J.A.C.K.: Difference between revisions

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J.A.C.K. is currently available on Steam.
🛒 Buy it on Steam (via Browser | Steam client*)
Supported OS:

Windows •

macOS •

Linux +

SteamOS (See system requirements)

J.A.C.K. ("Just Another Creation Kit", initially Volatile Hammer Editor^[1], previously Jackhammer, and commonly just Jack) is a map editor for games with a Quake-style BSP architecture. J.A.C.K. is heavily based on Hammer, improving upon the experience from Hammer 3.5 by adding many quality of life features inspired by those found in Hammer 4.x, Q3Radiant, and more^[Clarify]

J.A.C.K. is available for free on its website. A paid version, with some extra features (including auto-update), is also available on Steam.

Important:The map compilers which come with J.A.C.K. are forked from older versions of the various engines' compile tools and are not actively maintained. Additionally, the paid version of J.A.C.K. does not include compile tools for GoldSrc due to license conflicts.

As J.A.C.K. exclusively uses Valve220 notation for exported MAP files (being the first editor to extend it for use with Quake II and Quake III), a supported compiler is required. The following up-to-date compilers are recommended:

GoldSrc - VHLT v34 or VHLT forks
- Sven Co-op - SCHLT
Quake (and Hexen II) - ericw-tools
Quake II - see Quake MAP (file format)
id Tech 3 - NetRadiant-Custom's Q3MAP2, or VeraVisions's VMAP

Features

General Features

Cross-platform editing (Windows and Linux)
Large memory addressing (64-bit)
Extensible via plugins
Supports various game formats and resources
Customizable color schemes
Realtime texture effects (transparency, animation, scrolling)
Improved decal rendering (Half-Life)
Embedded shader editor (Quake III)
Large map support (up to 262144 x 262144 units)
Multiple VisGroups per object
Textures bound to game configurations
Loads resources on demand
Dynamic sky rendering
Supports curved surfaces (patches) from Quake III engine

2D View Features

Background images with adjustable offset, scale, luminance, and filtering
Selection while dragging in 3D view

3D View Features

Selection while dragging objects
Display of origins for models and sprites
User camera placement, movement, deletion, saving, and loading

Entity Editing Features

Smart mode improvements with preview of assigned key values
Support for Hexen II
VMF format import and export (beta)
Triangulation of non-planar faces
Incremental saving with version numbering
Improved entity report with hidden entity management
Advanced patch texturing functions

Other Features

Tabs in Texture Browser
Ability to hide triggers and unknown entities
Texture axes locking during vertex manipulation
Selection center display in status bar
Tear-off mode for submenus
Support for deformVertexes autosprite and autosprite2 in Quake 3 shaders
Many more minor improvements

Additional Features (from previous versions)

Compile maps within the editor (non-blocking)
Automatic selection in 3D view
Improved snap to grid functionality
Preserve internal connections during copy/paste and clone operations
Model viewer integration
Extended FGD format for entity descriptions
Autosave functionality
Update checking
Multilingual support (English, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Polish)
Precise model selection in 3D view
Loading and rendering of portal (*.prt) and hull (*.p0-p3) files
Assigning random yaw to entities
Multiple texture fitting
Texture replacement with scaling
Context menus for entity creation

For more details, refer to the changelog^[2].

Trivia

J.A.C.K. was used to make three of the four deathmatch maps that were added in Half-Life's 25th Anniversary Update. Contamination and Rocket Frenzy were built using the free version (1.1.1064), and Pool Party was built using the Steam version (1.1.2800).

Support

J.A.C.K. comes with FGDs for the following games, which have been updated to take advantage of newer features:

Compilers are also included (except for VHLT on the Steam version), but are outdated; see note above.

See Category:GoldSrc FGDs and Category:Non-Valve engine FGDs for additional supported games.

External links

References

HLFX Topic of first announcement (Volatile Hammer Editor).
List of J.A.C.K. features on official website.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Software release|appid=496450}}
+{{LanguageBar}}
-https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/apps/496450/cdd0458be6e3f17685f8016aa1f7e0a5b490d6c3.jpg[[J.A.C.K.]] is a brand new level editor for games with a quake-style BSP architecture. The aim is to develop a convenient cross-platform tool capable of incorporating [http://jack.hlfx.ru/en/features.html the best features] of existing editors, such as [[Valve Hammer Editor]], [[Q3Radiant]] and others. Despite Quake and Half-Life having been released a long time ago, the large community have arisen around, still developing mods and games on their bases. However the existing editors suffer from fundamental disadvantages their users are well familiar with. J.A.C.K. does aspire to be the universal level design tool for classic games. But not only the classics! The editor shall become a key development tool for the [http://www.moddb.com/engines/volatile3d-ii Volatile] engine, that is why its second name is Volatile Development Kit.
+{{cleanup}}
+{{gldsrc topicon}} {{quake topicon}} {{quake2 topicon}} {{quake3 topicon}}
+{{Software status
+|type=tools
+|appid=496450
+|os=all
+|status=released
+|deck=hide
+}}
+{{jack|4}} ("'''Just Another Creation Kit'''", initially '''Volatile Hammer Editor'''{{ref|1}}, previously '''Jackhammer''', and commonly just {{jack|3|nt=0}}) is a map editor for games with a {{Quake|3.1|addtext=-style}} [[BSP]] architecture. {{jack|1}} is heavily based on {{hammer|4.1}}, improving upon the experience from {{hammer3|4.1|nt=5}} by adding many quality of life features inspired by those found in {{hammer4|4.1}}, {{q3r|4.1}}, and more{{clarify}}
+{{jack|1}} is available for free on its website. A paid version, with some extra features (including auto-update), is also available on {{steamicon|3}}.
+{{modernImportant|The map compilers which come with {{jack|1}} are forked from older versions of the various engines' compile tools and are not actively maintained. Additionally, the '''''paid version of {{jack|1}} does not include compile tools for {{gldsrc|2}} due to license conflicts'''''.
+As {{jack|1}} exclusively uses Valve220 notation for exported [[MAP]] files (being the first editor to extend it for use with {{quake2|2}} and {{quake3|2}}), a supported compiler is required. The following up-to-date compilers are recommended:
+* {{gldsrc|4}} - [[VHLT|VHLT v34]] or VHLT forks
+** {{svencoop|4}} - [[SCHLT]]
+* {{quake|4}} (and {{hexen2|4}}) - [[ericw-tools]]
+* {{quake2|4}} - see [[MAP (file format)#Quake II|Quake MAP (file format)]]
+* {{idtech3|4}} -  {{nrc|4.1|addtext='s}} Q3MAP2, or [https://github.com/VeraVisions/vmap VeraVisions's VMAP]
+}}
 == Features ==
-See [http://jack.hlfx.ru/en/features.html here].
+===General Features===
-== See also ==
+* Cross-platform editing (Windows and Linux)
-*[http://jack.hlfx.ru/en/ Home page]
+* Large memory addressing (64-bit)
-*[https://crystice.com/jack/?id=jack Website]
+* Extensible via plugins
-*[http://jack.hlfx.ru/en/download.html Download page]
+* Supports various game formats and resources
-*[[Steampowered:app/496450/JACK/|Steam page]]
+* Customizable color schemes
+* Realtime texture effects (transparency, animation, scrolling)
+* Improved decal rendering (Half-Life)
+* Embedded shader editor (Quake III)
+* Large map support (up to 262144 x 262144 units)
+* Multiple VisGroups per object
+* Textures bound to game configurations
+* Loads resources on demand
+* Dynamic sky rendering
+* Supports curved surfaces (patches) from Quake III engine
+===2D View Features===
+* Background images with adjustable offset, scale, luminance, and filtering
+* Selection while dragging in 3D view
+===3D View Features===
+* Selection while dragging objects
+* Display of origins for models and sprites
+* User camera placement, movement, deletion, saving, and loading
+===Entity Editing Features===
+* Smart mode improvements with preview of assigned key values
+* Support for Hexen II
+* VMF format import and export (beta)
+* Triangulation of non-planar faces
+* Incremental saving with version numbering
+* Improved entity report with hidden entity management
+* Advanced patch texturing functions
+===Other Features===
+* Tabs in Texture Browser
+* Ability to hide triggers and unknown entities
+* Texture axes locking during vertex manipulation
+* Selection center display in status bar
+* Tear-off mode for submenus
+* Support for deformVertexes autosprite and autosprite2 in Quake 3 shaders
+* Many more minor improvements
+===Additional Features (from previous versions)===
+* Compile maps within the editor (non-blocking)
+* Automatic selection in 3D view
+* Improved snap to grid functionality
+* Preserve internal connections during copy/paste and clone operations
+* Model viewer integration
+* Extended FGD format for entity descriptions
+* Autosave functionality
+* Update checking
+* Multilingual support (English, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Polish)
+* Precise model selection in 3D view
+* Loading and rendering of portal (*.prt) and hull (*.p0-p3) files
+* Assigning random yaw to entities
+* Multiple texture fitting
+* Texture replacement with scaling
+* Context menus for entity creation
+For more details, refer to the changelog{{ref|2}}.
+== Trivia ==
+* {{jack|1}} was used to make three of the four deathmatch maps that were added in {{hl|4.1|addtext='s}} 25th Anniversary Update. {{cow|Contamination}} and {{cow|Rocket Frenzy}} were built using the free version (1.1.1064), and {{cow|Pool Party}} was built using the Steam version (1.1.2800).
+== Support ==
+{{Jack|2}} comes with [[FGD]]s for the following games, which have been updated to take advantage of newer features:
+* {{gldsrc|4}}
+** {{hl|4.1}}
+** {{op4|4.1}}
+** {{gunman|4.1}}
+* {{idtech2|4}}
+** {{quake|4.1}}
+** {{quake2|4.1}}
+** {{hex2|4.1}}
+* {{idtech3|4}}
+** {{quake3|4.1}}
+** {{w|Tremulous}}
+Compilers are also included (except for [[VHLT]] on the Steam version), but are outdated; see note above.
+See [[:Category:GoldSrc FGDs]] and [[:Category:Non-Valve engine FGDs]] for additional supported games.
+== External links ==
+* [http://jack.hlfx.ru/en/ Home page]
+* [https://crystice.com/jack/?id=jack Website]
+* [http://jack.hlfx.ru/en/download.html Download page]
+* [[Steampowered:app/496450/JACK/|Steam page]]
+* [https://hlfx.ru/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4207 HLFX Topic] of first alpha.
+== References ==
+# [https://hlfx.ru/forum/showthread.php?s=5147af4dae551e4afbb5b2c8f0a17bfd&threadid=4143 HLFX Topic of first announcement] (Volatile Hammer Editor).
+# [http://jack.hlfx.ru/en/features.html List of J.A.C.K. features] on official website.
+{{leveleditors}}
+{{gldsrc sdktools}}
+[[Category:Third Party Tools]]
+[[Category:Third Party GoldSrc Tools]]
+[[Category:Non-Steam Applications]] <!--Free version is completely independent of Steam-->

J.A.C.K.: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 01:04, 12 February 2025

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