KeenGraph 2.2

KeenGraph is a ModKeen alternative with extra features for Keen:Vorticons.
Dr. Kylstein
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Post by Dr. Kylstein »

levellass wrote:Will the good doctor's utility use bitmaps, or raw EGA data like we did in the early days?
lemm wrote: Not quite sure exactly what Dr. Kylstein is up to... I still haven't seen the new program, but it sounds like it will be done shortly. It will use a bitmap (I don't know what colour depth is required) and spit out the TileSet file, (but not the tileheader, he said that was "best left for a level editor").
The new Tileset Tool supports any image format that Qt can handle, and does a nearest match to the EGA colors.

I tried making Tileset Tool handle tileset related functions for an entire mod project, but it got too complicated. Now it's limited to dealing with one tileset at a time, so other programs are necessary to deal with game-wide things like the EGALATCH size and TILEHEAD.

Edit: What's the exact format that KeenGraph and Modkeen use for bitmaps? Are there any constraints?
levellass
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Post by levellass »

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?
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CommanderSpleen
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Post by CommanderSpleen »

Who needs a 650Mb disc?
lemm
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Post by lemm »

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
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Post by levellass »

Noted. I'll work on Startext.

Who needs a 650Mb disc?
Nobody running DOS, that's for sure.

The person mad enough to be able to make more than 32 levels is mad enough to leave Keen for DooM.
lemm
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Post by lemm »

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
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Post by levellass »

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

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
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Post by levellass »

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.
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CommanderSpleen
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Post by CommanderSpleen »

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
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Post by levellass »

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.
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CommanderSpleen
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Post by CommanderSpleen »

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.
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CommanderSpleen
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Post by CommanderSpleen »

KeenGraph wrote:Importing terminator images...File 1MSC0001.BMP doesn't exist!
It also leaves behind a lot of empty .BAK files, one for each bitmap, when extracting.
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Fleexy
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Post by Fleexy »

CommanderSpleen wrote:
KeenGraph wrote:Importing terminator images...File 1MSC0001.BMP doesn't exist!
It also leaves behind a lot of empty .BAK files, one for each bitmap, when extracting.
Add a del *.bak to the end of the BAT file used to run it.
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CommanderSpleen
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Post by CommanderSpleen »

You be quiet Fleexy. :dopekeen
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