Keen: Modding

levellass · Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 12:18 am Post subject:

Keengraph uses 16-color bitmaps for tilesets that must be a whole number of tiles wide and tall. It can handle monochrome and 256 color bitmaps if need be. (I am trying to find a quick way to use 24 bit bitmaps.)

What I would like is to move to PNG format, but I cannot find a simple layout of the PNG format to get acquainted with. (By compairision, I could use .PCX graphics with ease O.o)

Any constraint that is a problem or issue is easy enough to work around. I am going to have to rejig KeenGraph a bit to handle the new TLS format, it shall be interesting.

The new format isn't supported by tileinfo, so currently I'm having KeenGraph simply change the graphics of these new tilesets and (If no file exists.) set up a blank tile properties segment in the file to be edited with this new editor. I would like to ask permission to bundle the tile editor with Keengraph as it is likely to be the only program that can edit the new format. (Keengraph can, but DOS based tile editing is slow to say the least.)

The tile header file Keengraph currently edits based on information in the list file, if no names for tilesets are given, default names will be used.

It would be helpful to me if I had a working version of this patch to test my mistakes on and get a rip on the format. Right now I've just got guesswork.

EDIT: Oh yeah, more than 32 levels is 'easily' patchable, but it means (For me.) changing the level done location in memory, which causes a whole host of problems with the game. Who needs more than 32 levels?

CommanderSpleen · Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 4:16 am Post subject:

Who needs a 650Mb disc?

lemm · Joined: 05 Jul 2009 Posts: 532

Yeah, the patch is still in development, still a few things to work out. You might want to hold off on the TLS stuff yet.

levellass · Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 7:31 am Post subject:

Noted. I'll work on Startext.

lemm · Joined: 05 Jul 2009 Posts: 532

http://www.mediafire.com/?my4bje0eojt

Here is the patch, sorry for delay. I am keeping that format I posted earlier. Readme inside zip folder. There may be one small update (to the patch, not the file formats) if masked animation can be made to work; if not, then this is it.

Thanks!

and no, I do not plan on making a 64 level patch =)

levellass · Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 11:21 am Post subject:

That's a hefty looking patch, it may take some time to integrate.

Tulip · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 11:02 am Post subject:

Hey I finally switched from modkeen to KeenGraph.

I have one suggestion Levellass: Could you make it so KeenGraph creates specified the graphics export subdirectory itself if it doesn't exist.
I go some 'directory not found' errors, and it took me a while till I found out the export directory has to be created by hand as well.

levellass · Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 8:04 am Post subject:

Don't worry; the next Keengraph release (After I finnish a small project I'm working on.) will automatically create the export directory. As it happens in my current project I have just finished fixing this 'feature'

I appreciate the support guys. I have just failed in adding PNG and GIF support due to being overwhelmed with errors relating to the DEFLATE compression they use, so it's nice to see some comments.

CommanderSpleen · Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 1:58 pm Post subject:

A progress indicator would be handy. On the EeePC under DOSBox, KeenGraph runs very slowly. It's difficult to tell whether it's taking forever to process or has completely hung.

Pretty sure it's hung.

levellass · Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 1:28 am Post subject:

Do explain; I *should* have indicators for what task KeenGraph is up to, font, tiles, sprotes, ending screens, etc. If you want annoyingly concise indicators (Srpite x of 134...) then I can include an option for that if you like.

CommanderSpleen · Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 2:00 am Post subject:

It was stuck on extracting the tilesets for 5-10 minutes. I Ctrl+Ced it and checked the bitmap it created, which was just a 2.5Mb vertical strip of black.

I think something might be mangled in that mod right now though, so I'm starting a new copy from scratch. But TLS is still being troublesome, so I can't comment on KeenGraph any further yet.

Edit: I think the problem here was that I forgot to run unlzexe. It's all working now. Wootage.

CommanderSpleen · Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2010 11:27 am Post subject:

Fleexy · Joined: 12 Dec 2008 Posts: 281 Location: Blogham Tower

CommanderSpleen · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 1:35 am Post subject:

You be quiet Fleexy. :dopekeen