The Scrolling Game Development Kit
By Benjamin Marty (BlueMonkMN@email.com)

README.TXT file for Simtel.net upload


September 29, 2000

Introduction

The Scrolling Game Development Kit (GameDev) is an open source project
distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License.  The project's
"home" is at http://gamedev.sourceforge.net/.
GameDev consists of one open source Visual Basic program and two open source
Visual C++ components, whose sources are all available through
http://gamedev.sourceforge.net/.
For more information on the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) see
http://www.fsf.org/copyleft/gpl.html

Note: A more detailed readme with details about the various components that
are installed and can be downloaded is included in the installation.  The
terms of the GPL are also included in a file called Copying.txt.

Installation

This package does not contain Microsoft Visual Basic runtime files (excluded by
Simtel.net because redundant storage of these files is a waste of space).  You
are required to already have MSVBVM60.dll installed (preferrably the latest;
this GameDev package was compiled with VB6 service pack 4).  These can be found
in Simtel's /simtelnet/win95/dll directory.  Due to another Simtel/mirror
limitation, the original name of this archive is
GameDev-InstallNoVBRun-1.1.0.ZIP but has been reduced for distribution on
Simtel.net.

To install GameDev, extract the files in this archive to a directory and
run Setup.EXE.  Once setup is complete, the archive (zip) and the extracted
files (CAB, LST, EXE) can be deleted.  This is a standard Visual Basic 6 setup
(which includes an un-install).

This install program will install all the necessary components (excepting VB
Runtimes) to load, edit, create and play GameDev projects (games).  Included is
a detailed written tutorial (in the help file), extensive help, a finished
tutorial project (should you have difficulty following the written tutorial)
and a sample project (should the tutorial be too boring for you).
Source code is not included in this package and as of this writing can only be
downloaded via GameDev's home site.

Description

The program is a many-featured tool for creating complete games and/or game
components.  It includes a full-screen tileset editor to edit graphics.  The
tileset editor features smoothing and anti-aliased rotation capabilities as
well as gradients, transparent pasting and much more.  All graphics are edited
in 16-, 24- or 32-bit color mode, and graphics are saved in full color without
the need to (or the capability of) dealing with palettes.  Also included is a
multi-layer map editor supporting parallax scrolling in all drections.  The map
editor uses a tile matching feature (customizable) to automatically match tiles
to their neighbors, making drawing of large coherent structures quick and easy.
The map editor also has a built in maze generator that can generate two scales
of mazes (normal and large) based on a single tile or on a tilematch definition.
Also supported by GameDev are animated tiles, complex sprite definition ability,
VBScript support, Inventory definition and more.  Games can be played directly
in the editor; command line arguments can start up the program and play a game
directly, using GameDev as the game player.  Alternatively you can use the data
saved by GameDev in your own project.

Support

The author of this program can be contacted via e-mail at BlueMonkMN@email.com
or by posting to discussion forums or the Tech Support Manager at
http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/gamedev/