WormPrefs

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Icon wormprefs.png  WormPrefs
WormPrefs screenshot
Developer: Chris Pritchard
Latest version: N/A / 17th October, 2001
Supported games: WormsDC
Language: Unknown
Licence: Closed source
Website: None
Download: Included with Worms: The Directors Cut at retail

WormPrefs is a basic GUI system that allows users to create their own custom levels, landscape styles or mountain sets for use within Worms: The Directors Cut. It was included with the retail release of the game, and was coded "in a VERY short space of time" by Chris Pritchard.

The GUI allows users to import .IFF image files, which must meet certain specifications as set in a set of .IFF templates included with the release of the game, which are then converted for use within the game. This isn't strictly speaking necessary for landscapes, as WormsDC can read and use .IFF images ending in a .WRM or .WRM16 file extension provided they are 960px by 350px, however WormPrefs allows the addition of a custom background layer, a specific colour and style of water, and a custom mountain set as well as allowing the user to adjust the friction and gravity for the landscape. .WRM and .WRM16 files can be read in most art packages such as Paint Shop Pro, ProMotion, or the Amiga's own DeluxePaint, however they cannot read the additional information that WormPrefs includes when it creates .WRM16 files.

Custom mountains and landscapes, however, are saved as different filetypes - .MNT and .DIY respectively - which are not .IFF files and thus cannot be read by art packages.

The icon for WormPrefs is based on the original icons for Workbench 3.0's Prefs settings (the Amiga's equivalent of the Control Panel).

An explanation for how WormPrefs works is included in the 18th episode of PortsCenter, which looks at Worms: The Directors Cut. The episode can be viewed here.

Known Bugs

  • WormPrefs will not consider the content typed into a field until you press Return or Enter. This means, for custom water/sky colour, each individual RGB value must be confirmed with a press of the Return key.
  • WormPrefs sometimes does not accept input from the numerical keypad.
  • WormPrefs will reject a valid IFF file if the dimensions of the file are the wrong size. The will occur even if the dimensions are too large, but the relevant pieces are still in the correct template location.
  • For Mountain sets, WormPrefs considers palette colors 0 and 14 to be transparent for the frontmost mountains (MNT2).
  • WormPrefs doesn't handle files containing a flag for the DeluxePaint/PersonalPaint stencil tool correctly, resulting in files that can cause WormsDC to crash.
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