Suggestions

[BippyM]

cool, would this be easy to implement in the map search. Basically the user decides the maximum number of bytes to skip, and then the map search goes through memory starting as is now, then repeats with 1 byte skipped, then 2 etc until it reaches the maximum bytes to skip?

[Codetapper]

It would be hellishly slow with a high value, but yes that should be possible. How many games use this skip method that you've found though?

I can think of 2 examples only so far, Jim Power uses a double map so every 2nd word is the second layer. And that can be handled at the moment by reading a longword and masking off one of the words. The other is Brat.

[BippyM]

I only know of Brat so far, and I didn't discover it myself.. It would be hellish slow, and I suppose only those with a fast PC, or wanting to be a sadomasochist would actually use the feature (me ) however i'm sure other games that use this would be easier to find if it is implemented, as opposed to posting here and you, Joe or Cody J look into it.

[BippyM]

Another idea, this time from Allo Allo,

Is it or would it be possible to specify a memory range and set the skip value on just that range. Perhaps have it so individual tiles can be highlighted by clicking on them on the map tab, and then entering a skiup value. This way it might be possible to enter differing values for different map sections.

It might already do this, or something similar.

Also the ability to highlight tiles in the map like above, and then save just the tiles to the map, or be able to rearrange the map dynamically so it can be rebuilt or cut up (Rick Dangerous for example I think you said needed this!)

[Codetapper]

You seem to be using the skip value and adjustment value interchangeably, but they are completely different things.

A tile adjustment means your tiles are not lined up perfectly, so what you think is tile 0 might be tile 231 so you need to add or subtract 231 to draw the correct graphics.

A skip value means read a byte/word/longword from the map then skip ahead a certain number of bytes.

It sounds like what you mean is a way to set a different adjustment value for a rectangular area on the map?

The Rick Dangerous map cutting up thing would be fantastic but sounds like a bit of a nightmare to code the damn thing. Have you found some more games that need it? I don't have a huge amount of time to write complicated features that would only be used on a couple of games. But if you can find enough examples I'll consider it!

[BippyM]

So far just allo allo and I am using photoshop to cut and paste so the correct graphics show. Seems to be an offset, for example going into the sewer.

Don't code it if it's too much work. I'm just thinking of ideas to help get more maps easily

[Joe Maroni]

Codetapper, is it possible someday to have the ability to change a byte/word/longword inside a savestate and then save it ??

this might help me to work on custom formats...

[Codetapper]

I'll see if I can get the hex viewer/editor component in as the next major feature. I found a component that looks like it might be OK but I'll have to make some major modifications. So it might take a little time. I agree we need it!

[BippyM]

With regards to the adjustments and figure changing is it possible to add keyboard controls to increase/decrease by 1 and the map update realtime like Q/A or W/S etc.

This will make it easier to step through and find anything that might have an offset like allo allo

[Codetapper]

It does already. Notice it says 1/2 beside the field, those are the adjustment keys in the Map tab. All keys are displayed beside the fields consistently!

[BippyM]

Ooops my bad lol. I thought they was something else

[Bastich]

Have I missed the option or can the option be added to save out the maps as a tile lookup rather than an image e.g. byte/word/long per tile within the map file?

[Codetapper]

Originally Posted by Bastich

Have I missed the option or can the option be added to save out the maps as a tile lookup rather than an image e.g. byte/word/long per tile within the map file?

As a binary file? Or something else?

The only current way (which can be added, I just have never needed it) is to tick "Show indexes" on the map tab, then create the map. It'll spit out the map in text in the "Map Data" tab like so:

Row 1: $0071, $0072, $007C, $003B, $0035, $002E
Row 2: $8005, $0035, $0040, $007C, $0070, $0071
Row 3: $006E, $0001, $0010, $2080, $007A, $0077

If people say what exactly they want, it can be added. For Amiga users a source file with dc.x statements? A binary file? CSV data without the row numbers? The raw data before masks/shifts/translations or after all that stuff? Rearranged data or exactly how it looks in memory (eg. Brat with or without the 15 useless bytes between each tile). I really don't know what people want yet...

[Bastich]

Its a great tool it will make it far easier to recreate games
For my needs ether a Binary or CSV file exporter would be awesome

[Qube]

Excellent tool!!

As for a sort of "raw map data export" function, it may be useful to just save out the map in a binary byte format, each tile value as a hex byte in sequence, I'm sure most tile values are typically in the range 00-FF, as long as this is available in a file and the ripper knows the map width in bytes, then they could use this with the tile gfx to create map files for potential remakes etc (e.g. could use import map function in tile studio to import the map data like this).

All very cool stuff! Keep up the good work!

:-)

[Qube]

May be useful to have some kind of 'raw data view' for the manual map ripper section which shows the bytes/words in simple raw colours so the user can find the map data quickly, position their data etc.

I've attached a screenshot from a viewer I hacked up years ago showing the YoJoe map data which kind of shows what I mean - unless this is already implemented or possible via other means..

I also had a quick look at First Samurai, lots of tile replacements in that one it seems!

Good stuff!
Q:

[CodyJarrett]

In addition to loads of file replacements for animated tiles, First Samurai has foreground tiles that are placed as sprites:

http://hol.abime.net/563/gamemap

In the end I used Maptapper to do as much as possible and then manually added foreground tiles and permanent items (save points, portals, spikes etc.) and the special items.

[Codetapper]

Originally Posted by Qube

May be useful to have some kind of 'raw data view' for the manual map ripper section which shows the bytes/words in simple raw colours so the user can find the map data quickly, position their data etc.

I've attached a screenshot from a viewer I hacked up years ago showing the YoJoe map data which kind of shows what I mean - unless this is already implemented or possible via other means..

I also had a quick look at First Samurai, lots of tile replacements in that one it seems!

Good stuff!
Q:

I don't understand exactly what that raw data view represents. What colours is it supposed to use? It just appears to be the map already found but scaled down. If a block of memory consists of the values $00, $40, $80, $c0, $100 what on earth is it supposed to draw for a raw view?

[Qube]

Originally Posted by Codetapper

I don't understand exactly what that raw data view represents. What colours is it supposed to use? It just appears to be the map already found but scaled down. If a block of memory consists of the values $00, $40, $80, $c0, $100 what on earth is it supposed to draw for a raw view?

It doesn't represent anything other than the data, the colours are more or less irrelevant, you could display bytes 00 in black and the rest in white I suppose, just makes for a more interesting view I guess.

Got the idea from some old rom hacking tool which would display the raw data by plotting each byte as a pixel, each pixel's colour being the byte value reference in the palette (00-FF), could then just walk through the raw data, sizing and so on, then once positioned you could flip over to the actual map view and this would show the tilemap using the actual tile graphics.

Just a random idea from the past.

Q;

[Joe Maroni]

Hotkeys for "Open Project" in file menu ?

"Open..." and "Save Project..." already have them.

i prefer to create the inis of each level first and then open them again one ofter one to create the maps.