Date: Tue, 5 Mar 1996 20:58:45 +0100 (MET)
Message-Id: <199603051958.UAA00358@chapelle.eed.ericsson.se>
To: quake-editing@nvg.unit.no
Subject: Re: mdl file formats
From: Raphael.Quinet@eed.ericsson.se
Magnus Landqvist <mlq@df.lth.se> wrote:
> Just a small warning:
> When Dave Taylor was asked why they didn't want to release any
> specifications whatsoever on their .mdl and .bsp-formats he
> answered that it was because the formats changed constantly.
> Already they were different from the test1 release.
> So make your editors and utils easy to change when
> test2 is released.
This is the reason why I write QEU as a library of generic routines
for loading and saving files. If anyone uses this library for a
program, it will be easy to upgrade to any new format, because only a
few things will have to be changed in the library and most of the
program will still be correct. Also, I try to make my code as
portable and clean as possible, so that it can be used on almost any
platform for which a C compiler exists. This way, when Quake is
ported to the Cray, it will be possible for Cray users to edit their
levels on their favourite computer. :-)
It takes twice as much time to write a clean code with lots of
comments than writing a quick hack. But it pays in the end. Also, it
helps other people to understand the data structures that are
involved.
Note that I will have to delay the release of QEU 0.4 a bit, because
I'm trying to help Olivier and get his Unofficial Quake Specs ready as
soon as possible, since many of you are waiting for them. By the way,
I feel really frustrated: I am hacking Quake files and helping Olivier
with his specs, but I cannot play Quake (or even test my code) because
I don't have a PC. Life is hard! ;-)
-Raphael