# Build your own level

A step-by-step path from "I have the game" to "my friends are playing my level". Each step is short
and links to the chapter of the [editor manual](../manual/index.md) that has the details.
The manual is also built into the editor: press **F1** over any panel, tool or dialog.

| Step | |
|---|---|
| 1 | [Set up LlamaMod](#1-set-up-llamamod) |
| 2 | [Learn the editor in ten minutes](#2-learn-the-editor-in-ten-minutes) |
| 3 | [Plan the level](#3-plan-the-level) |
| 4 | [Build the ground](#4-build-the-ground) |
| 5 | [Start, checkpoints and the exit](#5-start-checkpoints-and-the-exit) |
| 6 | [Objects, enemies and cameras](#6-objects-enemies-and-cameras) |
| 7 | [Look and feel: textures, fog, music, light](#7-look-and-feel-textures-fog-music-light) |
| 8 | [Play-test](#8-play-test) |
| 9 | [Share it](#9-share-it) |
| 10 | [Go further](#10-go-further) |

Before you start, skim [Design rules](design-rules.md): the numbers (jump distances, draw
distance) and the handful of rules that keep the game from crashing.

![The level editor](../img/editor.jpg)

## 1. Set up LlamaMod

1. Get **your own copy** of the game: the CD or an ISO image of it (*The Emperor's New Groove* PC,
   2000; German: *Ein Königreich für ein Lama*). LlamaMod contains no game files.
2. Download the **full** package for Windows or Linux, unpack it and start `LlamaMod.exe` /
   `./LlamaMod` (Linux needs Wine to run the game). Or build it from source – see the
   [main README](../../README.md#build-from-source).
3. The first-start wizard copies the game into LlamaMod's data folder. The original CD or ISO is
   never changed.
4. Click **Play** once to check that the unmodded game runs.

Manual: [Installing LlamaMod and the first start](../manual/02-installing.md).

## 2. Learn the editor in ten minutes

Click **Level Editor** in LlamaMod and follow
[Your first level in 10 minutes](../manual/tutorial-first-level.md): a new level from the
*Island* template, a ramp, a coin trail, play it. Then read
[Introduction and concepts](../manual/01-introduction.md) – tiles, brushes, objects, zones, base
levels, chapters – and [Navigating the viewport](../manual/04-navigation.md).

## 3. Plan the level

* **New or edited?** A *new level* starts empty on a **base level** (default: Village 1) that
  provides the object types, textures, sky, fog and music. *Editing an original level* changes the
  real Village, River … in place ([tutorial](../manual/tutorial-original-level.md)).
* **Choose the base by its objects.** Only the base's object types are available directly; more
  can be imported from any world ([Importing objects](../manual/09-objects.md#importing-objects-from-other-worlds)).
* **Size.** The village grid is 96 × 96 cells; the llama is 0.6 tall and jumps about 1.3 cells.
  A small, dense level plays better than a big empty one – the draw distance is only 8–16 cells.
* **Where it goes.** New levels live in the hidden world 9, *TestLevel*, on chapter 1 or 32–49
  ([why](../reference/testlevel.md)). The editor picks a free chapter.

## 4. Build the ground

* **Brushes** (B) draw boxes, ramps, stairs, cylinders and more; they are cut into tiles when the
  level is built ([Building geometry](../manual/06-geometry.md)).
* **Tiles** (T) place the base level's own tile models for an original look.
* **Meshes** from Blender or any 3D program come in as OBJ or glTF
  ([Importing meshes](../manual/07-meshes.md), [Blender tutorial](../manual/tutorial-blender.md)).
* **Collision** (K) decides what is solid: walls, floors, invisible walls, death floors, the exit
  floor. The llama cannot step up even small edges – use slopes, or walls without collision.

![A level exported as glTF and opened in Blender](../img/gltf-blender.jpg)

## 5. Start, checkpoints and the exit

Use the one-click setups in the Objects panel ([Objects](../manual/09-objects.md#one-click-setups)):

* **Player start** – the llama plus its start camera node behind it. Keep the space behind the
  llama free, or the camera jumps aside.
* **Checkpoint** – where the llama respawns after a fall.
* **Exit** – a LevelDoor *and* a floor with collision material 16 in the same grid cell. Without
  that floor the exit does nothing ([why](../reference/objects.md#the-exit-leveldoor--certain)).
  Its target is the next level; in TestLevel never "world finished" (7, 7, 7).
* **Death plane** – a death floor below everything, so falling off respawns instead of falling
  forever.

## 6. Objects, enemies and cameras

* Place coins with the **Coin tool** (O), anything else from **Assets → Objects**
  ([Objects](../manual/09-objects.md)).
* Enemies and moving things often need a **waypoint chain** – some guards even need a pair of
  waypoint boxes and an event bit, or the game removes them. The Inspector and *Check for problems*
  tell you ([Waypoints](../manual/10-waypoints.md)).
* **Cameras**: camera zones, cut scenes and the start camera
  ([Cameras and triggers](../manual/11-cameras-triggers.md)).
* Change how an object behaves – a number in its script or a whole new type: see
  [Strats](../strats/README.md) and [manual chapter 22](../manual/22-strats.md).

## 7. Look and feel: textures, fog, music, light

* **Textures**: the base's textures, imported PNG/JPG pictures, painting onto faces, flip-book
  animations ([Textures](../manual/08-textures.md)).
* **Environment zones** set fog (= draw distance), sky colour and **music**; teleport zones move
  the player between areas ([Environment](../manual/12-environment.md),
  [music ids](../reference/audio.md#music)).
* **Light**: tiles get baked vertex colours (*Bake lighting*), lights only light objects.
* **Visibility regions** hide areas the camera cannot see – needed for big levels
  ([Visibility](../manual/13-visibility.md)).

## 8. Play-test

**F5** builds the level and starts the game directly in it; **Shift+F5** starts at the camera
position. *Check for problems* (also run on every build) lists errors and warnings – double-click
one to select the culprit. **Escape** in the game quits straight back to the editor.
Manual: [Building, problems and play-testing](../manual/15-build-play.md).

## 9. Share it

**File → Save** writes a small `.llamalevel` project: only your changes, no game data. Send that
file; the receiver copies it into LlamaMod's `levels` folder (or opens it in the editor and uses
*Level → Add to LlamaMod…*), ticks it in the *Levels* category and clicks *Apply*. It is built from
their own game copy. Manual: [Sharing levels](../manual/17-sharing.md).

## 10. Go further

* Build levels from code instead of the mouse: [Levels from scripts](levels-in-code.md).
* Understand the data: [Reference](../reference/README.md).
* Write object behaviour: [Strats](../strats/README.md) and the
  [Alligator Arena walkthrough](../strats/arena.md).
* All tools at a glance: [Tools](../tools.md).