Quick Modding/Hacking Answers Thread

I can no longer seem to edit picture's now that I have used boosters lab on my thing.
All the image files are renamed to .bmp for some reason, and I've tried all these different things but I either get one of two errors:

1.) The game gives that annoying f%fa93189734 error
2.) The game says "(Not responding)"

What can I do to fix this? I know cave editor has a built in editor but I really wish I could use my own, I'm using paint and it's so much easier to use it. Does boosters lab have a good built in editor?
Is there any other way to fix this?
I'm able to get the game back to normal but I can't make any more image changes which is disappointing.

 

BL automatically changes images to BMP because it's much easier to edit than pbm. I'd recommend using Paint.net since MS Paint can't edit BMPs (I don't think). If the problem isn't editing the files, but loading them, go into Cave Editor, "Game Settings", remove the copyright pixel requirement, and change "pbm" to "bmp". Cave Editor's pbm/bmp editor is only good for quick palette changes (while modding) anyways.

 

In the mod I'm working on, I'm attempting to have a fireplace-fire block a path if the player has the Polar-star variant in their arsenal. If the player is unarmed the path is supposed to open up allowing the player to access this area. Here's what I have for the action thus far:
<KEY<FLJ6000:0210<FL+6000<AMJ0002:0901<MSGHey bud, no weapons allowed!<NOD<CLR<MSGOh, you don't own one?<NOD
Come this way, meet me at the end
of the path.<NOD<SOU0015 [Removing fire code would go here?]<END
The flag jump for event 210 will be used for the player talking to the fire a second time which allows the player to go to the other opening on the same map, I have the ability to go to that side of the map down but removing the fire entity visually is where I'm having a problem. Event 901 in the AMJ command means the player is denied all together. If the player talks unarmed they're allowed access.
The only problem is how do I remove the fireplace-fire like they do in grasstown? I think it's DNP0038 (reading to delete entity 38, the fire) or it's ANP0038 that'd just remove the fire temporarily like in Grass Town using the Jellyfish juice.

 

In the mod I'm working on, I'm attempting to have a fireplace-fire block a path if the player has the Polar-star variant in their arsenal. If the player is unarmed the path is supposed to open up allowing the player to access this area. Here's what I have for the action thus far:
<KEY<FLJ6000:0210<FL+6000<AMJ0002:0901<MSGHey bud, no weapons allowed!<NOD<CLR<MSGOh, you don't own one?<NOD
Come this way, meet me at the end
of the path.<NOD<SOU0015 [Removing fire code would go here?]<END
The flag jump for event 210 will be used for the player talking to the fire a second time which allows the player to go to the other opening on the same map, I have the ability to go to that side of the map down but removing the fire entity visually is where I'm having a problem. Event 901 in the AMJ command means the player is denied all together. If the player talks unarmed they're allowed access.
The only problem is how do I remove the fireplace-fire like they do in grasstown? I think it's DNP0038 (reading to delete entity 38, the fire) or it's ANP0038 that'd just remove the fire temporarily like in Grass Town using the Jellyfish juice.

I'm no expert but have you tried using <CNP which will change the NPC to whatever one you want (in this case nothing, 0000)?
again i'm no expert

 

BL automatically changes images to BMP because it's much easier to edit than pbm. I'd recommend using Paint.net since MS Paint can't edit BMPs (I don't think). If the problem isn't editing the files, but loading them, go into Cave Editor, "Game Settings", remove the copyright pixel requirement, and change "pbm" to "bmp". Cave Editor's pbm/bmp editor is only good for quick palette changes (while modding) anyways.

So paint.net is able to edit these files?
I wonder why that would be able to and not the normal paint that comes with my computer..

 

Um, but MSPaint DOES edit bitmaps? Just right click on the bitmap and select "Open With..." and choose "Paint". Actually, if you're sick of accidentally opening it with Photo Viewer instead of MSPaint, then make that the default program to open bitmaps with, instead!

 

Um, but MSPaint DOES edit bitmaps? Just right click on the bitmap and select "Open With..." and choose "Paint". Actually, if you're sick of accidentally opening it with Photo Viewer instead of MSPaint, then make that the default program to open bitmaps with, instead!

that seems to work!
probably saving it as a different file and converting it messed things up

 

I think it's more that MS paint doesn't know how to handle indexed palettes intelligently thus it's not recommended for editing

 

Does anyone know is you can see the Flashes <FLA through a fade out? <FAO0000
I'm trying to pretend someone is using a flash light without extreme animation so if this works then that'll do
thx

 

would it not have taken you just as long to try it than to make this post and wait for a response

 

would it not have taken you just as long to try it than to make this post and wait for a response

i was going to put it somewhere but now that i think about it you're right
do you know the answer though?

 

I just tried it myself, and it didn't seem to work. I told the script to fade out, wait, then flash, and then fade back in. For some reason, though, it flashed only after I faded back in. Not sure what exactly what was going on.

 

You probably should have tried flashing THEN waiting because fades have a built-in WAI of sorts that blocks a lot of other actions

 

I've tried all kinds of different combinations now. I've tried having a wait before and after, only a wait before, and only a wait after, and tweaked the times waiting, and no matter what I try, the flash doesn't happen until after it fades in. See this script:

<FAO0001
<FLA<WAI0350
<FAI0000<END

So, Walrus_Guy, it looks like you'll need to pursue an alternate strategy for making a flash in the dark. I would suggest making it fade out, then <CMPing all the the visible tiles to the same color that it fades out to, then fade it back in, and then do the flash. That might get you the same visual effect that you want.

 

It seems the flash gets drawn "underneath" the fade effect, actually, so yeah you can't use both without ASM or some other trickery

 

I have a question concerning entities, so when I do something like <DNPXXXX, I assume XXXX is the entity number so for instance <DNP0038 would be deleting the fireplace entity, but when I run it it doesn't get rid of entity 38, the fireplace entity, am I doing something wrong? When I try <CNP0000 it doesn't work.....

 

I have a question concerning entities, so when I do something like <DNPXXXX, I assume XXXX is the entity number so for instance <DNP0038 would be deleting the fireplace entity, but when I run it it doesn't get rid of entity 38, the fireplace entity, am I doing something wrong? When I try <CNP0000 it doesn't work.....

If you are talking about a entity, give the entity an event number. Keep the event in the TSC blank, that event is the XXXX number.

 

About the problems concerning <FLA and <FAO, you could probably <TRA to a map that's nothing but black, solid tiles, flash with <FLA, and then <TRA back to the map you were originally using. Of course, there's more to it than that; you might want to <WAI a little bit after the flash so the <FAO doesn't show up in the middle of the <FLA. It all depends on how you want it to look, though.

An example where Map 0004 is the map you started on and Map 0005 is the all-black map:

Map 0004
#0100
<TRA0005:0200:XXXX:YYYY

Map 0005
#0200
<KEY<FLA<WAI0050<FAO0000<TRA0004:0150:XXXX:YYYY

 

If you are talking about a entity, give the entity an event number. Keep the event in the TSC blank, that event is the XXXX number.

Yep it's working, thanks so much!

 

Yep it's working, thanks so much!

You might have been confused with <DNA where it deletes all of a group entities on a map (using their entity type number), regardless of what event they run.