Open source ALIVE engine

[Paul]

Good stuff, here is a quick gfx test. I'm going to write an engine to throw away to begin with - just to get something working.

Edit:Just in case anyone cares, I'm still working on the decoder app since the output sprite sheets can't be used to make perfect animations just yet

[Phylum]

In what way aren't they perfect?

If anyone is going to pull this off, it's the guy that had the patience and telent to, over several years, deliver to us an AO image decoder that is, apparently, still slightly imperfect.

[Paul]

In what way aren't they perfect?

If anyone is going to pull this off, it's the guy that had the patience and telent to, over several years, deliver to us an AO image decoder that is, apparently, still slightly imperfect.

The reason is this:

If you take each frame by itself and "play" it / stick them together in a real animation they are very jumpy since they're not aligned properly.

There is extra info in the original files to fix this up, I need this info to glue them together properly and to hopefully glue different "sets" together. If I can reach that last milestone then getting basic "dumb" animated only objects into a simple engine should not be too much effort.

BTW Thanks for your kind words

[Scraby]

hm paul may i ask,how will you make that like in the psx abes oddysee demo glitch,that red line that represents the walls and floors but invisible ingame?

[Paul]

hm paul may i ask,how will you make that like in the psx abes oddysee demo glitch,that red line that represents the walls and floors but invisible ingame?

Hmm not sure what the question is, are you asking how I would implement collision detection?

[mlg man]

Collision detection should be rectangles.

And as i have learned, you should do ,Collision detection then update graphics for a smooth collision.

i also think shadows are a major part in the game. Its just so empty without them.

[Phylum]

Shodows with 2 possible "grounded" y values on each screen should be quite simplistic.

Building off of that, will the 2 y positions for each screen be fixed or will you be able to store your own as part of each screen?

[Paul]

The way the screens will work is like the real alive engine (or at least how I think it works) each screen is broken in to blocks, so that means you can have Y pos as any block you'd like, and is also what the collision detection would be checking against.

[Jango]

I have to say Paul, like I have many times before, I am so glad with your effort on this. You're probably the only person who understands how happy i'll be if a playable level editor is actually made, due to the amount of questions i've asked!...

And here comes another. Just becuase i'm so exited about this, how long do you think it will be until this editor is completed? (If it is completed, but I like to think it will be, optimism ftw!) Would I be able to make playable levels with it?

Thanks Paul.

EDIT: Also, how easy would it be to use? I'm not particularly good with complicated level editors. I would personally love it if it was as easy as clicking and dragging various things onto a screen.

I like your concept on the layout joshkrz.

I have attatched an extreamly simple concept to this post. Is this the sort of thing you wanted? I can elaborate and design it in more detail if you like too.

[Paul]

I have to say Paul, like I have many times before, I am so glad with your effort on this. You're probably the only person who understands how happy i'll be if a playable level editor is actually made, due to the amount of questions i've asked!...

And here comes another. Just becuase i'm so exited about this, how long do you think it will be until this editor is completed? (If it is completed, but I like to think it will be, optimism ftw!) Would I be able to make playable levels with it?

Thanks Paul.

EDIT: Also, how easy would it be to use? I'm not particularly good with complicated level editors. I would personally love it if it was as easy as clicking and dragging various things onto a screen.

I like your concept on the layout joshkrz.

This editor will be for a *new* engine, so even if it was finished tomorrow it would be no use since there is no engine to run the content it generates. As for when something usable is done.. no idea really, all I can say is that its a long way off.

I'm currently still working on reverse engineering the formats when I can. I still need to figure out how to align animations, and how to rip some sound effects (I will not be ripping the music unfortunately).

This will likely take another 3 months or more (Depending on how many problems I run into and how much spare time I get). Then I need to convert these into new formats, write the editor so the content can be used, and then write an engine to run the content!

Anytime I get anything usable it will be posted here, and updated decoders (that will eventually generate files for the new engine) will be posted in the lvl files thread.

[Jango]

I see, so you are making an editor for a new engine, and then making the engine that the editor is for.

Once you finish the editor, would writing a new engine be difficult?

Good luck with it Paul.

[STM]

I love this Paul, I really just wanted to let you know I don't check this very much but every time I do I am hugely impressed and stunned by how far your coming with all your projects!

[Paul]

Thanks I'm still trying to figure out how to align animations properly. I think I'm going to have my decoder app output them in a simplified format for use in my engine.

I've created a hook dll for the AE, I need to beable to get it to draw bounds over the sprites in the game to help me figure the offsets out.

[STM]

...righto. Sorry I'm not at all programming literate.

[Paul]

Almost got it figured out I think, it will take me some time to get a decent engine and new file format into shape though.

For now enjoy these videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg5LLBgulWs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdhI-rFtXGE

[STM]

Gahah, where they all oddworld sounds?

[Paul]

Gahah, where they all oddworld sounds?

Yeah it loops through each sound for that level and randomly plays them in turn, you can hear drills and slog sounds.

[lismati]

Why is your account saying that you've uploaded 3 videos, but I can see only 2?

[Paul]

I deleted one because it was corrupted.

[Jango]

Well done Paul, they look good!

[Paul]

Would anyone be willing to document all AE/AO animations? I'm thinking of creating an animation editor for converted BAN's from each game.

But would need some sort of sane way of documenting the converted animations so that they can be used in a new engine. E.g "Slig walk left" "Slig explode" and so on?

I ask this because getting each name correct will not be an easy task! But if I'm to write a new engine at some point in the future all of this stuff needs to be done first.

[Wil]

I'm up for it, but I have so little time. Maybe a bunch of us could do a chunk, or I can do some then pass the task on.

[Paul]

I think there should be an optional description for each one and a name. And I think the name should match the original name which can be found in the exe

You'll see lots of kSligSmashResId and such, I'm pretty sure one of these will match each animation (at least the ones that are used).

[MeechMunchie]

Well you could replace one of the Abe CAM files with a blank page... then you'd be able to see the animations easily.

[Paul]

Well you could replace one of the Abe CAM files with a blank page... then you'd be able to see the animations easily.

Yes I already have the decoder app that extracts them all. That don't help in knowing which frame sets are what animation though.

E.g frames 2, 7, 5 might look like a slig walking, but might be a slig exploding, you get the idea.. plus I want them mapping onto the resource ids that can be found in the games exe.

[Sliglover]

Yes I already have the decoder app that extracts them all. That don't help in knowing which frame sets are what animation though.

E.g frames 2, 7, 5 might look like a slig walking, but might be a slig exploding, you get the idea.. plus I want them mapping onto the resource ids that can be found in the games exe.

can you rip all the slig animations and convert them to BMP?

[Paul]

can you rip all the slig animations and convert them to BMP?

Yes like I said there is already a "Decoder" app that converts all animations and back ground images, look in lvl files thread.

[Wil]

So what exactly would you like us to do? I mean…

The first kBlahblahResId is kAbepullResId. Your decoder extracts ABEPULL.BAN1.bmp in folder r1.

The fifteenth is kAbeknbkRedId. r1 > ABEKNBK.BAN1.bmp comprises what looks to me like 3 sequences:

1. The first 16 frames are Abe pushing against a wall to his right.
2. 17-29 are Abe getting knocked back, ending with him lying stationary on his back.
3. 30-41 are Abe standing back up from lying stationary on his back.

How much [ of this | more ] do you need per kBlahblahRedId?

[Paul]

So what exactly would you like us to do? I mean…

The first kBlahblahResId is kAbepullResId. Your decoder extracts ABEPULL.BAN1.bmp in folder r1.

The fifteenth is kAbeknbkRedId. r1 > ABEKNBK.BAN1.bmp comprises what looks to me like 3 sequences:

1. The first 16 frames are Abe pushing against a wall to his right.
2. 17-29 are Abe getting knocked back, ending with him lying stationary on his back.
3. 30-41 are Abe standing back up from lying stationary on his back.

How much [ of this | more ] do you need per kBlahblahRedId?

I figured that kAbepullResId maps onto one animation of abe pulling a lever? So kAbepullResId = Animation Id 20 in ABEPULL.BAN?

Edit: Might be best to leave this until I can look at it properly, I'm sure there is a sane way to map them..

[Paul]

Bumping thread since this project is now hosted at: https://github.com/paulsapps/alive

Currently implementing a resource manager that works with PSX/PC/Demo/Full and mod data.