DKCRE General Discussion Topic

Comparable to Lunar Magic of Super Mario World lore, and a more hacker-oriented tool, this program will give ROM hackers an advanced and powerful visual interface to hacking DKC.

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » March 5th, 2011, 1:54 pm

Markster (original post deleted) wrote:NitroGUI and DKCRE v0059 not working on new computer (...)

At this point there's no telling because that alpha was buggy (believe it or not). The DKCRE v0059a release does NOT use NitroGUI framework, it just uses the same theme. All of that was hard-coded and created even more bugs. I wouldn't be surprised if the error was fixed by now.

Question: What is your screen pixel depth? Desktop > Right Click > Properties > Settings and look for a box labeled color quality. If that box has 16bit selected, then the old NitroGUI might crash due to an old graphics depth mismatch bug.

Another possible source of errors: A missing DirectDraw driver. Can you run ZSNES? If you can't run ZSNES, chances are NitroGUI isn't going to start either.

Speaking of ZSNES...

DKCREprev12AutoLaunchSettings.png
This is single-handedly THE most useful feature of DKCRE yet to be implemented.
Now fully functional!
DKCREprev12AutoLaunchSettings.png (14 KiB) Viewed 207363 times

Nuking only parts of a level would be nice instead of everything....

DKCREprev13NukePartially.png
Yes, you even get a range box, too.
Useful, and also fully functional.
DKCREprev13NukePartially.png (13.89 KiB) Viewed 207363 times
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Markster » March 5th, 2011, 2:07 pm

I got it to work on my new computer now, it was the resolution, i just changed my resolution a bit and it work again :D
Expedition Leader
Bananas received 37
Posts: 1050
Joined: 2010

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » March 7th, 2011, 2:34 pm

Ah, good. Then we shouldn't have any problems when DKCRE finally arrives. :P

Progress Update: Embedded IPS/UPS Support!!
(IPS complete, and UPS is being implemented as we speak)

DKCREprev14supportsIPSandUPS.png
DKCREprev14supportsIPSandUPS.png (23.26 KiB) Viewed 207313 times

Are you tired of constantly having to hunt down Lunar IPS to apply or create your patches? Well now your problems are long gone - DKCRE can now Save As and Open IPS files (and UPS, too)! To load an IPS you'll need the original ROM on hand, but you can save directly to IPS without it (in case your ROM somehow got deleted while you were editing).

Also, DKCRE creates IPS patches that are as small as possible, probably even surpassing Lunar IPS on some occasions. This took an unbelievable amount of toiling and headache to implement (read: subtle logic errors), but it's working. 8-)
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby tatanga » March 8th, 2011, 1:10 am

I noticed the "Save As SMC" option. If it's not too much trouble, do you think you could implement a "Save As SFC" as well? Some prefer .sfc files as they feel that these represent the Super Famicom more reasonably.

On a side note, everything is looking extremely spiffy! :)
Tourist
Posts: 11
Joined: 2010

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » March 8th, 2011, 9:13 am

Thank you... 8-)

tatanga wrote:do you think you could implement a "Save As SFC" as well?
Sure thing. Easy as pie since I don't check for ROM extensions explicitly in my code, I only check explicitly for IPS or UPS. In fact the option is now there, as of this post.


Something to note: When DKCRE saves to a ROM format (smc/sfc) all changes are integrated into the ROM. So if you were to save out a patch after this, you'll only get the difference from the currently saved ROM, not the whole previous IPS/UPS. If that makes sense.
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » March 14th, 2011, 3:30 am

Progress Update: Palette Editing Mode 98% Complete, Extraction Mode is Underway

DKCREprev15paletteEditMode.png
DKCREprev15paletteEditMode.png (20.52 KiB) Viewed 207229 times


Don't worry, I'm still making progress!

This is the palette editor for DKCRE v0060. It is quite simple, but may get advanced features in later versions.

I'm working on a v0060 implementation of the data extraction and level terrain generation code as of this post. What's taking the most time here is designing the layout of all those blasted check boxes! Mostly it's like v0050's layout, only this is much easier as the tri-state check boxes are handled automatically by the NitroGUI framework. Trust me, the tri-state auto-handling is a time-saving godsend. This dialog will go much faster than the Win32 one from v0050.

Important Note: DKC2 extraction has been cut from the legacy section of v0060 to "roll-forward" the release date a bit.
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » March 24th, 2011, 5:09 am

Note: There will be a temporary lull in development.

I have been swamped with things to do other than coding DKCRE, including College programming project(s), so expect there to be roughly a week or two where little progress occurs. I have to get the stack of "trash" that has been been piling up off of my shoulders before DKCRE can continue.
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Cosmicman » March 27th, 2011, 5:39 am

Take your time and stay healthy so you can continue. :D
Treasure Hunter
Bananas received 103
Posts: 326
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » March 27th, 2011, 1:45 pm

As of this post's time...

THE BAD NEWS:
My C: drive got corrupted on the main computer. Reformat, reinstall, the whole nine yards.
ERD Commander even told me that the drive capacity was 45PB with an unknown filesystem... yeah, now THAT is messed up.

THE GOOD NEWS:
All data is backed up onto external drives, with the exception of some OCReMix torrents. But I can rebuild those. ;)

-------------------------

Oh, it's that time of year again isn't it? *sigh* :roll:
*recalls the Computer Crash of March '09 and I'm glad I was doing all this backup/cleaning/maintenace stuff, instead of working on DKCRE*
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Markster » March 27th, 2011, 2:36 pm

Glad you backed up your data, i was about to tell you to get a file recovery program like Recuva or Easeus Data Recovery Wizard, and those might not even work, your very lucky.

Edit : I dont think the recovery would of worked at all, why am i telling you this, you have it backed up.
Expedition Leader
Bananas received 37
Posts: 1050
Joined: 2010

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » March 28th, 2011, 10:53 am

Main PC is back up and running, but without software.

Luckily I had just used FEBE to back up my Firefox profile before the rampant corruption... so that didn't get nuked (in the '09 crash I lost everything in My Docs (which I no longer use for storage) and my Firefox data, which was not backed up anywhere).

Still have to install tons of stuff, before my *do-other-stuff-I-need-to-do-that's-not-DKCLB* hiatus can continue normally.

You can thank my archives disc for the quick recovery, since everything I use is on it (and now I get to burn v3.0 of it from the organized backups, which contains new entries).

Also of note; I have a dedicated Waterproof Fire Chest, to protect the backup discs should something go very ill (god forbid).
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby WAZ__Up » March 28th, 2011, 5:48 pm

Hypothetically, If you had lost all data from March '09 to now, would you have the will to continue?
Trainee Trekker
Posts: 59
Joined: 2009

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » April 12th, 2011, 3:41 pm

WAZ__Up wrote:all data from March '09 to now
If you mean EVERYTHING I've done, then still it'd be a yes mostly, but it would be a loooong way back to where I am now (Just think - the NitroGUI interface... all the complex DKCRE code *shudders at the thought of lost progress*). I cannot take any chances.

If it was just the Firefox data, I might have temporarily lost access to a select few sites, but Atlas is not one of those.

The only reason I was able to restore this quick is because I've got all of my drivers and copies of "non-big" software on a disc I made specifically for this purpose. Also, this crash happened right after I had completed all of the backup sorting onto my huge 500GB external (but no disc burning was ever accomplished before it happened).

I'm glad I've had to reinstall, as this machine is much faster now and a certain annoying infinite checkdisk problem got fixed by the reformat/reinstall. I can literally shut it down within 4 seconds. 8-)



EDIT/BUMP: Apr 11th Midnight: I am still, after all this time, swamped with things to do, not all of it revolving around College. But as exams approach, I now have at least 5 different projects to complete, one of which is fairly large. I cannot guarantee that development will continue anytime during the rest of the month. I'm sorry, but there has just been zero time I've had allotted to do anything beyond 'bare bones' work. As soon as I get home it's either chores, helping out my parents, or College projects. I practically expect DKCRE to be fully delayed until exams week hits.

Although delays have poured in with a deluge, I have had a major idea for a new data structure that will be a key element to the DELTA Game Engine and its object handling. Expect details on this later.
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Scraps69 » May 10th, 2011, 4:49 pm

So where are you in terms of % completion overall? I'm glad you backed it up. Can't wait to use the finished product.
Trailblazer
Bananas received 2
Posts: 290
Joined: 2010

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » May 11th, 2011, 5:08 am

.
.

DKCRE Development Returns
...on the date Wednesday, May 11th 2011



Scraps69 wrote:So where are you in terms of % completion overall? I'm glad you backed it up. Can't wait to use the finished product.
Actually the v0060 release was in the 97.5% range but it has been delayed (but overall I have no clue as to the overall percent).
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » May 16th, 2011, 12:25 pm

Progress Update: Bitwise File Access v2.0

The BFA system is now a C++ Class. Not only that, but underway (and nearly complete) are functions that allow for asynchronous file access. This means I can use the BFA upgrade to improve the Extraction Mode: I just keep chucking files at BFA while it waits for the HDD — not the extraction code! :geek:

The disk access is always what killed the speed. The actual data extraction takes next to nothing. This means that extraction will become many, many times faster than it was before. ;)

Also, the new BFA makes a whole lot of ROM reading easier by a slight operator() hack that returns a direct reference to data in the current BFA buffer.

EDIT: BFA Upgrade is 100% done. On with extraction mode!!
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Cody » May 17th, 2011, 6:03 am

Excellent work :mrgreen:

I can't wait until you finally get it to extract graphics from DKC3; what you've done with the other 2 games has been superb.
Treasure Hunter
Bananas received 62
Posts: 497
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » May 20th, 2011, 6:12 am

Progress Update: Dormant Mode & Extraction Eye Candy

NitroGUI now has a feature I call Dormant Mode - this shuts down the GUI thread, and gives the calling thread complete control over drawing graphics to the screen and calculating input, etc. during the duration that Dormant Mode is activated.

This is necessary for DKCRE's Extraction Mode because otherwise the GUI thread will hog the processor, making extraction very slow and unwieldy. By telling NitroGUI to completely pause everything it's doing, the Extraction thread has complete dominion over the process - allowing extraction to be nearly uninhibited.

The only caveat is that the GUI will, of course, become unresponsive. So you are prevented from doing anything with the program that the calling thread (the extractor) does not explicitly handle (such as moving, minimizing, or resizing the window, closing it, etc).

It won't hang or trigger window ghosting, though, since window messages are allocated to the main thread which never stops until the program has exited.

Also: You can still go to other programs while Dormant Mode is activated, so don't worry about your entire system being locked down. :roll:
------------------------------------------

I have also finished embedding graphics for the extraction mode to use. It's mostly eye candy, but should not slow down the program as it 's all pre-rendered out. The graphics themselves? That's a surprise for when v0060 is released. ;)
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Qyzbud » May 21st, 2011, 12:26 pm

Sounds like some awesome progress, mate. Technical achievements we will all benefit from even if we don't understand how or why... :lol: That said, it's really good of you to detail your progress and explain things in semi-layman's terms for those of us with a teensie bit of programming experience/understanding. I can make sense of most of it, and I totally appreciate the effort you're putting in to optimise performance and maximise the potential of this project.

Truly inspiring and incredible stuff, keep it up! :D
Atlas Author
Bananas received 682
Posts: 3228
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » May 27th, 2011, 4:29 am

Progress Update: Extraction Mode is Nearing Completion!

5-3-B2 ($C6) Slipslide Ride - Bonus 3.PNG
Vertical Bonus Levels, WITH objects AND bananas. Now that's REALLY fancy!
And ZOMG you can edit these levels too!!1
5-3-B2 ($C6) Slipslide Ride - Bonus 3.PNG (145.9 KiB) Viewed 206572 times

I've still got sprites as well as some odds & ends left in Extraction Mode, and a few surprise last-minute features, but we're getting really close... ;)
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby tatanga » May 28th, 2011, 7:56 am

This is looking really spiffy, sir. I'm excited for the huge impact this will have on the Donkey Kong Country community as a whole.
Tourist
Posts: 11
Joined: 2010

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Scraps69 » May 28th, 2011, 10:14 am

Looks like I'll be definitely using this now.

Congrats simion.
Trailblazer
Bananas received 2
Posts: 290
Joined: 2010

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » June 2nd, 2011, 12:15 pm

Progress Update: Cryptography Functions, Registry Access, Extraction Mode, etc.

I've had several extraction bugs to work out as well as some new code, so here's the lowdown:

(1) I have added to my code repository once again:
------ I now have routines built and ready to read and write values to the windows registry. This will however be used very sparingly.
------ BFA now has the capability of AES data encryption of files, and SHA2 hashing functions (for any data in general) are underway (the wrapper will be completed fairly quickly).

(2) DKCRE v0060 will come with a legal notice similar to that of Lunar Magic's, and you must agree to these terms before DKCRE will work (don't worry, it's just the usual legal disclaimer crap along with a "you can not make any profit off of this program" kind of statement).

(3) Surprise last-minute features have already been implemented because they were easy to do.

(4) There's only Sprite PNGs left in Extraction Mode, after which all of the user-accessible features of DKCRE v0060 will be ready! After that it's just the finishing touches and a final debug run in release mode (**it is possible, but unlikely, that there may be compiler optimization bugs**).
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby RattleBattle » June 5th, 2011, 2:42 pm

Lemme guess........You can Edit levels and Change the color of the Terrain as well?
Tourist
Posts: 24
Joined: 2011

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby tatanga » June 5th, 2011, 2:49 pm

Sounds like things are really wrapping up nicely! This editor appears to be miles ahead of most others in terms of features and usability.
Tourist
Posts: 11
Joined: 2010

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » June 6th, 2011, 6:00 pm

DKC Resource Editor v0.0.6.0

>>> DOWNLOAD LATEST VERSION HERE <<<
Recommended Disc Space: 100MB

Finally, it's the version of the program that I'm sure you've ALL been waiting for... v0060 IS HERE!!! :mrgreen:

This version sports several MASSIVE enhancements, such as:
  • DKCRE v0060 is powered by the NitroGUI Framework, using the classic Carbon interface theme.
  • Visual Level Editing with Tiles, Objects, Enemies, Bananas, and Camera!
  • IT DOES VERTICAL LEVELS ZOMG
  • Manually configurable INI file - including the Objects Catalog and the Objects Dictionary:
    • The GameConfig INI file is a gold mine chock-full of information and metadata about DKC which allows DKCRE to edit levels with ease.
    • Tell DKCRE how to order the objects in its panels...
    • ...tell DKCRE what an object is if it doesn't already know...
    • ...and even insert new definitions to allow using BETA or hacked object digits!
  • Surprise: Navigating to and from bonus levels is made extremely easy:
    • Double-right-click a bonus object, and you're there.
    • Don't worry about going back - you've got the handy Up Arrow at your disposal!
  • Extraction Mode can extract all kinds of binary data and graphical goodies ripped straight from the ROM:
    • Tilemaps, Tilesets, Physmaps, Palettes, 8x8 Graphics, and Compressed 8x8 Graphics
    • 32-bit ARGB lossless PNGs: Tilesets, Sprites, and Level Terrains!
    • There are a TON of layering options that the Level Terrains may be rendered with - go nuts!
  • Surprise: You can even extract a terrain in the middle of editing a level, using the handy SavePNG Button.
  • This version also comes with a simple but handy Palette Editor Mode for when you desperately need to do a color hack.
  • Change Level Music without having to navigate to all the different level digits - this time it's all in one dialog!
  • Level AutoLaunch allows you to go straight to the level with a simple keypress, making debugging lightning fast!

Controls: Please consult the readme.html file included with your downloaded zip file (hit F1 key). ;)

As always, I would really appreciate any bug reports. Please do tell how your experience goes, as well as how the interface feels. :)
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby HellFire » June 7th, 2011, 1:13 am

Well man, thats great! I will test it right now! By the way i already found a possible bug (a very minor one), whenever i move the DKCRE window this happens:
Image
As i said its a very minor bug (if its even a bug), but if it is then its reported!
Thanks for doing this!

[EDIT:]Ok i'm testing it right now, i will not have enough time to fully test it these next days, i will test it a bit tonight, but i can tell you some more bugs:
1- The clambo animation on enemies panel is weird;
2- When i pressed F1, it did opened the help file in the browser, the problem is that it kept opening new tabs with that help page infinitely, it stopped when i clicked back to DKCRE, maybe its the browser i'm using (Opera)?
Tourist
Posts: 29
Joined: 2009

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Markster » June 7th, 2011, 1:24 am

finally!!!
Expedition Leader
Bananas received 37
Posts: 1050
Joined: 2010

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » June 7th, 2011, 4:40 am

HellFire wrote:By the way i already found a possible bug (a very minor one), whenever i move the DKCRE window this happens:
Yeah, that's one of those "I can't fix the bug without making other bugs in the process" kind of things. I had to either choose that, or not being able to see where you drag the window. Refreshing the entire screen while you drag is too slow, so it will only repaint after you let up on the mouse button. In effect this is a non-fixable (at least, I think it's non-fixable) minor issue.

HellFire wrote:Thanks for doing this!
You're quite welcome, HellFire. Glad I could help out. :)

HellFire wrote:1- The clambo animation on enemies panel is weird;
That one's not my fault - what you're seeing is the animation as it is written in the ROM, which just so happens to be controlled by scripts (DKCRE does not know what to do with script triggers, so the "shooting pearls" frames never get triggered).

HellFire wrote:2- When i pressed F1, it did opened the help file in the browser, the problem is that it kept opening new tabs with that help page infinitely, it stopped when i clicked back to DKCRE, maybe its the browser i'm using (Opera)?
I have no idea, it's probably opera or something, or maybe one of your OS settings. It worked fine when I tested it multiple times using Firefox.
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby VideoViking » June 7th, 2011, 6:52 am

And now, my findings:

1. Intro is good, good, good!
2. The ZSNES section was well done. Remember that there are two versions, a DOS and a Windows GUI, so make sure to type zsnes.exe for the DOS version or zsnesw.exe for the Windows GUI version.
3. View -> 32x32 Grid menu selection does not work. The keyboard shortcut Ctrl + G does.
4. You can only replace objects/sprites, you cannot add in new ones.
5. Test selected level does not work. Error from ZSNES: "Unable to load from Save State 99."

More findings to come.
Treasure Hunter
Bananas received 41
Posts: 329
Joined: 2009

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Kingizor » June 7th, 2011, 7:05 am

1. // The 32x32 Grid option... ^ ;
2. After editing for a while the "edit collectibles" panel seems to break. When selected it covers the display in all black. Restarting the program as well as deleting the configuration file and registry keys does nothing. Opening an unmodified rom seems to fix this, but not always.

Can anyone reveal the functions of the mysterious greyed out buttons?
DKCRE.jpg
DKCRE.jpg (13.35 KiB) Viewed 206256 times


Another thing.... :lol:
Trailblazer
Bananas received 77
Posts: 248
Joined: 2010

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » June 7th, 2011, 7:47 am

VideoViking wrote:View -> 32x32 Grid menu selection does not work. The keyboard shortcut Ctrl + G does.
I found this shortcut to be quite shaky but it went away during one of the compiles. I guess it's back again. Arrgh!

VideoViking wrote:Test selected level does not work. Error from ZSNES: "Unable to load from Save State 99."
You must have the path for where ZSNES looks for savestates, not a custom path.

kingizor wrote:After editing for a while the "edit collectibles" panel seems to break. When selected it covers the display in all black.
OK, this has to be a legitimate bug. I'll put this on the to-solve list. There's probably some broken code regarding to the swap-out of that panel, or something. I'm not sure what is causing it, but I'm almost certain that it's related to a bug within NitroGUI, not DKCRE per se.

kingizor wrote:Can anyone reveal the functions of the mysterious greyed out buttons?
Spoiler!
LevelEditorToolbarItemDescriptions.png
Should have put this in the ZIP file...
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby MP201 » June 7th, 2011, 8:17 am

HellFire wrote:2- When i pressed F1, it did opened the help file in the browser, the problem is that it kept opening new tabs with that help page infinitely, it stopped when i clicked back to DKCRE, maybe its the browser i'm using (Opera)?
I have no idea, it's probably opera or something, or maybe one of your OS settings. It worked fine when I tested it multiple times using Firefox.[/quote]

I too have this problem. I use Google Chrome and Windows XP Home, Service Pack 3, if that information helps.

Also, pardon my ignorance, but is it possible to add new objects, or just move and edit those that already exist?
Newcomer
Posts: 9
Joined: 2010

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » June 7th, 2011, 8:22 am

You can currently only edit existing objects with v0060.

One of the next planned features I have in mind is dynamic object allocation, but this will require a large rework of the object classes, so I didn't attempt to add it in for v0060 due tome wanting to get the program released.

You can modify the amount of objects through hard manual hacking if you really need to. ;)
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby SimianSegue » June 7th, 2011, 8:32 am

When I try to use my ZSNES link it doesn't work. Also, maybe in a future version you could add SNES9X support?
Trailblazer
Bananas received 4
Posts: 260
Joined: 2011

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » June 7th, 2011, 8:41 am

SimianSegue wrote:When I try to use my ZSNES link it doesn't work.
VideoViking and I are currently try to work this out, discussing via AIM. We haven't figured out what is going wrong yet. Kingizor, can you use the AutoLaunch feature?

SimianSegue wrote:Also, maybe in a future version you could add SNES9X support?
Quite probable. Don't know for sure yet.
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Markster » June 7th, 2011, 8:46 am

I can't believe im in the credits of this program, that's awesome, what did i help you with anyway?
Expedition Leader
Bananas received 37
Posts: 1050
Joined: 2010

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » June 7th, 2011, 9:09 am

Markster wrote:I can't believe im in the credits of this program, that's awesome, what did i help you with anyway?
INI entries, it was some of the stuff you've done relating to hacks. Helped with finding some of the object digits if I recall correctly.
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Markster » June 7th, 2011, 9:20 am

DKC Atlas forum has been so active today, i think its because DKCRE 0.0.6.0 got released, and DKCRE murders DK Edit, i think your a god at programming.
Expedition Leader
Bananas received 37
Posts: 1050
Joined: 2010

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Kingizor » June 7th, 2011, 9:39 am

Simion32 wrote:Kingizor, can you use the AutoLaunch feature?


Yes, no problems there as far as I can tell.
Trailblazer
Bananas received 77
Posts: 248
Joined: 2010

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » June 7th, 2011, 9:48 am

Simion32 wrote:
SimianSegue wrote:When I try to use my ZSNES link it doesn't work.
VideoViking and I are currently try to work this out, discussing via AIM.
Autolaunch is NOT broken...

You need to set ZSNES up for Autolaunch properly before it will work with ZSNES:

1. In ZSNES, go to [Config > Paths] and type in your saves path into the SAVES box on this screen. Exit ZSNES.
2. Now type in your autolaunch paths as usual, making sure the savestate path is the same thing entered for the SAVES path in ZSNES.
3. Profit!!
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby SimianSegue » June 7th, 2011, 12:39 pm

Thank you very much Simion, I am so glad this is working and it is really simple too!
Trailblazer
Bananas received 4
Posts: 260
Joined: 2011

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby WAZ__Up » June 7th, 2011, 3:31 pm

I was so looking forward to this!!!

But everytime I try to open the program I get an error message saying "Failure Setting Windowed Graphics Mode. Unable to find a suitable graphics driver."

WHY CANT I HAVE NICE THINGS?!?
Trainee Trekker
Posts: 59
Joined: 2009

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Mattrizzle » June 7th, 2011, 3:51 pm

I've spent a long time trying to think of a statement that would do this justice, but by now you should already know how much I appreciate this project. ;)

I haven't found any bugs other than ones already mentioned, so I guess that's a good sign.

(To anyone having trouble with AutoLaunch: DKCRE doesn't seem to permit relative paths. When I changed my savestates path in ZSNES from "\Saves" to the absolute path "C:\Program Files\zsnesw151\Saves," it started working.)

I did notice a few things in the DKCv10U.INI file that could be improved, though. Thankfully, most of these can easily be changed.

In the PalEdit16CategoryList section, a few of the object palettes addresses are off by a couple of bytes.
3C834E = arrow sign **Should be 3C8350**
3C869A = Squidge **Should be 3C8698**
3C870E = animal crate, moss-lined barrel **Should be 3C8710**

Some other object palettes (mostly beta/unused) appear to be missing as well:
3C8208 = brown gradient [BETA]
3C8332 = Alternate Bananas? [BETA]
3C83E6 = Alternate Tire? [BETA]
3C8620 = five shades of yellow, five shades of grey [BETA]
3C86B6 = grey-to-white gradient [BETA]
3C8800 = orange rope? [BETA]
3C892C = Butterfly, Purple and Yellow *
3C894A = Butterfly, Pink and Yellow *
3C8968 = Butterfly, Gold and Yellow *
3C8986 = Butterfly, Azure and Red *
3C89FE = Coal Elevators
3C8A94 = Alternate STOP Barrel? [BETA]
3C8B0C = Puftup [BETA]
3C8C56 = solid white [BETA]
3C8C74 = Whale (Picture Frame in Treehouse)
3C8E36 = Alternate Cranky Kong? [BETA]
3C8E72 = Spelling Bee Bonus Golden Letters, Dark **

* = Only missing from PalEdit16CategoryList
** = Missing from PalEdit16CategoryList, ExtractionMode_PaletteNames, and the DKCv10Uspr2pal.dat file

The KONG letters actually use different sprite values than the Spelling Bee Bonus letters, but the overrides are using the latter instead of the former.
{A551|01021988……………………………} = Golden Letter, K **Should be 1950**
{A55D|01021998……………………………} = Golden Letter, O **Should be 1954**
{A569|01021994……………………………} = Golden Letter, N **Should be 1958**
{A575|01021978……………………………} = Golden Letter, G **Should be 195C**

Also, I think it would be a good idea to make the animation script pointer table location configurable in the INI, just like the sprite pointer table. I'm currently working on patches which add/edit animation scripts. DKCRE immediately crashes when I go to a level with objects, because I moved the aforementioned table to a different bank.
Veteran Venturer
Bananas received 222
Posts: 559
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Cosmicman » June 7th, 2011, 3:56 pm

I was able to test it for a little bit and I was really impressed, i knew it would be this good! I loved how I was able to create some glitches when putting multiple bosses in the same level :lol: , sadly I have to work early tomorrow, but I will test it everyday and post whatever I find that can help this project.

Just a few things I noticed, the program is so easy to use, I didn't have to spend more than 2 minutes to figure out what every button does, its lightning fast, its visually appealing, beautiful choice of colors and icons, to me its perfect as it sits, so I can only imagine this will get even better with time, specially when I get my hands on DCK 2.

I know this is a work in progress and I don't know if its in future plans but there's a few things that can make life easier for us lazy people :mrgreen: I was thinking it would be visually better and faster to use small icons for each enemy class or object class instead of the drop down letter menu, or even an icon drop down menu would be sweet if there is any visual space issue with the icons. Also right clicking to delete tiles or objects while on the corresponding editor panel would be a nice touch instead of going back to the first tile and placing it over the tiles you want to delete, an undo and redo button would be awesome too, seems like there is plenty of space on the icons bar and I didn't see those in the bar you posted earlier.

I'm one of those guys that rather use Snes9x, but I was able to save the files and open them on Snes9x flawlessly.

Overall I would sum it up with a big thank you and keep up the good work.
Treasure Hunter
Bananas received 103
Posts: 326
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » June 7th, 2011, 5:56 pm

Thank you everyone for all your kind words! :)

I plan on releasing a ZIP of v0.0.6.1 once all the major bugs we know so far have been rooted out. :geek:

BUGS KILLED SO FAR:
  • 32x32 Grid now works trough all 3 ways: keyboard shortcut Ctrl + G, the menu, and the button on the tiles panel. Was a NitroGUI bug.
  • Save reporting logic was reversed, causing DKCRE to spit out save failure messages on success and vice-versa.
  • Some of the core logic in BFA was screwed up, causing calls to Flush(); to change the last opened file path.
  • The ".bak" file saved upon open of a clean ROM was incorrectly using a function that is SUPPOSED to change the filepath. OOPS.
MINOR UPDATES:
  • Updated the INI and "DKCv10Uspr2pal.dat" as per Mattrizzle's post; INI version is now v2.01, to be included in the v0.0.6.1 download.
  • Updated GameData class and added INI entries "AnimationScriptBank" and "AnimationScriptTable" as suggested by Mattrizzle.
  • Removed some redundant code lines in BFA double-changing the last opened file path when calling OpenAs(); or SaveAs();

EDIT: Also attempted a fix at the infinite-tabs F1 issue. I don't know if it can be fixed, but hopefully my single line of code did the trick: override the key state as soon as NitroGUI detects the press, so that DKCRE does not pause waiting for the browser with its key states stuck.
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Qyzbud » June 7th, 2011, 11:18 pm

This is absolutely, breathtakingly wonderful. I could cry. :cry:

Before I even downloaded and tested this release, I posted the news to Twitter, Facebook and the DKC Atlas homepage. Now that I've actually seen it in action, marvelled at its slick design and functionality, and confirmed that it works practically PERFECTLY... I can't help but feel my level-headed reporting didn't do it justice.

What you're crafting here is truly a work of genius, a thing of beauty, and the start of endless creative potential for the DKC gaming community.

I will do what I can to promote this project, and will be working hard over the next few weeks to improve DKC Atlas - the Projects section in particular. The DKC Resource Editor deserves to be hosted and promoted with style and enthusiasm!

Thank you, Simion... and keep up the incredible work. ;)
Atlas Author
Bananas received 682
Posts: 3228
Joined: 2008

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Markster » June 8th, 2011, 1:56 am

I have been so amazed by this program, it has the most beautiful GUI i have ever seen, it has object icons, you can move objects without using dumb X, and y values, its seems more powerful than DK Edit, with DK Edit, all my object would not appear at all, and with DKCRE, it seems to appear, it has easy object access, there is an extraction and a palette editor with it, and its in english... Wow, this program rocks!!! *Deletes DK Edit from my hard disk drive*
Expedition Leader
Bananas received 37
Posts: 1050
Joined: 2010

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby hellschatt » June 8th, 2011, 5:05 am

AWESOME! This made me happy after all those disappointing E3 press conferences. :D
Newcomer
Posts: 3
Joined: 2009

Re: DKC Resource Editor

Postby Simion32 » June 8th, 2011, 5:11 am

You're quite welcome, Qyzbud. 8-)

Hey guise: Hold the G key while moving objects and see what happens. ;)

I'm currently trying to find that blasted panel bug, but it hasn't reproduced itself yet. I might have to attempt a blind fix.

EDIT: I'd like to report that all of the uploads that were on CFHWorld dot com have been moved to DKC Atlas, because his site has been hacked once again (it's very inactive).
Sage of Discovery
Bananas received 337
Posts: 2746
Joined: 2008

PreviousNext

Return to DKC Resource Editor

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest