Announcement: DKC level editor

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Announcement: DKC level editor

Postby Gabriel » July 29th, 2008, 9:44 am

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.
Attachments
gangplank.PNG
Gangplank Galleon
gangplank.PNG (113.75 KiB) Viewed 27806 times
jungle.PNG
Jungle Hijinx
jungle.PNG (163.98 KiB) Viewed 27805 times
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Re: Announcement: DKC level editor

Postby Simion32 » July 29th, 2008, 9:49 am

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. :|
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Re: Announcement: DKC level editor

Postby Gabriel » July 29th, 2008, 12:09 pm

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.
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Re: Announcement: DKC level editor

Postby Simion32 » July 29th, 2008, 12:17 pm

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.
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Re: Announcement: DKC level editor

Postby Gabriel » July 29th, 2008, 1:31 pm

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.
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Re: Announcement: DKC level editor

Postby Simion32 » July 29th, 2008, 1:45 pm

I understood what you were saying, and I have no idea how it interprets the data either. :?
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Re: Announcement: DKC level editor

Postby Gabriel » August 9th, 2008, 11:53 am

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.
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Re: Announcement: DKC level editor

Postby Qyzbud » August 20th, 2008, 12:33 am

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

Postby Gabriel » August 21st, 2008, 12:54 pm

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.PNG
Camera scrolls ahead
camera.PNG (59.16 KiB) Viewed 27516 times

Anyway, here are some more screenshots of the editor.
animal_token_room.PNG
animal token room
animal_token_room.PNG (199.2 KiB) Viewed 27515 times

factory_object_map.PNG
oil drumb ally
factory_object_map.PNG (129.34 KiB) Viewed 27513 times
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Re: Announcement: DKC level editor

Postby Gabriel » August 21st, 2008, 1:00 pm

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.
millstonemayhem.PNG
Object editing
millstonemayhem.PNG (157.87 KiB) Viewed 27506 times
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Re: Announcement: DKC level editor

Postby Qyzbud » August 21st, 2008, 2:30 pm

Looking pretty cool!

Gabriel wrote: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.
Qyzbud wrote: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 wrote: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...
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Re: Announcement: DKC level editor

Postby Gabriel » August 21st, 2008, 9:39 pm

Here you go. I hope to understand how this data actually works sometime soon.
hijinxend.PNG
"secret" tire
hijinxend.PNG (29.59 KiB) Viewed 27433 times
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Re: Announcement: DKC level editor

Postby Qyzbud » August 21st, 2008, 10:10 pm

Very cool. 8-)

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. :D

Good luck working out how it all works, I'd be very interested to hear about any further discoveries!
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Re: Announcement: DKC level editor

Postby Markster » August 23rd, 2010, 10:34 am

Cool, when it gonna be finished?
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Re: Announcement: DKC level editor

Postby Simion32 » August 23rd, 2010, 11:57 am

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. :roll:

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