Topic: Developing FF4kster: a comprehensive editor for FF4

[chillyfeez]

Unfortunately, yousei's editor only edits map formation, so there isn't likely to be any information to be mined about tile graphics from it.

I have a theory, though, that changing the 7Fxx data that JCE3000GT listed here to match those of version 1.0 would allow one to edit map formation in a 1.1 ROM with yousei's editor. Map formation data are in the same place in both versions, but if you try to open 1.1 in yousei's editor, it tells you it's the wrong ROM. I always wondered how it knew. JCE may have answered that for me...

[Vehek]

Why does everyone consider the world map tiles a mystery? I guess nobody paid proper attention to what I said about them last year in the overworld data thread. They're 4BPP, but not the type you're probably familiar with. In Tile Molester it's "4BPP linear, reverse-order", and other tile viewers may call it "GBA 4BPP".
Edit:
Tile Layer Pro calls the format simply "GBA".

[chillyfeez]

...That may clear it up.

I saw what you wrote however long ago that was, Vehek, but it didn't make any sense to me because TLP doesn't have the setting you told me to look for... So I figured my inability to see them was simply a function of my graphics novice... Which is probably true anyway, but this clarification is probably what I was missing.

 
Yep, that did it. GBA format, and per yousei's doc, E8200. Clear as day.
Thanks, Vehek.

[avalanche]

Whew!  That was going to be a lot of staring at assembly to figure out.  I'll have to find another challenge to earn that giant "like" icon.

[Pinkpuff]

So the location of the overworld tile graphics has been found    ... but it's stored in a strange format so I need to code a totally new graphic reading routine 

Oh well, at least we're on our way to a complete overworld editor!! May as well get started 

[Grimoire LD]

So I've been doing a little more testing with AI and I think I found the function of Command F8, it looks to either be a debugging setup or possibly a remnant of an earlier setup to show when a given monster is acting (if this is in their AI script), it's not complete though as it will only display the name for the first enemy of each group, after that it will display blank for the remaining enemies in the group. Command F7 at 0 is a Screen Darkening function, it's only used in the King Eblan script. I've had no luck figuring out F8 or FA though.

[Pinkpuff]

I think I found the function of Command F8, ... I've had no luck figuring out F8

Is one of these supposed to be F6?

[Grimoire LD]

I think I found the function of Command F8, ... I've had no luck figuring out F8

Is one of these supposed to be F6?

...Yes, haha! F6 and FA are still unknown to me.

[Pinkpuff]

New WIP version uploaded. Fixed some of the graphical glitches in the monster editor (as well as the formation index off-by-1 issue) and see if you can spot the change to the map editor 

[avalanche]

As for the F0 command (Change Graphic), does anybody know what makes some monsters change with a different effect?  I don't see anything different in the AI scripts.  A few examples:

- Flickers between two graphics as it changes (Mist Dragon, Octomamm, Kainazzo, Valvalis)
- Changes instantly (Girl's Titan, K+Q Eblan, even Asura is instant though there are 4x change gfx commands)
- Shakes for a moment, then changes instantly (Bahamut, Leviatan)
- Changes palette, shakes for a moment, then changes instantly (MomBomb)

I tried looking for a pattern in the unknown bits of the monsters, but no luck.

[Grimoire LD]

You added in layer 2 background support and it looks rather fantastic! Though when you go to highlight an area while in Maps the cursor never clears properly and there are then white boxes all over the map.

Enemy AI editing also seems to look clearner rather than the remnant of boxes spread all about.

[Pinkpuff]

Though when you go to highlight an area while in Maps the cursor never clears properly and there are then white boxes all over the map.

Ack! Right you are... not sure what caused that... So I seem to have traded one set of graphical glitches for another.

[chillyfeez]

As for the F0 command (Change Graphic), does anybody know what makes some monsters change with a different effect?  I don't see anything different in the AI scripts.  A few examples:

- Flickers between two graphics as it changes (Mist Dragon, Octomamm, Kainazzo, Valvalis)
- Changes instantly (Girl's Titan, K+Q Eblan, even Asura is instant though there are 4x change gfx commands)
- Shakes for a moment, then changes instantly (Bahamut, Leviatan)
- Changes palette, shakes for a moment, then changes instantly (MomBomb)

I tried looking for a pattern in the unknown bits of the monsters, but no luck.

... And doesn't Lugae shoot up into the air in human form and come back down as a skeleton? Maybe I'm just imagining that...
As for Mombomb... I know for sure that there is not a second "special size" with an alternate palette, like there is with K. and Q. Eblan.
While we're on the subject of the Eblans... Are you sure they don't flicker into their new palette? I thought I remembered that, but memory is a funny thing... Especially mine when it comes to this game, apparently (I'm sure Grimoire LD has a secret running list somewhere of everything I've thought I remembered on this forum that he showed me I was wrong about).

Anyway, no. I have no idea what causes the difference in animation there. Would be interesting to find out though.

[Pinkpuff]

Fixed the cursor issue. 

[Pinkpuff]

Ok so with regard to the 4bpp encoding of the overworld tiles, is it this?:

11. 4BPP Game Gear/Sega Master System/Wonderswan Color
  Colors Per Tile - 0-15
  Space Used - 4 bits per pixel.  32 bytes per 8x8 tile.

  Note: This is a tiled, linear bitmap format.
  Each pair represents one byte
  Format:

  [r0, bp1], [r0, bp2], [r0, bp3], [r0, bp4], [r1, bp1], [r1, bp2], [r1, bp3], [r1, bp4]
  [r2, bp1], [r2, bp2], [r2, bp3], [r2, bp4], [r3, bp1], [r3, bp2], [r3, bp3], [r3, bp4]
  [r4, bp1], [r4, bp2], [r4, bp3], [r4, bp4], [r5, bp1], [r5, bp2], [r5, bp3], [r5, bp4]
  [r6, bp1], [r6, bp2], [r6, bp3], [r6, bp4], [r7, bp1], [r7, bp2], [r7, bp3], [r7, bp4]

  Short Description:

  Bitplanes 1, 2, 3, and 4 are intertwined and stored row by row.

Or this?:

12. 4BPP Genesis/x68k
  Colors Per Tile - 0-15
  Space Used - 4 bits per pixel.  32 bytes per 8x8 tile.

  Note: This is a tiled, big Endian, linear format.
  Each pair represents one byte
  Format:

  [p1-2 r0: bp*], [p2-3 r0: bp*], [p4-5 r1: bp*], [p6-7 r1: bp*]
  [p1-2 r2: bp*], [p2-3 r2: bp*], [p4-5 r3: bp*], [p6-7 r3: bp*]
  [p1-2 r4: bp*], [p2-3 r4: bp*], [p4-5 r5: bp*], [p6-7 r5: bp*]
  [p1-2 r6: bp*], [p2-3 r6: bp*], [p4-5 r7: bp*], [p6-7 r7: bp*]

  Short Description:

  Bitplanes 1, 2, 3, and 4 are intertwined and stored pixel by pixel.

     BPP:  Bits per pixel.

     Xth Bitplane: Tells how many bitplanes deep the pixel or row is; the top layer
          is the first bitplane, the one below that is the second, and so on.

     [rC: bpD]: row number C (0-7 in a 8x8 tile), bitplane number D (starting at 1).

     [pA-B rC: bpD]: pixels A-B (leftmost pixel is 0), row number C (0-7 in a 8x8 tile),
          bitplane number D (starting at 1. bp* means it's a linear format and stores the
          bitplanes one after another bp 1 to bp Max.)

Or is it something else entirely? Or is that unknown as of yet?