Addition of a documentation area and some documentation

git-svn-id: svn://www.homeworldsdl.org:3692/homeworldsdl/homeworld/trunk@126 026c9d8a-83c9-0310-a9c7-971d0a006279

documentation/Glossary.txt

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+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+BIG (.big)
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+Don't believe this is an acronym, rather a reference to the fact that by bundling
+together lots of files you end up with one big one...
+
+Homeworld combines a large number of the data files it needs into a single
+compressed file. Such archives are given the .big extension. The main ones in
+are:
+
+Homeworld.big - original archive containing the vast majority of the game data
+
+Update.big    - "corrections" to Homeworld.big. Provided by the 1.05 PC patch
+                and also used by Raider Retreat to add the extra mission's data
+
+Extra.big     - this is not a real .big file. It's a CD disc space "filler"
+                created to try and prevent exact-copy pirate CDs because CDR
+                drives available at the time could only write 650MB discs.
+                Extra.big's additional 220MB took the total data size over that
+                limit and so prevented a fair bit of casual piracy. For the
+                record, the contents of Extra.big is random junk; there isn't
+                anything to extract:
+                http://forums.relicnews.com/archive/index.php/t-4409.html
+
+See tools/biggie for a means of listing/extracting files within a .big archive.
+
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+Bink
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+A third-party video compression and playback library used by Homeworld for its
+trademark between-mission black-and-white movies. Bink is licenced by Rad Game
+Tools (http://www.radgametools.com) who also provide stand-alone player software
+(http://www.radgametools.com/bnkdown.htm).
+
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+BTG (.btg)
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+Background Tool [of the] Gods!
+
+The panaromic "sky" backgrounds in Homeworld are created with BTG (tools/win32/BTG
+in the original source code released by Relic). This tool is currently Windows
+only. The files created by this tool use the .btg extension.
+
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+GEO (.geo)
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+GEO[metry]
+
+Geometry data for ship models etc. Tightly integrated with the LiF file format.
+
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+KAS (.kas)
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+Kick Ass Script
+
+Relic's proprietary scripting language for Homeworld. Missions scripts using
+this language are saved with the .kas extension. These files are converted by
+tools/kas2c into compilable C code which is then placed in the src/Generated
+directory.
+
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+LiF (.lif)
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+Layered image Format
+
+This format is the image storage method for Homeworld. It is mostly used for
+textures but also finds use for front ends graphics, cursor bitmaps and tutorial
+button graphics. It actually has 2 general formats which share a common header.
+
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+NIS
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+Non-Interactive Sequence
+
+The in-game cut-scenes rendered by the Homeworld 3D engine. Indicated by
+the fade-in black-bordered widescreen effect.
+
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+Raider Retreat
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+Raider Retreat was a special edition of Homeworld released as a promotion for
+Homeworld Cataclysm. When Homeworld was originally released a mission that
+previously existed between the fourth and fifth missions was removed because
+it was felt to be too hard for beginner players. Once the existence of this
+mission became public knowledge there was widespread demand from Homeworld
+players for this mission to be released. Relic eventually relented and it was
+distributed, along with the previous four missions, as a stand-alone CD to those
+people who preordered Homeworld Cataclysm.
+
+Source code required for this version of Homeworld can be toggled with the
+HW_RAIDER_RETREAT #define. The data files required can be downloaded from:
+
+http://www.homeworldarchives.com/hw1-downloads-raider.html
+
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+RGL
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+Relic Graphics Layer
+
+A graphics API wrapper which allows the exact nature of how the graphics are
+being rendered to be "hidden" from the main game. It wraps the APIs for
+software, Direct3D and OpenGL renderers. Does the same job as SDL and could be
+removed; the only caveat is that we would then lose the possibility of using
+a software renderer. See:
+
+http://homesource.nekomimicon.net/sourceforum/viewtopic.php?t=8
+
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+SDL
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+Simple Direct Media Layer (http://www.libsdl.org/)
+
+A cross-platform graphics/sound/input API wrapper.
+
+

documentation/README.txt

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+Please feel free to add new documentation and correct existing ones. For reasons of cross-platform compatibility please create new documents as PLAIN TEXT (.txt). HTML (.html) is also fine should layout/highlighting be important.
+
+PDFs (.pdf) are OK for sharing information but please be aware that most people do not have the ability to edit PDFs on their system and so are much less likely to be corrected.
+
+Word documents (.doc) should not be used - other platforms that have some reading capability for these documents generally do not render them correctly, particularly embedded images.