Difference between revisions of "Portal:FRED"

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Welcome to the FRED portal. Here you will find tips, guides, links, reference material and other information regarding the FreeSpace Editor as well as mission design in general. What you will ''not'' find here is information on modding FreeSpace, for that please see the [[Portal:Modding|Modding Portal]].<br><br>
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Welcome to the FRED portal. Here you will find tips, guides, links, reference material, and other information regarding the FreeSpace Editor and mission design. What you will ''not'' find here is information on modding FreeSpace.  For that, please see the [[Portal:Modding|Modding Portal]].<br><br>
  
 
===The Editor===
 
===The Editor===
 
[[Image:FRED_small.jpg|left|350px|thumb|FRED main window]]
 
[[Image:FRED_small.jpg|left|350px|thumb|FRED main window]]
FRED ''(main window pictured left)'' is the editor used by [[Volition]] themselves to make the missions and campaigns of both FreeSpace games, and as such is very powerful once the initial learning period is over. Unlike what is often seen for released editors, it's capabilities are not in any way reduced.
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FRED ''(main window pictured left)'' is the editor developed and used by [[Volition]] to make the missions and campaigns of both FreeSpace games.  As such, FRED is very powerful, once the initial learning period is over. Unlike mission and level editors released for other games, no functionality was removed from FRED.
  
As such, it is a fully 3D editor allowing placement of objects along both the x, y and z axis, has full SEXP (Symbolic Expression) support for scripting mission events, allows voicing of both briefings and mission messages, can create both subspace and nebula missions, contains a full fledged campaign editor including the ability to add cutscenes, and much much more.
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FRED is a fully 3D editor, allowing placement of objects on all axes (X, Y, and Z), has full symbolic expression (SEXP) scripting support, allows the inclusion of voice acting for briefings and mission messages, can create both subspace and nebula missions, contains a full-fledged campaign editor, including the ability to add cutscenes, and much much more.
  
 
===Versions===
 
===Versions===
There are actually 3 main versions of this editor: FRED, which was the original editor supplied with Descent: FreeSpace - The Great War and is large obsolete by now, FRED2, which was the updated editor supplied with FreeSpace 2, and finally FRED_Open, which is the [[FSSCP Introduction|SCP]] version of the editor and the only one to support the many additions and improvements made since the source code of FreeSpace 2 was released.
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There are actually three versions of this editor: FRED, which was the original editor supplied with Descent: FreeSpace - The Great War and is largely obsolete now; FRED2, which was the updated editor supplied with FreeSpace 2, and finally FRED_Open, which is the [[FSSCP Introduction|SCP]] version of the editor and the only one to support the many additions and improvements made, since the source code of FreeSpace 2 was released.
  
The information found on these pages refers primarily to FRED_Open, as it is the most recent version and the only one continually updated with support for new features, but some reference material is available for legacy FRED2. And of course, the general continuity material in the "Mission Designers's Reference" section is valid for all versions of the editor.<br><br>
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The information found on these pages refers primarily to FRED_Open, as it is the most recent version and the only one continually updated with support for new features, but some reference material is available for FRED2. The general continuity material in the "Mission Designer's Reference" section is valid for all versions of the editor.<br><br>
  
By far the best way to become familiar with FRED2, and by association FRED_Open which is based on it, is to run through the FRED walkthrough. This is provided with retail FreeSpace 2 and covers everything needed to design a working mission, but it may not be easily available to those who have started with FS_Open without ever owning the retail game. To alleviate this problem, a link to an online version of it is provided below for those who need it, but it does not include the sample mission that came with the game. Other than that, look around these pages, especially in the "Learning FRED" section.
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The best way to become familiar with FRED2, and by association FRED_Open, is to complete the FRED walkthrough, provided with the retail version of FreeSpace 2. The walkthrough covers everything needed to design a working mission, but it may not be available to those who do not own the retail version of FreeSpace 2. To alleviate this problem, a link to the online version of the walkthrough, without the sample mission, is provided below. Additional resources for FRED users of all skill levels are available in this section, with material in the "Learning FRED" section being geared specifically toward beginners.
  
Also, keep in mind that FRED_Open is under constant development, and as such it can be easy to miss feature additions. Or it would be, if not for the running tally below, which is updated with every new improvement or addition made to FRED_Open.  
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Also, keep in mind that FRED_Open is under constant development.  This can create difficulties in keeping this section up-to-date, but as new features are added to the editor, the information box below will be updated to reflect the most recent changes.
  
  

Revision as of 05:37, 18 June 2008

The FRED Portal
Learning FRED
5 Easy Steps
FRED Hints and Tips
Common FRED Mistakes
FRED Examples
SEXPs
Retail SEXPs
SCP SEXPs
New FRED Features
Skybox
Texture Replacement
Command Line Options
Variables
Improved Team Loadout
List of Minor Features
Tutorial - Autopilot missions
Mission Designer's Reference
Nebula Backgrounds
Friendly Wing Names
Enemy Wing Names
FreeSpace 1 Ship Database
FreeSpace 2 Ship Database
Fighter squadrons
Stars and Planets
Nodemap
FRED Troubleshooting
Common Issues FAQ

Welcome to the FRED portal. Here you will find tips, guides, links, reference material, and other information regarding the FreeSpace Editor and mission design. What you will not find here is information on modding FreeSpace. For that, please see the Modding Portal.

The Editor

FRED main window

FRED (main window pictured left) is the editor developed and used by Volition to make the missions and campaigns of both FreeSpace games. As such, FRED is very powerful, once the initial learning period is over. Unlike mission and level editors released for other games, no functionality was removed from FRED.

FRED is a fully 3D editor, allowing placement of objects on all axes (X, Y, and Z), has full symbolic expression (SEXP) scripting support, allows the inclusion of voice acting for briefings and mission messages, can create both subspace and nebula missions, contains a full-fledged campaign editor, including the ability to add cutscenes, and much much more.

Versions

There are actually three versions of this editor: FRED, which was the original editor supplied with Descent: FreeSpace - The Great War and is largely obsolete now; FRED2, which was the updated editor supplied with FreeSpace 2, and finally FRED_Open, which is the SCP version of the editor and the only one to support the many additions and improvements made, since the source code of FreeSpace 2 was released.

The information found on these pages refers primarily to FRED_Open, as it is the most recent version and the only one continually updated with support for new features, but some reference material is available for FRED2. The general continuity material in the "Mission Designer's Reference" section is valid for all versions of the editor.

The best way to become familiar with FRED2, and by association FRED_Open, is to complete the FRED walkthrough, provided with the retail version of FreeSpace 2. The walkthrough covers everything needed to design a working mission, but it may not be available to those who do not own the retail version of FreeSpace 2. To alleviate this problem, a link to the online version of the walkthrough, without the sample mission, is provided below. Additional resources for FRED users of all skill levels are available in this section, with material in the "Learning FRED" section being geared specifically toward beginners.

Also, keep in mind that FRED_Open is under constant development. This can create difficulties in keeping this section up-to-date, but as new features are added to the editor, the information box below will be updated to reflect the most recent changes.


Most Recent FRED Additions Edit

SEXPs:


Features:

See Also

Related Links

External Links