.lvl files -

Paul · #**1411** 12-30-2010, 11:52 AM

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is it possible to make a foreground for CAMs like the ones ingame? Will we be able to import these layers seperatly into the editor or is there some way of editing each layer some other way?

So you mean as long as theres unused grid blocks we can indefinetly add extra CAM screens that will work when you go onto them? Because alot of paths have lots of unused grid blocks?

Only backgrounds at first, I might beable to add FG1 later. And yep the unused grid blocks should be fine. Just tested it out now and it seems to work although it can go a bit strange.. each cam has an ID, I think new cams need new Id's otherwise it can cause the screens to loop. See screen shot for a working example

Here I dragged the floor collision item for the first screen all the way to the right, then moved the first screens left wall into the newly added screen on the left. It also need a pre loader and zone Id adding.

SligStorm · #**1412** 12-30-2010, 12:19 PM

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Only backgrounds at first, I might beable to add FG1 later. And yep the unused grid blocks should be fine. Just tested it out now and it seems to work although it can go a bit strange.. each cam has an ID, I think new cams need new Id's otherwise it can cause the screens to loop. See screen shot for a working example

Here I dragged the floor collision item for the first screen all the way to the right, then moved the first screens left wall into the newly added screen on the left. It also need a pre loader and zone Id adding.

So as long as you add the ability to set screen ids for cams then it should work without looping?

Paul · #**1413** 12-30-2010, 12:34 PM

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So as long as you add the ability to set screen ids for cams then it should work without looping?

Yeah just makes it slightly more painful since you need to find an id that doesn't collide with what's already there.

SligStorm · #**1414** 12-30-2010, 02:33 PM

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Yeah just makes it slightly more painful since you need to find an id that doesn't collide with what's already there.

If it isun't too sidetracking on your current work you could also add a .BAN importer just so that we can easyly add any nessicary characters to the map within the editor.

But like I said, it's just a sugestion Idk how hard it is to add a new feature like that :P
It's just that you were adding CAMs and I was thinking of other things you could just kinda slot into the next update lol.

LIJI · #**1415** 12-30-2010, 02:41 PM

Yes, you can't reuse (and shouldn't, anyway) CAMs. they cause loops, freezes and other issues.

SligStorm · #**1416** 12-30-2010, 03:24 PM

The thing that I find annoying here is the fact that this is such a great editor but yet we can't really make our own uniqe maps using AE's objects can we? I mean if we make our own paths for Abe's Oddysee then we are limited to the original objects.

I had some great plans a long time ago for slam doors in my own path if it were ever possible to edit AO or AE's lvl files..

I'm guessing that injecting BAN files from AE into AO won't work will they

?

Like I don't even know what infomation is exactly stored in the BAN files.. Like is it just images?
or Images,Scripts and sounds? or what?

mlg man · #**1417** 12-30-2010, 07:18 PM

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The thing that I find annoying here is the fact that this is such a great editor but yet we can't really make our own uniqe maps using AE's objects can we? I mean if we make our own paths for Abe's Oddysee then we are limited to the original objects.

I had some great plans a long time ago for slam doors in my own path if it were ever possible to edit AO or AE's lvl files..

I'm guessing that injecting BAN files from AE into AO won't work will they

?

Like I don't even know what infomation is exactly stored in the BAN files.. Like is it just images?
or Images,Scripts and sounds? or what?

Only images and animations are stored in them. There is no possible way to get Exoddus objects into Oddysee, only because Exoddus objects are hard coded into the game, same goes with oddysee.

Paul · #**1418** 12-30-2010, 10:05 PM

I thought adding new cams would be easy, turns out it was a bugger to code and to figure out the trick with the Ids to stop the game from crashing

So now its certainly possible to add any screen you like in AO once I finish fixing the last few problems with it

When adding a new cam it MUST match the name of the current ones and the last number MUST be unique. Additionally to this the Id MUST match the path and the screen number, so for R1 15 screen 10 it has to be 1510, anything else will crash the game or cause weird issues.

Edit: Example

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

Varrok · #**1419** 12-31-2010, 12:57 AM

Thanks, I think that now many people will be making new secret areas, and secreat areas within them

Andrelvis · #**1420** 12-31-2010, 01:55 AM

Can we actually add new screens or just replace existing ones?

Varrok · #**1421** 12-31-2010, 03:11 AM

We can replace unused areas, so that's like adding new screens... check the Paul's video

LIJI · #**1422** 12-31-2010, 04:50 AM

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

Oddworld on LSD. :P

Jango · #**1423** 12-31-2010, 05:32 AM

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

Very good. I like the bit with the sprouts!

ODDWORLDisTHEbest! · #**1424** 12-31-2010, 06:02 AM

i like that too haha, but i have a question, i have the lvl editor and have made some levels, the lvl. files are in the AO directory but wont play, what do i have to do with them?

SligStorm · #**1425** 12-31-2010, 09:38 AM

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Example

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

That's Awesome. Thats more than enough screens for a uniqe custom path!

Nice work paul!

Paul · #**1426** 12-31-2010, 10:09 AM

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That's Awesome. Thats more than enough screens for a uniqe custom path!

Nice work paul!

Only problem is the limited number of collision items, have to be pretty smart about how you re-use them :P

ODDWORLDisTHEbest! · #**1427** 12-31-2010, 10:13 AM

why wont AO use the levels i edited?

SligStorm · #**1428** 12-31-2010, 10:16 AM

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Only problem is the limited number of collision items, have to be pretty smart about how you re-use them :P

True but thats not that big of a problem, Just choose a starting path with alot of collisions.

A nice feature also would be to set the scrolling signs text, then choose them from the value on the sign.

I've edited them before with a Hex editor so I know it's possible to change what they say

Also what is the exact reason why it isun't possible to change the CAMs on AE again?
Like how is it diffrent from AO? Is it not possible to even extract them?

Does AE use some strange compression or somthing?

ODDWORLDisTHEbest! · #**1429** 12-31-2010, 10:30 AM

wil someone please answer my question!

RoryF · #**1430** 12-31-2010, 11:07 AM

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why wont AO use the levels i edited?

Make sure the level you're replacing uses the same filename as it was...

ODDWORLDisTHEbest! · #**1431** 12-31-2010, 11:21 AM

ok thanks.

RoryF · #**1432** 12-31-2010, 01:25 PM

Paul is there a way to get rid of the barrel things on the first screen because it's annoying when I'm creating my new levels.
They don't show up in the editor.

SligStorm · #**1433** 12-31-2010, 02:51 PM

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Paul is there a way to get rid of the barrel things on the first screen because it's annoying when I'm creating my new levels.

It's the FG1 Layer it's the foreground for the first screen so that you appear behind it normally, I'm not sure if youl be able to change that untill paul releases the next version of the editor with (possibly) a foreground editor.

RoryF · #**1434** 12-31-2010, 03:20 PM

How did I know it would be something hard to get rid of.

Chubfish · #**1435** 12-31-2010, 03:37 PM

I thought you could break it from appearing somehow but I can't remember exactly how (I did it 3 or 4 years ago). However that's not a great fix; wait for Paul to research more...=)

Mou5e · #**1436** 12-31-2010, 05:59 PM

This Editor is going great, very nice functionality. I was wondering though Paul, you say that the values for collision items are hardcoded in the executable, does this mean that there is a certain value in there which could possibly be changed to set a custom number of collisions? Also will you be updating your Decoder in the future? more specifically an automatic scaling feature for the graphics. Either way some awesome progress is being made

Paul · #**1437** 12-31-2010, 09:42 PM

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True but thats not that big of a problem, Just choose a starting path with alot of collisions.

A nice feature also would be to set the scrolling signs text, then choose them from the value on the sign.

I've edited them before with a Hex editor so I know it's possible to change what they say

Also what is the exact reason why it isun't possible to change the CAMs on AE again?
Like how is it diffrent from AO? Is it not possible to even extract them?

Does AE use some strange compression or somthing?

AE's reverse compression algorithm is not known.

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Paul is there a way to get rid of the barrel things on the first screen because it's annoying when I'm creating my new levels.
They don't show up in the editor.

Yeah it will be possible to remove the FG1 soon, not sure about adding though

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This Editor is going great, very nice functionality. I was wondering though Paul, you say that the values for collision items are hardcoded in the executable, does this mean that there is a certain value in there which could possibly be changed to set a custom number of collisions? Also will you be updating your Decoder in the future? more specifically an automatic scaling feature for the graphics. Either way some awesome progress is being made

The collision items stuff is a hard coded static array, so its far more complex than changing 1 number. I'll be updating the decoder but likely not for some time, what do you mean by automatic scaling of the graphics exactly?

Mou5e · #**1438** 12-31-2010, 10:12 PM

Thanks for your reply, By automatic scaling I meant to scale the graphics when they are extracted to be the same size as in game.

NovaMan · #**1439** 01-01-2011, 12:26 AM

640x480

Chubfish · #**1440** 01-01-2011, 12:50 AM

Why don't you just scale down your 640 x 480 cams to 640 x 240 when you're done editing and then import them?

There is no reason for the decoder to output at 640 x 480 in my opinion, considering how the game upscales them. You could have an option for it, however, but it's hardly taxing to just double the height of an image, edit it, then resize it and import it (I'm guessing this is what people want to do).