libsyndicate

Descripion

Summary

This project aims to provide an interface to the Bullfrog Syndicate data files. This allow to extract sprites, missions properties, etc. It is written in C++ and compile on unices. This project also provide a documentation written in Latex (but readable as html or pdf) that describe the format of files.

Origin

A project named freesynd is a free implementation of the game, but the code that access data is hardly readable and maintainable. So i had the idea to develop a library that could be used by many programs (games, level editors for example), and that could provide a common interface to data.

Usage

When hobbyist programmer want to develop their game, creating the data part is not a peace of cake. So this library allow them to concentrate on the engine and the implementation of some new features (internet game, fullscreen, etc.).

At least, the documentation can be used for developping your own "data reader".

Cyborgs

You can contact the author of this project at 'valefor at icculus dot org'.

Status

Last update of this page the 30/09/2007.
Current release is 0.13.

• 30/09/2007 : (V0.13) two demo (sdl and opengl) are working (only render engine). I will try to perfect the opengl one.
• 13/08/2007 : work on a demo
• 08/07/2007 : i'am playing with the third dimension !
• 30/06/2007 : Currently i try to understand how work the scenario structure.

Get it works !

Dependencies

Download

You can get the source as :

• The latest snapshot :

  # wget http://icculus.org/libsyndicate/libsyndicate.tar.gz
  # tar -zxvf libsyndicate.tar.gz
  

• The latest snapshot (all the sources, but require autotools to compile) :

  # wget http://icculus.org/libsyndicate/libsyndicate.tar.bz2
  # tar -jxvf libsyndicate.tar.bz2
  

You should have an environment variable SYNDICATE_DATA_PATH that point to your data directory.

# export SYNDICATE_DATA_PATH=~/Syndicate/DATA

For compiling the library :

# cd libsyndicate
# ./configure [--enable-example] [--enable-doc-latex-pdf] [--enable-doc-latex-html] [--enable-doc-doxygen-html] [--enable-tool] [--enable-demo]
# make 

• The --enable-example compile examples and need SDL.
• The --enable-doc-latex-pdf compile the latex doc and needs latex, dia, and other tools.
• The --enable-doc-latex-html compile the latex doc as html and needs hevea.
• The --enable-doc-doxygen-html compile the doxygen doc and needs doxygen.
• The --enable-tool compile some tools.
• The --enable-demo compile demo.
• The --enable-all enable all :)

For checking the library :

# make check

For compiling example :

# cd example 
# make

For compiling Latex doc :

# cd doc/latex 
# make html
# make pdf

# cd doc/doxygen
# make html

Use

The directories 'demo' (and 'example') contains some example of code, but the API may change !

Ressources

Documentation

• The reworking doc (html)
• The reworking doc (pdf : right click then 'save as')
• The interface doc (html)

Source code

• The latest snapshot :
  http://icculus.org/libsyndicate/libsyndicate.tar.gz
(~600k)
• The latest snapshot (sources only, no makefiles, needs autotools) :
  http://icculus.org/libsyndicate/libsyndicate.tar.bz2
(~360k)

Screenshot

• Never wanted to play in fullscreen ? (~264K)
  
• The tiles of maps ordered by type (~196K)
  
• All the tiles (~164K)
  
• All the sprites (~1.3M)
  
• Why don't make a 3D syndicate ? (~592K)
  
• First demo of a rendering engine (~1.9M)
  

Data files

I think you should own a version of the original game to be able to have those files :

• The original game for DOS (bz2)
• The American Revolt addon for DOS (bz2)
• The original game for MAC (bz2, sit)
• The original game for AMIGA (bz2, adf 1, adf 2, adf 3, adf 4)

Misc

Other ressources that can help in ressources.

Links

• Jon skeet for the dernc util and other stuff about dungeon keeper
• Andrew Sampson who seems to have made the first reverse ingenering of graphic files
• Marcin Olak and the Desyndicate wiki
• Stuart Binge, Joost Peters, Trent Waddington and the freesynd project staff
• Tomasz Lis for his fan site : a lot of things about Syndicate
• Mike Melanson for details on fli files
• A person seems to have already worked on Syndicate (Note : i should try to contact him)

Here are many other links related to syndicate :

• post on happy penguin
• post on blitzbasic