Topic: Announcing: FF4Tools

[Phoenix]

I've made two minor updates to the tools:

1. Changed the Dialogue/Name Editor txt file to include all 6-digit offsets. This helps line up the cursor properly when hitting return in the middle of a piece of text.

2. I added in the tile number under the "Selected Tile" for the Location Map Editor.

Since they're very minor edits, I didn't change the version number at all. I would recommend re-downloading if you're using it. Also, I've submitted it to RHDN, so it should appear there soon along with a news announcement.

[Dragonsbrethren]

I haven't used the event editor extensively until today, and I'm having a bit of a problem with it. It works fine for me as long as I'm adding to the end of an event. If I go to, say, the third line down and try to insert a new line by hitting enter there (or just typing), it does not work as I'd expect it to. A blank space is made briefly, and the cursor drops down to the next line, but no area is created that I can type into without messing up one of the existing commands. Basically, there doesn't seem to be any way to add a new command in the middle of an event, except for cutting everything that comes after where you want it, typing it in, and then pasting all of that back it.

[Phoenix]

What browser are you using? At least in my tests with Safari and Firefox (and I think Opera) you can insert a line by hitting return after typing the hex data in the textarea. (Basically, by hitting return in between the hex data and its text description.) I made it this way so you could type in hex data and then hit return, without having to move the cursor all the way to the end of the line.

If you look in the instructions, I put in a line saying, "In the 'Text' box, you only need to hit return after typing in just the hex data. This will move you to the next line." Give that a try, and let me know if it doesn't work. However, there is one caveat: you have to hit return at least two spaces before the text description. Also, here's a tip I used before hitting return worked: if you triple-click a line to select it you can cut and paste it wherever, then edit the hex in that line. Sometimes that's quicker.

Sorry it's a little buggy, that's the only way I could get the translate-as-you-type working. Would it be better to have a button that you need to hit before it's translated? I'm planning on doing this in my ASM interpreter when I get that ported over to Javascript, because it's just too much of a hassle to get it working the other way.

[Dragonsbrethren]

Oh, I didn't realize you had to hit enter when between the hex and text. I was trying at the start of a line (I was going to the line I wanted the new command on and hitting enter, expecting it to push the existing command down to the next line and making a blank line where I wanted the next command). The way it works now is fine, I just didn't realize it had to be done that way.

[Dragonsbrethren]

I have another little suggestion: Use a dark color for the background of the map editor (or make it selectable). It's almost impossible to see some of the tiles in the cave tileset on my monitors unless I turn the contrast down really low and make everything look faded. I edited my copy to have a black background, and it made drawing caves so much easier.

[Phoenix]

Sure, that should be pretty easy. I'll make that happen for the next release.

[JCE3000GT]

Suggestions: Make the text box larger so we can see more of the hex bytes listed.  It would be easier to edit by hand if we needed to and plus it makes it easier to see the raw map data.  I'd also like to see the default size to be 16x16 as it is faster to load the graphics in the native resolution. 

I've been using this in Opera with really good results and so far I like it.  Since you are not editing the ROM directly there is almost a zero chance or corrupting the ROM.    That makes me happy.

Also, is it possible to add a feature that can possibly preview palette changes?

http://www.jce3000gt.com/pictures/ff4tools_example.jpg

[Paladin]

I know I haven't posted here in a long time but just wanted to drop in and say this;

THANK YOU Phoenix!

This tool kit is really wonderful. I've been slowly working on a hack over the last year and a half and have been using the tools to do some really incredible stuff I'm not sure I would have considered doing before, mainly the map edits. The GUI map editor makes that very easy.

So far I've replaced or tweaked all the over world towns and many internal places, re-mapped triggers to locations in coordination with edits, and all sorts of other fun stuff. I'm considering re-doing some dungeons but that would take (many more) months to do correctly...

I'm also dumping and re-inserting dialogue and using the dialogue editor has been very helpful. I think I can bring FF-II to be pretty much on par with the FF4A script without expanding the ROM... The original Squaresoft team just did the dialogue way too fast to get the product out...but I digress.

One thing I will say is I kind of like the cut and paste methodology since it forces you to know exactly what you're doing to the ROM and where and makes it easy (IMHO) to not jank the ROM. Sometimes even the best tools that hack on the ROM file itself can often blow the ROM apart because of a bug here or there in the editor's code. Doing it all directly in a hex editor, I've never destroyed a hack (at least not in any way I couldn't repair)...

Anyway...

Thanks again to you Phoenix and every one else around here that's contributed data. I've been able to put together such a good map of the ROM thanks to all your help. One of these days I'll finish a damn hack but until then just Thanks!

...And I suppose this old topic gets the  but if anyone hasn't tried this toolkit yet, DO! 

[Phoenix]

Hey, thanks for the compliments! I've been swamped with work lately, so I haven't been able to work on my hack much, but you make me want to get back to it. Here's hoping that I'll get some time soon!

[JCE3000GT]

Anything new done to the FF4Tools? 

I'm also waiting for people to submit their custom maps so I can archive them on my site.  http://www.jce3000gt.com/ff4_maps.php

[Phoenix]

No, I've been too busy with work for the last few months to even touch anything to do with hacking. Someday I might revamp it, but it'll be a long way off.

[Paladin]

I'm also waiting for people to submit their custom maps so I can archive them on my site.  http://www.jce3000gt.com/ff4_maps.php

I'm actually pretty actively working on my current hack, and I went pretty nuts with the map editor, I even completely remapped an entire dungeon (Tower of Zot) and a number of other places.

I'll be happy to share all the map mods once I release the hack (hopefully by the end of the year). By then it would probably be easier to just apply the IPS and see what maps you like and rip them from the ROM, given that I moved events (doors/room triggers) and sprites around on the maps and other things (tile set changes, palette changes) besides just the tile layout of the maps.

[JCE3000GT]

That sounds good.  You could take screenshots of the maps while in FF4Tools too as well to show what they look like.   

[Paladin]

That sounds good.  You could take screenshots of the maps while in FF4Tools too as well to show what they look like.   

Aight here you be: http://slickproductions.org/forum/index.php?topic=1290.msg15075#msg15075

I'll post some more when I have more time in that topic in there...

[Zozma]

just a quick thing that happened to me. When I was messing with the names in this program, it produced the wrong hex values when i used the character names part of the text editing section... I ended up having to look up the values and put them in one by one myself