# MALL

![MALL](https://github.com/gered/ack3d/raw/master/scrnshot/mall.gif "MALL")

Source code and assets for the MALL project contained on the CD that was included on the book
"Amazing 3-D Games Adventure Set" by Lary Myers, published in 1995. The source code has been
fixed up a little bit. A Watcom `makefile` has been added, replacing a build script for Lary's 
custom `MK.EXE` build tool.

## Requirements

To build you will need Watcom C++ and Borland TASM. I used Watcom C++ 10.0a and Borland TASM 4.0,
but you should be able to build with newer versions (maybe even _slightly_ older versions too).

You must build `ACKLIB.LIB` prior to building this project. Please check the `/ack_lib` directory
at the root of this repository first.

To hear the background music you will need a Sound Blaster compatible sound card. This project 
attempts to read a config file `ack3d.cfg` to load sound card configuration, but such a file is 
not included in this repository. Either add this file or adjust the default settings found in 
`mall.c` within the `ReadConfigFile` function. But default, address 220h, IRQ 5, DMA 1 is used.

## Building

Within this directory, run

```
> wmake
```

This will build using the included `makefile` using a debug build settings.

To build using a release configuration:

```
> wmake target_config=release
```

In either case, you should get an output artifact `MALL.EXE` on successful build.

## Editing the Map

You must build the DOS map editor. Please check the `/map_edit` directory at the root of this 
repository first.

Once you have a working DOS map editor, run:

```
> \path\to\mapedit.exe \path\to\mall\assets\mall.l01
```

To try out your map alterations you will need to rebuild the `pics.dtf` resource file.

To add/remove bitmaps you will need to edit the `mall.l01` file for the map editor. However,
you **ALSO** need to modify the `mall.dat` and `mall.inf` files to successfully rebuild the
`pics.dtf` resource file. See Appendix A and the last section of Chapter 15 in the book for more
information on ACK-3D resource files and using the DOS map editor. Please make sure you are well
familiar with these chapters, as getting all these files exactly right can be quite tricky!

## Rebuilding `pics.dtf`

You must build the `BPIC` tool. Please check the `/bpic` directory at the root of this repository
first.

If you wish to make changes to the assets used by this project (bitmaps and/or map), make whatever
changes you like to the `mall.dat` file (which just lists the files to be included in the 
resource file) and `mall.inf` file. Then to build a new `pics.dtf` run:

```
> \path\to\bpic.exe \path\to\mall\assets\mall.dat \path\to\mall\pics.dtf
```

See Appendix A and the last section of Chapter 15 in the book for more information on ACK-3D 
resource files and using the DOS map editor. Please make sure you are well familiar with these 
chapters, as getting all these files exactly right can be quite tricky!