Make Your Own Level
Hi there! Ummmm so, it took a long time to make this JJ2+ website and something had to be made last. This page isn't finished yet. Sorry!
In the meantime, why not check out Howto JCS? It's a classic 2000 website with instructions for how to get started in JCS. Not everything is up to date, of course, but it'll do while we finish this.
Standard Instructions
From inside Jazz Creation Station (JCS.exe), go to the top dropdown menu and open Help → Contents. That'll open the official documentation from Epic Games!
MLLE
Most people use the fanmade level editor Multi-Layer Level Editor 2. It unfortunately has almost no documentation—maybe this page will help with that someday!—but here's a comparison:
| JCS | MLLE | |
|---|---|---|
| Layers | 8 per level | As many as you want |
| Resizing layers | Simple | More powerful and confusing |
| Textured layers | Fewer options | More options |
| Tilesets | 1 per level, selectable by giant dropdown | As many as you want, and a graphical selection window, and support for 32-bit tiles |
| Event selection | Tree view | Tree, or type the event name, or "Recent" list |
| Event parameters | Numbers only | Numbers, checkboxes, dropdown menus |
| Event placement | One event per tile | Place most events anywhere |
| Animated tiles | Always visible | At bottom of tileset |
| Animated tile frames | Only static | May be flipped, or even other animations |
| Flipped tiles | Horizontal | Horizontal and vertical |
| Tile types | Slow to set, broken in 1.24 JCS | Hotkeys for all types, can set multiple tiles' at once |
| Automated tile placement | No | In some tilesets |
| Drawing tools | Paintbrush | Paintbrush, fill, rectangles |
| Save & Run | Only at start of level | From anywhere at all |
| Unique windows | Search & Replace Events | Find Parameter Values, JJ2+ Level Properties, Palettes, Recolor Events, Custom Weapons |
| Help Strings | In Level Properties window | Longer, in their own window, with previewable formatting |
| Undo | Undo only | Undo and Redo |
| Tools | Set password | Set and Reset password, change game version, package into ZIP, create image |
| Parallax View | Separate pane | Incorporated into editing |
| Zoom Sizes | 100% – 12.5% | 400% – 12.5% |
| Color scheme | Purple & pink | Gray |