top-left hand menu.

2. A sphere type menu will appear on the top-right hand side of the screen.

3. Use the +/- buttons to scroll through the available sphere types.

4. Use the 'Insert' key to create your sphere under the cursor.

While a sphere is selected the following menu will appear in the top-right hand side of the screen :

SHAPES

To create a shape of a specific type :

1. Click on the 'Shapes' option in the top-left hand menu.

2. A shape type menu will appear on the top-right hand side of the screen.

3. Use the +/- buttons to scroll through the available shape types.

4. Use the 'Insert' key to create your shape under the cursor.

While a shape is selected the following menu will appear in the top-right hand side of the screen :

WALLS

Walls are made up of points. The walls sections are drawn between these points.

Select a wall by click on one of it's 'points'. The selected point will be highlighted with a white cross.

When a wall is first created it will have two points. To add additional points :

1. Select a point.

2. If a new point is available from the point you have selected, a small red cross will appear in the middle of one of the wall sections. (If this does not appear try clicking on a different point).

3. Press the 'Insert' key to divide the wall section at the red cross.

This method can be used to create up to 20 points for each wall. If more points are required, create a new wall and it on to your wall by hand.

When moving a wall, only the selected point will move. To move the whole wall as a whole, hold down the 'Ctrl' key while moving.

While a wall is selected the following menu will appear in the top-right hand side of the screen :

CIRCULAR WALLS

While a circular wall is selected the following menu will appear in the top-right hand side of the screen :

CONTAINERS

While a container is selected the following menu will appear in the top-right hand side of the screen :

DETAILS

While a detail is selected the following menu will appear in the top-right hand side of the screen :

DOORS

Doors are made up of two points. The door is drawn between these two points. Each point can be moved individually.

Force-fields are one way doors. To alter the direction in which the door will affect spheres, switch the doors points.

Doors can be made to be automatic by entering values for the on and off fields. Doors are manual when both of these values are set to 0.00.

While a door is selected the following menu will appear in the top-right hand side of the screen :

PODS

While a pod is selected the following menu will appear in the top-right hand side of the screen :

TILT METERS

While a tilt meter is selected the following menu will appear in the top-right hand side of the screen :

Objective Commands

Okay this section may take some reading, but stick with it ! The best way to get used to objective commands is to try them out in your own level.

Objective commands tell the level what must happen for the player to have completed the level. With no objective commands, a level will be instantly completed.

Object commands are entered for containers and the level itself :

Container Objective Commands

• Objective commands can be entered for each Container using it's 'Com' option.

• Containers can only have one objective command each.

• The command only relates to the container itself.

Level Objective Commands

• Level objective commands are entered using the  Levels 'Com' Option.

• Five objective commands can be entered into the levels Com option.

• When entering more than one command, the commands should be separated with spaces.

• The command relates to the level itself (and includes spheres used in container commands).

Command Format

Objective commands take the following format :

Sphere type (the name displayed in the editor) Amount (a number) Greater than (G) / Less than (L) These are entered without any spaces. Lets take a look at some examples :

COMMAND	MEANING
RED5	There must be exactly 5 red spheres.
BLUE0	There must be no blue spheres left.
GREEN20G	There must be more than 20 green spheres.
HOVER3L	There must be less than 3 hover spheres.
RED4G RED11L	There must be between 5 and 10 red spheres (note the space between the two commands). Multiple commands are not available for containers.

Sharing Levels

C:/Documents and Settings\LoginName\Application Data\Pi Eye Games\Circulate\Custom