Distributed with previous versions of Chisel is an effect called 'Cleanup.' This effect has at least one bug at the time of writing: whilst it removes the correct number of lights from the map, the lights left behind are not the correct ones, merely the first lights in the map. This means that it only works correctly if the last lights in the map are removed. Enter 'Better Move Level' which fixes the bug, and adds two new features:)
As of Chisel 2.1, this effect replaces the original Cleanup effect. If you have downloaded Chisel 2.1 or greater from this site, you don't need to get this again.
Media Munger is an effect for use with Chisel 2.0 or later that can remap the media in any Marathon 2 or Infinity map to any of the types available. It works on unmerged maps, but its alterations are removed by the merging process, so simply reapply to the merged map.
It is perfectly possible to crash Marathon hard using this effect. Each media type references a specific medium texture (from the various wall collections) - if you can see the surface of a medium, then you must have that wall texture collection loaded. Similarly, the splash effects played when you fire into a medium/enter it are in the scenery collections - if you fire into a medium you must have these loaded as well.
Write Rotator File is an effect for use with Chisel 2.0 or later that can output any Marathon 2 or Infinity map in the format used by the Freeware program Rotator. This allows you to view any map as a three dimensional wire frame model, somewhat similar to the map used by Descent. It was written to produce a few terminal images and animations quickly, but mostly for the fun of it.
Rotator
Rotator is a freeware application by Craig Kloeden. It is an extremely fast three dimensional wireframe viewer capable of displaying many thousands of lines per second on a PowerMac. It can be obtained from the official Rotator ftp site at ftp://raru.adelaide.edu.au/rotater
[Addendum: take a look at Loren Petrich's Marathon Map Exporter which has far surpassed what this effect can or was intended to do. I have stopped development on this effect in the light of this excellent program. Not that this effect is not useful, but... MikeT 3rd September 1998]
A quick hack to exploit the Platformer Chisel effect. This map consists of two rooms linked by a platform that is open on all four sides. This map is totally indebted to the amazing map hacking of Jason Harper.
Cinemascope is a useful application that can fool Marathon 2 and Infinity into displaying terminal pictures that are twice the normal width. It was developed to implement the terminals in Trojan - Legacy. Marathon expects terminal pictures to be 307 by 266 pixels and will normally stretch or compress images to fit this rectangle. Cinemascope will muck about with your pictures to allow you to use and display images that are 614 by 266 pixels, giving you an image that goes right across the terminal with any terminal text drawn over the top of its right hand side.
An Aleph One/SDL conversion of Gemini Station 2.0.
Converted by Randall J. Currie of Electric Infinity.
Note that the shapes shuttle included in this archive is a Mac executable - it will need to be run on a Mac to generate a shapes file before you can play this Scenario under A0/SDL.
To learn more about Aleph One/SDL or Aleph One/SDL for Windows, visit the respective pages.
Chisel makes you wonder what you can't do with Marathon maps. For anyone doing serious scenario work... if you're not using Chisel, you're wasting your time. This package is for folks who haven't used Chisel yet... or haven't updated their versions in a while. You can always grab just the Chisel app, if you're up-to-date with plugins... or go visit Mike's Chisel World, and see what he has to say. (Of course, all of Mike's Chisel-related stuff is available here, as well.) PLATformer 1.0 is included in this package. Latest release includes new versions of Wot Dat Tag Do Den and Texture Munger. The 2.1.6 update does one thing only - it enables Chisel (again) on 68k Macs. You DO NOT NEED this if you have a PowerPC Mac and have v2.1.5. (If you don't have Chisel, getting this version won't hurt... you simply don't need to UPDATE to it if you have a Mac that was built after 1994.)
Mike Trinder has taken over development of this really cool tool from Bach, and has released a cleaned-up version with a bunch of bug fixes. This is just the core program-if you want other cool effects, look for them separately. (Try searching for Mike's stuff, or for Chisel stuff.) Also available is an effects programming kit (updated!), for use with either Codewarrior or Think Pascal, for those who want to roll their own. Latest update allows Chisel to be used easily with 3rd-party scenarios (like Evil and Tempus Irae). v2.1.4 fixes a long-standing (but unnoticed) problem whereby Chisel would wipe out a map's resource fork. 2.1.5 fixes a minor bug involving the tab key. 2.1.6 is totally unnecessary for PPC users... it simply fixes Chisel to work with 68k Macs. (If you don't know what a 68k Mac is, you can stick with 2.1.5.)
Effects programming kit for use with either Codewarrior or Think Pascal, for those who want to roll their own. Not reccomended for the faint of heart.
An update to an amazingly useful Chisel plugin. This allows you to see what tags are activated by which switches or chips, and what the resultant action is. 1.1 fixes the effect to work on merged maps as well as unmerged. 1.1.1 allows the overwriting of an exising Tag report. (If you've updated the tags, you certainly don't need the old report, do you?) Use this when new people join projects (to see what's already been done), use this when coming back to old maps you don't have notes for (you do keep notes, don't you?), use this as a last resort when playing scenarios that you can't find the way to the next level in. (That's actually cheating, so don't be proud of this one.) Of all the Chisel plug-ins, I think I use this one the most. 1.2 upgrade adds a bunch of cool functionality (code to trace switch, term, pb actions), and fixes a couple of bugs. 1.2.1 fixes a nasty bug in the switch report code. This is also bundled in the Chisel 2.1.6 enhanced package.
This is one of the slicker chisel plugins out there... but it's pretty hard to get your mind around it. It lets you use two texture sets on a single level (by mapping the textures to their appropriate origins), or it lets you convert a level from one texture set to another painlessly. (Okay, nearly painlessly.) It's astounding. And it works. Play with it.
PLATformer is a Chisel plugin that lets you perform some previously impossible feats with platforms. Demo maps are included. This plugin is also available as part of the Chisel 2.1.6-enhanced package.
Annotator is a Chisel plugin that allows you much greater leeway with where annotations show up. You can make them appear in unexplored areas, you can make them appear only after certain areas are explored... and to a limited degree, you can play with font color and size. This plugin is also available as part of the Chisel 2.1.6-enhanced package.
Poseidon is a Chisel plugin that lets you flip a marathon map (M2 or Infinity) around the X, Y, or Z axes. Pretty slick, actually. Version 1.1 fixes a number of small bugs. This plugin is also available as part of the Chisel 2.1.6-enhanced package.
Better Move is a core Chisel plugin that allows you to actually move the entire map on the Forge grid. This is really useful when you run out of room on one side... Version 2.2 actually works on maps with annotations, unlike previous versions. It also adds several cool features, like the ability to move platforms, and the ability to run it more than once on a single map. This plugin is also available as part of the Chisel 2.1.6-enhanced package, and is part of the standard Chisel 2.1.6 package if you downloaded after December 6, 1999.
Contains all current (as of 6 Dec 99) Chisel plugins not available individually on this site. This includes Cinemascope 1.0, Geometry Effects, Media Munger 1.0, Texture Munger 1.0, and Write Rotator 1.0a2.
Monster Converter is a Chisel plugin that lets you avoid an unpleasant quirk in Forge. When M1 maps are converted to M2 or Infinity maps, Forge ignores the fact that the monster order changed... so you have to go through your maps and click every single one to convert it. (Or you have to nuke the map.) Monster Converter fixes this. This plugin is also available as part of the Chisel 2.1.6-enhanced package.
Polygon Converter is a Chisel plugin that allows much more logical remapping of M1 to M2 or Infinity polygon types. This plugin is also available as part of the Chisel 2.1.6-enhanced package.
Merge is a Chisel plugin that lets you combine two marathon maps. This means you can actually work on complicated but repeated sections separately, and merge them in where you need them. (Good uses are airlocks, signature term areas, and anything else you can come up with.) This version fixes several bugs, and should now be quite useable. This plugin is also available as part of the Chisel 2.1.6-enhanced package.
A really simple map... two rooms, one above the other, with a totally open lift running between them. Yup, you read that right... totally open. A platform open on four sides on two levels? You're just gonna have to download it to see for yourself. Mike built this with the latest version of Chisel and some ideas from Jason Harper. Get it, use it, make cooler maps.
Stretch is a cool Chisel plugin that allows you to stretch or mirror textures on walls. 3.0 is a pretty major upgrade that allows alterations of lines (on the automap), so that platforms can be hidden, and various other visual tricks can be performed. Well worth the download if you're building cool maps...
A chisel plugin that does one thing-it allows you to set how many alien ammo objects appear on a level. (Forge ignores these even if you place 'em... but this way, you can have a non-expiring alien weapon.) Included because it wasn't here.
A test (successful) of a technique to produce fireballs that fly around a room. They're pretty cool to look at, but don't get in their way...
A tiny map with a playable maze. The object is to get to the chip without passing through any lit doorways... you have a couple of switches to turn them on and off. If you fail, you won't be able to get back where you started from... this was more of a test of mapmaking technique than anything else, but it's pretty cool to see what's doable.
An update to a chisel plugin that allows you to specify facing direction for scenery objects. It's not new, but also not here...
A very cool chisel plugin that extends the number of ambient sounds available in Marathon from 24 to 172.
First two original levels made with Phorte 2.0a14
Subsequently retextured and expanded for Infinity using Forge 1.02, Anvil 1.02, Hex 1.02, Chisel 2.01, Shapes Juggler 1.0 and a large stick when Anvil crashed again
Graphics ©1996,7 Chthonic Ionic Software with exception of terminal logo and background of the Gemini promotional shot which were borrowed from Bungie Software. Apologies to them...
Contains 12 levels, and 2 endings. You may not see them all, and some are quite short :)
Final merge 3rd July 1997.
This scenario started production in, oooh, June 96. It seems only yesterday I thought, well why not spend a few weeks indulging myself in making a groovy scenario that looks really nice.
Gemini 1.0 was released to lots of interest in July 1996, and I had a deluge of email wanting more. Putting it off because of pressing PhD commitments, it was only when Infinity came out that I returned to work on the story.
The original levels are still in there, so if you don't want to do them again command-option start at level 3. I put a few weapons at this point to give you a chance, but you'll have significantly less ammunition than if you play through
from the start. At least watch the opening splash graphics :)
A huge, rambling, fantastically engrossing level that makes up the first of six to eight parts in this scenario. (The Tony Smith model of serial level release might be catching on.) There are a few (minor) bugs, like telepost bugs, and places you shouldn't be able to get to, but on the whole, this is really, really well done. The storyline gets weird at times, but it's quite intricate, and self-consistent. There are even a couple of never-before-seen tricks here... check out the self-destruct timer! Worth every byte...