Flex 2

Discussion in 'Utilities' started by snkenjoi, Nov 19, 2017.

  1. snkenjoi

    snkenjoi Well-Known Member Member

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    Flex 2 is a multi-purpose art and mapping editor for the Sega Megadrive.

    Key improvements in V2;

    • desktop version
    • project files
    • sexy flexible UI layout
    • custom mapping formats
    • undo / redo
    • ability to draw directly on sprites
    • multiple heuristics for spritesheet importing
    • full access to dplc/mapping data

    Various other additions have been made - a usage guide can be found in the documentation.

    download
    source code / report issues

    The first version will likely have a flurry of various bugs or other issues. Bear with me and I'll try and keep on top of them.
     
  2. LuigiXHero

    LuigiXHero Well-Known Member Member

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    How does Sprite Sheet importing work? It detects the entire sheet as a single sprite no matter which one I try.
     
  3. Devon

    Devon You are the perfect drug Member

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    [​IMG]

    Mappings set to S3K format, art loaded with KosM compression, and entire palette loaded in all 4 lines. Supposed to be spring mappings, which appear fine in SonMapEd, but are loaded as a broken mess here.
     
  4. snkenjoi

    snkenjoi Well-Known Member Member

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    You need a minimum separation distance of at least one tile between sprites. (Need to add that to the readme)

    seems to work for me;

    [​IMG]

    wanna send me the assets you're using so I can see what's up?
     
  5. warr1or2

    warr1or2 I AM CLG Member

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    will it be able to use different compressed mappings?
    willing to give this a shot myself
     
  6. snkenjoi

    snkenjoi Well-Known Member Member

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    I was not aware of any mapping formats that are compressed. There is rudimentary support for custom mapping formats that may be expanded in future.

    If you mean art compressing it supports everything the KENSC library supports.
     
  7. warr1or2

    warr1or2 I AM CLG Member

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    title foreground's mappings are Enigma
     
  8. Devon

    Devon You are the perfect drug Member

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    This is a sprite map editor only, and not a plane map editor, if I'm not mistaken.
     
  9. snkenjoi

    snkenjoi Well-Known Member Member

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    Plane mappings are a potential future feature - it depends if this program gathers enough momentum through use to expand into other areas.
     
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  10. EMK-20218

    EMK-20218 The Fuss Maker Exiled

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    Glad to see those heavy javascript'd stuff are finally gone. Also, it's good to see the 64-bit operating systems are receiving their deserved love from the romhacking tools.
     
  11. snkenjoi

    snkenjoi Well-Known Member Member

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    Bugfix release - 0.0.4

    Fixed a bug where imported sprites would be one pixel too short and wide. redownload

    Flex 2 is 100% javascript.
     
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  12. EMK-20218

    EMK-20218 The Fuss Maker Exiled

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    Oh, sorry. I didn't expressed it well. I was refering to the need of opening the java console to load the program. You made it using a executable file, so there's no need to open a browser to run the tool. I'm very thankful for this, particularly.
     
  13. snkenjoi

    snkenjoi Well-Known Member Member

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    Ah I getcha. Yeah - a desktop version was the number one requested feature from the first version.
     
  14. snkenjoi

    snkenjoi Well-Known Member Member

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    Latest release is now 0.0.5

    Fixes a bug where spritesheets without a surrounding empty border import as a single sprite. (thanks Lil-G)
     
  15. MainMemory

    MainMemory Well-Known Member Member

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    EMK-20218 and ProjectFM like this.
  16. FireRat

    FireRat Do Not Interact With This User, Anywhere!!! Exiled

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    Why does both Flex and Flex 2 send data to Google Analytics, without any mention of it on the documentation? (or this is what it seems like, correct me if wrong please)
    I see it's explicitly stated in a Source Code revision at Github but, "researchers" aside, in all honesty for any general user, "Documentation > Source code" (from their tools, at least). Not only that, but it just feels kind of shady that an executable, offline program without even any kind of ToS is sending our data to a hacker and Google; I'd understand it from any webpage on the internet (or even the web version of Flex), but only because I can actually expect this kind of stuff on the internet (where anything could happen) so I have an opportunity to configure my stuff as I see fit.

    EDIT: By the way, not trying to mean anything "evil" from snkenjoi's part here, it's Google who concern me the most.
    Screw Google.
     
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2017
  17. snkenjoi

    snkenjoi Well-Known Member Member

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    thanks for opening github issues for these

    removed google analytics

    latest release is 0.0.6
     
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  18. ProjectFM

    ProjectFM Optimistic and self-dependent Member

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    I tried importing some art into Flex to and it ended up importing with some errors with the pixel placement. Thinking it was no big deal, I fixed the art. However, exporting the art results in it being wrong, as shown in SonMapED. DPLCs are being used, in case that's important.
    Problem.png
     
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  19. snkenjoi

    snkenjoi Well-Known Member Member

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    So Flex 2 applies many optimizations to mappings and DPLCs that SonMapEd just does not support, and this breaks compatibility with it for the sake of better filesizes and fewer DPLC requests.

    If it displays fine in Flex 2, it should display fine in game - you cannot rely on SonMapEd to accurately render all forms of mapping and DPLCs.

    Try using it in game and see what happens. If you are still having trouble you can share the assets with me to see if I can reproduce it.
     
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  20. ProjectFM

    ProjectFM Optimistic and self-dependent Member

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    I'm pretty sure these are art issues, though. I've been having issues, but I'll try get it to show up in game so I can find out if it is still messed up.