GPLSkyM Instruction Manual

Overview

Using GPLSkyM

Setting the GPL Path

Setting the Current Skies Folder

Selecting a Sky

Removing a Sky

Setting a Random Sky

Creating GPLSkyM-Compatible Skies

Overview

GPLSkyM is a software application that enables you to add and remove skies easily to and from a GPL track.  The software provides a preview image of the selected sky.  It works with skies that have been made GPLSkyM-compatible by the sky creator, however the process of making a sky (or converting an existing sky) is simple and straightforward.  Bray’d Hill (a GPL fantasy track) was the first GPLSkyM-compatible track and was simultaneously released with the software.  As with any software, you may wish to backup your current files before you begin.  This software is offered “as is”, without any warranty implied or explicit, and the maker is not responsible for any consequence of using the software – in other words, use at your own risk.

Using GPLSkyM

In order to use the software, GPLSkyM must know where GPL is installed on your computer and which folder contains the GPLSkyM-Compatible skies you wish to select from (you may have more than one folder for skies – for example, you will probably want a folder for each track – and you can change between folders at any time).  The following two sections detail how to set the software so it knows where GPL and the desired sky folder are located.

Setting the GPL Path

When you first run GPLSkyM, the program will attempt to find your GPL path.  If it finds the GPL path on your computer it will display it in red in the uppermost label marked “GPL”.  If the program cannot find your GPL path or if you have more than one GPL installation and do not wish to use the GPL path that the program has selected, then you must manually set the GPL path.  To do this, use the “Set GPL Path…” button.  You may then browse for and select the desired GPL installation path on your computer.

Setting the Current Skies Folder

Use the “Set Skies Path…” button to browse for and select the desired folder that contains GPLSkyM-Compatible sky files.  You may have more than one folder for skies – for example, you will probably want a folder for each track – and you can change between folders at any time.  When you select a folder, the path will appear in blue the second highest label marked Skies.

Selecting a Sky

• Select the desired track from the Track dropdown box – note, only tracks for the currently selected GPL installation will appear in this box.  IF THE CURRENTLY SELECTED SKIES FOLDER DOES NOT CONTAIN SKIES FOR THE CURRENTLY SELECTED TRACK, THE PROGRAM WILL ALLOW YOU TO ONLY SELECT ANOTHER TRACK OR CHANGE THE SKY FOLDER OR GPL PATH.
• Once you have selected a track for which the currently selected skies folder contains at least one compatible sky, you will be able to select the desired sky from the Sky dropdown box.  Once you select a sky, a preview image of the sky will appear in the New Sky image below the Sky dropdown box.
• Use the Save button to make GPL use the currently selected sky with the currently selected track.  When you use the button, GPLSkyM will display a preview image of the sky in the Current Sky image and will display the sky description below the Track dropdown box.

Removing a Sky

· If a track is selected which is currently using a GPLSkyM-Compatible sky, the sky will be previewed in the Current Sky image and the sky’s description will be displayed below the Track dropdown box.

· There are two ways to remove the currently selected sky: you can select a different GPLSkyM-Compatible sky (see “Selecting a Sky”), or you can use the Remove button.  If you select a different sky, the new sky will be previewed in the Current Sky image and the description will be displayed, however if you use the Remove button no GPLSkyM-Compatible sky will be used with the track and the Current Sky image and description will be blank (in this case, you can add a different GPLSkyM-Compatible sky at any time)

Setting a Random Sky

• If you use the Random button, GPLSkyM randomly selects a sky from the currently selected Skies folder; the program displays an image that simply indicates a random selection has been made and the description appears as “Random”.  You will not know what sky has been selected for the track until you use the track in GPL.  (Note, the track is not randomly selected each time you use GPL, only each time you use the Random button in GPLSkyM).

Creating GPLSkyM-Compatible Skies

Creating GPLSkyM-Compatible skies is easy:

• Create a top level folder and create a text file – the text file must be called sky.gplw (note, the extension is “.gplw” NOT “.txt”)
• The text file must have a first line that has the section “trackfolder” followed by a line that sets the trackfolder value equal to the FOLDER name of the GPL track for which the skies are being created (see an example of the sky.gplw text file below)
• The text file must also have a section “folders” and this section has two lines for each sky folder that is contained by this top level folder.  The first line sets the foldername value equal to the name of the sky folder and the second line sets the folderdescription value equal to the description you wish to appear for the sky (see an example of the sky.gplw text file below)
• The example below shows a sky.gplw text file where there are three compatible skies to choose from – in this example, there would be the top level folder (named whatever you wish) and this folder would contain the sky.gplw text file and three subfolders (the contents of the subfolders are described below) where the subfolders are called “sky1 sunny”, “sky2 dull” and “sky3 overcast”.

[trackfolder]

trackfolder = braydhill

[folders]

foldername = sky1 sunny

folderdescription = Sunny Skies

foldername = sky2 dull

folderdescription = Dull Skies

foldername = sky3 overcast

folderdescription = Overcast

• Each sky subfolder must contain all the normal files associated with a GPL sky (examples are Ground.mip, Horiz0.mip, Sky.mip etc.) as well as two additional files.
• The first additional file is a text file named currentsky.gplw (note, the extension is “.gplw” NOT “.txt”)
• The currentsky.gplw text file must have a first line that has the section “trackfolder” followed by a line that sets the trackfolder value equal to the FOLDER name of the GPL track for which the sky is created (see an example of the currentsky.gplw text file below)
• The currentsky.gplw text file must also have a section “description” with the value equal to the description you wish to appear for the sky (see an example of the currentsky.gplw text file below)
• Finally, the currentsky.gplw text file must have a “files” section with a line for EACH sky file that appears in the sky subfolder (see an example of the currentsky.gplw text file below)

[trackfolder]

track = braydfdvdfvfdvfd

[description]

description = Dull Skies

[files]

1 = ground.mip

2 = horiz.3do

3 = horiz0.mip

4 = horiz1.mip

5 = horiz10.mip

6 = horiz11.mip

7 = horiz2.mip

8 = horiz3.mip

9 = horiz4.mip

10 = horiz5.mip

11 = horiz6.mip

12 = horiz7.mip

13 = horiz8.mip

14 = horiz9.mip

15 = sky.mip

16 = skyindex.mip

• The second additional file (that a sky subfolder must contain in addition to the normal sky files as detailed above) is a .jpg image that is used to preview the sky.  This should ideally be 800 pixels wide by 290 pixels high – if this size is not used, the same aspect ratio should be used.

• In summary, to make GPLSkyM-Compatible skies, create a top level folder with the sky.gplw text file, and with one subfolder for each of the skies required, where each subfolder contains the required sky (.mip) files for one sky, plus the currentsky.gplw text file and a preview image.

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