[Update] Hocus Pocus Level editor v1.2

[Hisymak]

[Update] New version (1.2) was released. Go to the new post about the update.

Hello Doomers! 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!

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 editor, which would be easy to use and complete in terms of level editing. And after almost two months of work the editor is finally here!
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.
And very special thanks go to ravage for making Hocus Pocus Doom, an amazing Total Conversion which makes the good old Hocus Pocus into 3D. I really liked this project, which showed me that Hocus Pocus is still a popular game with potential and gave me inspiration for making this editor. Thank you once more, ravage!

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:

[Gez]

Now that's not something I expected to see, especially on a Doom forum!

Looks pretty nice.

[ravage]

Hocusdoom cancelled, I'm switching to this.


(not really but holy shit this is amazing.)

[The Zombie Killer]

Oh my. Yes please

[Tormentor667]

I'd wish there was something like this 15 years ago

[Ethril]

OH MY GOD

Why was this not a thing before? I always felt it was the kind of game that would be perfect for a level editor.

[Hisymak]

I'd wish there was something like this 15 years ago

Why was this not a thing before? I always felt it was the kind of game that would be perfect for a level editor.

Better late than never!

Hocus Pocus map format was already reverse-engineered several years ago, but nobody actually made a fully functional map editor. Of course there were several attempts to do so (like the mentioned editor called Hocus Screation Station), but they were not complete to be able to edit all game aspects and/or not very well-known. So there was still a place for coming up with a proper level editor for anyone, and I used the opportunity.

But I actually wonder whether there is still anyone who is interested in making any new Hocus Pocus levels with the editor. I'd really like to see and play some cool new levels, because the originals are sometimes boring (the difficulty is childish and the level design and gameplay is repetitive, especially in higher episodes). So anyone?

[Tormentor667]

Is it also possible to alter tiles and graphics?

[Siggi]

I don't believe it.

[wildweasel]

I might try tooling around with this eventually.

[Clownman]

I remember my friend comparing Klonoa to Hocus Pocus....


Klonoa doom when now? ...Just kidding, Still really cool thing here.

[Hisymak]

Is it also possible to alter tiles and graphics?

Tiles probably can be edited, try to do it with Camoto Studio (I didn't try that yet). Tilesets are stored as pcx format images, read more about HOCUS.DAT on Modding Wiki. But there is problem that offsets and sizes of files inside HOCUS.DAT are stored in HOCUS.EXE, so you would need to distribute EXE as well.
The sprite format is more complicated, it's described but I don't think there is any tool which can even view them.

[wildweasel]

Early experiments going mostly alright. I find that saving text doesn't always seem to work, though, and sometimes the button for it disappears and I'm unsure why.

[ETTiNGRiNDER]

I don't have time or energy to futz with it right now, but it is cool to know this exists.

[Hisymak]

Early experiments going mostly alright. I find that saving text doesn't always seem to work, though, and sometimes the button for it disappears and I'm unsure why.

Hmm strange. I had never problem with saving the text or disappearing button. Can you find some steps how to reproduce the problem so that I can look into it?