[Release] Hocus Pocus Level Editor

[Klofkac]

Hello! Do you remember Hocus Pocus, a classic DOS platforming game made by Apogee/Moonlite Software in 1994? If yes, then I have awesome news for you: A fully functional level editor for this game is finally here!

 

After successful work and experience with Dune 2000 Map and Mission editor I decided to make another editor. I chose Hocus Pocus because it was a game of my childhood and I really liked it. I was looking for an editor for this game for a long time. I tried out Camoto Studio (which seems to be a promising tool for editing many classic DOS games), but it was incomplete and not capable of editing all features of the game. I also ran into an editor called Hocus Creation Station, but it was quite hard to use and I don't think it could edit everything too. So finally I decided to make my own!

 

Of course I want to thank Modding Wiki and all its members for reverse-engineering the Hocus Pocus map format and publishing all the information I needed to make the editor.

 

Download:
Here

Installation:
Just unzip all files into your Hocus Pocus game folder.
You can set up paths (your game and Dosbox folder) and several other settings in HocusEditor.ini file - it will be created after opening and closing the program first time.
Please note that only Hocus Pocus v1.1 Full version is supported. However it is possible to configure it for any other version, all what is needed is to provide offsets of needed data in HOCUS.DAT.

Feature list:
- Open/save maps directly from/to HOCUS.DAT file or an external map file
- Advanced map editing possibilities, allowing you make maps more easily and fast:
- Three editing modes: Basic Tile mode, Pattern mode and Block mode
- Predefined Pattern and Block presets for each tileset, ability to add your own presets
- Undo&Redo feature
- Copy&Paste feature (works also between different maps)
- Fill area feature
- Auto-place window edges feature
- Shift map feature
- Full support for editing all special objects and events (teleports, monsters, switches, locks...)
- Support for editing animation and monster data
- Show/hide specific map layers, show grid feature
- Minimap feature (providing schematic overview of all map)
- Save map image feature
- Simple statistics (number of crystals, healing potions, points etc. in a map)
- Test map feature (map is saved, game is launched in Dosbox, tested level is "saved" on the first savegame slot)
- Many keyboard shortcuts, pattern/block presets can be quickly selected with keys (1,2,3,4,5,...,Q,W,E,R,T,...)

NOTE: The controls of the editor may seem to be a bit complicated - there are many different actions for different mouse buttons (left, right, middle) and their combinations with Shift and Ctrl keys. I strongly recommend reading the help and getting familiar with the controls, so that you will be able to use full potential of editing possibilities and make your maps easily and fast.

Screenshots:

 

[FunkyFr3sh]

Never heard about that game, but the editor looks fancy with all these graphics :D good job

[Nyerguds]

Oh man, that takes me back! Wonderful stuff :)