hello

[alexis9000]

I'm Alexis from Portugal . Actually I felt the need of this site because I was trying to do something with NeoLemmix but then I saw I had to work on something called NeoLemmix Flexi Toolkit, which means the game is gonna be built "Piece by Piece" just like Kelly Clarkson sings...and talking about music that was a thing I really had some kind of a hardcore job to convert the mp3 to .it, however I managed to make it, now all the rest of the conversion is easy for me. However, all the other tools from NeoLemmix Flexi Toolkit I did not manage to make it yet. To be honest I still don't know how this works...but actually I really am in doubt it's because of that. Maybe some screenshots or some videos of how other people work with their NeoLemmix Flexi Toolkit would be great, tough.

[IchoTolot]

First of all: Welcome to the forum!

So I assume you want to build your own pack if you want to use the Flexi Toolkit.

For the music: You actually just need to convert mp3 to OGG, as NeoLemmix also supports OGG's. Today a huge percentage of the custom tracks are in OGG format.

I assume that creating ranks, putting levels into them with the custom music included and maybe adding post/preview texts was self-explaining. (Levels Tab)
Also the general settings (Settings Tab) should not be the big problem I think.

So only to make sure:
- To manually add tilesets which are not the basic ones directly included in NeoLemmix (Graphic Sets tab)
- Put in all your music you wanna use + Maybe outsource some OGG tracks into a music pack if the nxp pack's file size is growing too big. (Musics tab) 
- If you want import some custom graphics like logos or fitting rank signs in png format (Other Data tab) (Optional as a pack can simply use the default ones)

When everything is ready: Save it as a SYSTEM.dat file and then build the nxp.

And yes the guide to properly using the tool needs to be updated on the NeoLemmix website!

[Nepster]

Welcome here at the lemmings forum, alexis9000!

I cannot give you a video, but namida has a FlexiToolkit tutorial on his hompage (as IchoTolot already mentioned):
  http://www.neolemmix.com/old/flexitutorial.html
There are a few inaccuracies in the tutorial, but the explanations to the most important functions should be up to date.

One small correction regarding music files: NeoLemmix can use mp3 files. It is only not recommended to use them, due to their larger file size when compared to .ogg files.

PS: The FlexiToolkit has some known usability issues, because namida originally wrote it to produce some level packs himself and at that point didn't much care about user-friendlyness. But it is improving steadily

[Colorful Arty]

Welcome alexis!

[Flopsy]

Welcome to the forums Alexis

It's nice to see more new people who are keen to make their own lemmings packs.

If anyone is interested, I could do a tutorial video for using the Flexi Toolkit, I'm not exactly the most proefficient person for the job but I've used it enough to develop an understanding of it.

Plus me and Wafflem are on the verge of releasing the MegSEBytes pack soon so it would be a great time for me to make a video on it.

I could also potentially do a video on the Graphic Set Tool as well although I'm even less familiar with that tool.

[alexis9000]

First of all: Welcome to the forum!

So I assume you want to build your own pack if you want to use the Flexi Toolkit.

For the music: You actually just need to convert mp3 to OGG, as NeoLemmix also supports OGG's. Today a huge percentage of the custom tracks are in OGG format.

I assume that creating ranks, putting levels into them with the custom music included and maybe adding post/preview texts was self-explaining. (Levels Tab)
Also the general settings (Settings Tab) should not be the big problem I think.

So only to make sure:
- To manually add tilesets which are not the basic ones directly included in NeoLemmix (Graphic Sets tab)
- Put in all your music you wanna use + Maybe outsource some OGG tracks into a music pack if the nxp pack's file size is growing too big. (Musics tab) 
- If you want import some custom graphics like logos or fitting rank signs in png format (Other Data tab) (Optional as a pack can simply use the default ones)

When everything is ready: Save it as a SYSTEM.dat file and then build the nxp.

And yes the guide to properly using the tool needs to be updated on the NeoLemmix website!

I don't see what's the sense of this, since I've been noticing here many people making their levels with the same graphics.
Unless you're telling me not to make the same...levels?

[IchoTolot]

No that's not what I meant:

NeoLemmix has the standard original tilesets included in the executable itself, but the custom created tilesets are not naturally included so they needed to be added in this tab or manually downloaded in the NeoLemmix tileset folder.
As most users who play your pack would not want to manually download every custom tileset for their NeoLemmix version you used for themselves, you put them directly into the pack.

[alexis9000]

No that's not what I meant:

NeoLemmix has the standard original tilesets included in the executable itself, but the custom created tilesets are not naturally included so they needed to be added in this tab or manually downloaded in the NeoLemmix tileset folder.
As most users who play your pack would not want to manually download every custom tileset for their NeoLemmix version you used for themselves, you put them directly into the pack.

Err...I kinda doubt they would discover I would have done in NeoLemmix or via downloading, but ok.

[Nepster]

- To manually add tilesets which are not the basic ones directly included in NeoLemmix (Graphic Sets tab)

I don't see what's the sense of this, since I've been noticing here many people making their levels with the same graphics.
Unless you're telling me not to make the same...levels?

To play a level pack, you need two files: The NeoLemmix player "NeoLemmix.exe" and the level pack file "YourPackName.nxp". This gives us three possible positions where to store graphics: The player itself, your level pack file or in an external style file in a subdirectory.

Graphic styles stored in the player: These are the original L1, ONML and christmas lemmings styles and most of namida's own graphic styles. You can freely use them and forget worrying about them when putting the pack together in the Flexi Toolkit.
Graphic styles in your level pack: For all other graphics it is recommended that you include them in your level pack file, which is what IchoTolot meant with his comment. Such graphics include the L2 (Tribes) styles or third party styles like GigaLem's, Gronkling's or IchoTolot's graphic styles.
Graphic styles in a subdirectory: This is mainly intended as a fail-safe to ensure that level packs are still playable, if a pack creator forgot to add them internally. This method to load graphics is used as well, when you play single levels, that are not part of a level pack.

All of this requires that your sprites (of single terrain pieces and objects, not of the whole level) are contained in a graphics style. So if you wish to use some graphics you made yourself and noone here has ever seen, then you will have to do an extra intermediate step to create the graphics style. Feel free to ask for further help, if you need this.

Summary: Use whatever graphics you want and whatever fits your level idea best, regardless of any issues with using the FlexiToolkit. We are looking forward to see your levels . If you include your graphic styles in your pack, then even better. Only if you add graphics you made yourself, you have to be very careful.

[alexis9000]

Just one thing I noticed. NeoLemmix Editor also comes with an option to download some graphics which I used for my 1st level (Space (Lemmings 2) and Crystal (Lemmings 1) based), so basically it is a mix of both, the song is the instrumental from the pop song "Sarsa - Naucz Mnie". Does this count as copying from NeoLemmix? And if it does can you please give me some link to a software where I can create my own graphics or something like that? I already tried to search something here, but nothing. And if that's not that easy to find (or to do), at least maybe some cool graphics available I could download from outside.

[Nepster]

Just one thing I noticed. NeoLemmix Editor also comes with an option to download some graphics which I used for my 1st level (Space (Lemmings 2) and Crystal (Lemmings 1) based), so basically it is a mix of both...

Then it would be great if you added the Space L2 style to your level pack file. You don't have to do anything regarding the Crystal L1 style. When mixing several different styles, the NeoLemmix player determines automatically where to get the sprite from when loading your level.

And if it does can you please give me some link to a software where I can create my own graphics or something like that? I already tried to search something here, but nothing. And if that's not that easy to find (or to do), at least maybe some cool graphics available I could download from outside.

You can find the graphics tool either at namida's homepage http://www.neolemmix.com/old/gstool.html or as a download link here on the forums http://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=2979.0 (see the link to GSTool).
To use it, create your sprites with your preferred graphics editor and save them as .png images with alpha channel (i.e. 32bit pngs). Then open the graphics tool I linked to and load your images into the graphics tool. In the graphics tool you can then set lots of additional properties of your sprites: Whether your terrain is treated as steel, whether your object is a hatch, an exit or a trap, what the area is in which its effect is triggered, ... Then click on "Save as..." to bundle all your sprites into one graphic style.

[IchoTolot]

Just one thing I noticed. NeoLemmix Editor also comes with an option to download some graphics which I used for my 1st level (Space (Lemmings 2) and Crystal (Lemmings 1) based), so basically it is a mix of both, the song is the instrumental from the pop song "Sarsa - Naucz Mnie". Does this count as copying from NeoLemmix? And if it does can you please give me some link to a software where I can create my own graphics or something like that? I already tried to search something here, but nothing. And if that's not that easy to find (or to do), at least maybe some cool graphics available I could download from outside.

Regarding of the song:
I don't know that song, but be a bit careful with using copyrighted music. This can get problematic. I recommend copyright-free stuff or old video game music.
Also if maybe some users here want to do a video of them playing your levels with uploading it on YouTube or similar this can get problematic.

Furthermore if you have only a few (~ 5 let's say) levels you may also thinking about releasing them as single levels only. For a bunch it is better though to pack them together in a pack.

[alexis9000]

Just one thing I noticed. NeoLemmix Editor also comes with an option to download some graphics which I used for my 1st level (Space (Lemmings 2) and Crystal (Lemmings 1) based), so basically it is a mix of both, the song is the instrumental from the pop song "Sarsa - Naucz Mnie". Does this count as copying from NeoLemmix? And if it does can you please give me some link to a software where I can create my own graphics or something like that? I already tried to search something here, but nothing. And if that's not that easy to find (or to do), at least maybe some cool graphics available I could download from outside.

Regarding of the song:
I don't know that song, but be a bit careful with using copyrighted music. This can get problematic. I recommend copyright-free stuff or old video game music.
Also if maybe some users here want to do a video of them playing your levels with uploading it on YouTube or similar this can get problematic.

Furthermore if you have only a few (~ 5 let's say) levels you may also thinking about releasing them as single levels only. For a bunch it is better though to pack them together in a pack.

Thanks for reminding me, I totally forgot that.

EDIT: After searching for something more...and still speaking about the song, I was thinking on about something like this:

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjNdYp2gXRY

[alexis9000]

Thanks for helping me along the topics I've created. I have already 4 levels in my pack. (one in Fun rate, one in Tricky, one in Taxing and one in Mayhem)

I've got one last question, tough...if we put one level made by another person in our project we have to credit the person, right, or is it forbidden? And if it is possible, how do we credit the person in question?

Also it would be nice to find some site or some place for some more Lemmings graphics/tilesets since I cannot find many new ones here.

Thanks

[namida]

I've got one last question, tough...if we put one level made by another person in our project we have to credit the person, right, or is it forbidden? And if it is possible, how do we credit the person in question?

I don't know what the point would be of doing this unless it's a compilation pack (in a similar vein to Revenge Of The Lemmings), but as long as they've given you permission it's okay.
In terms of how to credit them, one way could be to modify the level to set the "Author" field to the creator's name.

Also it would be nice to find some site or some place for some more Lemmings graphics/tilesets since I cannot find many new ones here.

As far as I know, all NeoLemmix graphic sets that are released are mentioned on the forums (check the NeoLemmix -> Graphic Sets) board. Most custom Lemmini graphic sets have also been converted to NeoLemmix and released here.

There's a lot of graphic sets from an older engine called "Cheapo". Some of these have been converted to NeoLemmix, and it isn't too hard to convert new ones. However, the quality of these can be quite hit-and-miss...