This file describes what files make up a puzzle set.
A Free Hero Mesh puzzle set consists of four files, each with the same
base name, but with a different suffix to identify its type:
.xclass - Class resource file
.class - Class definition file
.level - Level file
.solution - Solution file
The files can be renamed, as long as all of them have the same base
suffixes that they originally had, and the new base names are the same
as each other for each of the four files. Symlinks are also OK, e.g. if
multiple puzzle sets share the same class definitions, or if you want to
deal with multiple solution sets.
The class definition file is a plain text file, and you are expected to
edit it using any text editor. The other three files are Hamster archives,
and are normally written by Free Hero Mesh, so you do not need to tamper
with the internal contents of those files by yourself. You may extract and
insert parts of the Hamster archives if you are careful; the descriptions
below mention what each lump means.
=== Class resource file ===
This file contains pictures and sounds associated with the puzzle set.
Nothing in this file affects the behaviour of the game, so you can safely
replace it with a different set of pictures/sounds if wanted.
The IMG lumps are the pictures. Each one may store multiple versions of a
picture; the loader will select one based on the user's criteria.
The DEP lumps are dependent pictures; each one references one or more IMG
lumps, and specifies how to modify them to produce the new picture (e.g.
by rotating, mirroring, changing colours, etc).
The WAV lumps are sound effects. Each is a RIFF WAVE file; it must be of
a type which can be loaded by SDL. (This is currently not used.)
=== Class definition file ===
This file is a plain text file which defines the classes of objects which
are used in the game. See class.doc for details of its format.
=== Level file ===
This file stores the levels in this puzzle set.
The CLASS.DEF lump associates class names and message names; the LVL lumps
then refer to the classes/messages by the numbers given here. This means
that if you want to copy the lumps, you must ensure this matches, or else
the resulting file will be incorrect.
The LVL lumps store the data of each level; they are named by the ID
number of the level. Each level consists of the grid of objects (which
may have parameters), the level code number (an extra value that you can
use for your own use in class codes), the level version number (used to
quickly invalidate solutions), the title text, and any level strings which
are used by objects of this level (there might not be any).
The LEVEL.IDX lump stores the level index. It consists of a series of
small-endian 16-bit level ID numbers, with no duplicates. The order of
the levels will be the order listed here.
It is not recommended to tamper with this file without using Free Hero
Mesh, due to the lumps depending on each other. If you wish to copy a
level, or convert levels using your own programs, using the level export
format is recommended (unfortunately, this is not implemented yet).
However, you can safely create a puzzle set with a subset of levels by
copying the lumps, and following the instructions above.
=== Solution file ===
This file stores the recorded solutions of each level. It may be empty if
no solutions are recorded, but it must exist for the game to work.
Each SOL lump stores the solution for the level with the ID number given
in the lump name. It also records the level version, as a check that the
solution is valid.
The solution file is also used for autotesting. In this case, the solution
of each level is executed, and it ensures that a win occurs during the
final turn, and not before. (A puzzle set catalog service may perhaps use
this in order to verify that the puzzles are solvable.)