diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a76d193..c59cf68 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ ipch/
*.suo
*.user
*.cachefile
+*.sln.cache
*.vspscc
*.vssscc
*.pch
diff --git a/BUILD.md b/BUILD.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ff94f13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/BUILD.md
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+# Building Red Planet (v4.10, Win32)
+
+This is the Win32 source for the pod-racing game **Red Planet**, built on the
+in-house **MUNGA** engine and its **L4** (Win32 / DirectX 9) platform layer.
+The code targets the Visual Studio 2005/2008 era and the legacy DirectX SDK.
+
+---
+
+## 1. Requirements
+
+You must supply the toolchain — none of it is checked into this repo.
+
+| Component | Required version | Notes |
+|-----------|------------------|-------|
+| **Visual Studio** | 2005 (v8) or 2008 (v9) | Project files are the legacy `.vcproj` format. Modern MSBuild **cannot** build `.vcproj` directly — it needs `VCBuild.exe`, which only ships with VS 2005/2008. A newer VS (2022) can build these but will first *upgrade* the projects to `.vcxproj`. |
+| **DirectX SDK** | March 2009 (June 2010 also works) | Provides `d3d9.lib`, `d3dx9.lib`, `dinput8.lib`, `dxguid.lib`, `dxerr.lib` and headers. |
+| **Windows SDK / Platform SDK** | Matching your VS | Provides `WS2_32.lib`, `dbghelp.lib`, etc. |
+| **`DXSDK_DIR` environment variable** | — | The DirectX SDK installer sets this automatically (includes a trailing backslash). The projects reference the SDK **only** through this variable — see §4. |
+
+### Bundled third-party libraries (already in the repo)
+
+These are committed under [lib/](lib/) and do **not** need to be installed:
+
+- `OpenAL32.lib` — OpenAL audio
+- `libsndfile-1.lib` — sound-file loading
+
+Their headers live in [MUNGA_L4/openal/](MUNGA_L4/openal/) and
+[MUNGA_L4/sndfile.h](MUNGA_L4/sndfile.h). You will still need the matching
+runtime DLLs (`OpenAL32.dll`, `libsndfile-1.dll`) next to the built `.exe` to run it.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Solution / project layout
+
+The solution is [WinTesla.sln](WinTesla.sln). It builds four projects:
+
+| Project | File | Type | Output | Depends on |
+|---------|------|------|--------|------------|
+| **Munga_L4** | [MUNGA_L4/Munga_L4.vcproj](MUNGA_L4/Munga_L4.vcproj) | Static lib | `lib\Munga_l4.lib` | — |
+| **RP_L4** | [RP_L4/RP_L4.vcproj](RP_L4/RP_L4.vcproj) | Application (exe) | `rpl4opt.exe` | Munga_L4 |
+| **RPL4TOOL** | [RP_L4/RPL4TOOL.vcproj](RP_L4/RPL4TOOL.vcproj) | Application (exe) | tool exe | Munga_L4 |
+| **DivLoader** | [DivLoader/DivLoader.vcproj](DivLoader/DivLoader.vcproj) | Static lib | `lib\*.lib` | — |
+
+**Build order:** `Munga_L4` → then `RP_L4` / `RPL4TOOL` (the dependency is
+declared in the solution, so a solution-level build resolves it automatically).
+
+`RP_L4` is the game itself. Its release output is **`rpl4opt.exe`**
+(subsystem: Windows GUI).
+
+### VS2008 project variants
+
+Each of the three main projects also ships a `... VS2008.vcproj` variant
+(format 9.00) alongside the original 8.00 files:
+
+- `MUNGA_L4/Munga_L4 VS2008.vcproj`
+- `RP_L4/RP_L4 VS2008.vcproj`
+- `RP_L4/RPL4TOOL VS2008.vcproj`
+
+The `.sln` references the **8.00** files. If you open in VS 2008, either let it
+upgrade the 8.00 projects, or repoint the solution at the `VS2008` variants.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Build steps
+
+1. Install VS 2005/2008 (with the C++ workload) and the DirectX SDK.
+ Confirm the SDK set `DXSDK_DIR`:
+ ```powershell
+ echo $env:DXSDK_DIR
+ ```
+2. Open `WinTesla.sln` in Visual Studio.
+ - If prompted to upgrade the projects (newer VS), accept — this rewrites the
+ `.vcproj` files to `.vcxproj`. Keep those changes on a branch.
+3. Select a configuration: **Debug | Win32** or **Release | Win32**.
+ (`x64` is not configured — this is a 32-bit build.)
+4. Build the solution (`Ctrl+Shift+B`). `Munga_l4.lib` is produced first into
+ `lib\`, then the executables link against it.
+
+### Command-line build (only with VS 2005/2008 installed)
+
+```powershell
+# From a "Visual Studio 2008 Command Prompt":
+vcbuild WinTesla.sln "Release|Win32"
+```
+> Do **not** use `C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\...\MSBuild.exe` on this
+> solution — it fails with `MSB3428: Could not load the Visual C++ component
+> "VCBuild.exe"` because the legacy C++ toolset is not present.
+
+---
+
+## 4. DirectX SDK path (no longer hardcoded)
+
+Originally `Munga_L4.vcproj` and `RP_L4.vcproj` hardcoded the absolute path
+`C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft DirectX SDK (March 2009)\...`. These have been
+changed to use the standard installer-provided variable, matching what the
+VS2008 variants already did:
+
+- Include dir → `"$(DXSDK_DIR)Include"`
+- Library dir → `"$(DXSDK_DIR)Lib\x86"`
+
+So any DirectX SDK version installed to any location will work, as long as
+`DXSDK_DIR` is set. If you build in an environment where it is not set, either
+set it manually or pass it to the build, e.g.:
+
+```powershell
+$env:DXSDK_DIR = "C:\DXSDK\" # note the trailing backslash
+```
+
+---
+
+## 5. Known caveats
+
+- **32-bit only.** No `x64` configuration exists.
+- **`Remote Debug|Win32`** configuration is present but is a debugging target,
+ not a normal build config.
+- Requires the OpenAL and libsndfile **runtime DLLs** at run time (see §1).
+- See [docs/BUILD-NOTES.md](docs/BUILD-NOTES.md) for the repository cleanup
+ history, orphaned files, and the full findings behind this document.
diff --git a/MUNGA_L4/Munga_L4.vcproj b/MUNGA_L4/Munga_L4.vcproj
index 332ea5e..ddd0c88 100644
--- a/MUNGA_L4/Munga_L4.vcproj
+++ b/MUNGA_L4/Munga_L4.vcproj
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
The 6 missing projects appear to be model/texture exporter tools and a sister
+> game project (`BT410` — a different pod title) that live in other
+> repositories. If you obtain them, re-add them to the solution.
+
+### 2.3 DirectX SDK path un-hardcoded
+
+`Munga_L4.vcproj` and `RP_L4.vcproj` (the VS2005 / v8.00 files) hardcoded:
+
+```
+C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft DirectX SDK (March 2009)\Include
+C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft DirectX SDK (March 2009)\Lib\x86
+```
+
+Both were replaced (6 occurrences each) with the installer-provided variable,
+matching what the existing `... VS2008.vcproj` variants already used:
+
+```
+$(DXSDK_DIR)Include
+$(DXSDK_DIR)Lib\x86
+```
+
+`DXSDK_DIR` is set by the DirectX SDK installer and ends in a trailing
+backslash, so `$(DXSDK_DIR)Include` resolves correctly.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Project reference data
+
+Collected from the `.vcproj` files for quick reference.
+
+### Configuration types
+- `ConfigurationType="1"` → Application (exe): `RP_L4`, `RPL4TOOL`
+- `ConfigurationType="4"` → Static library: `Munga_L4`, `DivLoader`
+
+### Link dependencies
+- **Munga_L4:** `OpenAL32.lib D3D9.lib D3DX9.lib DXERR.lib`
+- **RP_L4:** `WS2_32.lib Munga_l4.lib dinput8.lib dxguid.lib openal32.lib
+ libsndfile-1.lib d3dx9.lib d3d9.lib dbghelp.lib`
+- **RPL4TOOL:** `Munga_l4.lib libsndfile-1.lib WS2_32.lib dinput8.lib dxguid.lib`
+
+### Preprocessor definitions (RP_L4)
+- Debug: `WIN32;_DEBUG;_WINDOWS;_CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE`
+- Release: `WIN32;_WINDOWS;_CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE`
+
+### Character set
+- `Munga_L4`, `RP_L4`, `RPL4TOOL`: `CharacterSet="1"` (Unicode)
+- `DivLoader`: `CharacterSet="2"` (MBCS)
+
+---
+
+## 4. Orphaned / non-build files (informational)
+
+These files are present but are **not referenced by any project**, so they do
+not affect the build. Left in place for historical completeness:
+
+- `MUNGA_L4/JOYSTICK.asm` — MASM source, **not** in any `.vcproj`. No MASM
+ toolchain is required to build. (`L4JOYSTK.h` exists but the `.asm` is unused.)
+- `MUNGA_L4/sos/SOSMAWE.C` and the `sos/bc4`, `sos/wc` header trees — SOS audio
+ middleware for old Borland/Watcom compilers; headers only.
+- `RP_L4/TEST.EGG`, `RP_L4/last.egg` — `.egg` data blobs. `last.egg` is likely
+ runtime-generated ("last loaded"); kept in tracking pending confirmation.
+- `docs/audionotes.rtf` — design notes.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Open questions for the owner
+
+1. Are the 6 removed projects (BT410_L4, *Exp tools) needed here, or do they
+ belong to separate repos?
+2. Is `RP_L4/last.egg` a real asset or generated output? If generated, add it to
+ `.gitignore` and untrack it.
+3. Which VS version is the target going forward — keep VS2005/2008 `.vcproj`, or
+ upgrade to `.vcxproj` for a modern VS + Windows SDK (dropping the legacy
+ DirectX SDK in favor of the Windows SDK's Direct3D)?