Formula One: Formula One Editor.txt

Formula One Editor
==================

Windows version written by BadBeard and Paul Dunn in August 2007.

Based on an idea by Nuno Medeiros (Kihality).



Formula One is already built into the program so just edit and go!

Only snapshots (.sna) are currently supported.


Editing the Graphics
====================

Borders
=======
To the left of the main editing area and located just above each side
on view car you will see six attribute squares. These are the border
colours that are associated with each pair of cars. Simply click a
square to rotate through the cycle of available colours. The attribute
left showing will be the border when the car is, for instance, winning
a race. Available colours are Black, Blue, Red, Magenta, Green, Cyan,
Yellow and White.


Cars
====

There are two types of car shown, side view (SV) and overhead view (OV).
The SV is the one that is shown racing on the track and the OV is the
one that is shown during a pitstop. Simply choose your ink and paper
colours from the palettes and then click on the desired car. The first
car of a team is always shown as SV and the second car is shown as OV.
When you click on a car your selected colour will be applied to the car.
If you change for example the SV attributes of car 1 then you have also
applied the same change to the SV of car 2.

It is up to you what colours you give the side on and OV but remember
that they are the same car. It will look a bit silly if you drive into a
pitstop with a blue car and emerge in a red one!

As you click on a car the six boxes in the bottom area will also update.

The two large boxes on the left are the car numbers. You can click on
these to edit the numbers which will then be shown on the relevant car
in the main editing area. The lower number of a team is shown on the SV
and the higher number on the OV. Of course, both numbers will appear on
both side and OV.

When you click on a car number it will be updated in the selected colour.
Please note however that the SV can have a bright or basic colour but the
OV must contain a basic colour only and no bright is allowed.

If you have bright selected and click an OV car then the two car number
boxes will be shown as basic colour. If you click the SV with bright
selected then the car number boxes will be shown bright. This way you can
see what your numbers will look like in both bright and basic colours
with ease.

The two larger boxes to the right are the numbers that will be shown on the
qualifying screen with the two smaller boxes showing how they will look in
the game itself. Click on the larger boxes to the edit the numbers which
you should really be matching to the number on the cars. To change the
colour, click on each corner of the SMALLER boxes.

During a pitstop tyres will always be changed black so it is my
recommendation that you keep the tyres black. If you are wacky enough to
have, say, magenta tyres then you will not be too fazed when they suddenly
change black during a pitstop and then back to magenta again upon racing.

When changing the numbers, please read 'Associate Number' below.


Editing the data
================

Unit of Distance
----------------

Upon selection of either mile or kilometre all data is updated accordingly.
You can switch between the two options at any time.

Start Year
----------

Range is 1985 (default) to 9000. Should keep you going for a few years!

Drivers
-------

Minimum 1 character, 10 maximum.

Country
-------

Minimum 1 character, 8 maximum.

Track
-----

Minimum 1 character, 18 maximum.

Teams
-----

Minimum 1 character, 8 maximum.

Managers
--------

Minimum 1 character, 10 maximum.

Points
------

The number of drivers that can have points awarded is between 1 and 8.
The number of points can be in the range 1-15.


Track Lengths
-------------

If miles selected: Minimum 1, 	 maximum 6.21
If km's  selected: Minimum 1.61, maximum 9.99

Lap Record
----------

Between 1 and 4 minutes.
Enter like this example: 1m 36.5s would be entered as 1.365

Year Lap Record Set
-------------------
Must be less than start year and anywhere upto 100 years before.

Number of Laps
--------------

Minimum 10, maximum 99.

Associate Number
----------------

If you make graphical changes to the number graphics then this is the
place to associate your new number with an old one. As an example you
might have designed a '99' graphic for what was originally car
number 1. You must edit the 1 to 99 here as the game is unable to tell
what is 99, 33, 1 or whatever by looking at the graphic.
All numbers must be different.


Gameplay
========
To call your car in for a pitstop or when betting, if your car number
is less than ten then please enter the number preceded by a zero. 
You have a car numbered 2 for example. To call this car in for a pitstop
or to place a bet on this car, enter 02.


Please note that once your changes have been made then continue to save
a snapshot progress. Do not use the 'save' function in the game.

Extra Info.
===========

There is an extra driver, Peroni (default), who does not feature in the list
of drivers that can become part of a team and therefore cannot be selected
to drive. However, this person can still be used as a lap record holder or
last year's winner.


A Special Thankyou
==================

to Paul Dunn. I can't tell you how much this guy has helped me with my Delphi
over the last few years, a huge amount that's for sure. Without him, this
software and anything else I manage to produce in the future would never have
seen the light of day. He must be sick to the back teeth of me by now but
never shows it. So THANK YOU BIG D!


Credits
=======

Formula One was originally written by G.B. Munday and B.P. Wheelhouse and
published by CRL Group PLC in 1985.

Nuno Medeiros (Kihality) for asking if graphical changes
could be incorporated into the original editor written for ZX Spectrum.
This was written especially for you! xxx

Thanks for your bug reports as well.

Original Program Bugs
=====================

Bug1:
There is a tiny attribute error in the original program... Whenever it
prints the current GP name on the race screen, one letter sometimes
appears darker than the others. This can be corrected with
Poke $FF08,$4E (65288,78)

-Corrected.

Bug2:
Everytime a season is completed you need to reselect your sponsors.
You see the message 'Press A to M for Selection'
The space between the 'A' and 'to' is overwritten with other data.
This has nothing to do with the editor.

Bug3:
Sometimes when there are less than six cars racing the race timer board
data can have bad data showing in the blanks. For instance, if two cars
are racing, bad data will appear momentarily where the lap times of cars
3-6 would have been. This has nothing to do with the editor.



This software is provided 'as is'. Use at your own risk.

bad_beard AT hotmail.com