Pocket Pinball Editor
Instructions Manual

 System Requirements:


Table of Contents
  1. About
  2. Legal Stuff
  3. Overview
  4. File Management and the Menu
  5. The Graphic User Interface and the Development Process
  6. Tips and Tricks
  7. How to Register your Software
  8. Credits
  9. History
  10. The Future


 I. About

Back to Top
 This program was created with the OnBoard Suite v2.4 and RsrcEdit 1.017b, created by David Lawrance (freeware, available at The OnBoard Suite Page). This program was tested on a Sony CLIE NX80V, a palmOne m505, a Sony CLIE SJ20, and an emulated palmOne Palm IIIc. There is no guarantee that this program will work on any PDA; use at your own risk.

 II. Legal Stuff

Back to Top
 END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

IMPORTANT-READ CAREFULLY: This End-User License Agreement ("EULA") is a legal agreement between you (either an individual or a single entity) and NelsonSOFT for all NelsonSOFT software, which includes computer software and may include associated media, printed materials, "online" or electronic documentation, and Internet-based services ("Product"). An amendment or addendum to this EULA may accompany the Product. YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS EULA BY INSTALLING, COPYING, OR OTHERWISE USING THE PRODUCT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE, DO NOT INSTALL OR USE THE PRODUCT.

1. GRANT OF LICENSE. NelsonSOFT grants you the following rights provided that you comply with all terms and conditions of this EULA:
* Installation and use. You may install, use, access, display and run one copy of the Product on a single computer, such as a workstation, terminal, handheld computer, or other device ("Workstation Computer"). The Product may not be used by more than two (2) processors at any one time on any single Workstation Computer. You may permit a maximum of ten (10) computers or other electronic devices (each a "Device") to connect to the Workstation Computer to utilize the services of the Product solely for File and Print services, Internet Information Services, and remote access (including connection sharing and telephony services). The ten connection maximum includes any indirect connections made through "multiplexing" or other software or hardware which pools or aggregates connections. You may not use the Product to permit any Device to use, access, display or run other executable software residing on the Workstation Computer, nor may you permit any Device to use, access, display, or run the Product or Product's user interface, unless the Device has a separate license for the Product.

* Mandatory Activation. The license rights granted under this EULA are limited to the first thirty (30) days after you first install the Product unless you supply information required to activate your licensed copy in the manner described during the setup sequence of the Product. You can activate the Product through the use of the Internet; toll charges may apply. You may also need to reactivate the Product if you modify your computer hardware or alter the Product. There are technological measures in this Product that are designed to prevent unlicensed or illegal use of the Product. You agree that we may use those measures.

* Storage/Network Use. You may also store or install a copy of the Product on a storage device, such as a network server, used only to install or run the Product on your other Workstation Computers over an internal network; however, you must acquire and dedicate an additional license for each separate Workstation Computer on or from which the Product is installed, used, accessed, displayed or run. A license for the Product may not be shared or used concurrently on different Workstation Computers.

* Reservation of Rights. NelsonSOFT reserves all rights not expressly granted to you in this EULA.

2. UPGRADES. To use a Product identified as an upgrade, you must first be licensed for the Product identified by NelsonSOFT as eligible for the upgrade. After upgrading, you may no longer use the product that formed the basis for your upgrade eligibility. If you own a licenced copy of the Product by NelsonSOFT, you are entitled to free updates.

3. ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE/SERVICES. This EULA applies to updates, supplements, add-on components, or Internet-based services components, of the Product that NelsonSOFT may provide to you or make available to you after the date you obtain your initial copy of the Product, unless we provide other terms along with the update, supplement, add-on component, or Internet-based services component. NelsonSOFT reserves the right to discontinue any Internet-based services provided to you or made available to you through the use of the Product.

4. TRANSFER-Internal. You may move the Product to a different Workstation Computer. After the transfer, you must completely remove the Product from the former Workstation Computer. Transfer to Third Party. The initial user of the Product may make a one-time transfer of the Product to another end user. The transfer has to include all component parts, media, printed materials, this EULA, and if applicable, the Certificate of Authenticity. The transfer may not be an indirect transfer, such as a consignment. Prior to the transfer, the end user receiving the transferred Product must agree to all the EULA terms. No Rental. You may not rent, lease, lend or provide commercial hosting services to third parties with the Product.

5. LIMITATION ON REVERSE ENGINEERING, DECOMPILATION, AND DISASSEMBLY. You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the Product, except and only to the extent that it is expressly permitted by applicable law notwithstanding this limitation.

6. TERMINATION. Without prejudice to any other rights, NelsonSOFT may cancel this EULA if you do not abide by the terms and conditions of this EULA, in which case you must destroy all copies of the Product and all of its component parts.

7. DESCRIPTION OF OTHER RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS.

* Consent to Use of Data. You agree that NelsonSOFT and its affiliates may collect and use technical information gathered in any manner as part of the product support services provided to you, if any, related to the Product. NelsonSOFT may use this information solely to improve our products or to provide customized services or technologies to you. NelsonSOFT may disclose this information to others, but not in a form that personally identifies you.

* Internet Gaming/Update Features. If you choose to utilize the Internet gaming or update features within the Product, it is necessary to use certain computer system, hardware, and software information to implement the features. By using these features, you explicitly authorize NelsonSOFT or its designated agent to access and utilize the necessary information for Internet gaming and/or updating purposes. NelsonSOFT may use this information solely to improve our products or to provide customized services or technologies to you. NelsonSOFT may disclose this information to others, but not in a form that personally identifies you.

8. NOT FOR RESALE SOFTWARE. All Product are identified as "Not for Resale" or "NFR," may not be resold, transferred or used for any purpose other than demonstration, test or evaluation.

9. EXPORT RESTRICTIONS. You acknowledge that the Product is of U.S. origin and subject to U.S. export jurisdiction. You agree to comply with all applicable international and national laws that apply to the Product, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations, as well as end-user, end-use, and destination restrictions issued by U.S. and other governments.

10. LIMITED WARRANTY FOR PRODUCT

By agreeing to this EULA, you express that you understand that there is no warranty, expressed or implied here, on or associated with any NelsonSOFT Product. You are responsible for the consequences of the behavior of any NelsonSOFT Product upon installation of the Product. NelsonSOFT Product are non-refundable; they cannot be returned to NelsonSOFT in exchange for a refund, partial or full.

11. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES. The Limited Warranty that appears above is the only express warranty made to you and is provided in lieu of any other express warranties (if any) created by any documentation, packaging, or other communications. Except for the Limited Warranty and to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, NelsonSOFT and its suppliers provide the Product and support services (if any) AS IS AND WITH ALL FAULTS, and hereby disclaim all other warranties and conditions, either express, implied or statutory, including, but not limited to, any (if any) implied warranties, duties or conditions of merchantability, of fitness for a particular purpose, of reliability or availability, of accuracy or completeness of responses, of results, of workmanlike effort, of lack of viruses, and of lack of negligence, all with regard to the Product, and the provision of or failure to provide support or other services, information, software, and related content through the Product or otherwise arising out of the use of the Product. ALSO, THERE IS NO WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF TITLE, QUIET ENJOYMENT, QUIET POSSESSION, CORRESPONDENCE TO DESCRIPTION OR NON-INFRINGEMENT WITH REGARD TO THE PRODUCT.

12. EXCLUSION OF INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL AND CERTAIN OTHER DAMAGES. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL NELSONSOFT OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS OR CONFIDENTIAL OR OTHER INFORMATION, FOR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, FOR PERSONAL INJURY, FOR LOSS OF PRIVACY, FOR FAILURE TO MEET ANY DUTY INCLUDING OF GOOD FAITH OR OF REASONABLE CARE, FOR NEGLIGENCE, AND FOR ANY OTHER PECUNIARY OR OTHER LOSS WHATSOEVER) ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE PRODUCT, THE PROVISION OF OR FAILURE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT OR OTHER SERVICES, INFORMATON, SOFTWARE, AND RELATED CONTENT THROUGH THE PRODUCT OR OTHERWISE ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THE PRODUCT, OR OTHERWISE UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY PROVISION OF THIS EULA, EVEN IN THE EVENT OF THE FAULT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF CONTRACT OR BREACH OF WARRANTY OF NELSONSOFT OR ANY SUPPLIER, AND EVEN IF NELSONSOFT OR ANY SUPPLIER HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

13. LINKS TO THIRD PARTY SITES. You may link to third party sites through the use of the Product. The third party sites are not under the control of NelsonSOFT, and NelsonSOFT is not responsible for the contents of any third party sites, any links contained in third party sites, or any changes or updates to third party sites. NelsonSOFT is not responsible for webcasting or any other form of transmission received from any third party sites. NelsonSOFT is providing these links to third party sites to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply an endorsement by NelsonSOFT of the third party site.

14. U.S. GOVERNMENT LICENSE RIGHTS. All Product provided to the U.S. Government pursuant to solicitations issued on or after January 1, 2000 is provided with the commercial license rights and restrictions described elsewhere herein. All Product provided to the U.S. Government pursuant to solicitations issued prior to January 1, 2000 is provided with "Restricted Rights" as provided for in FAR, 48 CFR 52.227-14 (JUNE 1987) or DFAR, 48 CFR 252.227-7013 (OCT 1988), as applicable.

15. NELSONSOFT DISTRIBUTION
Select NelsonSOFT Product may be distrubuted free of charge ("Freeware") by anyone (person or single entity) via any media. Other select NelsonSOFT Product may be distributed with only partial functionality which can be made fully functional by a registration key ("Shareware") via selected distributors and only via the Internet. Registration keys are distributable only by Jude Nelson.


16. APPLICABLE LAW. If you acquired this Product in the United States, this EULA is governed by the laws of the State of Washington. If you acquired this Product in Canada, unless expressly prohibited by local law, this EULA is governed by the laws in force in the Province of Ontario, Canada; and, in respect of any dispute which may arise hereunder, you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal and provincial courts sitting in Toronto, Ontario. If this Product was acquired outside the United States, then local law may apply.

17. ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This EULA (including any addendum or amendment to this EULA which is included with the Product) are the entire agreement between you and NelsonSOFT relating to the Product and the support services (if any) and they supersede all prior or contemporaneous oral or written communications, proposals and representations with respect to the Product or any other subject matter covered by this EULA. To the extent the terms of any NelsonSOFT policies or programs for support services conflict with the terms of this EULA, the terms of this EULA shall control.

18. The Product is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws and treaties. NelsonSOFT or its suppliers own the title, copyright, and other intellectual property rights in the Product. The Product is licensed, not sold.

III. Overview

Back to Top
 1. Prerequesits
a. It is highly recommended that you know at least how to use your PDA, how to install software on it, and how to start and stop applications.
b. You must have at least middle school math to effectively use this software.
c. Although this isn't required, it is best to have the latest copy of Pocket Pinball in which to test the tables you develop. It is available here.
d. To save tables so that you can actually play them, you must register your software at PalmGear for U.S. $5.00.

2. The Software
Before you do anything, go back up one level, and read the End User Licence Agreement. Once you agree, (if you do, that is), install the software. The application name is "Pp Edit."

Next, go to PalmGear via the above link and register your product. You can purchase a registration key for the abovesaid amount (the key will be e-mailed to you within two days). You cannot save your work unless you register!

Okay, now that you have your software installed and registered, you can start developing tables. Development is simple: select the bumper, flipper, launch chute, etc. (henceforth, anything you can place on your table will be called a table "object" in this document) and tap the screen where you want it. It's that easy! All of the tables you make will be 160x320 pixels in size (two screen heights), will have a maximum of 40 objects, and will be playable with Pocket Pinball upon saving. Because the purpose of this software is to allow you to expand the functionality and entertainment of Pocket Pinball, in addition to agreeing to the terms in End User Licence Agreement, by using this software you are prohibited from selling any tables you create with or without this product; table databases must be freely given to others without restriction via any data transfer protocol.

IV. File Management and the Menu

Back to Top
 1. Your First Table
You have just launched Pp Edit. Before you, there are some blue buttons (the Graphical User Interface--the GUI), the number "39," and a blank screen. You can do one of two things:
a. Start drawing up the table
b. Pull down the menu
If you selected option a, proceed to the next section for development instructions.
If you selected option b, you will want to select "New..." from the menu. A dialog box will pop up, asking you for a name. This will be the name of your Pinball table--it may be at max 20 characters long and contain any letters or numbers. After you input the name and press OK, the name you just stroked in will be displayed above the blue toolbar on the left. A database by that name will be created, and it will occupy 3K of memory. Now you are ready to proceed to the next section for instructions on development. When you are done, come back to this section.

Woohoo! Your first Pinball table has been created. Now you want to save it, so you can play it. Here's what you do:
a. Pull down the menu
b. Select "Save..."
c. If you already named your table, proceed to e.
d. Give your table a name
e. A dialog box will pop up, telling you that the table was saved. Press OK.

If you are pleased with your work, you can exit the Editor, launch Pocket Pinball, and refer to its instruction manual as to how to load your recently-created table. Please note that if you exit Pocket Pinball in the middle of playing your table, change the table, and launch Pocket Pinball again, you will see that the change isn't apparant. You must re-load the table, or lose all of the alloted balls to test the most recent build.

However, let's say you aren't entirely pleased with your work:
a. You don't like the name. Pull down the menu, and select "Rename..." Enter a new name into the dialog box, and press OK. The Editor will also rename your High Score table, so that you can keep your scores.
b. You don't like the table at all. Pull down the menu, and select "Delete..." Answer Yes to the dialog box to confirm the deletion.
c. You don't like another table that you aren't currently working on. Simply delete the file from the Applications menu

2. Opening a Saved Table
Pull down the menu, and select "Open..." Enter the table name. If all goes well, the table will load, and you can resume editing it. If it does not load, and you get an error message, then either you spelled the name wrong, or somehow the table file was corrupted. If the latter of the two occurred, you must either a. re-install a backed-up version of the table, or b. start over.

This program is not designed to edit or hack into other databases. It will only load table files with the appropriate Creator IDs and Types. Do not attempt to edit a database that you know isn't a table file, and don't name your table after another database.

 V. The Graphic User Interface and the Development Process

Back to Top
 Here's where you can learn how to make tables. You will notice that there are blue buttons on the edges of the screen. Here is a list and description of each:

1. The Buttons
Paint Brush (bottom Toolbar, first on the left)
 This button allows the current object to the painted at the point tapped by the stylus on the table. Each time one object is layed, the number in the upper left-hand corner decreases. You can only place objects when that number is greater than zero.
Eraser (bottom Toolbar, second on the left)
 This button allows objects touched by the stylus to be removed from the table. This is not undoable--use carefully. Each time an object is erased, the number in the upper left-hand corner increases, until it reaches 39 (when you have a blank screen).
Pointer (white arrow; bottom toolbar, third on the left)
 This button allows you to select objects on the table by tapping them. When this is done, a black box will appear around the object to show that it has been selected. From here, you can tap the Attribute button to pull up information regarding the object.
Pallette (the right-most button on the bottom Toolbar)
 Tap this button repeatedly to cycle through the objects you can draw. The current type of object you will draw is the last object displayed above the Pallette button.
Attributes (lower right-hand corner)
 When an object is selected, tapping this button will pull up a dialog box containing some information about the object. Specifically, you can obtain the object's dimensions (width and height in pixels) and its location on the table (in pixels).
Scroll buttons (middle of the right-hand side of the screen)
 These change the view of the table. You can scroll to the top, middle, and bottom of the table much like how a scroll bar works on your computer.

Okay, here's where your middle school math comes in. The last two buttons--the Pointer and the Attributes buttons--are implemented to allow you to perfectly align your table objects for symmetry (if you are a bit obsessive about this sort of thing, like me, then this saves a lot of time).

All you really need to recall is the Cartesian Coordinate System--the graph plane with the x and y axes on which you used to draw lines and parabolas. Remember now? Good.

The Pinball table you are working on is set up in almost the same way. The origin of the Coordinate System (where the x axis intersects with the y axis) is located in the upper left-hand corner of the table. Instead of having negative y-values here (like on the Coordinate System), you have positive y-values. That's right--y increases as you go down. Its basically like Quadrant I (upper-left corner of the System), only flipped. For example, objects at the top of the table will have a smaller y-value than those that are closer to the bottom. Don't worry about the x-values--they (like in the System) increase from left to right.

The same thing applies for selected table objects: the upper left-hand corner of the black box they are surrounded by when they are selected is the "origin" of the object. This means that the "center" of the object isn't in the center of the graphic; it's at that upper left-hand corner! Consequently, the x and y coordinates of an object on the table aren't in the middle--they are in the upper left-hand corner of the selection box.

This setup is convenient for aligning your table objects. You can select objects, call up their attributes with the Attributes button, and change their x and y values. The dimensions of the object (in pixels) are also given to help you make perfect alignments. Keep in mind that the table is 160 pixels wide and 320 pixels high--when you want some sort of symmetry, you must keep track of the deviations from your lines of symmetry to the coordinates of your objects.

2. The Development Process
Now that we are finished with that math lesson, here's how you can develop Pinball tables:

a. Select the object you want to draw by repeatedly tapping the Pallette button. When you find the desired object, tap the Paint Brush button.
b. Tap anywhere on the screen. Wherever you tap, the current object you selected with the Pallette button will appear.
c. Use the Scroll buttons to draw on different parts of the table.
d. Optional--align your objects with the Pointer and Attributes buttons if you are a symmetry freak like me.
e. Don't forget to draw some drop targets, one vortex tile, and one launch chute!
f. Once a-e are completed, save your table (see the previous section for those instructions).
g. Exit Pp Edit, launch Pocket Pinball, load (or re-load) your table, and test it.
h. If you like your table and you think it's ready for publishing, go to j.
i. Open Pp Edit, open your table file, make any necessary changes, and go back to g.
j. Your table is done! Play your table, distribute it to others, put it on the internet, or keep it for yourself. Just don't charge anyone if you distribute it!

 VI. Tips and Tricks

Back to Top
 >>Make sure that you have placed a launch chute and a vortex tile on your table before testing it--the results of not doing this could be disasterous!
>>Always re-load your table from Pocket Pinball preferences to test the latest changes
>>You probably will not make a perfect table the first time--make sure that anyone could have a fair shot at playing your game before you publish it (i.e. make sure that there isn't any place where the ball can get stuck, make sure that you have some control over the ball without nudging the table, etc. Basically, make the table fun for everyone before publishing).
>>Do not sell your tables
>>If you are brain-dead when it comes to geometric math like that described above, don't give up--just make guesses. The table doesn't need to be symmetrical or anything.
>>If you have any questions or problems, e-mail me here.

 VII. How to Register your Software

Back to Top
 As you may have already seen, you cannot save your Pinball tables without registering your software. If you are interested in developing your own tables, you must purchase a registration key from PalmGear. Just locate this product on their site (use the search function), and follow the payment instructions. There should also be some additional instructions when purchasing the product that tell you how to find and send your product ID to me. When you purchase the product, I will be informed by them.

Once I receive the e-mail confirmation that you have purchased the product, and I receive your e-mail address and your product ID, I will contact you within 48 hours with the registration key that unlocks your software. If you order more than one copy, you will need to give me all of the product IDs (they are generated randomly upon initial installation) for each of the products so I can send you their corresponding registration keys. The price of one copy of this product is U.S. $5.00. Please read the End User Licence Agreement before purchasing.

 VIII. Credits

Back to Top
 Myself

I am the sole author of this program.

Friends, Family

They willingly tested this program and gave me many ideas for this product.

David Lawrance

His awesome OnBoard Suite allowed for the creation of this program.

Quartus

This company's resource editor (RsrcEdit) allowed for the creation of all of this program's graphics and forms.

God

He is always helping me through my programming headaches (i.e. the database I/O system in the table editor, which alone took twelve hours to implement), codewriter's block, and life in general. This game would not have been possible without His constant guidance.

IX. History
Back to Top
 10/11/2004 Version 1.0 Completed

 X. The Future
Back to Top
 Tell me what you want in this product, and I'll do my best to implement it. If your suggestion is incorporated into the program, you will receive a free update of this product.



Pocket Pinball Editor version 1.0 Instructions Manual
Last updated October 11, 2004
Document written by Jude Nelson in HTML 4