
                        Mugen Site Maker (MSM)

          beta release version 1.00 (2005.05.31)
                    ---------------

Please, read this whole document before proceeding. This readme is mainly
a cut/copy (in the form) of original Elecbyte Mugen's and KOF 91 one. 
If there's copyrights problems with it, mail me (zesensei@free.fr)

This is a public beta version. You may use to create
your own site but please take note: specifications may change
at any time during the beta phase, so anything
you make now may not necessarily work with later versions of
MSM (but I hope it will not happen).

Not all docs are complete yet.


I.     MSM Info
II.    Running the tool
III.    Mugen's compatibility
A.     License Agreement
B.     Disclaimer
C.     Thanks



=====================================================================
I. MSM Info
=====================================================================

If you have any questions, please refer to faq.txt.

System requirements
-------------------
Minimum: 233 Mhz sould be enough
Recommended: 1 Ghz (you're not patient, non?)

MSM is set up for optimized memory use by default.
It is hard to state exact memory requirements, as it varies
according to character and stage complexities. 64 MB should suffice,
although 128 MB is probably much safer.

What MSM?
-----------
Mugen Site Maker is a website generator for Mugen.
It take a character selection file (usually select.def)
from Mugen and build a simple website from it.



How MSM?
----------
MSM is being developed in C with Allegro.
It is being compiled with gcc 2.95.3 and linked with :
Allegro 4.1.17 WIP ( http://www.talula.demon.co.uk/allegro )
cgui ( http://www.idt.mdh.se/~csg/cgui )
jpegalleg ( http://www.ecplusplus.com/index.php?page=projects&pid=1 )

Where MSM?
------------
http://mugensitemaker.sourceforge.net

Why MSM?
----------
To tell you the truth, to take a break of KOF 91 project
( http://kof91.sourceforge.net ) and to give to the Mugen
community a new tool to easely share their passion.

Who MSM?
----------
Laurent Dufour (aka Ze Sensei, zesensei@free.fr) is guilty.

When MSM?
-----------
The first release was made May, the tenth of 2005.
First final was the 31 May.




=====================================================================
II. Running the Tool
=====================================================================
On Windows, simple double click on the prog.
On Linux, try the same or give execution rights to the msm.bin
and type ./msm.bin in the directory where it is.
On Linux, be sure you have the same Allegro version installed.

1 Basic use :
-------------
 - Choose a Mugen (file -> Choose Mugen path ... )
 - Choose a select.def (file -> Open a select.def)
 - Build the site (site -> build site) 

 You're site is in the 'www' directory
 
 2 Advanced use :
 ----------------
 - Debug mode
 Somme sff could not be loaded and crash the select loading.
 To prevent this, use the debug mode (in option menu) that let you know
 each sff name before loading it. Then remove the characters wich don't load.

 - Characters background color
 If you want to have another color for translucy color just go in the msm.cfg
 and change :
 bg_color = 63 , 63 , 63
 whith
 bg_color = Red , Green , Blue
 where Red, Green, Blue is an integer between 0 and 63
 
 - Site template :
 To build the site, msm read two templates :
 www/template/index.html to make the index page (list of characters founded)
 www/template/character.html to make each character page
 You could change this html files with whatever you want (just keep the name of the file for now).
 When MSM build the website it will substitue keywords with values :
 - $INDEX$ (only on index.html page) will be substitued with the full list of characters founded
 - $INDEX_LINK$ will become a link to the index.html page
 - $NAME$ will become the name of the char
 - $DISPLAY_NAME$ will become the display name of the char
 - $VERSION_DATE$ will become the version date of the char
 - $MUGEN_VERSION$ will become the mugen version of the char
 - $AUTHOR$ will become the author name
 - $AUTHOR_MAIL$ will become the author mail (if [info] author_mail = ... is filled )
 - $AUTHOR_WEBSITE$ will become the author website (if [info] author_site = .. is filled )
 - $ORIGINAL_GAME$ will become the character original game ( if [info] original_game = ... is filled )
 - $SMALL_PIC$ will become the small portrait of the sff file (with their own palette)
 - $BIG_PIC$ will become the big portrait of the sff file (with their own palette)
 - $STANDING_PIC$ will become the standing pic of the sff file (c.f. Standing pics rules )
 - $PALETTE$ will become a table of all palettes founded in the character's def file
 
 - Standing Pictures Rules
 As all the characters don't have the same couple for their standing pic in their sff file
 the standing picture rules are written in the msm.cfg file in the [standing] section.
 MSM read the standing_pic? couple where ? is an integer between 0 and 10000 .
 Each time it don't find a couple it don't read further (it standing_pic9 is missing,
 it will not read standing_pic10 and others...).
 During the select_reading process MSM look for the standing_pic0, if it don't find it
 it will look for standing_pic1 and so on until there's no more standing_pic couple.
 If no pic is founded, then it will put an empty bitmap.
 Then MSM read the .def file of the char to find its pal1 file.
 If no pal is found (it will look for 12 pal) then it will take the palette of the sprite
 or Allegro's default if the sff don't have palette.
 

=====================================================================
VI. Mugen's compatibility
=====================================================================
SFF loading bugs
----------------
Because it use most of KOF 91 source code, MSM have the same sff loading bugs
as its big brother. This mean, for actually unknown reasons (lazy developer)
some sff will not load. Instead of waiting for a perfect sff loader,
use the debug mode and the remove crashing sff from you're select.def .

Palettes bugs
-------------
Some sff have buggy pal definitions and my sff loader is also buggy.
This mean it sometimes should not get the right palette for the sprite.
Further debugging would correct this (as in KOF 91 project).



=====================================================================
A. License Agreement
=====================================================================

MSM is under GPL, see licence.txt for more details.
Basically, feel free to add contribution as long as source code
is given with the program





=====================================================================
B. Disclaimer
=====================================================================

MSM developers will not be held liable for any damages to either the user
or the system it is run on, that may occur as a direct or indirect
result of the use of MSM and its associated tools. MSM developers holds
no responsibility for the actions of the user, including but not
limited to the user's infringement on the intellectual rights of
others.





=====================================================================
C. Thanks
=====================================================================

Spellcaster for Mugen's format loader (1st version)
Kronoman for Generic Makefile Project
Derek Liauw Kie Fa and Robert J Ohannessian for 2xsai Allegro port
Reverse Nut from Mugen Guild for helping me debugging sff_loader

Dadou, Mike Werewolf, Dark Saviour from StreetMugen (http://www.streetmugen.com )

Everyone who contributed to MSM in any way
All of you who gave feedback to MSM developers

If I forgot to mention someone, please let me know!

Laurent Dufour (zesensei@free.fr)
