warning, p1mp post 
A new version of the Quake ToolKit is out, version 1.51. Here’s the list of changes since version 1.5:
[ul]
[li]Added new q3map2 switches and removed old non-functional ones
[/li][li]Added the option to save/load compile setup presets/configs
[/li][li]Added a file info box to compiler window
[/li][li]Added the option to add custom bot names to arena files
[/li][li]Fixed -area and -point entry fields
[/li][li]All compile switches show a function description at the bottom of the window on mouse-over
[/li][li]Map Compiler GUI’s interface reworked
[/li][/ul]
Especially the changes made to the Map Compiler GUI are pretty interesting.
For those that don’t know what the Quake ToolKit is, here’s an quick walkthrough:
The Quake ToolKit utility is a simple, but very effective and multifunctional utility designed to give Q3A players, mappers and server administrators easy access to very useful tools. The ToolKit is basically a collection of small tools.
The ToolKit has the following features:
[ul]
[li]Tool for easy .arena file creating
[/li][li]Shell for Q3Map. Allows you to set compile options etc. Similar to Q3Build.
[/li][li]Easy to use tool to create new bots
[/li][li]Random Team Generator. Randomly Generates two teams from a list of players
[/li][li]Wizard for easy compiling of RoQ video files
[/li][li]Server Configuration. Basic server setup utility. Great for setting up lan games.
[/li][li]Customizable Skins
[/li][li]Quake 3 profile manager.
[/li][li]Easy access to all tools and Q3Radiant through taskbar trayicon
[/li][li]Now with support for RTCW
[/li][/ul]
For you mappers, there are a number of interesting tools, starting off with the Map Compiler GUI. This is a tool that has a similar function like Q3Build and Hr.O’s Q3Map2Toolz. Though where Q3Build only supports standard Q3Map, and Hr.O’s Q3Map2Toolz only supports Q3Map2, the Map Compiler GUI in the Toolkit supports both 100%, automatically adjusting it’s set of features to the compiler that has been selected for use.
In this screenshot here you can see the Map Compiler GUI’s interface. To the left a tabs-panel where you can set up your commandline switches for the compiler. To the right some additional options, a browser to select your map file, some info about the currently selected map, and a list of saved setups for the switches tab-panel to the left. You can save your own ‘compile setup’ to this list for easy access.
Are there features of the Map Compiler GUI that you don’t use, and you only find to clutter up the interface? No problem, close and open them with one mouseclick:
The second tool interested for mappers is the Arena Creation Tool. Easily create arena files for your maps:
Interesting for some mappers might be this wizard, which automatically creates input files for the RoQ moviefile compiler using a step-by-step method to acquire the required information:
The main window interface is fully skinnable. Here’s an example of a pretty basic skin I made. It’s based on the Metallic look that comes with WindowsXP.
Here’s an example of a brand new skinning feature, shaped buttons. Buttons now can have any shape, not just square or rectangular like before. This skin doesn’t come with the ToolKit (thank god ;)), it was made by me just to test the code, and I suck at image editing
Ofcourse, if you’re better at making skins, then you’re free to take a try at it. In fact, I’m looking for people who are interested in making skins to compile a second skin pack (the first one is available on the Engines of Creation site).
So, if my very “sales-person-esque” talk here didn’t convince you, then just try it and see what you think
Feedback is very much appreciated!
