FAQ
frequently asked questions
In this section I would like to focus on solving problems with playing and editing Tomb Raider. Through questions and answers I will try to explain several basic problems that may concern the game and the editor. At the end you will also find several questions related to this website.
General questions
QUESTION:
I have Windows XP. When I start Tomb Raider 3, 4 or 5, loading a level takes a long time, or the game freezes while loading.
ANSWER:
This error is caused by the fact that TR-3, TR-4 and TR-5 were not designed for Windows XP. The problem can be fixed by installing the proper patch for the given Tomb Raider game. On some computers it is also enough to install Service Pack 2 into Windows, or to set compatibility mode to Windows 98.
I have Windows XP. When I start Tomb Raider 3, 4 or 5, loading a level takes a long time, or the game freezes while loading.
ANSWER:
This error is caused by the fact that TR-3, TR-4 and TR-5 were not designed for Windows XP. The problem can be fixed by installing the proper patch for the given Tomb Raider game. On some computers it is also enough to install Service Pack 2 into Windows, or to set compatibility mode to Windows 98.
QUESTION:
I have Windows XP. I want to install Tomb Raider 2, but it reports an error that the file C:\Windows\system32\Autoexec.nt was not found.
ANSWER:
The solution to this problem is quite simple. The file is also contained in the C:\Windows\repair directory. It is therefore necessary to copy it into the system32 directory.
I have Windows XP. I want to install Tomb Raider 2, but it reports an error that the file C:\Windows\system32\Autoexec.nt was not found.
ANSWER:
The solution to this problem is quite simple. The file is also contained in the C:\Windows\repair directory. It is therefore necessary to copy it into the system32 directory.
QUESTION:
I started a Tomb Raider game, no matter which part, and instead of textures I only have white areas in some places.
ANSWER:
The problem is that the graphics card has too little memory. For TR-2 and TR-3 at least 4 MB on the graphics card is required. For TR-4 and TR-5 it is better to have a card with 8 MB of memory. If we still want to run the game on a card that has little memory, it is possible, but the game must be switched to software rendering mode. This can be changed in the game setup window. This setting cannot be changed in the Options menu inside the game itself.
I started a Tomb Raider game, no matter which part, and instead of textures I only have white areas in some places.
ANSWER:
The problem is that the graphics card has too little memory. For TR-2 and TR-3 at least 4 MB on the graphics card is required. For TR-4 and TR-5 it is better to have a card with 8 MB of memory. If we still want to run the game on a card that has little memory, it is possible, but the game must be switched to software rendering mode. This can be changed in the game setup window. This setting cannot be changed in the Options menu inside the game itself.
QUESTION:
I am installing TR-1. I have Windows 98 (it can run on DOS, Win95 and Win98). After the installation finishes I set up the sound card, but autodetection cannot find it and I do not know what to choose.
ANSWER:
If the game itself cannot find the sound card during autodetection, the problem is probably that the card you are using has its interrupt (IRQ) set to a value other than IRQ-5 or IRQ-7. In that case sound cannot be made to work. You can try to change the IRQ manually in Device Manager or in the computer BIOS. Sometimes simply moving the sound card to another slot, PCI or ISA, in the computer helps. For newer cards it is necessary to check whether DOS emulation works. Port (IO) 220, IRQ-5 and DMA-1 must be set there. If we cannot succeed, it is possible to choose No Sound (SFX) in the sound setup. The game will then start, but it will be without sound effects.
I am installing TR-1. I have Windows 98 (it can run on DOS, Win95 and Win98). After the installation finishes I set up the sound card, but autodetection cannot find it and I do not know what to choose.
ANSWER:
If the game itself cannot find the sound card during autodetection, the problem is probably that the card you are using has its interrupt (IRQ) set to a value other than IRQ-5 or IRQ-7. In that case sound cannot be made to work. You can try to change the IRQ manually in Device Manager or in the computer BIOS. Sometimes simply moving the sound card to another slot, PCI or ISA, in the computer helps. For newer cards it is necessary to check whether DOS emulation works. Port (IO) 220, IRQ-5 and DMA-1 must be set there. If we cannot succeed, it is possible to choose No Sound (SFX) in the sound setup. The game will then start, but it will be without sound effects.
QUESTION:
Music does not play while playing TR-3.
ANSWER:
The likely cause is a missing codec. This happens on Windows 98. It is necessary to check in Control Panel / Add or Remove Programs / Windows Setup / Multimedia whether all audio codecs are installed and, if necessary, install them.
Music does not play while playing TR-3.
ANSWER:
The likely cause is a missing codec. This happens on Windows 98. It is necessary to check in Control Panel / Add or Remove Programs / Windows Setup / Multimedia whether all audio codecs are installed and, if necessary, install them.
Playing custom levels
QUESTION:
I installed a level for TR-4 into the playable part of the editor. After choosing New Game the whole game crashes.
ANSWER:
Check whether you have the file Title.tr4 in the Data directory. If you do and the game still crashes, it is necessary to check whether it is the original file, or whether this file is a leftover from a previous level. If this file has a size other than 3.2 MB, it is probably a leftover from a previous level and it must be overwritten with the original Title.tr4 file with a size of 3.2 MB. The level you are installing has defined in the script from which room the loading picture should be displayed. If this room is not present in Title.tr4, it is a critical error for the game and it crashes. Most authors write the script for the original Title.tr4.
I installed a level for TR-4 into the playable part of the editor. After choosing New Game the whole game crashes.
ANSWER:
Check whether you have the file Title.tr4 in the Data directory. If you do and the game still crashes, it is necessary to check whether it is the original file, or whether this file is a leftover from a previous level. If this file has a size other than 3.2 MB, it is probably a leftover from a previous level and it must be overwritten with the original Title.tr4 file with a size of 3.2 MB. The level you are installing has defined in the script from which room the loading picture should be displayed. If this room is not present in Title.tr4, it is a critical error for the game and it crashes. Most authors write the script for the original Title.tr4.
QUESTION:
I downloaded a level from Lara's Mansion in the Testlevels TR-3 section. I installed the level into the game base. The level can be played normally, but I do not know how to continue. It seems that the level has no end.
ANSWER:
It really may be a level that has no end. There are different kinds of levels on the internet. One of these kinds is test levels. In these levels the author only tries out some functions and procedures. It is not uncommon for the level to take place only in one room that has no ending. It is therefore necessary to read carefully whether the downloaded level is in fact a test level.
I downloaded a level from Lara's Mansion in the Testlevels TR-3 section. I installed the level into the game base. The level can be played normally, but I do not know how to continue. It seems that the level has no end.
ANSWER:
It really may be a level that has no end. There are different kinds of levels on the internet. One of these kinds is test levels. In these levels the author only tries out some functions and procedures. It is not uncommon for the level to take place only in one room that has no ending. It is therefore necessary to read carefully whether the downloaded level is in fact a test level.
QUESTION:
When playing custom levels, it happens that when I look around with the NUM-0 key, the walls of rooms disappear and Lara appears in black empty space. At the same time it is possible to see into other rooms through the walls.
ANSWER:
This is an error caused partly by the level editor and by the author of the given level. Nothing can be done about this error by the player. These errors are often visible precisely in custom levels where the author connected rooms incorrectly or in a nonstandard way. It can also happen that textures appear to smear or dissolve. This is also caused by bad room connections.
When playing custom levels, it happens that when I look around with the NUM-0 key, the walls of rooms disappear and Lara appears in black empty space. At the same time it is possible to see into other rooms through the walls.
ANSWER:
This is an error caused partly by the level editor and by the author of the given level. Nothing can be done about this error by the player. These errors are often visible precisely in custom levels where the author connected rooms incorrectly or in a nonstandard way. It can also happen that textures appear to smear or dissolve. This is also caused by bad room connections.
QUESTION:
I am playing a custom level and in dark places I want to light the area with a flare, but after lighting the flare it is still dark around Lara. In some levels it works normally.
ANSWER:
This situation can occur if you have Volumetric FX enabled, but the given level is not optimized for this function. Simply turn this function off in the game settings and everything should be fine again. This is not really a bug and occurs mainly in TR-4 and TR-5. Be careful: in some levels this function must be enabled instead. The author usually mentions this in the Readme file.
I am playing a custom level and in dark places I want to light the area with a flare, but after lighting the flare it is still dark around Lara. In some levels it works normally.
ANSWER:
This situation can occur if you have Volumetric FX enabled, but the given level is not optimized for this function. Simply turn this function off in the game settings and everything should be fine again. This is not really a bug and occurs mainly in TR-4 and TR-5. Be careful: in some levels this function must be enabled instead. The author usually mentions this in the Readme file.
Working with the DXTre3D editor
QUESTION:
The editor will not start.
ANSWER:
Check which version of DirectX you have on your computer. DirectX 8.1 or newer is required. Also check the screen resolution. At least 1024x768 is required. In general, it is good to compare your computer configuration with the minimum requirements of the editor.
The editor will not start.
ANSWER:
Check which version of DirectX you have on your computer. DirectX 8.1 or newer is required. Also check the screen resolution. At least 1024x768 is required. In general, it is good to compare your computer configuration with the minimum requirements of the editor.
QUESTION:
When I try to start the editor it reports: "Error Trying to create DX Viewpoint !"
ANSWER:
This error is caused either by low screen resolution or by the graphics card itself. If the graphics hardware does not support display in 32-bit colors, but this display mode is set in Windows, a conflict occurs. In this case it is necessary to switch Windows display to 16-bit colors and everything should work without problems.
This error can occur on older graphics cards such as Voodoo.
When I try to start the editor it reports: "Error Trying to create DX Viewpoint !"
ANSWER:
This error is caused either by low screen resolution or by the graphics card itself. If the graphics hardware does not support display in 32-bit colors, but this display mode is set in Windows, a conflict occurs. In this case it is necessary to switch Windows display to 16-bit colors and everything should work without problems.
This error can occur on older graphics cards such as Voodoo.
QUESTION:
I created a level for TR-3 in the editor where it should snow in outdoor areas. Everything is correct, but the snow still does not fall.
ANSWER:
It is important which engine the level is running on. For example, the TR-3 demo does not support such effects at all. It is necessary to use the engine from the full game. This problem can also occur in other Tomb Raider games if we try to run a level with special effects such as snow, rain, immortal bosses, kayak riding and so on only on the demo of the given Tomb Raider game.
I created a level for TR-3 in the editor where it should snow in outdoor areas. Everything is correct, but the snow still does not fall.
ANSWER:
It is important which engine the level is running on. For example, the TR-3 demo does not support such effects at all. It is necessary to use the engine from the full game. This problem can also occur in other Tomb Raider games if we try to run a level with special effects such as snow, rain, immortal bosses, kayak riding and so on only on the demo of the given Tomb Raider game.
QUESTION:
I start the editor, but I cannot load a Base Level. It always throws an error message and the editor freezes.
ANSWER:
This error occurs when the Base Level you are loading is damaged in some way. The damage may have happened while editing it in WadMerger or FexMerger. However, the damage does not have to appear already during loading, but only much later while testing the finished level. If you create your own Base Level by combining several levels, it is useful to test the resulting Base Level to see whether everything you will need in your level works. By this I do not mean that you should try to play the Base Level, but only load it into the editor, then use the needed objects in some test level and test that.
I start the editor, but I cannot load a Base Level. It always throws an error message and the editor freezes.
ANSWER:
This error occurs when the Base Level you are loading is damaged in some way. The damage may have happened while editing it in WadMerger or FexMerger. However, the damage does not have to appear already during loading, but only much later while testing the finished level. If you create your own Base Level by combining several levels, it is useful to test the resulting Base Level to see whether everything you will need in your level works. By this I do not mean that you should try to play the Base Level, but only load it into the editor, then use the needed objects in some test level and test that.
QUESTION:
When I connect two rooms placed above each other, by ceiling and floor, it sometimes happens that from a certain camera view the walls of the room disappear.
ANSWER:
I still do not know what causes this problem. It is probably some bug in the editor or in the game engine that has been present for a very long time and can be said to appear in almost all versions, more or less. This error can only be partly prevented by choosing room connections cleverly in places where the camera does not get into the transition between rooms. The error is most visible if we have a room one block high and at the same time the floor in this room is raised by ¼ (16 pix). Above this room there is another room connected to the first one. It does not really matter how high the upper room is. When Lara moves in room one, her camera is very close to the second room, and sometimes, when the camera passes from room two to room one or the other way around, the walls of one of the rooms disappear.
This problem also occurs when connecting rooms placed next to each other, but there it is almost negligible.
When I connect two rooms placed above each other, by ceiling and floor, it sometimes happens that from a certain camera view the walls of the room disappear.
ANSWER:
I still do not know what causes this problem. It is probably some bug in the editor or in the game engine that has been present for a very long time and can be said to appear in almost all versions, more or less. This error can only be partly prevented by choosing room connections cleverly in places where the camera does not get into the transition between rooms. The error is most visible if we have a room one block high and at the same time the floor in this room is raised by ¼ (16 pix). Above this room there is another room connected to the first one. It does not really matter how high the upper room is. When Lara moves in room one, her camera is very close to the second room, and sometimes, when the camera passes from room two to room one or the other way around, the walls of one of the rooms disappear.
This problem also occurs when connecting rooms placed next to each other, but there it is almost negligible.
QUESTION:
When using a FlyBy sequence that is set to only one run, the sequence repeats over and over.
ANSWER:
This is a bug in DXTre3D editor version 2.0. In newer versions of the editor it should already be removed, but it still occurs in some cases. It is necessary to use the trick with the Rollingball. It is described in detail in the editor manual.
When using a FlyBy sequence that is set to only one run, the sequence repeats over and over.
ANSWER:
This is a bug in DXTre3D editor version 2.0. In newer versions of the editor it should already be removed, but it still occurs in some cases. It is necessary to use the trick with the Rollingball. It is described in detail in the editor manual.
QUESTION:
I worked in DXTre3D v2.0 r0. Now I downloaded the newer DXTre3D v2.0 r1. The project loads into the new version without problems, but when I compile the level, enemies and similar things do not work.
ANSWER:
This is caused by incompatibility between editor versions. The only recommendation here is that if you start designing a level in one version of the editor, finish it in that same version. This way you avoid problems that may appear only when it is already too late.
I worked in DXTre3D v2.0 r0. Now I downloaded the newer DXTre3D v2.0 r1. The project loads into the new version without problems, but when I compile the level, enemies and similar things do not work.
ANSWER:
This is caused by incompatibility between editor versions. The only recommendation here is that if you start designing a level in one version of the editor, finish it in that same version. This way you avoid problems that may appear only when it is already too late.
QUESTION:
I work in DXTre3D editor v1.0. If I create a level for TR-4, all objects in the level that should use a transparent or semi-transparent attribute on some texture are displayed in game in dark grey. Parts of textures that should be transparent are not transparent and these places are dark grey.
ANSWER:
This error occurs in DXTre3D v1.0 and possibly also in DXTre3D v1.1. It is interesting that this error appears only if the level is running on Windows ME or newer. On Windows 98 this problem does not appear. Unfortunately I did not find a way to remove this error in these editors, and therefore if you decide to create a level for TR-4, it is necessary to use a newer editor version 2.0 or higher.
I work in DXTre3D editor v1.0. If I create a level for TR-4, all objects in the level that should use a transparent or semi-transparent attribute on some texture are displayed in game in dark grey. Parts of textures that should be transparent are not transparent and these places are dark grey.
ANSWER:
This error occurs in DXTre3D v1.0 and possibly also in DXTre3D v1.1. It is interesting that this error appears only if the level is running on Windows ME or newer. On Windows 98 this problem does not appear. Unfortunately I did not find a way to remove this error in these editors, and therefore if you decide to create a level for TR-4, it is necessary to use a newer editor version 2.0 or higher.
About this website
QUESTION:
I downloaded some files from this website in an archive, but it reports errors while unpacking.
ANSWER:
The problem is most likely that all archives on this website were created in WinRAR v3.42 CZ or newer. If you use an older version of WinRAR for unpacking, problems may occur. The minimum version with which the archives can be unpacked is v2.9, but even that version reports errors while unpacking, although it unpacks the archive correctly. Today you can also use a current unpacking program such as 7-Zip.
I downloaded some files from this website in an archive, but it reports errors while unpacking.
ANSWER:
The problem is most likely that all archives on this website were created in WinRAR v3.42 CZ or newer. If you use an older version of WinRAR for unpacking, problems may occur. The minimum version with which the archives can be unpacked is v2.9, but even that version reports errors while unpacking, although it unpacks the archive correctly. Today you can also use a current unpacking program such as 7-Zip.
QUESTION:
When I try to download files from this website, the download always stops after a while, but the file is not downloaded completely. Downloads from other websites work normally for me.
ANSWER:
This problem can of course occur, but finding the fault is a bit difficult. There are many factors that can cause it. I would like to point out several causes here.
On the server side:
1. The first very common problem is temporary overload or outage of the server. As the website administrator, I practically cannot influence this. This state usually lasts only for a short time and mostly during peak hours. Therefore it cannot be solved effectively from my side. The only advice I can give is to try again later, or possibly use some download manager for downloading files from the internet.
2. Another problem may occur in incompatibility between the website and your browser. However, this problem is practically negligible for downloading and would rather concern browsing the pages.
3. Other server problems can of course occur as well, but these are also usually short-term and the problem is removed within a few hours.
On the user side:
1. Here the type of internet connection and its temporary failure are often to blame. This error may not appear on other websites, and therefore everything may seem to work correctly. It is not a bad idea to disconnect and reconnect, or restart the PC. Of course it depends on the type of connection.
2. Another, and not exactly negligible, problem can be in the PC itself. Usually this means a virus infection or incorrect function of some program that has something to do with the internet. The only remedy here is removing viruses or reinstalling the relevant programs.
3. And of course any other problems can also occur.
It follows from this that solving these problems is not simple and requires close cooperation and detailed information from the affected user. Nevertheless, one final piece of advice: if you cannot download something, try it again at different times of day to rule out temporary server overload. Possibly try downloading it from another PC, preferably with a different internet connection as well. If even that does not help, try looking at a test server, if such a download is available there, and download the given thing from there. And of course, if the problem still continues and is long-term, longer than one day, contact me and we will solve it.
When I try to download files from this website, the download always stops after a while, but the file is not downloaded completely. Downloads from other websites work normally for me.
ANSWER:
This problem can of course occur, but finding the fault is a bit difficult. There are many factors that can cause it. I would like to point out several causes here.
On the server side:
1. The first very common problem is temporary overload or outage of the server. As the website administrator, I practically cannot influence this. This state usually lasts only for a short time and mostly during peak hours. Therefore it cannot be solved effectively from my side. The only advice I can give is to try again later, or possibly use some download manager for downloading files from the internet.
2. Another problem may occur in incompatibility between the website and your browser. However, this problem is practically negligible for downloading and would rather concern browsing the pages.
3. Other server problems can of course occur as well, but these are also usually short-term and the problem is removed within a few hours.
On the user side:
1. Here the type of internet connection and its temporary failure are often to blame. This error may not appear on other websites, and therefore everything may seem to work correctly. It is not a bad idea to disconnect and reconnect, or restart the PC. Of course it depends on the type of connection.
2. Another, and not exactly negligible, problem can be in the PC itself. Usually this means a virus infection or incorrect function of some program that has something to do with the internet. The only remedy here is removing viruses or reinstalling the relevant programs.
3. And of course any other problems can also occur.
It follows from this that solving these problems is not simple and requires close cooperation and detailed information from the affected user. Nevertheless, one final piece of advice: if you cannot download something, try it again at different times of day to rule out temporary server overload. Possibly try downloading it from another PC, preferably with a different internet connection as well. If even that does not help, try looking at a test server, if such a download is available there, and download the given thing from there. And of course, if the problem still continues and is long-term, longer than one day, contact me and we will solve it.
QUESTION:
I downloaded some tutorials in PDF format, but I cannot open them. What program do I need for them?
ANSWER:
To view tutorials in PDF format, Adobe Reader version 5 or newer is required. I recommend getting Adobe Reader 6 or any current PDF reader. All tutorials were created for this type of reader. The program is freely available and can be downloaded from the official Adobe website or replaced by another current PDF viewer.
I downloaded some tutorials in PDF format, but I cannot open them. What program do I need for them?
ANSWER:
To view tutorials in PDF format, Adobe Reader version 5 or newer is required. I recommend getting Adobe Reader 6 or any current PDF reader. All tutorials were created for this type of reader. The program is freely available and can be downloaded from the official Adobe website or replaced by another current PDF viewer.