Kenzo's guide for modding with Booster's Lab v1.2

So I made a beginners guide for modding with Booster's Lab.
It took me a while, but it finally got done.

Here - version 1.2

I tried to make this guide easy to read, so please understand that I don't get too technical.
I also tried to make it visual to, so there's a lot of pictures.
This is really for people that are completely new to CS modding.
(The beginners section makes me cringe a little...)
(I really think that it could of been done better...)

I also took some other guides from the index and BL's old guides, and put them in my guide.
I gave credit to those people though, if that's alright.

Hoping that if this guide is good enough, Noxid could include it in the editor.

Anyways, tell me what you think, feedback, constructive criticism, ect.

 

I certainly don't need a guide, but I'll give it a look.

EDIT: Oh sweet, it's all in HTML.

EDIT2: To type a < in HTML just put &#60;. Like so:

<p><br><br>When writing a command they must always start with the &#60; (less-than) symbol</p>

I figured someone like you wouldn't get much use out of it zxin, but I didn't make the guide, just for you.

Thanks for showing me how to write it in html though.

 

cool
I'll try to go over it and provide some feedback. Have you seen the existing tutorial files in Booster's Lab? They're just HTML files in the help folder. If it was formatted like that it would be easier for me to integrate.

 

cool
I'll try to go over it and provide some feedback. Have you seen the existing tutorial files in Booster's Lab? They're just HTML files in the help folder. If it was formatted like that it would be easier for me to integrate.

If you mean background and all that, no, sorry. I also used my own CSS sheet. Also my extensions are .html, the help guides are .htm, hope that doesn't cause any issues. That... and the fact that I have over 100 pictures...

Oh, yes, I did use some of the guides from the folder for my guide.

 

ok here's what I got from a quick breeze-through

Spoiler

- p elements only have a line height of 0.5 which means they overlap each other

- that's not how css files work

- doesn't mention keyboard shortcuts for draw modes

- doesn't mention delete mode for the map tiles

- I don't think it mentions how to zoom in/out of the map

- should maybe at some point mention what visible layers checkboxes do because it could be helpful

- doesn't mention NPC category filters

- I don't think it mentioned the different NPC selection modifiers (ctrl-select, shift-select)

- the last entry being "interactable" is a bug, I need to delete a line in flagnames.txt

- doesn't mention "//" commenting in text editor

- doesn't mention the flag enumerator (not a substitute for proper documentation but worth mentioning)

- doesn't mention the script editor's javascript parser (although I hardly remember it exists myself)

- doesn't mention script editor's almost-working text search

- doesn't mention you can double-tap entries in the TSC list to insert them into the script file (not useful but it do)

- doesn't mention how to pop-out tileset and entity windows

- doesn't mention that the dividers in many parts of the editor are draggable

- there are actually some subtle differences between cat and sat. TUR is instant display, sat changes speed. forget the difference with cat.

- doesn't mention the TSC definition/replacement feature that nobody ever used

- should mention the default speeds for FOM

- doesn't mention right-click convenience commands for map editor

- the 60fps hack was by gir

overall it's not bad, nothing too new. The focus is more on modding, via booster's lab than on the editor itself. There's a lot more tricks to make modding easier that you haven't touched on.

 

Looked through it a little bit - info is good, especially for a beginner to read.
You can type

ren *.html *.htm

in command prompt after navigating to the directory to mass replace the file extensions. Then use find and replace in notepad++ to replace "html" with "htm". It'd make integration with BL easier

 

Map name: Whenever you use the MNA command, it will show the map name at the top of the screen for a short time.
(Usually used when the player enters the map)

Wasn't the map name also shown when showing the map?

Also, how is using the hacking tool related to creating a map?

EDIT:It might be nice to mention that H/V triggers aren't infinitely long.
Also, the explanation on how events should be sorted isn't clearly explained.

 

Looked through it a little bit - info is good, especially for a beginner to read.
You can type

ren *.html *.htm

in command prompt after navigating to the directory to mass replace the file extensions. Then use find and replace in notepad++ to replace "html" with "htm". It'd make integration with BL easier

Sorry, but could you explain that a little better?

Wasn't the map name also shown when showing the map?

Yeah, it is, I guess I could add that the the <MLP explaination.

Also, how is using the hacking tool related to creating a map?

I guess its really not, the main reason I did that, was so that the modder would be able to go strait to the map that they created.

EDIT:It might be nice to mention that H/V triggers aren't infinitely long.
Also, the explanation on how events should be sorted isn't clearly explained.

I didn't actually know that, i'll add that in.

Well, I don't really know what else I could of said...

 

Well, I don't really know what else I could of said...

Maybe something like this:

Spoiler

Remember to put all the events in the right order, putting an event with a higher event number above events with a lower event number will confuse the game, sometimes causing that event to run when the events below it are called.
Example:

#0090
<MNA<CMU0030<FAI0000<END
#0500
<PRI<FAO0004<TRA0023:0094:0002:0000
#0200
<LI+1000<SOU0020<AE+<WAI0050<END

In the example, the events do the following:
• Event #0090 is a normal entry event.
• Event #0200 is for a npc that heals(and refills ammo) the player when they touch the npc and makes a sound to confirm this, and then waits for a second to make sure it doesn't keep looping 50 times a second till the event ends.
• Event #0500 is a normal exit through door event that brings the player to map 23.
Now, when event #0200 is called for in normal cases, it would heal the player and everything.
However, since event #0500 is above it and has a higher event number, that event gets called first, making the player go to map 23, and worst of all is that the player doesn't get healed. You don't want that to happen when you touch a npc that is supposed to heal you.
This is why you want the events in the correct order.

Feel free to use that if you want to, it was actually fun to write anyway.
The example TSC was actually something that happend to me by the way, except that there were way more events of course.

 

Sorry, but could you explain that a little better?

Open command prompt on your computer, type

cd "c:\path to BL guide

. Then type

ren *.html *.htm

. This renames all the file extensions to htm. You'll have to do find and replace (ctrl + f) in Notepad++ to fix the links. That way it can be easier integrated with BL.

EDIT: Shouldn't be spaces between '.' and 'htm' and 'html' with the ren command - swiftkey messed me up

 

EDIT:It might be nice to mention that H/V triggers aren't infinitely long.
Also, the explanation on how events should be sorted isn't clearly explained.

H/V triggers ARE infinitely long. However, there are 2 things that prevent them from being infinitely long. To understand why, you need to know what an H/V trigger is.

An H/V trigger is actually just a normal sized (like 16x16 or so) entity that is constantly trying to touch you. It is always moving towards you, but is locked on its horizontal or vertical axis. It's also fast, faster than the player, so it does a good job of acting as an invisible wall most of the time.

However, if the H/V trigger is placed far away enough, 2 things can happen that will limit its ability to touch you.
1) If you go past the trigger before it has time to catch up to you, you won't trigger it. The H/V trigger object is fast, but it still moves at a set speed (like half of its hitbox or something every frame). This effect is most noticable if you try to trigger an H/V trigger that is placed far away right after entering a map.
2) The H/V trigger is so far away that its AI function isn't called, and thus remains stationary. I'm not 100% sure on this, but in Cave Story entities don't seem to run their AI code if they're too far away from the player, I think (something that can be observed in chapter 3 of WTF Story, where the flying gaudis and such aren't moving when the camera moves far away from the player to view the locks unlocking). This only seems to effect really big maps though, so the H/V trigger would have to be really really far away.

To avoid these issues, you should place the H/V triggers closer to map spawn points when possible, and or just use multiple ones spread evenly over larger areas you want them to trigger.

 

H/V triggers ARE infinitely long. However, there are 2 things that prevent them from being infinitely long. To understand why, you need to know what an H/V trigger is.

An H/V trigger is actually just a normal sized (like 16x16 or so) entity that is constantly trying to touch you. It is always moving towards you, but is locked on its horizontal or vertical axis. It's also fast, faster than the player, so it does a good job of acting as an invisible wall most of the time.

However, if the H/V trigger is placed far away enough, 2 things can happen that will limit its ability to touch you.
1) If you go past the trigger before it has time to catch up to you, you won't trigger it. The H/V trigger object is fast, but it still moves at a set speed (like half of its hitbox or something every frame). This effect is most noticable if you try to trigger an H/V trigger that is placed far away right after entering a map.
2) The H/V trigger is so far away that its AI function isn't called, and thus remains stationary. I'm not 100% sure on this, but in Cave Story entities don't seem to run their AI code if they're too far away from the player, I think (something that can be observed in chapter 3 of WTF Story, where the flying gaudis and such aren't moving when the camera moves far away from the player to view the locks unlocking). This only seems to effect really big maps though, so the H/V trigger would have to be really really far away.

To avoid these issues, you should place the H/V triggers closer to map spawn points when possible, and or just use multiple ones spread evenly over larger areas you want them to trigger.

Could I use this in my guide in the H/V trigger lesson? (Aside from the part about WTFStory)

 

Could I use this in my guide in the H/V trigger lesson? (Aside from the part about WTFStory)

Sure.

 

Alright, changed some stuff around, added some things.

Version 1.1 is now out (updated in the op)

Here's what I added from Noxid's feedback
(in blue)

Spoiler

- p elements only have a line height of 0.5 which means they overlap each other
Changed back to 1

- that's not how css files work
don't know what your talking about, my CSS file works just fine

- doesn't mention keyboard shortcuts for draw modes
I didn't even know that there were any

- doesn't mention delete mode for the map tiles
Added

- I don't think it mentions how to zoom in/out of the map
I did mention it in "creating a map", it's highlighted in red

- should maybe at some point mention what visible layers checkboxes do because it could be helpful
I've tried to test with it, but I have no idea how to actually use it, or what it does

- doesn't mention NPC category filters
Added

- I don't think it mentioned the different NPC selection modifiers (ctrl-select, shift-select)
Added

- the last entry being "interactable" is a bug, I need to delete a line in flagnames.txt
I know, I said in the guide what it actually does

- doesn't mention "//" commenting in text editor
Added

- doesn't mention the flag enumerator (not a substitute for proper documentation but worth mentioning)
Added

- doesn't mention the script editor's javascript parser (although I hardly remember it exists myself)
Made a new lesson, which points to the help guide for it

- doesn't mention script editor's almost-working text search
No idea what that even is

- doesn't mention you can double-tap entries in the TSC list to insert them into the script file (not useful but it do)
No idea what your talking about

- doesn't mention how to pop-out tileset and entity windows
Added

- doesn't mention that the dividers in many parts of the editor are draggable
Not sure what you mean by "dividers"

- there are actually some subtle differences between cat and sat. TUR is instant display, sat changes speed. forget the difference with cat.
Changed the description a little

- doesn't mention the TSC definition/replacement feature that nobody ever used
No idea what that even is

- should mention the default speeds for FOM
Added

- doesn't mention right-click convenience commands for map editor
Added

- the 60fps hack was by gir
Changed

I also added Miccs explanation on proper event order and Gir's explanation on H/V triggers.

I'm changing the name to "Kenzo's guide for modding with Booster's Lab" because Noxid's right, it's more about modding with the editor than the editor itself.

I'll admit, I don't know everything you can do in Booster's Lab, I just wanted to make a guide to try and give new modders a better understanding of things.

 

Open command prompt on your computer, type

cd "c:\path to BL guide

. Then type

ren *.html *.htm

. This renames all the file extensions to htm. You'll have to do find and replace (ctrl + f) in Notepad++ to fix the links. That way it can be easier integrated with BL.

EDIT: Shouldn't be spaces between '.' and 'htm' and 'html' with the ren command - swiftkey messed me up

I am clearly not doing this right...

Spoiler

Folder name is "Kenzo's beginner guide for modding with Booster's Lab"

Sorry, I suck at computers.

 

close your double quotes bud

 

I am clearly not doing this right...

Spoiler

View attachment 2746

Folder name is "Kenzo's beginner guide for modding with Booster's Lab"

Sorry, I suck at computers.

Sorry, I forgot to add the second quote when I was typing it up - you should enter

cd "C:\Kenzo's beginner guide for modding with Booster's Lab"

assuming the folder is at the top of your C:\ drive

 

If it isn't you can just do this:

Spoiler: This

View attachment 2750

Thanks, that actually helped out a lot.
Alright so I changed everything to .htm, should be easier to integrate now, updated the op.

I honestly think that at this point, the guide's good enough.
I know it's not perfect, but I wasn't really trying to make it perfect.

However it's up to Noxid, whether or not he thinks it's good enough.