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CHEDDITOR - DEMO 1 (Version 0.50 Alpha)
February 1, 2024
Created by Saxman
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Welcome to my editing tool for James Pond 3: Operation Starfish! I'm excited
to finally make this happen. I have wanted to see a level editor get created
for this game for many years. For a while, I didn't want to be the one to do
it, but once it became clear that nobody else was going to do one, I decided
to step up to the plate myself and write one.


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THE STORY
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Development on what would ultimately become this editor actually began all
the way back in 2009. I was asked to write a utility for a Sonic the Hedgehog
fan-driven project called Sonic 2 HD. It tool was initially called Gambit as
a temporary name, before I finally settled on Edit HD. That tool was designed
to aid the game's artists so they could see what different tiles looked like
next to each other. I eventually modified the tool to work with Sonic 2
dissasembly files so the original game could be modified with it.

After I left the Sonic 2 HD team, and upon assessing the usefulness of an
editor for the original Sonic 2, I decided there was too big of a hill to
climb to create a suitable alternative to feature-heavy tools like SonED and
SonLVL. No further development would be done on it past 2011.

Meanwhile, I began researching James Pond 3 in 2010, because I thought it
would be a fun game to modify. I figured out the level data formats, and with
that knowledge, I created a level *viewer* called CHEESE! (the exclamation
mark is part of the name). I made it open source, along with the notes I put
together that explained how everything worked. I had hoped someone else would
come along and make something with it. But nothing ever happened with it.

In December of 2022, I decided to toy with the idea of turning my old Sonic 2
HD editor into a James Pond 3 editor. I paused the effort about a month into
it. Then I attended Retro World Expo in August of 2023 with some old friends
from the Sonic online fandom. It was remarked that I had worked with James
Pond 3 at one point. That got me thinking once again, and by September, I
decided to make a serious commitment to making the editor into a reality.

And now, here we are!


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ABOUT THIS RELEASE
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This is the very first release! But it's also an alpha, which means there's
plenty of unfinished business to attend to. There are some bugs (some may
even be quite nasty). The primary goals I had in mind for this release were
as follows:

* Allow people modify maps and chunks (i.e. "tiles")
* Generate project files that can easily be shared with others
* Import the contents (maps and chunks) back into the game
* Support both the Sega Genesis and Amiga AGA versions of the game

I have accomplished those goals. Don't expect to be able to do everything
with the tool. There are a lot of missing features. For example, there's
currently no way to resize a map. There's no way to program switches. Map
marker positions can be altered in the editor, but they cannot be saved or
imported back into the game. There's no way to modify the art yet.

This release also affords me the opportunity to receive feedback. If you run
into a bug or have suggestions, send that information my way.


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SETUP
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Despite supporting Amiga, this release is very much dependent on the original
Sega Genesis ROM for certain data. It also initially only supported the
Genesis version, so there are still some hooks in the code that will need to
be removed or reworked over time. For now, you will need to place the ROM in
the "./master/genesis/" path. The file itself must be named "jp3.bin".

If you want to also support the Amiga version, you'll need to put the game's
"CODE" file, along with all LVL and ITM files, inside the "./master/aga/"
path.


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STARTING UP THE PROGRAM
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When you run "Chedditor.exe", you'll be asked to enter a level number. This
value will be used to load a level from the ROM. If you press Enter without
providing this number, level 0 (the map screen) will load by default.

The main menu should appear from which you will have lots of options to
choose from. If you plan on creating something that you later wish to play,
you'll need to generate a project file. You can do this with either version
of the game. However, keep in mind that whichever version you pull data from,
assume that the data works best with that version. Some maps and chunk data
work perfectly with either version, but you may run into data that won't work
correctly on the non-originating port.

Once you generate a project, you can then load the project (yes, you have to
do this as a separate step, because you're using an unfinished program!).
Then load a specific level (LVL) file. From this point, you'll be ready to
start editing.

Note: This editor uses a unique style of navigation that may throw some folks
off. I strongly recommend using a separate mouse, because it tends to be more
cumbersome with a track pad. That said, if you find you don't like how the
navigation works, you can change this in the Setup menu. Look for "LEVEL
EDITOR SETUP". In there will be "EDITING MODE" and "SELECTION MODE". Feel
free to experiment with the settings to find out which works best for you.


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LEVEL EDITOR
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I'm getting lazy at this point. Let me just list out the basic commands and
see how well you do with using the editor. You can always contact me if you
need more information.

DELETE -- Delete an object
INSERT / I -- Insert a default object
CTRL + INSERT / I -- Insert an object by specifying an ID
PLUS -- Increase the object's value
MINUS -- Decrease the object's value
ASTERISK -- Increase the object's value by 16
SLASH -- Decrease the object's value by 16
CTRL + < / > -- Switch selected object on the selection stack
TAB -- Switch between background and foreground editing modes
CTRL + TAB -- Toggle background on and off
PGUP -- Zoom in
PGDN -- Zoom out
HOME -- Zoom to 100%
ESC -- Leave the level editor

Holding the left mouse button over an object when the mouse cursor is a
target will allow you to move the object.

Holding the left mouse button when the mouse cursor is a set of arrows
will allow you to scroll the screen faster.


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CHUNK EDITOR
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Likewise, I'm just going to list the basics. Contact me if you need some
additional help.

DELETE -- Set a block to zero
CTRL + C -- Copy the selected block
CTRL + V -- Paste the block that was copied
PGUP -- Zoom in
PGDN -- Zoom out
HOME -- Zoom to 100%
ESC -- Leave the chunk editor

Click the left mouse button over a block will open the block selector.


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IMPORT PROJECT CONTENTS INTO THE GAME
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First, make sure you save the level and chunk changes. This is done from the
main menu. Upon selecting on of the import options, a new directory will be
created sharing the name of the project. Inside will be the new game files.
For the Amiga version, you will need to copy/paste these files into the path
where you have the full game.


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CONTACT / FOLLOW ME
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Discord: saxman727
Rumble: ymtx81z