This document is for users of MESH:Hero and explains many of the
significant differences of Free Hero Mesh than MESH:Hero.
Free Hero Mesh was designed to be compatible with most puzzle sets for
MESH:Hero, although many improvements have also been made. (One improvement
is that many limits are not as limited; the number of classes, pictures,
etc, is larger than they are MESH:Hero.)
=== Conversion ===
Use the "mbtofhm" program to do conversion of the .MB files into a
non-composite Free Hero Mesh puzzle set.
A few things might need to be manually fixed in a converted puzzle set.
See FAQ for details about some of these things. Note that you can speed
up the game greatly by removing the Hero animations.
=== Limits ===
Description EKS MESH:Hero Free Hero Mesh
------------------------------------------------------------------
Classes 256 ? 16383
Pictures 512 32768
User messages 1004 16384
Level grid size 29x21 64x64
Levels 1024 32768
Inventory items 5 var.
User sounds unknown ? 256
Images per class 32 128
=== Game play ===
Mostly this is like the original MESH:Hero. However, there are some new
features, such as:
* You can view the internal status of any object; nothing is hidden. This
can be used for debugging as well as for game play, e.g. to avoid having
to try all of the Switches just to see what it controls.
* You can make a "mark" in the replay list, and rewind to or replay up to
the mark. The mark will be saved when you quit or access a different level
for when you go back to that level again later.
* There is a level select menu (by default, CTRL+L displays this). This
displays titles of levels as well as the level numbers and indicates
whether or not you have solved it and whether or not a solution has been
recorded in the puzzle set. This way you can easily find which levels you
have solved.
* It no longer automatically records your solution in the puzzle set by
default (although it can be configured to do so). (You can push CTRL+S to
do so, if you want to do it manually.)
* Many more operations work using the keyboard, rather than by mouse. For
example, you can push F1,F2,F3,F4 together with SHIFT key to rewind,
instead of having to use the mouse to click on the toolbar. You can also
select levels by keyboard, such as CTRL+G to enter a level number.
* The animation for LocateMe is different, although this is a purely visual
feature which does not affect game play. (If you like the older one, you
could modify the source code to do so.)
* The replay list and inventory are not displayed at the same time; you
can push TAB to switch the view. (In future, a hybrid mode might also be
implemented, but currently it isn't.)
A few features work differently; for example, viewing descriptions of
objects is bound to the middle button by default instead of the right
button, although it can be reconfigured. Currently, clicking with the
left button to make many moves at once is not implemented, although it
may be possible to implement it in SQL (which does not require recompiling
the program, since SQL code is compiled at run time).
=== Class editing ===
The class editing is now done in a text file, so any formatting you do
will be preserved and will not be lost, and you can use any functions of
your text editor. However, the syntax is different.
Some of the significant differences of class codes in Free Hero Mesh
compared to MESH:Hero include the following:
* Sigils are now used to indicate the kind of name (e.g. $ for classes,
and # for user-defined messages, etc). You need not worry about any names
you have defined interfering with new features added to future versions,
nor do you need to worry about class names interfering with variable names.
* It is now case-sensitive. Furthermore, variable names are not limited to
seven letters, and some characters are now allowed in names which were not
previously allowed.
* The syntax is very different. It is now RPN-based; for example, instead
of "o.Height = p.Height+1", you will write "%o %p ,Height 1 + =,Height".
Also, many instructions no longer need explicitly mentioning "Self"; for
example, you can write "%dir Move" instead of "Move(Self, dir)" (you would
write "%obj %dir ,Move" if you wanted "Move(obj, dir)"; note the comma to
indicate working on an object other than Self).
* Some names of existing instructions have been changed (there are also
many new instructions). For example, "MsgArg1" is now called "Arg1",
"CurImage" is now called "Image", "DirN" is now "N", "MSG_INIT" is now
"INIT", etc.
* There is now signed arithmetic as well as unsigned arithmetic. (Most
instructions are unsigned by default, but many instructions can have a
comma in front to make them signed instead.)
* A few instructions have been removed, but are not very important anyways.
* Local variables and user-defined messages need not be declared; there is
no VARS block.
* Values now have types. Attempting to use a value of the wrong type will
result in a "Type mismatch" error. This is harmless; it will result only
in the loss of game, and will not segfault. You can restart or rewind the
level or play a different level.
* It detects errors with accessing objects that no longer exist. This will
display an error message like above, and will not segfault; you can restart
or rewind like any other error.
* Several other errors are detected and/or prevented too, e.g. you can no
longer inadvertently affect the game state with IgnoreKey, and you cannot
cause race conditions with improper use of MSG_END_TURN and other messages.
* Some flags can now be specified for classes that previously could not be
specified in this way and needed to be set in MSG_INIT, MSG_CREATE, etc.
This includes Invisible (the object is still visible in the level editor),
UserState, VisualOnly, and Stealthy.
* You can now access the attributes of classes without needing to create an
object of that class. For example, if Misc1 refers to a class, then you can
write "Misc1 ,Temperature" to read the Temperature attribute of that class.
* You can name the bits of Misc4-Misc7, if you wish, rather than having to
always refer to them by number. (Using the numbers works too. Using names
makes it much easier to keep track of, though.)
* There are some differrences in behaviour, including increasing some
fields to 32-bits; if you define a class with the "Compatible" flag then
this will revert some of the behaviours to be closer to MESH:Hero.
* There are now three message arguments instead of two (although most
commands will still only use two; use the "Ex" variants if you want three).
* The SUBS block is no longer necessary (and is deprecated). You can start
a block directly with a label if desired. Furthermore, such subroutines can
now have inputs and return values if wanted; they are simply values in the
stack, like in Forth, PostScript, etc.
* Arrays are now global and can be accessed from any class, and do not need
to be defined for one class only. Furthermore, initializing them to zero is
not necessary; they are automatically initialized to all zero (it is still
possible to reinitialize them with zero or other values).
* Some variables and flags which were internal only in MESH:Hero (such as
the OF_DONE flag) are now readable and writable directly.
* There are now global user-defined functions, which can be called by any
object of any class. There are also macros which are also global, and can
be used anywhere (not only inside of an imperative code).
* Animation timing is different. This usually is only visual, though, so
the game will still run correctly.
* Some additional structured flow controls are available (GOTO and GOSUB
are still available too). The looping structures include "begin ... again",
"begin ... while ... repeat", and "begin ... until".
* Goto and CallSub are not restricted between messages and subroutines;
you can branch from either kind to either kind. (In fact, there is really
no difference, except that only messages are received from others, while
labels are used only internally by the codes for the class they are in.)
Some of the removed (and changed) commands and what to do instead:
* AltImage: Removed because it can affect game behaviour. (In converted
puzzle sets, this will always be zero.) Instead, you can use multiple
picture variants of the same size and use the .altImage user setting to
select them.
* ExplainDeath: Removed because it can affect game behaviour (and I have
made puzzles which demonstrate this in Hero Defiant). (In converted puzzle
sets this is always 1.)
* GlobalBool: Removed because it can affect game behaviour. (In converted
puzzle sets this is always zero.)
* GotoLevel: The class codes can no longer go to a specific level. Use
LoseLevel to stop execution if you lose, or WinLevel to stop execution if
you win. (In converted puzzle sets, this becomes LoseLevel. In the cases
where it is preceded by WinLevel, then WinLevel will now stop execution,
so LoseLevel is never reached.)
* Level: This still exists, but it is now the level code number rather than
the zero-based level order number. This is normally zero, but can be
changed to an arbitrary 16-bit number in the level editor. (In converted
puzzle sets, this will be set to the zero-based level order number, but in
new puzzle sets you can use this for whatever purpose you want.)
* LevelCount: Removed because it is no longer necessary nor useful. (In
converted puzzle sets, this is changed to -1; using the unsigned comparison
operators this will always be greater than any 16-bit number.)
* Link: This has been removed. Originally it was used to select a different
puzzle set by name. However, now different puzzle sets cannot interact with
each other; the user must manually select a puzzle set. (In converted
puzzle sets this becomes LoseLevel but will probably never be reached.)
* PopupColor: Not implemented and there is no alternative.
* PopupLoc: Not implemented and there is no alternative.
* PopupMisc: Use "Misc1 Misc2 Misc3 (PopUp 2)" instead, which has the same
effect (and is what PopupMisc is converted to). (The "LevelString" function
doesn't exist but is not needed since each value has a type associated so
it knows it is a string anyways.)
* PuzzleSetNumber: Removed because it is not that useful. (In converted
puzzle sets, this gets converted to a macro whose expansion is the original
value of PuzzleSetNumber in the original puzzle set.)
* WinLevel: This still exists, but now stops execution as well, so you no
longer need to put GotoLevel, Link, etc afterward. (Advancing to the next
level automatically is now done by user settings; see FAQ and config.doc
for details.)
Some commands with additional behaviours and variants, as well as some of
the new commands which may be of interest:
* AnimateDead: Create a one-shot animation without an associated object.
* Arg1 and Arg2: These (as well as Arg3) are now read/write instead of
read-only. This way it can be used as local variables.
* (bit): Make a number with the specified bits set only. Useful in HIT
and HITBY.
* BroadcastEx, BroadcastAnd, BroadcastSum, etc: There are new variants of
Broadcast. The "Ex" variants allow three instead of two message arguments,
while the "And" and "Sum" variants affect how the return value is made.
* (case): Similar to "switch" in C and "SELECT CASE" in BASIC. The result
can be either a value or a branch to a label.
* Chebyshev and Manhattan: Computes distance (in two different ways)
between two objects.
* Coloc: A short way to check whether or not two objects are in the same
place as each other.
* Loc: A shortcut for both Xloc and Yloc together, since it is common.
* LocateMe: Can now optionally specify an object other than Self (if you
use the instruction variant with the comma).
* LoseLevel: Used if you lose (like WinLevel is used if you win). Both
LoseLevel and WinLevel will stop execution.
* Morton: Interleaves the bits of two numbers. Mainly useful if a class
has images for each combination of directions (except diagonals), to
easily convert this to the value to use for Shovable, as in "(INIT Image
Morton =Shovable)".
* Move: There is a bug in MESH:Hero with "Move(Self,constant)" which is
not normally emulated in Free Hero Mesh. However, you can use the "Move+"
command instead of "Move" if you want to emulate that bug.
* MoveNumber: This is now read/write instead of read-only.
* NewXY: NewX and NewY together.
* PopUp: Several new % substitution codes are now available.
* Rel: Resolves a relative directio to an absolute direction.
* Seek: The direction toward a specified object.
* SendEx: Like Send but you can have three message arguments.
* SetInventory: No longer limited to five items. However, you can use the
"MaxInventory" command to check against a specified limit and error if it
exceeds the limit (the converter automatically adds this).
* Sound: In addition to standard sounds and user-defined sounds, you can
also specify a string specifying the sequence of notes to play (in which
case you do not need to add a sound file).
* Synchronize: Makes synchronized animations. An example is the Rollers
in Hero Hearts. This is much simpler than the complicated method used in
Hero Hearts, which does not even work in Free Hero Mesh, so it must be
changed if you want the animation to be displayed correctly.
* XStep and YStep: Tells the -1, 0, or +1 of the step amount for a
specified direction in the specified axis.
See class.doc for further details and many additional features too; they
are too many to list in this document.
=== Changed names ===
In the below list, ? means anything matching.
EKS MESH:Hero Free Hero Mesh
-----------------------------------------
ANI_? ?
BIT? bit?
CallSub ,:
CurImage Image
Dir? ?
ForEachObjAt for ... next
goto =:
Hard? ? Hard
KEY_? '?
IsPlayer Player
LastDir Dir
MSG_? ?
MsgArg1 Arg1
MsgArg2 Arg2
MsgFrom From
return ret
SendMessage Send
Shape? ? ShapeDir
Sharp? ? Sharp
SND_? ?
Please see class.doc for details; the syntax does not quite match MESH:Hero
and some other details are somewhat different as well. (For one thing, you
can use , for objects other than Self in many cases, and = for assignment
in many cases.)
=== Pictures ===
The pictures and sounds are stored in the ".xclass" file. Some of the
features of pictures are:
* The palette is extended with a few additional colours. (All of the
original colours remain available.)
* Pictures are no longer limited to exactly three predefined sizes; you
can now define your own sizes (and can be different for each picture).
(It seems that the MESH:Hero file format has this feature too, although
there is no way to use this feature in the user interface.)
* Pictures can now be named.
* You can define "dependent pictures", which is based on another picture
but with transformations applied (e.g. rotation, flip, change colours).
This way, you do not have to define each picture independently and you
only have to change one picture and all of the dependent pictures which
depend on it will automatically be changed. For example, this can be
used for objects that can be in four directions, you might only need to
draw one of them and the others are made automatically.
* Pictures are now stored compressed so they take up less disk space.
* You can use the same picture for multiple classes (or multiple image
numbers of the same class can also refer to the same picture), without
needing to duplicate the picture. (Version 3.0 of the MESH engine also
allows this (earlier versions do not), but require that whether or not
they can be selected in the level editor is the same for all uses of
that picture. Free Hero Mesh does not have this restriction; the
availability in the level editor can be different for each instance.)
Note that the picture editor works differently, and has some additional
features that MESH:Hero doesn't have, such as flood fills and macros.
You may use an external picture editor if desired, and then copy them
into Free Hero Mesh. If you wish to do this, then the Farbfeld format
must be used; the newest versions of ImageMagick support this format,
so in this way you can use any file format readable by ImageMagick.
=== Levels ===
The level editor is different from Everett Kaser's implementation. Use
the space bar to display the list of classes, and move arrows or click
to select one and push ENTER to select the wanted object.
The MRU list is on the left; you can select one with number keys or with
arrow keys, or by clicking. You can push ENTER to edit the Misc vars for
the selected MRU item.
See edit.doc for details about the editor working.
Levels are no longer limited to 29x21; they can be any size from 1x1 up
to 64x64. There is also a "bizarro world", which is not used for Hero
Hearts but you might find a use in your own puzzle sets.
Each level has four 16-bit numbers associated with it, including:
* ID number: The unique zero-based ID number of this level within this
puzzle set (automatically assigned).
* Order number: The one-based order number, which is also unique within
the puzzle set, but you can reorder them in the index editor. If you
change the order, the ID number remains unchanged, but the order number
is changed.
* Code number: A number which has no inherent use and you can use it for
your own use. The "Level" command in class codes can read this value (the
other three numbers are not accessible to class codes at all). It need not
be unique; multiple levels can have the same code number.
* Version number: Used to mark solutions as invalid if changes are made.
You do not normally need to touch this; it is handled automatically.
One thing Free Hero Mesh does not have is border colours per level. You
can define a global background colour for the entire puzzle set in the
class definition file if desired, though.
=== Missing features ===
There are a few features not implemented yet, such as:
* Background music.
* Click to make several moves.
* User names for solutions. (It is implemented but it is not currently
displayed anywhere.)