DKC Atlas Forum

[Gabriel]

Hello, a littile while ago, I stumbled upon Giangurgolo's docs. I made a simple hack by turning the first gnawty into a mine cart. I thought that I was capable of more. Well, I was. I have an almost complete non-userfriendly level editor made in Multimedia Fusion 2. I am aware that there is a Japanese level editor and that Simon32 is working on one, but I want to finish it now that I have started. Currently, it can edit most level's tilemaps, object maps, and banana maps. It can't edit water levels or slipslide ride. (I was too lazy to rewrite my display routine).
One thing that I need help on is editing the scroll data for most levels. It is briefly stated in the docs, but I can't seem to figure out how the game reads the data.
In the screen shots, the diamonds with "OBJ" on them represent sprites. (enemies, hidden banana bunches, etc)
The diamonds with the banana on them represent banana formations.
If anyone can offer advice on the scroll data, please do, this is the last feature needed before it is bare-bones complete.

[Simion32]

Wow, very nice. I would probably have had quite a bit of trouble doing what I have done so far in MMF2, I'm surprised you got that far!

I also haven't a clue how the scroll data works, so I can't help you there.

[Gabriel]

Damn, if you can't help me, who can?
If I ever do complete it, your name will go into the credits. I useed the tilesets generated by your extractor.

by the way, If you need help prototyping anything for DKCLB, just ask.

[Simion32]

Well eventually I'll end up having to deal with the scrolling/camera data, since I'm making an actual "replica" of the game and not just an editor.

I have a feeling that it's heavily tied into the game's physics. I have done a bit of research on the physics, but I haven't found how it controls the scrolling yet.

The main reason I'm not using MMF2 is that display routines (and everything else for that matter) would get really complicated to edit. I actually own MMF2 so I know what it's like to work with.

[Gabriel]

I don't think I was that clear. I sort of understand the scroll data. Accordind to the docs, Jungle Hijinxs' scroll data starts at x3C977A (with rom header).
Bytes 1 and 2 are the level's start on the tilemap in pixels,
bytes 3 and 4 are the levels ending on the tilemap in pixels.
Bytes 5 and 6 seem to control the camera throughout the level, but I am not exactly sure what they do.
Bytes 7, 8, 9, 10. 11, 12... are 4 byte long "nodes" that seem to determinethe a window for the y-coordinate of the camera and how to scroll in that window. I am not sure what values are used for determining where and how the camera should scroll.

[Simion32]

I understood what you were saying, and I have no idea how it interprets the data either.

[Gabriel]

I thing that I just found something. If I make bytes 5 and 6, 00 7F and replace all of the nodes with 00 00 1F 01, the scroll data for that level gets "blanked" as in the camera always follows the kongs. This has a negative side effect though, the camera won't scroll down to reveal where the player should jump. I'll add a "blank level's scroll data" button. More screenshots soon.

[Qyzbud]

So Gabriel, when you blank out the data you mentioned above, the view will follow the Kongs rigidly, rather than 'flowing' around them dynamically?

[Gabriel]

The camera flows to the kongs. When you run to the right, the camera scrolls right, but a bit ahead of the kongs. (screenie)

Camera scrolls ahead

camera.PNG (59.16 KiB) Viewed 31066 times

Anyway, here are some more screenshots of the editor.

animal token room

animal_token_room.PNG (199.2 KiB) Viewed 31065 times

oil drumb ally

factory_object_map.PNG (129.34 KiB) Viewed 31063 times

[Gabriel]

Behold the [sarcasm] ultra user-friendly [/sarcasm] way to edit objects. Right click on an object and type in the object short then press the "Do" button.

Object editing

millstonemayhem.PNG (157.87 KiB) Viewed 31056 times

[Qyzbud]

Looking pretty cool!

If I make bytes 5 and 6, 00 7F and replace all of the nodes with 00 00 1F 01, the scroll data for that level gets "blanked" as in the camera always follows the kongs. This has a negative side effect though, the camera won't scroll down to reveal where the player should jump.

So Gabriel, when you blank out the data you mentioned above, the view will follow the Kongs rigidly, rather than 'flowing' around them dynamically?

The camera flows to the kongs. When you run to the right, the camera scrolls right, but a bit ahead of the kongs. (screenie)

...so basically the level itself loses influence over the camera's movement, but the dynamics of following the Kongs remains unchanged? If so, that's great; will make level hacks much more flexible. Now we just have to work out how to design custom 'level view pointers' or something like that, so that we can have the view move where we want it to. Cool stuff.

Edit: Hey - go to the end of Jungle Hijinxs, and see if you can see the floating tire when you jump on the exit cave...

[Gabriel]

Here you go. I hope to understand how this data actually works sometime soon.

"secret" tire

hijinxend.PNG (29.59 KiB) Viewed 30983 times

[Qyzbud]

Very cool.

I wonder how different it would feel to play through the game without the camera being influenced by levels... I imagine it would be strange, and some things would be easier/harder to see than they are meant to be. Might be a fun challenge.

Good luck working out how it all works, I'd be very interested to hear about any further discoveries!

[Markster]

Cool, when it gonna be finished?

[Simion32]

MARKSTER, QUIT BUMPING VERY OLD THREADS WHEN YOU HAVE VERY LITTLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE THREAD.
This is your last chance. One more time, and you're getting a temp-ban.

I mean, come on, this thread is 2 years old exactly since the last post before Markster's! It has to be abandoned by now.

Refresh yourself on the rules >>CLICK HERE<<, work on your grammar, and please try not to bump old threads.