DAmnable but Necessary Arx Editor (DANAE)
The released Arx Fatalis source code includes the Game's custom level editor, titled DAmnable but Necessary Arx Editor - or DANAE, which is also the name used for the game's main source file name and central functions, matching the mythological Greek theme of the other subsystem names. DANAE isn't really a separate tool but a special build of the game engine with editor controls.
DANAE only runs under Windows and is not part of the Arx Libertatis sources, but we hope to create our own cross-platform editor at some point.
The engine and editor can load .teo object meshes, .tea animations and .scn scene meshes which were created with the THEO Game Maker tool as well as several other types of files. Object and scene meshes are and converted into baked .ftl and .fts files respectively, which are what is shipped with the game.
DANAE is featured in the making of Arx Fatalis documentary (original, youtube) included in some releases of the game.
See https://dimoks86.narod.ru/index/danae/0-11 for a detailed description of the editor's capabilities.
Screenshots
These screenshots are from Dimoks' DANAE build and not from the original development of the game.
Running the original editor
A few people have expressed the wish to try the original editor. The following sections explains how to build & run it using vanilla Arx Fatalis source. A build of DANAE is also provided by Dimoks as well as some instructions (in Russian):
- DAmnable but Necessary Arx EditorDanae.rar1.5 MiB
MD5:c1e9fcaa4057a6e0c1894ae779a82d14
Build
- To build DANAE yourself, grab & extract the original source from http://www.arkane-studios.com/uk/arx_downloads.php
D:\ArxFatalis_1.21_Sources\
- Open
D:\ArxFatalis_1.21_Sources\Sources\Gaia.sln
- Change
Danae.cpp
line 427 to initializeFINAL_COMMERCIAL_GAME
to0
- Comment line 106 of
HERMES_PAK.cpp
tomode = LOAD_TRUEFILE_THEN_PACK;
- Change line 2057 of
DanaeDlg.cpp
toSetClick(hWnd, IDC_NOCHECKSUM);
- Change line 1354 of
Danae.cpp
toif (true)
- Grab
unicows.dll
&ARX_SCRIPT_DEBUGGER.dll
from the original game installation and copy them underD:\ArxFatalis_1.21_Sources\game\
Run
- First, you need to unpack all the assets. Use
arxunpack
from Arx Libertatisarxunpak <pakfile> [<pakfile>...]
- Run
D:\ArxFatalis_1.21_Sources\game\arx.exe
- Specify your data directory by clicking "Choose Dir"
- This folder must contains your pak files, a
misc/
folder with the .ttf fonts, and all the subdirectories with the extracted assets (EDITOR, GAME, LOCALISATION, etc.)
- This folder must contains your pak files, a
- Select a Level on the right
- Make sure "NO CHECKSUM" is enabled, otherwise you'll get a crash at startup
- Click "OK" at the bottom (NOT "Launch Game"!)
UI
See http://dimoks86.narod.ru/index/danae/0-11 for more information.