format_CreateGeneric

Create an instance of a file format handler for a particular map type. This function, or format_Create, must be called at least once by a file input/output plugin before it can be used to save or load map files.

ZFORMAT CExtAPI::format_CreateGeneric(long MapTypeID, const char* lpLongName, const char* lpFileExt, const char* lpNativeProgramName);

Null if an error occurred or the format already existed, and otherwise a valid ZFORMAT handle.

The difference between this function and format_Create is perhaps best explained by examples of the usage of the ZFORMATs created by these functions:

• When saving some generic colour map, such as a screen capture, L3DT will use the ZFORMAT created by format_CreateGeneric for the MAP_24bit type.
• When saving the map project's light map and texture map, L3DT will use the ZFORMAT created for those maps using format_Create.

Even though the texture and light maps are actually of type MAP_24bit, they have their own format settings (created by format_Create) so that the user can set specific formation options for them.

The Alpha map export from L3DT uses the lists of formats created for the MAP_BYTE, MAP_24bit, and MAP_DWORD types. MAP_BYTE is used for one layer/image, MAP_24bit for three, and MAP_DWORD for four.