build_mode.md

Build Mode

Build Mode is currently in an alpha state! There may be bugs! Back up your demos!

Building is the process of editing a demo frame-by-frame, in order to make highly optimized TASes, or to deal with specific, difficult sections in segmented TASes.

Input Explanation

• Toggle Build Mode: enter or exit build mode at any time.
• Advance Frame: moves forward one frame, using the pending command.
• Reverse Frame: go back one frame.
• Reset Command: sets the pending command empty (a wait tic). If your command source is an existing buffer, this will not change the command that gets executed.
• Toggle Source: switches between editing the command and replaying the existing command.
• Fine Movement: adjusts movement commands by 1 unit.
• Turn values and the use action are reset every time the frame advances. Other values are kept.
• Use build.turbo / b.turbo in the console to toggle turbo on and off (or launch with -turbo).
• You can also set values with mf X, mb X, sr X, sl X, tr X, and tl X in the console.
• The raven games also support fu X / fd X / fc (fly up / down / center), lu X / ld X / lc (look up / down / center), and ua X (use artifact).

Time

• You can freely use the quick key frames and automatic key framing / rewind feature while in build mode.
• To jump to a specific tic, you can use the console command jump.tic X. If X is negative, it is relative to your current tic. Positive values are absolute from the start of the demo.
• All typical skip features are also available (skip to end of map, etc).

Trackers

• You can display extra data about different aspects of the game state using trackers.
  • tracker.add_line X / t.al X: track the special value of line X.
  • tracker.add_line_distance X / t.ald X: track the distance from line X.
  • tracker.add_sector X / t.as X: track the special value, active state, and floor height of sector X.
  • tracker.add_mobj X / t.am X: track the health of mobj X.
  • tracker.add_player / t.ap: track the last damage dealt by the player.
  • tracker.reset / t.r: removes all trackers
• You can remove trackers with the same commands, substituting remove / r for add / a.
• You can also populate these through command line arguments:
  • -track_line a [b c ...]
  • -track_line_distance a [b c ...]
  • -track_sector a [b c ...]
  • -track_mobj a [b c ...]
  • -track_player

Brute Force

Brute force is a technique in built tases where you automatically apply different sequences of commands until you reach a desired outcome. A common use case is for performing glides. You can activate brute force from the console.

• brute_force.frame / bf.frame frame forward_range strafe_range turn_range [buttons weapon]
  • frame is the frame number from the start of brute force (0, 1, 2...)
  • forward_range is the range of values for forwardmove. Format: 40:50, -50:-40, etc.
  • strafe_range is the same as forward_range, but for strafe values.
  • turn_range is the same as forward_range, but for turn values.
  • buttons is any combination of a, u, and c (attack, use, change weapon).
  • weapon is the number for the weapon to change to if c is given as a button.
• brute_force.keep / bf.keep frame
  • Keeps the existing command on the given frame
• brute_force.nomonsters / bf.nomo
  • Performs a faster brute force by ignoring monster activity (may desync)
  • Use brute_force.monsters / bf.mo to reset to the regular brute force mode
• brute_force.start / bf.start depth [forward_range strafe_range turn_range] conditions
  • Ranges are optional and will override frame-specific instructions
  • depth is the number of tics you want to brute force (limit 35)
  • conditions are comma separated. Format: attribute operator value.
    • attribute has the following options:
      • x (player x position)
      • y (player y position)
      • z (player z position)
      • vx (player x velocity)
      • vy (player y velocity)
      • spd (player speed)
      • dmg (single frame player damage dealt)
      • rng (rng index)
      • arm (player armor)
      • hp (player health)
      • am0 (player bullets / crystals / blue mana)
      • am1 (player shells / bolts / green mana)
      • am2 (player cells / claw orbs)
      • am3 (player rockets / runes)
      • am4 (player flame orbs)
      • am5 (player spheres)
      • bmw (blockmap width)
    • operator has the following options:
      • < (less than)
      • <= (less than or equal to)
      • > (greater than)
      • >= (greater than or equal to)
      • == (equal)
      • != (not equal)
      • These operators look for a best result (by checking all sequences):
        • acap (as close as possible)
        • max (maximum)
        • min (minimum)
    • value is the number to compare against (currently limited to integer).
      • max and min do not require a value
    • Examples:
      • x gt 4, y < -34, vx >= 10 means the player x position must be greater than 4, and the player y position must be less than -34, and the player x velocity must be greater than or equal to 10, all at the same time.
      • y == 0, vy acap 0 means the player y position must be equal to 0. All sequences will be checked, and the one that leads to a player y velocity closest to 0 will be used.
  • There are additional conditions that do not follow the above pattern:
    • skip X (skip line X)
    • act X (activate line X)
    • have X (have item X)
      • rkc, bkc, ykc, rsk, bsk, ysk (keys)
      • sg, cg, rl, pg, bfg, cs, ssg (weapons)
  • Basic example: bf.start 2 40:50 40:50 -2:2 x < 1056, vx > 5
    • This is a depth 2 brute force, with possible forward and strafe values ranging from 40 to 50, possible turn values ranging from -2 to 2, and with the condition that x is less than 1056 and x velocity is greater than 5.
  • Frame-specific example (different ranges on different frames):

    bf.frame 0 40:50 40:50 -2:2
    bf.frame 1 50:50 50:50 -10:10
    bf.frame 2 40:50 40:50 -2:2
    bf.start 3 x < 1056, vx > 5

• Brute force metadata gets printed to the console (conditions, progress, etc).