Setting nondefault cel characteristics

There are two ways in which you can apply nondefault cel characteristics to a cel:

This section walks you through both methods.

Note: The 3DO Animator interface for creating custom settings is intended for a team of a programmer and an artist. Documentation explaining the flags is found in the 3DO Graphics Programmer's Guide

Loading previously prepared cel characteristics

At times, you may want to use cel characteristics for several cels.To do that, you can save them in one cel, then load them into another cel following these steps:

  1. From the 3DO Options menu, select Set CCB.

    The Load CCB Settings dialog appears.

  2. Click the Load CCB Settings button and select the file whose settings you want to use from the dialog that appears.

    The CCB settings are automatically loaded and the file name appears in the CCB Loaded box.

  3. Before you click OK, you still have the option of loading another file's settings. Once you have the file and settings you want, click OK.

Creating custom settings for a cel

Creating custom settings is a task the programmer and the artist working on a title should do together. A new tool that allows programmers to change the different cel characteristics interactively is under development:

To create custom CCB settings, follow these steps.

  1. In the Save As dialog, click the 3DO button.

    The Cel Parameters dialog appears.

    The dialog provides access to other dialogs so you can define cel parameters. You cannot change the cel type, but you can set everything else.

  2. To save copyright, description, keyword, and credit information, check the related checkboxes and enter the information in the appropriate text boxes at the bottom of the dialog.

  3. To set CCB flags, click the Flags button at the top of the 3DO Cel Parameters dialog.

    The CCB Flags dialog appears (see Figure 1).

    Each checkbox in the CCB Flags dialog corresponds to a flag for the cel control block (CCB) for the cel you are creating. In most cases, the Packed, BGND, and NOBLK options are the only relevant flags. For a detailed explanation of each of the flags, see the 3DO Graphics Programmer's Guide.

    Graphic cannot be displayed

    Figure 1: CCB Flags dialog.

  4. Set the flags as you like, and choose OK.

    You are returned to the 3DO Cel Parameters dialog.

  5. If desired, set options in the first preamble word, by clicking the PRE0 button in the 3DO Cel Parameters dialog.

    The preamble identifies the type of data in the source data: packed or unpacked, coded or uncoded, the number of bits per pixel, and more. This information tells the cel engine how to process the cel source data. VCNT, Uncoded, REP8, and BPP are automatically set by the 3DO Animator.

  6. If desired, set options in the second preamble word by clicking the PRE1 button in the 3DO Cel Parameters dialog.

    The Horizontal Pixel Count (TLHPCNT) and WOFFSET are set automatically by 3DO Animator.

  7. To save the cel settings, click Save CCB Settings in the Load CCB Settings dialog and you're done.