--------------------------------------------------------------------
 DCK - DOOM Construction Kit
 Version 2.2 (386 Protected Mode)
 Code and design by Ben Morris / Zerius Development
--------------------------------------------------------------------
 Information                                  bmorris@islandnet.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------
Overview
-----------

A DOS-based Graphical editor for creating maps for id Software's
games: DOOM, DOOM 2, and Heretic.

DCK is a powerful editor that allows you to create maps much faster
than any similar program.  Its unobtrusive automated tools take care
of many of the mundane tasks involved in creating maps, yet still
afford you complete control over the design of your levels.

DCK has everything you'd expect from an editor:
 o Support for all three ID games
 o A build-in of Colin Reed's BSP v1.2x node builder
 o A texture display and search facility
 o Runs each game from within the editor
 o Support for textures in external files (ie; files other than the
   IWAD). DCK is fully compatible with DEUTEX and any similar utility.
 o Automated and manual texture alignment
 o A clipboard with Cut, Copy and Paste - even between files
 o Full drag and drop functions
 o Creates huge maps
 o Graphical display of "things": shows every sprite as it appears
   in the game, with the exception of monsters and player starts
 o Rotate and scale objects to any size
 o One of the best map checkers around - logs all the errors and lets
   you browse them individually.  DCK can even fix most of them
   unaided.
 o Operates in 256-color SVGA in 32-bit Protected Mode

New features for 2.1 include:
 o UNDO FEATURE - a first!
 o Much better PWAD texture support
 o More customizable options
 o Enhanced: Sector splits, snap to vertex, clipboard and drag-and-drop.
 o New tools: Polygon and Rectangle creators
 o Complete .WAD management tool!  Add, delete and rename entries in
   existing WADfiles, and create entirely new .WADs with multiple levels
   quickly and easily.
 o A popup toolbox on the right mouse button
 o Neat features like the middle mouse-button zoom
 o Floor / ceiling texture browser
 o Bugs fixed.

New features for 2.2 include:
 o Enhanced: UNDO, Motifs, Texture Alignment, Interface, Polygons and
   Nodebuilder.
 o Docs finished
 o Bugs fixed.

-----------
In depth
-----------

DCK is almost intelligent: its line drawing tool lets you design
regions of any shape and size, and automatically completes them for
you.  For example, if you draw a square inside of an existing sector,
DCK will make the square's lines two-sided and set them to reference
both the new and the parent sectors.

If you want to create an extension from or split an existing sector,
just double-click where you want to start, draw the new sector, and
right-click at the endpoint.  The rest is handled by DCK - even if it
requires adding vertices on existing lines.

DCK has lots of other helpful features like:
 o An automated tag set function.  Mark a series of lines or sectors
   and press Ctrl+T.  Then just click on the object to tag the marked
   objects to.
 o A "format painter" that allows you to copy an object's attributes
   to any number of marked objects.  Copy sector appearances and
   heights, line types and tags, thing skill levels, etc.
 o "Motifs" - series of defaults that DCK uses to decorate new sectors
   and lines.  You can define lots of motifs for each game and switch
   between them with a few keystrokes.

If you're new to doom editing and this all sounds way complicated,
don't worry!  Part of DCK's user friendliness when compared with other
editors is its intuitiveness to the new level author.  Although DCK
does not attempt to hide any of the complexities of map editing, it
eases the learning curve by providing an easily understood interface
to every element of level design.  After the first few hours with DCK,
you'll probably have mastered many of the concepts - and because DCK
uses an interface similar to that of many popular software packages
such as Windows, you most likely won't find any problem in navigating
it.

DCK is freeware - there is no registration required (but donations are
acceptable :)


---------------
Requirements
---------------

  - About 800k of disk space
  - A 386, 486 or Pentium-based computer
  - A SuperVGA or VESA compatible display (minimum of 640x480x256.)
  - A mouse
  - DOOM 1, DOOM 2, or Heretic (registered versions only!)


----------
Where?!
----------

DCK is available at the following locations.  It should be under the
filename "DCKnn.ZIP" (where nn is the version, eg: 22 for 2.2)

FTP -
  Always at:
   ftp.cdrom.com                /pub/doom2/utils/level_edit

  Maybe at:
   wuarchive.wustl.edu
   ftp.uwp.edu


BBS -
   Software Creations           1-508-368-7139
   Channel 1                    1-617-354-3137


Other -
   Compuserve                   ACTION forum, browse for DCK*.ZIP


-------------------
Acknowledgements
-------------------

Code and design
  Ben Morris                                 bmorris@islandnet.com

Node builder
  Colin Reed                                    colin@argonaut.com

Additional assistance and ideas
  James Atchison                      ua132@freenet.victoria.bc.ca
  Scott Amspoker                                   scott@basis.com
  Bob Findlay                                  findlay@bbsrc.ac.uk
  Scott Crank                                     scrank@holli.com
  Andy Richards                         100102.3262@compuserve.com

                                   ###
