Trespasser Newb Technical Guide

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Trespasser Newb Technical Guide

Post by Draconisaurus »

I do believe, after some conversation on the TresCom Discord, that an intact, all-together guide on how to go about various Trespasser things in the computer game environment of 2020 is in call at this time. I perceive that it ought to include details as are only relevant for those wishing to play the game successfully, for those wishing to also play mods successfully, and for those considering modding new content for the game themselves. I've generally been alright to let these details be spread about in different parts of the site, but, it does seem to me there is some request heard and unheard for an improvement in this area.

So! What all to include? Anyone interested in writing specific parts? Which elements are likely to be forgotten or unfound without some substantial digging into the threads?
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EDIT: Current and future pre-development for the outline of the guide is shown below, updated as time follows.

==============================================

TRES NEWB TECH GUIDE

-=Contents=-

I.....Jurassic Part Trespasser

1.....Game Installing
2.....Game Upgrading
3.....Common Problems and Solutions
4.....Trespasser CE
5.....Game Playing
6.....Isolt's Texture Replacement Guide (?)

---

Jurassic Park Trespasser

Welcome to Isla Sorna. Trespasser invites you to explore a fully-physical, free-roam island circa 1998, in a hybrid canon timeline combining Michael Crichton's novels, Universal's films, and original ideas from the Dreamworks Interactive developers. These details are narrated by the echoing Voice of Hammond in Anne's mind, as she travels across the deserted Pacific island of jungle, forest, and mountain, in search of escape...
Though ground-breaking at the time, in the modern day the original release of the game is fairly low-tech, and fans have seen to it that upgrades are readily available - both for program stability and to enhance graphics. Ontop of all this, years have been spent by fans to add slightly and not-so-slightly new content to the game, which can be installed successfully using the right techniques.
How is all this done? How does one ensure Trespasser runs smoothly on modern hardware? Use this guide to find out.

Part 1 - Game Installing

It seems that in the modern day, on Windows7/8/10, Trespasser has some likelihood to not work right fresh out of the box, or vitange CD case or little envelope thing. There are indeed many possible errors which come up, though most are relatively easy to fix. The first step is to do with how you install the game. In fact - if you have already installed Trespasser, now is the time to uninstall it and delete its files from your computer. In either case, the next thing to be done is to COPY the exact contents of the CD, into a new folder on your computer. This new folder is often called "TresCD" and can be put mostly anywhere. It is meant to be accessed while the installed game is running, for level files etc. However, it is highly recommended not to place this folder, or the game install folder from the next step, in "\Program Files", "\Program Files x86", etc. This is because those folders have write-access permissions that make it difficult to alter files once they are inside.

So, the next step is actually installing the game: acquiring Jurassic or Cretaceous amber, extracting perserved DNA, and opening "setup95.exe" from inside the "\setup" folder. Running this EXE 'As Administrator' is probably a good idea. Go through all those steps, remembering the details on where to install the game folder.

Now, you successfully have vanilla Trespasser, more or less as it might have been installed years ago. The game might work for you just fine as it is now! And it might not... Notably, the Graphics Options menu tends to be buggy, on modern Windows systems, appearing as a split screen with odd colors. Most fixes for Trespasser are found inside Tres CE, described below. However, CE does change the game in some ways, and some players with particular interests may wish to try for other options.

Part 2 - Game Upgrading

Trespasser CE is the most commonly used upgrade to Trespasser in modern days, and provides various sorts of new features and fixes for the game. Before it was created in 2014, a basic upgrade of the original game called "ATX", made by BigRed from 2005, was commonly used to play normal and fan-made levels.
http://atx.trescom.org/
ATX added a variety of features to the game, including higher screen resolution, widescreen resoltuion, custom additive audio files, and re-enabled cheats. Some features, such as dinos-in-buildings, jumping dinosaurs, easy-access custom HUD, and third-person-mode were never added to the newer Trespasser CE. Some stand-alone fan mods still use a portable ATX engine, and other old fan mods still require ATX in order to include features such as particle rain/snow.

For those using pre-CE versions of the game, a partial graphics 'fix' is available, which makes the original game's DX7 more compatible with modern hardware. As of this writing, v0.2.1 of the "DDrawCompat" custom DDL (but not the experimental one) may be used to stabilize vanilla Trespasser, ATX, and stand-alone-engine mods.
https://github.com/narzoul/DDrawCompat/releases

Going back a bit, after Trespasser's initial release on October 28th, 1998, a patched version was created. It was possible to install only the engine-patch, which fixed technical issues like jumping and (???) and raised the version from 116 to 117, or to install the full-patch which included the new engine as well as a set of level files, with minor fixes, for the game. This latter modification complicated the folder set-up; if you wish to use the 117 versions of the levels, they can be downloaded separately and used to replace the original level files (we recommend backing up the original versions for yourself). These options are all found on the Patches download page:
https://www.trescom.org/patches/

Of less importance on the above link is the "Quickload" menu patch. In all versions of Trespasser, on the main menu, the key command CTRL+SHIFT+Q+W-W opens the level-select hidden menu ('-W' means to release the W after it is pressed, with the other keys still held). If you are using an unmodded menu and wish to add an actual button for this action, it may be downloaded there. Other patches exist but are considered outdated.

Finally, there is a Trespasser Demo, released in 1998, found in the link below. It contains a small demonstration area based on one of the original game's cut levels, is more compact, and stores its settings in a "tpass.ini" file instead of the registry. It can be used to play any Trespasser level in some capacity or another, however the demo engine package initially comes with audio files which are mostly missing voiceovers, music, and ambient sounds from the original game. The demo engine is considered to be easier to mod and work with by some, and the TPA files from retail Tres can easily be put into its \data folder.
https://www.trescom.org/levels/demos/

Notably, the ATX upgrade was frequently paired with the demo version of the game, and it is possible to have both Tres CE and ATX on a computer at the same time without conflicts. Notably, the introduction and newgame video cutscenes are missing from the demo version, but these can be re-applied through moving files and the options inside CE files.

Part 3 - Common Problems and Solutions

"THE TRESPASSER LEVEL I JUST LOADED IS FULL OF FREAKY COLORS!"

Trespasser textures use old 256-color palettes for their BMP images, stored individually, and sometimes when Trespasser loads a new level while you are already inside one, these palettes are not updated, causing the next level to look quite bizzare. The simple solution is to save your game in the newly loaded level, then exit to the desktop. Start the game again and load the savegame, where colors are corrected.

"I CAN'T FIND MY SCREENSHOT! HOW DO I TAKE A SCREEN?"

Originally, when you press the PRINT-SCREEN key while in Trespasser, a BMP file is created called "TPass###.bmp" in the directory where the game was installed. This is _____ for an install from the CD, or just "\demo" for the demo engine.

In Trespasser CE, these BMP files may also end up here, however when inside a specific mod, screenshots are put into the mod's own "\screenshots" folder. In some cases Tres CE may not put out screenshots from the main game in the main folder. This can be fixed in the "trespasser.ini" file by telling the game to put them in a new "\screenshots" folder, described below.

"WHY DO OBJECTS LOOK REALLY BLURRY EVEN WHEN I MOVE RIGHT UP TO THEM?"

The 1998 version of the game had to handle very unprepared software and hardware, for successfully not crashing people's computers. Small "sprite" versions of objects, very pixelated images replacing the actual model's appearance, were used to represent objects before they were closer. Sometimes the upgrades of Trespasser appear to have these in an unexpected high degree, still. Usually this is a misunderstanding of how the graphics of the game works, as some version of these remain a part of how Trespasser loads large world spaces of trees and rocks and buildings. However, Trespasser CE's upgrades are usually sufficient enough that these go unnoticed.

---

Part 4 - Trespasser CE

In mid 2014, Lee Arbuco released the first version of his upgraded Trespasser engine. He had found the leaked copy of the Trespasser Source, and used it to add support for modern operating systems and DirectX9. Since then it has become the most-used version of Trespasser in the TresCom community, and until another attempt at upgrading the Source Code is made, it is likely to stay.

Trespasser CE provides a vast array of new features to the game, although not a comprehensive one. Aside from bringing the game up to speed with DX9 and cool-looking water, various features have been added:
...
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Re: Trespasser Newb Technical Guide

Post by LIX666 »

First of all, as a long time lurker and a few times unsuccessful modder - thank you for the topic that LITERALLY means what i wanted to ask here - summary of entry level knowledge of basics - running the game at best at modern pc's (running the game on win 10, win 7, making virtual pc with win xp??) , official patching, which are essential tools and order in which to use them. When those skills have been acquired, then modding and tools for different modding the game with levels and custom maps. I think this should help newbs get them along.

Order of specific procedures that must not be breached in order for everything to work, cant use certain things in game unless it has been officially patched etc.

And since there is vast trove of knowledge here, instead of writing everything, just linking the appropriate topic or post for each step.

I admit that i have jumped at the possibility of having all this under a single topic because i have tried some time ago just to patch the game and task failed successfully... so modding and playing with custom content has never been an option for me.
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Re: Trespasser Newb Technical Guide

Post by tatu »

I'd say we would need some kind of wiki-style for this. Or a "browsable" page on the site, where you click the Table Of Content where you wanna go. It would be a great addition to the site!
I think one big document would be better (with images etc) than many topics. Topics tends to get filled with other stuff. Using a document/page that also mention changelog to it would be better.
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Re: Trespasser Newb Technical Guide

Post by Draconisaurus »

Hmmm I like these points. As I recall, both Slugger and TheGuy have attempted PDF versions of this plan in the past. Is PDF a nice format? Who here is aware how to write one?

"Changelog" sounds as a nice idea I didn't think of. Linking to topics sounds excellent, although topics like Lee's CE release thread seem most often too vast for searching; some effort is I believe in order, to review the thread and pick out the relevant details for assembly elsewhere. I am interested in doing this one.
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Re: Trespasser Newb Technical Guide

Post by tatu »

Draconisaurus wrote:Hmmm I like these points. As I recall, both Slugger and TheGuy have attempted PDF versions of this plan in the past. Is PDF a nice format? Who here is aware how to write one?
It is basically just a word document converted. I'd suggest an online page to change it easily, instead of having people downloading a new document each time it is updated. It could be written (HTML) simply so people can just save the page instead. And having the version number (or last update date) in the Title will help people who save the page to know which is the latest.
Active project: Trespasser: Isla Sorna
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BE-PH1: Released
PH2-IT: Pre-released
PL-SUM: In production

"...there used to be more benches, but InGen's workers removed them during the evacuation in the name of framerate."
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Re: Trespasser Newb Technical Guide

Post by machf »

Does the Wiki still exist?
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Sound name listings for the Demo (build 117), Retail (build 116), Beta 103, Beta 99, Beta 97, Beta 96, Build 55, PC Gamer Alpha (build 32) and E3 1998 Alpha (build 22) TPA files
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Re: Trespasser Newb Technical Guide

Post by Velociraptor Alfa »

machf wrote:Does the Wiki still exist?
I'm afraid it doesn't exist anymore. But I created one which I will gladly leave to anybody who's interested.
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Re: Trespasser Newb Technical Guide

Post by morningstarring »

I can try to write out a tutorial on my method of making levels within levels. I'm going to be really busy for a few months with work and such so it might be a while before i have something put together. But I would like to share my basic level making knowledge since I don't do anything really complex and it could make others feel like making new levels isn't all that difficult.
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Re: Trespasser Newb Technical Guide

Post by Draconisaurus »

Hmmm Alpha I have forgotten what you told me about it...

MorningStarRing, that idea sounds a little interesting. Possibly made to only cover very basic parts, in addition to the accessible wording.
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Re: Trespasser Newb Technical Guide

Post by tatu »

Velociraptor Alfa wrote:
machf wrote:Does the Wiki still exist?
I'm afraid it doesn't exist anymore. But I created one which I will gladly leave to anybody who's interested.
Sadly not. I would like if we could get one back on TresCom, mainly as we have more control over it and we wouldn't have it with ads 8) I shall bug Paul about it... :P
I can try to write out a tutorial on my method of making levels within levels. I'm going to be really busy for a few months with work and such so it might be a while before i have something put together. But I would like to share my basic level making knowledge since I don't do anything really complex and it could make others feel like making new levels isn't all that difficult.
That sounds like a great idea. I think we should have some knowledge from people recently learning it, you might know something we've forgotten ;)
MorningStarRing, that idea sounds a little interesting. Possibly made to only cover very basic parts, in addition to the accessible wording.
If we manage to get a wiki back to TresCom, I think having both a section with basic parts/summery is good at the start and then a more in-depth section with explanations etc.
Active project: Trespasser: Isla Sorna
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BE-PH1: Released
PH2-IT: Pre-released
PL-SUM: In production

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Re: Trespasser Newb Technical Guide

Post by Draconisaurus »

As far as TresCom wiki creation, I believe it has a better possible future for itself if we restrict who may post in it, to only those who we are familiar with and communicate with us in messages about the topics.
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Re: Trespasser Newb Technical Guide

Post by tatu »

Draconisaurus wrote:As far as TresCom wiki creation, I believe it has a better possible future for itself if we restrict who may post in it, to only those who we are familiar with and communicate with us in messages about the topics.
I agree, the #1 reason is to avoid getting bots. And that the information will be verified and not edited by people who are not part of the community, because of course, some of us have knowledge that we don't have written source from. :D
Active project: Trespasser: Isla Sorna
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BE-PH1: Released
PH2-IT: Pre-released
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"...there used to be more benches, but InGen's workers removed them during the evacuation in the name of framerate."
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Re: Trespasser Newb Technical Guide

Post by machf »

Title: Trespasser Newb Technical Guide
Small print: This isn't a guide FOR newbs to Trespasser, but a guide written BY one.
;)
Would love to see what it would be like...
(not really my idea, I just remembered an old article in English titled "A Beginner's Guide to Peru" which I still have lying around...)
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Sound name listings for the Demo (build 117), Retail (build 116), Beta 103, Beta 99, Beta 97, Beta 96, Build 55, PC Gamer Alpha (build 32) and E3 1998 Alpha (build 22) TPA files
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Re: Trespasser Newb Technical Guide

Post by Draconisaurus »

Alright, today I have begun the bones of the guide via editing the first post of this thread. In my current idea, the first section is all about installing the game and getting it to work right and with the desired level of graphics update. Funnily enough, it's been so long since I had to install the game in this manner, that a lot of these details are a bit lost on me, and I've had to re-invent/analyze the wheel or refer to Tatu. Notably, I have forgotten what the installed-game folder for Trespasser looks like and have none such on this PC... So, I wait for the morning in Europe again.

I have begun going through the Trespasser CE thread. Finished page one. Nice to see everyone so excited. Looks like Lee originally thought the first release was going to be the only one, and appologized by releasing a quick fix to the initial bugs mentioned. If Rebel is reading this, I do intend on a full analysis of how CE is set up and how its various features can be used. As a note, I have already discovered that, while TI did edit Lee's post with a FM folder template, there is no description in the first post about how mod folders work. I plan to investigate this further, but I feel it is one of the perturbing absences the Old Man was referring to.

In an additional investigation, I recalled that "Creative EAX 1.0" (the CAudioEnvironmentAction engine effects) do not work at all on this computer. To my memory, my computers of the past 10 years have been able or not able to hear EAX differences over time, sometimes as a permanent state and sometimes fixable. It seems important to me that we collect data on what hardware does and doesn't work well with this feature, and how to fix it. Many players aren't likely to notice, and it seems a nice gift to provide them with a sound function they might not think of. For myself, even when setting "UseAL" to False in trespasser.ini, the EAX effects are not heard at this time. I am told that "OpenAL" may need to be installed for this to work, which is news to me. I am unsure how to check if it is already installed and this aspect of Tres CE sounds like one of the notes to mention in the section outline in today's first-post-update.

*Drac sighs* That is where research stands, from my own time today. I am interested in feedback, suggestions, additions, etc.
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Re: Trespasser Newb Technical Guide

Post by machf »

Well, for EAX to work, you need a soundcard that supports EAX in the first place.
And in order to use OpenAL, you need to install de OpenAL drivers/software on your PC... just like you need to install OpenGL drivers for OpenGL graphics.
Visit The Carnivores Saga - a forum devoted to modding Action Forms' Carnivores, Carnivores 2 and Carnivores: Ice Age games
Tres WIP: updated T-Script Reference and File Formats documents
Sound name listings for the Demo (build 117), Retail (build 116), Beta 103, Beta 99, Beta 97, Beta 96, Build 55, PC Gamer Alpha (build 32) and E3 1998 Alpha (build 22) TPA files
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