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PRP Documentation

PostPosted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 10:51 am
by Nobby
Hello writers

I'm using Plasma Shop now for a couple of years, but I'm afraid I don't know much about what I do with this tool. Is there any kind of documentation about the file structure of PRP files? I can only find source code of tools or the CWE sources on the internet.

Thanks!

Re: PRP Documentation

PostPosted: Sat Jul 08, 2017 2:49 am
by Sirius
None that I know of... Personally, I learned from trial and error - and studying the source code of the tools... (comparing how HSPlasma, Drizzle, PyPRP and Korman all do their things usually reveals a lot of information).
But yeah - studying existing PRPs and tweaking them is the best way to learn.
Having a look at Cyan's PRPs is also a good idea. Import them with PyPRP, find the objects you want to study, inspect them in PrpShop... etc.

Re: PRP Documentation

PostPosted: Fri Jul 28, 2017 1:48 pm
by Deledrius
Nobby wrote:Hello writers

I'm using Plasma Shop now for a couple of years, but I'm afraid I don't know much about what I do with this tool. Is there any kind of documentation about the file structure of PRP files? I can only find source code of tools or the CWE sources on the internet.

Thanks!

Unfortunately, we did have some relatively extensive documentation for PRPs in the early days (around 2004-2005) on the old COBBS forum wiki, but it was all lost during an attack that destroyed much of the server's data. Documenting PRPs is a massive task, as the PRP files are essentially a direct serialization of the game's data structures. It would be nice to have a complete documentation of the game's engine and data structures, but we're short-handed these days. If you or anyone you know is interested in helping out, we welcome such assistance and would be happy to guide anyone and provide answers willing to take this on.

Of course, if you have any specific questions about how to use PlasmaShop (or other tools) or how to accomplish a certain task, feel free to ask!