.lvl files

[Wil]

That's an interesting spelling of ‘hello’ you have there. You could probably trademark that.

[Chubfish]

Uploading a video for LIJI's Level Editor + some hex editing to make sligs replace mudokons (just to demonstrate the new object properties you can give sligs).

My game crashed on CAM 21 again but I think it's because I editted the hex value of it from a previous MIPATH.bnd.

EDIT:

[LIJI]

Nice
Btw, changing an object ID to 0 does not delete it. It makes it a "Restart Path" checkpoint object. What values did you use for the Sligs that starts running just when you first see it? I don't remember a property I documented doing this! :O

[Chubfish]

Ahhhh, thanks for telling me lol. It just isn't in my list of objects!

It is on mode 3 (Shoot on Enter Screen) and set to chase Abe, Left Pause = 475 and every other value is 0.

I think I gave some Panic lengths of around 300 because other Sligs used that, but just not this one...

[Paul]

Good progress going on here I may have a version of my editor done soon, not giving any ETA since I dunno how much time I can spend on it

[mlg man]

The editor is amazing! Its even fun just trying to find out what the options are!

[LIJI]

Can anyone confirm (Perhaps with the help of my on someone else's save editor) – When you pass through a door you will always lose you ring? (Or fart?)

[mlg man]

No, you only loose it on those doors that had the "No Farts" Sign.

[LIJI]

What about rings? And can you show me a door you can reach legitimately with a fart and doesn't have a NO FARTS sign? (CAM Name)

[mlg man]

Well, every door you go into, that takes you into a different path, you loose your farts and rings.

I think this is just how the engine works. Abe has his atributes in the path, and when he goes to another path, the atributes are reset.

So i don't think doors can remove farts.

[Antanta]

hello all and I hope that will you be able to help me. I'm doing fan made polish localization of AO, but I work on playstation version (PAL). In Poland was released only psx version (sad because on pc version is a little easier).

So I have a little problem. I use Snesedit and I found all text I can translate. (LCD itp) But I must have font file (in order to do polish letters) and backgrounds to edit(menu, tips etc).

The files are almost identical to the pc version (lvl, cam...). But only extractor work fine. Of course, image cam files are different from those on the pc so I can't decompress any cam files and save to bmp.

I ask you Paul, do you can write program to decomprese cam psx files please? Editor to import cam to lvl files work perfect, I only need cam compressor and decompressor. It's very important to me, If you haven't this version of the game i can send you psx lvl files. I'll be very grateful.

[Scraby]

lol i found a disarmed ubx that was blinking green red,i walked over it and it blew

[Wil]

If it was blinking green and red, it wasn't disarmed.

[LIJI]

Well, every door you go into, that takes you into a different path, you loose your farts and rings.

I think this is just how the engine works. Abe has his atributes in the path, and when he goes to another path, the atributes are reset.

So i don't think doors can remove farts.

I don't this this is the case, as there are no-fart doors that move you in the same path file. (They may look like different paths, but the P in the CAM name doesn't change)

@Max - He means UXBs that don't have this rotating thing on them, but are still blinking. I've seen this before, not sure what the reason was.

Anyway, a (somewhat) real level actually created with the level editor!

[Varrok]

Laughing blind muds - nice

[Scraby]

they are even heavyer to slap when they are blind

[Paul]

hello all and I hope that will you be able to help me. I'm doing fan made polish localization of AO, but I work on playstation version (PAL). In Poland was released only psx version (sad because on pc version is a little easier).

So I have a little problem. I use Snesedit and I found all text I can translate. (LCD itp) But I must have font file (in order to do polish letters) and backgrounds to edit(menu, tips etc).

The files are almost identical to the pc version (lvl, cam...). But only extractor work fine. Of course, image cam files are different from those on the pc so I can't decompress any cam files and save to bmp.

I ask you Paul, do you can write program to decomprese cam psx files please? Editor to import cam to lvl files work perfect, I only need cam compressor and decompressor. It's very important to me, If you haven't this version of the game i can send you psx lvl files. I'll be very grateful.

Sorry but reverse engineering the PC formats took a *LONG* time and I have no plan to do the PSX versions anytime soon. Changing the font is not enough either, you will have to patch the game code since it only knows about the chars in the font and expects them to be at a certain location in the font sheet.

Also debugging the PSX version is near impossible, I would stick to the PC version for trying anything like this..

[Wil]

Antanta, why do you require it to be the PSX version? A Polish localization would work and be playable on PC, surely.

[Antanta]

But PC version never was released in Poland. Only psx.

And debugging psx version is posibble. I can use hex editor and I can change all I want. PSX font file has free space for letters (weird letters i can change into polish and search them on tabulator program).

I know how to romhacking, only thing i need is compressor and decompressor for cams.

And proof- I can edit everything. And videos too. I can use Photoshop and draw on the tablet so editing all backgrounds will not problem for me. But I cant do that do it without cam de/compressor. Really I know enough to made localization I'm not newbie.



But If you don't help me I won't angry. I do not know who else would be able to help me but i think nobody could made such a powerful program.

[Wil]

But PC version never was released in Poland. Only psx.

So when you go to Steam or Stardock or Good Old Games or Direct2Drive or Amazon Game Downloads you're not able to buy Abe's Oddysee or Abe's Exoddus for the PC?

[Paul]

But PC version never was released in Poland. Only psx.

And debugging psx version is posibble. I can use hex editor and I can change all I want. PSX font file has free space for letters (weird letters i can change into polish and search them on tabulator program).

I know how to romhacking, only thing i need is compressor and decompressor for cams.

And proof- I can edit everything. And videos too. I can use Photoshop and draw on the tablet so editing all backgrounds will not problem for me. But I cant do that do it without cam de/compressor. Really I know enough to made localization I'm not newbie.



But If you don't help me I won't angry. I do not know who else would be able to help me but i think nobody could made such a powerful program.

If all you want is CAM decompress/compress than thats certainly something you will be able to figure out on your own

PSX CAM's use the PSX MDEC hardware, if you think debugging PSX is as easy as PC then you should have no problems at all. MDEC hardware also decodes the movie frames, check out jPSXDec and you should beable to do it. Also if you make a standalone tool post it here so we can check out the CAM's in the PSX games VS PC version

Edit: Also is it not possible to get the PC version from stream? I'm sure they don't limit sales based on locale.

[Varrok]

Changing the font is not enough either, you will have to patch the game code since it only knows about the chars in the font and expects them to be at a certain location in the font sheet.

That's not a big deal - in polish there are no "x" "v" "q" (etc.) chars so we can simply replace it with polish's ones... there surely is more char space in font file because game was released in Japan, and in Japaneese ABC there are much more chars, aren't there?

[Antanta]

If all you want is CAM decompress/compress than thats certainly something you will be able to figure out on your own

PSX CAM's use the PSX MDEC hardware, if you think debugging PSX is as easy as PC then you should have no problems at all. MDEC hardware also decodes the movie frames, check out jPSXDec and you should beable to do it. Also if you make a standalone tool post it here so we can check out the CAM's in the PSX games VS PC version

Edit: Also is it not possible to get the PC version from stream? I'm sure they don't limit sales based on locale.

jPSXDec don't work for me (i click on it and nothing appear any command lines ) Romhacking abe is easier only if i have programs, I havent any skills in compile programs. I can edited backgrounds and insert it in rom, same with mov movie files, next created pff patch file but i have only 1 problem- these stupid cams! I only decode lcd fonts (in tilemolester), bg files are so noisy and i cant decompress it in any way in any program.




Game dont need numbers (witchout one- some numbers working accidents something like that blah blah) so i replece them by polish letters.

And I must say I am not pirate and I do translate not only for myself but for all polish players. They have psx version and i think they hate playing on pc

I please one more time- if you will have time you will try decompress it?

Please please please please

(It sound like noob prayer but you see... I do everything... ugh sorry )

And Varrok help me to convince you (he want polish version too, isnt? )

[Paul]

jPSXDec don't work for me (i click on it and nothing appear any command lines ) Romhacking abe is easier only if i have programs, I havent any skills in compile programs. I can edited backgrounds and insert it in rom, same with mov movie files, next created pff patch file but i have only 1 problem- these stupid cams! I only decode lcd fonts (in tilemolester), bg files are so noisy and i cant decompress it in any way in any program.




Game dont need numbers (witchout one- some numbers working accidents something like that blah blah) so i replece them by polish letters.

And I must say I am not pirate and I do translate not only for myself but for all polish players. They have psx version and i think they hate playing on pc

I please one more time- if you will have time you will try decompress it?

Please please please please

(It sound like noob prayer but you see... I do everything... ugh sorry )

And Varrok help me to convince you (he want polish version too, isnt? )

I have no idea about the fonts, but the cams are just MDEC compressed and JPSXDec is an MDEC decompression library, if you really wanna do this then figure it out :P

Spend time and effort figuring out how use jPSXDec to decode mdec images and you are done, it also reencodes them too, it really is everything you need for the cams.

[Chubfish]

Anyway, a (somewhat) real level actually created with the level editor!

This is pretty bloody awesome; I like how you changed the doors into wells too, and the puzzles for it are quite nice! Better demonstration than what I'm doing anyway!

How did you move the UXB's near the portal and place a mine near the Slig? I'd love to be able to move objects around lol.

[LIJI]

How did you move the UXB's near the portal and place a mine near the Slig? I'd love to be able to move objects around lol.

Moving the objects - using the yet-released Alpha 2. It also makes resizing possible. Placing the mine - that was Hex Editing. I removed a shadow or a no longer used object, can't remember which. It's the same for the invisible step switch that activates the alarm.

[Chubfish]

Yeah I noticed that alarm, surprised me!

I think later on, when this level editor is more developed, maybe a seperate thread(s) or something could be made where users can display their levels and maybe put them up for download (don't know about that one, sounds illegal)?

It sounds like a good idea to me, this could get cluttered quick if you get alot of levels in here. Just something to think about

[LIJI]

(don't know about that one, sounds illegal)?

I'm not a lawyer, but considering the fact that .lvl files are completely unreadable in a usable manner for those without a copy of the exe file, it should be legal.

Update:
After a LOT of time reading ASM code I've reversed engineered the triggering system, and found the 5th property of the Slam Door object - Can the door change its state based on the trigger only once, or multiple times. And 6th and last property probably deals with it too, but I'll research about it later.

[mlg man]

So hows that alpha 2 update going?

Oh yeah, and since the oddworld community are going to start making there own levels, I figured they get it right. I'm making a program designed to make cam files (The actual images). I'll update with an example.

[Chubfish]

Ah yes, that would be a nice little program. Can we actually change Abe's Exoddus' CAM files yet though?