Zenix3D Help

Zenix3D allows you to modify the levels that come with it, or create your own levels.  To get started quickly, follow the Easy Levels tutorial.

After clicking the Create Game button, you are presented with a demo game that can be edited, modified, and used as a base to create your own games.  To modify the actual Zenix3D game, download and open ZzMain.Zenix3DS.

The Mouse

The mouse allows you to select and move objects, edit object properties, and scroll back and forth in time.

Multiple objects can be selected (or deselected) by holding down the CTRL key while left clicking an object.  Once objects have been selected, you can make copies of them by placing them on the clipboard.

The Control Panel

The control panel allows you to change levels, draw enemies, change script time, and access all features of the Zenix3D game editor.  You can always see the control panel by pressing the ESC key.

The Grid check box displays the grid so objects can be lined up on the screen.  The slider to the right changes the screen size.

The combo box "Intro (Intro)" allows you to change the level.  Click "..." to add new levels.

The Run (F5) button allows you to start and stop the simulation.

The "<" button sets the time to zero, the -5, -1, .1, and .01 buttons change the script time backwards, and the +5, +1, .1, and .01 buttons change the script time forward.

The Draw: combo box allows you draw objects on the screen.

Quick Start Tutorial

After starting Zenix3D, from the main menu, click the Create Game button.  From the control panel, select killer1 from the Draw combo box.

Now left click on the background and move the mouse to draw an enemy.  Repeat this process, and you'll see all the enemy objects are recorded.

To draw an object in the same place as another object, press the SHIFT key before pressing the left mouse button.

Scroll forward and backward in time by scrolling the middle mouse button.

Right click the background stars to watch the simulation.  When you release the right mouse button, the script time is reset back to where it was before clicking.  This allows for easy viewing of changes.

NOTE: While script time can be adjusted via the control panel, you'll find that the scrolling the middle mouse button is much more effective for small time changes.

Cut/Copy/Paste

Left click objects to select them.  Press CTRL while clicking to select/deselect new objects.  Selected objects may be copied to the clipboard by pressing CTRL-INSERT or CTRL-C, or cut by pressing SHIFT-DELETE or CTRL-X.

To copy objects from the clipboard press SHIFT-INSERT or CTRL-V.  Copying from the clipboard multiple times (without an intervening time change) causes the objects to be shifted so they don't completely overlap.

When objects are pasted from they clipboard, they come back at the current scrip time.  This allows objects to be moved in time by copying, changing the script time, and then pasting.  For example, if an object needs to be moved forward in time (say it was drawn too early), cut it to the clipboard, scroll forward in time, and then paste.

Enemy Group Tutorial

After starting Zenix3D, from the main menu, click the Create Game button.  From the control panel, select killer1 from the Draw combo box. 

Draw an enemy starting on the left side of the screen and slowly moves across to the right side of the screen.  Right click the background to check that the object moves at the proper speed, which should be about as fast as you expect an enemy to cross from one side of the screen to the other.  If the speed is wrong, select the object, delete it, and draw a new one.

Select the object and place it on the clipboard by pressing CTRL-INSERT or CTRL-C.  Now copy the object from the clipboard three times by pressing SHIFT-INSERT or CTRL-V three times.

Right click the background to watch the group.

Move each object to a new position so they form a nice looking enemy group.

Enemy Group Time Tutorial

After starting Zenix3D, from the main menu, click the Create Game button.  From the control panel, select killer1 from the Draw combo box. 

Draw an enemy starting on the left side of the screen and slowly moves across to the right side of the screen.  Right click the background to check that the object moves at the proper speed, which should be about as fast as you expect an enemy to cross from one side of the screen to the other.  If the speed is wrong, select the object, delete it, and draw a new one.

Select the object and place it on the clipboard by pressing CTRL-INSERT or CTRL-C. 

Scroll forward in time (use the mouse scroll button) by several 1/10ths of a second (usually 3 to 5 depending on how fast the objects move across the screen).  Copy the object from the clipboard by pressing SHIFT-INSERT or CTRL-V.  Repeat this step two more times (scroll, paste, scroll paste, scroll paste)

Right click the background to watch the group.

You can select all objects in the group (select the first one, then select each additional object by holding the CTRL key and clicking the object).  Place the whole group on the clipboard, and then paste the whole group back.  Move the group to a new location.

Right click the background to watch the two groups.