Last updated: 12/20/98 21:34
The subdirectories beneath the features subdirectory describe any of a number of kinds of features, such as rocks, trees, and unit corpses. When creating a new unit, it is the features/corpses subdirectory that is of particular interest. The TDF file(s) found in this subdirectory describe the properties of the corpses that are left behind when a unit is destroyed.
A unit's corpse is described in one of two ways:
| The unit's short name with a prefix of _DEAD describes the rubble that is left behind when the unit is destroyed. It typically looks somewhat like the original unit. |
| The unit's short name with a prefix of _HEAP describes the small pile of debris that is left behind if either your unit dies such a horrible death that there is nothing left but a smear on the ground, or if the original rubble left behind (e.g XXX_DEAD) took enough subsequent dammage to reduce it to a "heap". |
Note: A unit need not be limited to these two "corpses". You can chain several different corpse types together if you'd like a more detailed series of "decaying" corpses if you wish.
An example of _DEAD and _HEAP follow:
| [ARMALPHA_DEAD]
{ world=all; description=Wreckage; category=arm_corpses; object=armalpha_dead; featuredead=armalpha_heap; footprintx=5; footprintz=5; height=12; blocking=1; hitdensity=23; metal=344; damage=4545; reclaimable=1; featurereclamate=smudge01; seqnamereclamate=tree1reclamate; } [ARMALPHA_HEAP]
|
Within the features subdirectories can be the descriptions of any type of feature in the game, including unit corpses and other objects such as metal deposits, rocks, trees, shrubs, etc. Within the TDF file in any of the features subdirectories, the following variables can be set for a particular feature:
| Variable | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| animating | animating=0; | |
| animtrans | animtrans=0; | |
| autoreclaimable | Guess: whether or not an attempt to reclaim this feature will be made by a construction unit on Patrol orders. | autoreclaimable=0; |
| burnmax | burnmax=15; | |
| burnmin | burnmin=5; | |
| burnweapon | The "weapon" description that defines the damage that a burning feature does to nearby affected units. | burnweapon=ShrubBurn; |
| category | The category to which the feature belongs. For a corpse, this can be "arm_corpses", "cor_corpses", or "heaps". Other values are valid, of course. | category=rocks; category=steamvents; |
| description | What is displayed at the bottom of the screen when you hold the cursor over the corpse during a game. This is almost always simply "Wreckage", but with the appearance of the new resurrecting kbots, it might be more helpful to describe your rubble here. | description=Wreckage; |
| blocking | describes whether (1) or not (0) the object prevents a unit from walking over it. | blocking=1; |
| damage | indicates how much damage the object can take before turning into a heap (if it's the _DEAD object) or before being destroyed utterly (if it's the _HEAP). | |
| energy | the amount of energy you get for reclaiming the object. | |
| featuredead | describes what the object turns into when it takes maximum damage. If this line is missing, no object is left behind when it is destroyed. | |
| featurereclamate | describes the image (smudge) that is left behind after being reclaimed. | |
| filename | filename=rocks; | |
| flamable | Can the feature catch on fire? For example, trees and shrubs. | flamable=1; |
| footprintx | How wide (East-West) is the object. | |
| footprintz | How wide (North-South) is the object. | |
| geothermal | Will a geothermal plant built on top of the feature produce any energy? | geothermal=1; |
| height | describes the height of the corpse (used when determining whether a gun shot will pass over it or not). If the height variable is missing, a value of zero is assumed. | |
| hitdensity | (unsure) probably has to do something with the chance of whether a shot fired toward it will hit it or just pass over. (?) | |
| indestructible | Is the feature indestructable? | indestructible=1; |
| metal | The amount of metal you get for reclaiming the object. For Non-reclaimable features, such as metal deposits, this is the relative concentration of metal within the feature for extraction. Max value seems to be around 255. | metal=127; |
| nodisplayinfo | Do not display the name of the feature when the cursor is placed over it. | nodisplayinfo=1; |
| object | describes the name of the 3DO file that defines what the object looks like. Most "heap" object are found in the totala1.hpi file, unless you want to create one of your own. | |
| permanent | Is the feature permanent? | permanent=1; |
| reclaimable | indicates whether the object can be reclaimed or not. 1=yes, 0=no. | |
| reproduce | reproduce=0; | |
| reproducearea | reproducearea=6; | |
| seqname | seqname=rockmetal1; | |
| seqnameburn | Describes the animation sequence that is used when the feature is burned. | seqnameburn=shruburn; |
| seqnamedie | What is left behind when the feature is destroyed. | seqnamedie=smudge04; |
| seqnamereclamate | Describes the animation that is used when the object is reclamated. | |
| seqnameshad | Sequence name for the feature's shadow (?) | seqnameshad=; |
| shadtrans | shadtrans=1; | |
| sparktime | sparktime=5; | |
| spreadchance | The (percentage?) chance that if this object is on fire, it will spread to a neighboring object. (Note: could be the chance that THIS object catches fire from another - not sure) | spreadchance=30; |
| world | describes to what worlds (i.e. metal, green, etc.) this corpse pertains. It is almost always set to a value of "all", since the wreckage will almost always look the same no matter where it is. |
Apart from the features/corpses subdirectory, most other directories within features are specific to different types of terrains, such as acid pools, lush world bushes, martian rocks, etc.
A new tool is now available called TDFEdit98 (available from...that's right...TADD) that will simplify the creation of this file for you by prompting you for the required values.