GameTools ultimate.xml

The file 'ultimate.xml' is in the 'data' directory. It is the first file read by the game on startup and everything else comes from that.

Example

Here is an example of an 'ultimate.xml' file:

 <?xml version="1.0" ?>
 <game>
   <main>
     <camera id="0" name="Camera" fullscreen="true" />
     <model name="Hero"  src="models/characters/hero.plb" />
     <model name="Jeep"  src="models/vehicles/jeep.plb"
                         alt="models/vehicles/jeep_alternat.plb" />
     <model name="Tank"  src="models/vehicles/tank.ac"   />
   </main>
   <level name="The Training Level" src="data/training.xml" />
   <level name="The Volcano Level"  src="data/volcano.xml"  />
   <level name="The Arctic Level"   src="data/arctic.xml"   />
 </game>

Structure

Since this is an XML 'game' file, the first two lines must always be:

 <?xml version="1.0" ?>
 <game>

...and the last line is always:

 </game>

Between the <game> tags must be a section:

 <main>
    ...
 </main>

This section includes definitions for things that could be present anywhere the game - cameras, characters, moving vehicles, etc.

Then there are a number of sections that say:

 <level name="XXX" src="YYY" />

<level> sections.

There is one <level...> section for each level of the game. (XXX is the human-readable name of the level, YYY is the name of an XML level file that describes it. Currently, all levels can be reached from the startup screen - but eventually you'll be able to disable levels so they don't show up there until they are unlocked somehow.

The <main> section.

At a minimum, this must contain at least one camera and at least one model.

A camera record looks like this:

 <camera id="0" name="XXX" fullscreen="true" />

XXX is the name of the camera which must match the Java plugin that controls it - this is usually just "Camera". Currently there is just one camera (hence: id="0") and it's always set to be fullscreen="true".

A model record looks like this:

 <model name="XXX" src="YYY" alt="ZZZ" />

XXX is the human-readable name of the model - and also the root name for plugins/XXX.java and physics/XXX.xml which contain the behavior and physics of the model. YYY and ZZZ are model files in any format that PLIB knows how to load. The 'alt' (alternate) model is currently unused. (It was intended to be a greatly simplified model to be used for collision detection purposes - but this has been superceded by the physics file),

Wikiid Pages relating to gameTools ()

gameTools - Main page

gameTools - Support Tools : plb_to_ac3d, mklevel, mktile, mktree, tiled, autogen_java, mk3dgallery

gameTools - File Formats : title_screen.rgb, ultimate.xml, material.xml, decoration.xml, physics.xml tiled.xml, tiled_autotiles.xml, Level files, Tile naming scheme, PLB files

gameTools - Source Code : Game functions: gameCamera, gameClock, gameChecksum/gameHashTable, gameHTTP, gameIsect, gameJoystick, gameParticleManager, gameScreen/gameMouse, gameSky, gameStarter, gameStrokeFont, gameUtils Material database: MatList/MatEntry Tile map handling: TileObject/MapFlag/MapEntry/Map Java Interfacing: JavaLink Image file loading: liImage/liImageFactory 3D Model file loading: loadPLB, PLB exporter Physics: Sabot, Bullet, gameTools - Use with Blender, PLB exporter Object management: Object