KeenScr Issue

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Orchamus
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KeenScr Issue

Post by Orchamus »

Good afternoon, buddies!

I'm facing some problems when I try to change the loading screen in my Keen 4 mod. After copying the file "4msc0000.bin" in keenscr folder, it should show me the editable start screen when I launch the program but this doesn't happen. I can't change the final Keen 4 screen either.
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troublesomekeen
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Post by troublesomekeen »

HOW TO EDIT THE LOADING SCREEN
1. Download keenscr.zip and extract to it's own folder. (I'll call it "ScreenKeen" folder)
2. Find this file in your "graphics" folder: 4MSC0000.BIN
3. Copy 4MSC0000.BIN to your ScreenKeen folder.
4. Now drag and drop KEENSCR.exe onto your DosBox desktop icon.
5. DosBox will start up. It should look like this:

Code: Select all

Z:\>C:

C:\>KEENSCR.EXE
Usage: KEENSCR <episode>
           Where <episode> is 4, 5, 6 or LOAD.

C:\>
6. Type: keenscr load, then press Enter.
7. "The Draw" will then open and three familiar purple boxes will appear.
8. Press the "Esc" key at the top left corner of your keyboard to view the menu.
9. Read Ceilick's Tutorial carefully on how to edit characters and colors. You will get the hang of it, I know it. You will get better and better, I know it.
10. Edit the top purple box the way you want, then Save. You can press "Esc" and use "Save" under the "Files" tab.
11. When you select "Save", the program will ask you in what format you want it to save. Press B (for Binary).
12. Then it will ask you to enter a file name. Type: keenscr.bin and press Enter.
13. If it says "File Already Exists. Continue? (Yes/No)_" then simply press Y
14. After that, the menu will disappear. Press "Esc" again and select "Quit"
15. Press Y if it asks you "Do you want to exit TheDraw or Shell?"
16. An important screen will then pop up. It should say "Thanks for using TheDraw"
17. It should also say that "Files CK?LOAD.BIN updated from KEENSCR.BIN
18. You can now type "exit" to quit DosBox.
19. Now copy and paste "4MSC0000.BIN" back into your "graphics" folder. (Select "Copy and Replace" in a message pops up.)
20. Also copy and paste "CK4LOAD.BIN" into your "Keen4mod" folder.
21. Open up your patch file in Notepad and copy this code into it:

Code: Select all

%patchfile $1fe47 ck4load.bin
22. Save it. Then drag and drop "modkeen" onto your DosBox desktop icon.
23. Type: modkeen -episode=4 -import -bmpdir="graphics"
24. After the import is successful, type in that batch filename to run your mod. (like "Play" or "GO4" or whatever you named your .bat file)
25. Look at the loading screen and see that it's been edited. Yay.

Note: It is important to note that sometimes keeners end up with 2 patch files in their project folder. Make sure you copied

Code: Select all

%patchfile $1fe47 ck4load.bin
to the correct patch file.

I will cover the final screen another time.
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Orchamus
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Post by Orchamus »

One question: is it normal that the color on the sides is cleared while I edit the text?
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troublesomekeen
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Post by troublesomekeen »

Weird that it should do that. You probably have a certain mode enabled.
Did you by chance press the "ins" key on your keyboard? It's also the number 0 key on your numberpad.

Image

Do you see it? It's that big key at the bottom with the "0" on it. Also "ins"

At the bottom of your screen (while in TheDraw) you should see something like this:

( 1, 1) Color Text Page:1 Set:1 1=? 2=? 3=? 4=? 5=- 6=? 7=? 8=? 9=? 10=?

However, if you press the "ins" key, it'll look like this:

( 1, 1) Color Text Ins Page:1 Set:1 1=? 2=? 3=? 4=? 5=- 6=? 7=? 8=? 9=? 10=?

If the Ins mode is enabled, characters will be pushed outward while you type. This might not be the solution, however, to your problem.
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Orchamus
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Post by Orchamus »

Nothing, I still have the same problem.

Image

This happens when I press "Canc" on my keyboard.

While when I press the spacebar, it appears a black square.

Image

And this is the content of my keenscr folder:

Code: Select all

4MSC0000.BIN 
CK4LOAD.BIN 
CK5LOAD.BIN 
CK6LOAD.BIN 
KEENSCR.BAS 
KEENSCR.BIN 
KEENSCR.EXE
KEENSCR.TXT 
Loading Screen Pacthes.txt 
THEDRAW.EXE
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troublesomekeen
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Post by troublesomekeen »

Orchamus wrote:And this is the content of my keenscr folder:

Code: Select all

4MSC0000.BIN 
CK4LOAD.BIN 
CK5LOAD.BIN 
CK6LOAD.BIN 
KEENSCR.BAS 
KEENSCR.BIN 
KEENSCR.EXE
KEENSCR.TXT 
Loading Screen Pacthes.txt 
THEDRAW.EXE
Hmm... Strange. Somehow I ended up with a file called "THEDRAW.PCK". Not sure if that file has anything to do with what's going on.
Honestly, I'm not so familiar with TheDraw. This was the result of the only work I've ever done in it:

Image

(That was back in 2012, when I was modding like a madman and on pace to release a Galaxy mod in record time. Nothing really came of my efforts though. I'll finish "The Guardian of Wisdom" someday. There are previews scattered throughout this forum and the PCKF.com. I've unwisely started too many projects that have divided my attention.)

EDIT: Also, I should note that many keeners use a patch that makes the game skip over the loading screen. They therefore have no reason the edit the loading screen. Personally I like the loading screen.
levellass
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Post by levellass »

I'm a fan of editing the entire screen myself.
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Orchamus
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Post by Orchamus »

troublesomekeen wrote:Hmm... Strange. Somehow I ended up with a file called "THEDRAW.PCK".
Might it be the cause of my problem? I used the keenscr folder which I found in the Keen Galaxy Modding Package.
troublesomekeen wrote:EDIT: Also, I should note that many keeners use a patch that makes the game skip over the loading screen. They therefore have no reason the edit the loading screen. Personally I like the loading screen.
levellass wrote:I'm a fan of editing the entire screen myself.
I like a lot the loading screen too, but if I can't resolve this issue, I'll have to use that patch.
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troublesomekeen
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Post by troublesomekeen »

I'm not sure if my version of TheDraw/KeenScreen is any different, but here's a download link to it:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/773 ... eenscr.zip
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Orchamus
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Post by Orchamus »

Thanks for the link! I'll try to modify the loading screen later.

At the moment I'm focused to edit the the world (Point Items, Monster, Structures etc.)
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