Basic Questions and Answers Thread

OK, so I got a bit further because of the topic you linked to. I got it to show the numbers on random objects and I believe they are correct, but how do I edit the mappings? I am kinda confused about that, and any help would be appreciated.

 

I think its in object 85 the fz boss, there should be something that locks sonic's control. At least I think its for him, so if you find it, remove it or do a comment, and you should be able to move sonic freely. The event that makes you go to the ending maybe in there as well but I'm not sure.

 

Search the internet, guides and forum threads for your answer. The spindash guide is also a good option as it explains the format.

 

Yeah, I understand the format a bit more now, but what file is it? I think it's _maps/obj21.asm, but I might (and probably am ) be wrong.

 

Yes, the mapping file for the HUD is _maps\obj21.asm.

 

While I don't know everything you've changed since you've followed Markey's instructions, I can't find anywhere in your code that actually measures millliseconds. What I see you using for the values on the millisecond counter is a straight read of $FFFFFE25, but that byte will always be between 0 and 59 (decimal). Milliseconds need to go up to 999. Your code suggests that when the timer shows 59 milliseconds (e.g. 1:23:059), the very next frame will change the seconds (1:24:000). I'm pretty sure that's not what you were intending. With milliseconds, the last three digits on your timer should be _00, _17, _33, _50, _67, or _83. Filling in the blank with any digit creates 60 possibilities, exactly the amount of possibilities as can be in $FFFFFE25 and the amount of frames displayed per second, and you can just create the ASM equivalent of a hash table to map those 60 values to the 60 millisecond displays.


If I can make a suggestion, though... milliseconds are overkill. If you use centiseconds (1:23:45), instead of making a hash table, you can just make a check for four digits that shouldn't be in the ones place (across tens, that's forty centiseconds), and add one to it any time those digits crop up to leave only 60 possibilities to show across 60 frames. It also requires two fewer 8x8 tiles.

Spoiler

YES THIS POST IS SATIRICALLY ASSUMING THAT THE TERM "MILLISECONDS" WASN'T USED ERRONEOUSLY LIKE IT ALWAYS IS. The methods provided should actually work, though.

 

Fuck. I was intending on centiseconds, but I thought it was the wrong term and I didn't have a dictionary at hand. After all, it's summer break


I changed my code to what is written on the topic Markey pointed me to, but I still don't see a free VRAM adress across the entire game while the HUD is on screen and how to edit the mappings.

 

Spoiler

Fuck. I was intending on centiseconds, but I thought it was the wrong term and I didn't have a dictionary at hand. After all, it's summer break


I changed my code to what is written on the topic Markey pointed me to, but I still don't see a free VRAM adress across the entire game while the HUD is on screen and how to edit the mappings.

OK, sorry for the double-post, but I got it to display the centiseconds on Sonic's head, but I don't understand the mappings for the HUD. I opened the HUD mappings file but I don't know which array is the Time mappings, since they all look the same to me. Also, I need a free VRAM adress that I can fit the two centisecond digits in.

 

There are basically two kinds of displaying modes for objects, the screen (for things like HUD and title cards) and the level itself. There's also a third one, but that seems to be unused (has to do something with backgrounds).


You will need to either set or unset bit #3 (maybe #2, but I'm pretty sure it was #3) of SST $1 for the object:



bset #3,$1(a0) ; set to level positioning (e.g. Rings, etc.)

bclr #3,$1(a0) ; set to screen positioning (HUD, Title Cards)



Just remember something: You know $8 is for the X-position and $C for the Y-position. $8 stays unchanged, but instead of $C you gotta use $A when you are in the screen positioning mode.

 

I think you misunderstood me. I used a wrong VRAM adress and it was overwriting Sonic's art tiles. I didn't think I had to code an extra object for the ring display, or can I just edit the mappings? I just don't get the format of the mappings file and I can't find any free VRAM to use. Also, did anyone ever get Gens to build successfully on OS X? I can't seem to do it. Also, how can I change what VRAM location an object loads its art from? I need to know because I have water in Green Hill.

 

Got a quick question on xm4smps combatibilty. I was wonderind if anyone knows of a problem getting xm4smps to work on windows 7? when I open any xm and convert, it always freezes and sais not responding(although its probly something wrong with my computer). I didn't have this problem with vista, and also xm3smps oerg's version crashes with an error on start up. Although again proberly just some crap that my computer won't allow it to run for some reason.

 

You're using a newer version of ModPlugTracker, which adds some stuff the converter doesn't like.


Revert to an older verison, or use an alternative tracker, such as MilkyTracker.

 

hm... how odd I used the same version of modplugtracker on vista and didn't get this problem.... I guess I need to find and older version that still allows me to convert to xm using it. Thanks daleksam.

 

Alternatively, if that doesn't fix it, you're going to want to use xm4smps in compatibility mode, preferrably in Windows 98 mode. If that isn't working, xm3smps/oerg should work.

 

I need help for a simple problem. I want to make a level background in my hack not scroll.


It's the same effect as Death Egg Zone's backgrounds.


Can someone explain how to change scrolling, and deal with BG deformations?

 

3 problems I'm dealing with at the moment:


1. I was trying to add the Sonic 1 Motobug, but I'm trying to figure out that if Sonic 1 uses SpeedtoPos, then what would Sonic 2 use for this?


2. I'm trying hard to get the PLCs for Sonic 2's Wood Zone, but it won't show up. (I looked at the VRAM using Tile Layer Pro.) What should I do to get it up in the VRAM?


3. It said in Sonic Retro that most of the GFX in Chaotix 1207 is uncompressed. But when I opened the rom using Tile Layer Pro and used the Sega Genesis format, it all looks compressed. Why did this happen?

 

Depending on what level it is for, if was ghz for example, there are values that you can increase\decrease to have it scroll more or less. This would be in deform_ghz, deform_mz etc. And there are things like scrollblock so you could remove them aswell so it doesn't scroll certain parts of the bg.

 

Sonic 2 uses ObjectMove

 

Thanks for the first one, MAXXX309.


Here's another problem:

Code:

macro assembler 1.42 Beta [Bld 55]

(i386-unknown-win32)

(C) 1992,2007 Alfred Arnold

68RS08-Generator (C) 2006 Andreas Bolsch

Mitsubishi M16C-Generator also (C) 1999 RMS

XILINX KCPSM(Picoblaze)-Generator (C) 2003 Andreas Wassatsch

TMS320C2x-Generator (C) 1994/96 Thomas Sailer

TMS320C5x-Generator (C) 1995/96 Thomas Sailer



assembling s2.asm

PASS 1

s2.macrosetup.asm(201)

> > >s2.asm(57519): error: symbol double defined

> > > MARKOBJGONE

> > > MarkObjGone:

s2.sounddriver.asm(2807)

s2.asm(88153)

4.40 seconds assembly time



  91161 lines source file

 120442 lines incl. macro expansions

	  1 pass

	  1 error

	  0 warnings

Press any key to continue . . .

How do I fix this?

 

You defined the symbol MarkObjGone multiple times. Look on line 57519 and see if the symbol is defined there, or if it's a mistake.