° InkyBlackness °SS1src
InkyBlackness is an open-source project providing tools to modify the resource files of the original System Shock. Most prominently a graphical game editor, which allows the creation of fan-missions and content-mods.

The project also hosts the most accurate and complete description of the resource files to date, superseding TSSHP's, and most likely any other fork.

Links:

• Homepage: https://inkyblackness.github.io/
• Download page of releases (including binaries): https://github.com/inkyblackness/hacked/releases
• Example mods: https://github.com/inkyblackness/mod-examples
• YouTube videos with various tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxEhgHRGd6WLEUEw8vnHm2Q
• The museum tutorial playlist is also documented in a separate thread: https://www.systemshock.org/index.php?topic=9476.0

Note: The editor HackEd replaces the previous editor from the "deck" package. Read about it in the v1.0.0 release post further down.

quick question - would InkyBlackness be capable of editing the SS1 demo map?

Release update:
v0.10.1 fixed some possible crashes during editing (when switching levels) and added some refinements for heights of specific level objects
v0.10.2 fixed a crash loading the demo levels of the shareware releases, and introduced controls to add ICE for cyberspace

Woo! Anticlimactic excitement! Version 1.0.0 is out and I don't feel that much different. 

Where to go from here? I'll make some posts in a few communities, yet I don't expect the huge influx on mods that are going to be created (not even thinking of immediate requests for further editor enhancements).
After spending so many years on working on these age-old resources, I'll see what I will do next. Probably take a short breather.
In some form or another I'll most likely work again on this stuff - but more likely in private, less about a public goal. After all: My initial pitch for the project was to have something for tinkering and testing. Yet I also can't deny the public value this has gathered.
Most likely, when (if) Nightdive Studios release the original source (with perhaps the editor), then there will be a new, major influx of work

But apart from that melancholy, having a proper release out is sort of an age-old closure for me as well - Especially after the previous unfinished attempts, years ago.

Version 1.1.0 is out, adding a new tool.

As referred to in another thread, the current version (at the time of writing) of "System Shock Enhanced Edition" starts every new game with the same static code for the reactor - or for other purposes of any future fan-mission.

While I'm also thinking about creating a new archive.dat file (which generates a random code on its own), this tool, called "reactor-rng" now gives people with already started games the ability to randomize the code after the fact.

Furthermore this release contains a few minor fixese of the tool "chunkie", contributed by another GitHub user. Details in the release notes.

it's a bug, not a feature, they know, but they have bigger problems I reckon.

Is there a way to have, for instance, the texture flipped in the x direction?  I'm probably overlooking something.

Textures for walls can be flipped. The engine supports two ways to do that, which are both separate flags in the TileMapEntry (part of Map Information).
Simple one: Flip the wall textures of this tile (left -> right becomes right -> left)
Complex one: Flip the wall textures of this tile depending on even/odd index of tile coordinate. This is used predominantly on level 9 for the wall infestations.

The ss-specs document (linked above) has the full description on flipping wall textures and the museum tutorial 03 describes tiles and textures (relevant part at around 3m 05s, showcase at around 5m 10s).

It is not possible to flip textures in the top/down direction. Only floor and ceiling textures allow rotation in 90 degree steps.

Thanks to user-feedback, I received a list of improvement requests that are now incorporated into v1.3.0 :

• Reversed mouse wheel: The slider and texture selectors now move right when scrolling "up". A command-line option exists to revert to the old behaviour.
• Keyboard shortcuts for edit modes. The modes are now associated with F* keys. The combo-box to select them shows the associated key in brackets.
• In level objects mode, the right panel shows X/Y/Z information for the tile under or nearest object next to the mouse cursor. For tiles, the floor height is shown.
• Level control mode has now two level texture selection lists, to make it easier to differenciate which textures are available for walls only.
• Added a snap-to-grid option when adding objects: Holding the Shift key while adding an object aligns it to a grid with a size of half the tile-width. (i.e., center on tile, center at nearest wall, put in corner)
• Icons and paintings received extra properties to select the actually displayed frame.

Note: Unless there are some pressing issues with this release, it may be that this is the last of the deck package.
Because of the bad UI this editor has, further revelations of the engine's capabilities (based on the released source code), as well as the internal mess the code is, I've started with a rewrite of the editor. This editor is then meant to replace all the small tools (hacker, chunkie, shocked-client). Name: HackEd.
My focus is to have this HackEd then be the one NDS is officially packing in their upcoming source-port release.

HackEd sounds good.

As per idea from ToxicFrog in the NDS chat I was looking for a new name and during brainstorming, this came up.

Wasn't there a editor for something else called that, or something very similar?

Ah that's right. Dehacked for Doom. Kinda similar.

HackEd v0.2.0 released.

This pre-release was all about getting the mod-list going and spearhead with the concept of layered mods, with basic texts as first example - to coordinate with engine builders.
It is also to get feedback from enthusiast modders to get an early hands-on with the editor (slightly changed UI). Especially also because of undo/redo support

Next up is now the next most important thing: level control & editing. As the first step for this, I intent to obsolete the previous tool "construct", to create (wipe) levels within HackEd.

HackEd v0.4.0 is released.

This release adds level object editing - add, modify, and remove objects in a level.
Getting this into the editor was the last "big" part to get in for v1.0.0 . There are still a few features to add before that, though, they are smaller in nature.
So, currently I'm optimistic regarding the combined release with the source port, though nothing concrete has been discussed so far as to how this would work.



Project plan has MFD-images / electronic messages next up.