Profile for Ishad Nha
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Displayed name | Ishad Nha |
| Member number | 7662 |
| Title | Shock Trooper |
| Postcount | 292 |
| Homepage | |
| Registered | Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
Recent posts
Pages
| Author | Recent posts |
|---|---|
| Compiling Windows BoE Editor in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Tuesday, May 13 2008 03:03
Profile
Problems compiling the source code The home page of Ormus gives the following advice: Compilation using Dev-CPP IDE 1. Create an empty project 2. In the project options set type of application to Win32 GUI 3. Add "-lwinmm" to linker command line options 4. Add all *.cpp, *.h, *.rc files to the project 5. Compile all This leads to the following messages: c:\dev-c++\new folder\keydlgs.cpp: In function `void edit_scen_intro_event_filter(short int)': c:\dev-c++\new folder\keydlgs.cpp:1262: warning: comparison is always false due to limited range of data type c:\dev-c++\new folder\scenario.cpp: In function `void edit_monst_type_event_filter(short int)': c:\dev-c++\new folder\scenario.cpp:1271: warning: comparison is always true due to limited range of data type c:\dev-c++\new folder\scenario.cpp: In function `void edit_monst_abil_event_filter(short int)': c:\dev-c++\new folder\scenario.cpp:1442: warning: assignment of negative value `-1' to `unsigned char' g++: c:\dev-c++\new folder\gamedlog.rc: linker input file unused since linking not done g++: c:\dev-c++\new folder\blades_of_exile_scenario_editor_private.rc: linker input file unused since linking not done g++: c:\dev-c++\new folder\blscened.rc: linker input file unused since linking not done g++: c:\dev-c++\new folder\strings.rc: linker input file unused since linking not done I understand point 3 of Ormus's advice to mean: Further object files or linker options (separate filenames by spaces): -lwinmm Resource files (separate filenames by a semicolon “;”): rsrc.rc [ Tuesday, May 13, 2008 03:09: Message edited by: Ishad Nha ] Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| editor not working in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Monday, May 12 2008 23:52
Profile
G2000.bmp is an Editor graphic, it is used in dialog boxes like Edit Item Placement Shortcuts. It has an impact on the background color of dialog boxes. (I made a backup copy of this graphic and then changed the original copy to a bright green rectangle, this showed that it was used a bit in the Editor.) Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| I'm back and I've ported Character Editor for Win32 in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Monday, May 12 2008 15:24
Profile
Caps Lock + (key): It does work in practice and it is a handy thing. Though in BoE there are only two such keys. Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| editor not working in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Monday, May 12 2008 15:17
Profile
This is like nothing that I have ever heard of. Have you checked that g2000.bmp is still in your Game Graphics folder and that warriorsgrave.bas is still in your Data folder? If they are, there should be no problem. Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| I'm back and I've ported Character Editor for Win32 in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Monday, May 12 2008 01:39
Profile
Another good idea is to find ways to customize the assignments for the Scenario Editor hot keys. Not many are used here and now: I R . / , ` 1 2 3 4 5 6 and 0. You could record them in Blades.ini. Shift + (key) arrangements are good because you can leave the Caps Lock key on. Thus you can use the mouse with one hand and activate the keyboard shortcut with the other hand. In the main Blades of Exile game I was able to do this by hex-editing, I found the table "char button_def_key[150]" on line 138 of dlogtool.cpp. Then I found the corresponding compiled version at decimal place 603,456 in the program itself. [ Monday, May 12, 2008 01:49: Message edited by: Ishad Nha ] Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| I'm back and I've ported Character Editor for Win32 in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Sunday, May 11 2008 22:54
Profile
Another example is in Shadow of the Stranger where the party is killed in one of the towns, the chief enemy gives them a display of his power. (Edit it was in town 27.) [ Sunday, May 11, 2008 23:00: Message edited by: Ishad Nha ] Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Sunday, May 11 2008 17:34
Profile
Bladbase.exs would be of no use to the game itself because it has only one town, Warrior's Grove. It also has only one outdoor section. It might be used by the Scenario Editor for creating monster, terrain and item records in a new scenario. I have not checked this last theory in the source code. Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| Compiling Windows BoE Editor in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Sunday, May 11 2008 15:39
Profile
If you mandate that any password is acceptable then you don't need to know how the thing is calculated. Or you could say that "100" is always a valid answer. Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| I'm back and I've ported Character Editor for Win32 in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Sunday, May 11 2008 15:22
Profile
Re Ormus's post: why not remove it? I can barely read code, let alone program. There seem to be two programmers in this forum, namely Ormus and Niemand. Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| I'm back and I've ported Character Editor for Win32 in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Sunday, May 11 2008 04:08
Profile
Firstly, we thought you had disappeared on a one-way trip down a black hole. Second, many of us had come to the conclusion that password-protection on scenarios was a great big hassle. Third, I came to the conclusion that the Character Editor needed the ability to customize the items used, many scenarios have custom items. The official Editor uses the default list of items, unlike the BoA Editor which uses the current scenario's list of items. Examining the source code lead me to the conclusion that the Editor stores item data in the "short item record type" while the Scenario Editor and the save game files use the "item record type". Consequently I drew up an Excel spreadsheet that converts item record type to the variety used by the Character Editor. To fix this, you would need to rewrite the Editor so it will open the scenario file and access the item data it contains. A quick fix is to rewrite the source to remove all references to short item record type. Then itemdata.h must be rewritten with data from "bladbase.exs". Finally the number of item records must be increased from 370 to 400. If you do this you will be able to create a PC Editor with the list of items for one scenario at a time, just copy the data from the scenario file and paste it into the editor. [ Sunday, May 11, 2008 04:11: Message edited by: Ishad Nha ] Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| hmmm... a little help please in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Saturday, May 10 2008 21:55
Profile
I have had no luck whatsoever with compiling anything on Dev-C++, every last Spiderweb source code has generated a dozen pages of errors. As for Microsoft allowing free access to its Visual Studio program, it is part of a campaign called "Dream Spark". See https://downloads.channel8.msdn.com/ This is currently available only to registered students in 11 countries:United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, China, Germany, France, Finland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Belgium. [ Saturday, May 10, 2008 22:10: Message edited by: Ishad Nha ] Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| Save Game File Decrypting in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Friday, May 9 2008 23:09
Profile
Increase a PC's inherent speed? No, the monsters use the data structure "monster_record_type;", this is from the source file "global.h", there is mention of both speed and "ap", presumably the latter is action points. Meanwhile the PCs use struct pc_record_type { short main_status; char name[20]; short skills[30]; short max_health,cur_health,max_sp,cur_sp,experience,skill_pts,level; short status[15]; item_record_type items[24]; Boolean equip[24]; Boolean priest_spells[62],mage_spells[62]; short which_graphic,weap_poisoned; Boolean advan[15],traits[15]; short race,exp_adj,direction; /* functions */ bool isAlive() { return (main_status == MAIN_STATUS_ALIVE); } }; This does not mention speed or action points. Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| Petition for Carbonized Character Editor in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Tuesday, May 6 2008 21:28
Profile
In the matter of items, all the problems come from the "short_item_record_type". I don't know why it exists, only the PC Editor seems to use it. If you can open both the scenario file and the save game in the Editor you will be able to give a customized item list for every scenario. Now if anyone can modernize this thing for Windows... Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| Save Game File Decrypting in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Tuesday, May 6 2008 15:16
Profile
Whenever I try to compile any Spiderweb source code I get 10 or 11 pages of errors and warnings. This is on Dev-C++. Borland is even worse. I think Jeff uses Code Warrior, he has praised it in the Credits part of a help file somewhere. He may use some professional compiler for all I know. Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Tuesday, May 6 2008 15:06
Profile
Programmer, no I am not. I am self - taught, and not well taught at that. I also lack reference materials. "January 15", that is the particular post that I am replying to, in WikiEncyclopedia terms this is a disambiguation device. I could have said "your post on January 15 this year". This topic has ranged over a whole lot of distinct individual matters, so I am referring to one in particular. My post on May 4 makes it clear that the item graphics bug appears in one place only: the shopping screen. I am pointing out the significance of char, there is a maximum of 105 slots and you will need each item graphic to appear twice: once for the inventory and once for the shopping screen. [ Tuesday, May 06, 2008 15:08: Message edited by: Ishad Nha ] Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Tuesday, May 6 2008 02:28
Profile
I earlier recommended that people pass around the hat, see if they can't raise money to hire someone who does know how to program, unlike me. A lot of people won't be able to contribute financially. Alternately, you could take a few months to learn how to program, it is not that hard from what I can see. We lost Ormus, now we may have lost someone else. There are few people who know how to program in the Blades community and we keep losing them. Hex-editing can only correct a few errors, things like data structures. It can't rewrite the program in fundamental ways. Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Sunday, May 4 2008 17:16
Profile
Custom item graphics, the documentation says that 150 is added to the custom graphic sheet slot number to give the graphic number. In practice it seems to be 200, and the item graphic number is "char", hence has a maximum value of 255. This problem seems to occur only when items with custom graphics are sold in shops. There is no apparent problem when the item is placed on the ground by the scenario editor. Edit: it does not seem to affect item graphics once the item is actually bought and appears in the PC's inventory. It is only when the item is being displayed for sale. [ Monday, May 05, 2008 20:30: Message edited by: Ishad Nha ] Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| Petition for Carbonized Character Editor in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Wednesday, April 30 2008 15:24
Profile
My Windows version was created on Friday July 20, according to the Properties tag. Items given by the PC Editor will not have a Conceal Ability property, the conversion formula has no provision for this. The conversion formula is found on line 692 of source file “bladpced.cpp”; [ Wednesday, April 30, 2008 15:27: Message edited by: Ishad Nha ] Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Wednesday, April 30 2008 15:12
Profile
January 15: It is the Type Flag, this is an unsigned char (according to the source file global.h) thus it has permissible values from 0 through 255 only. Thus the "0 - 1000" mentioned by the Scenario Editor is wrong. Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| Save Game File Decrypting in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Wednesday, April 30 2008 15:03
Profile
If you really want a Mac Editor that works you could try passing around the hat and hiring someone who actually knows how to program. (The Spiderweb fans may not be so wealthy being students and so on.) You could learn programming and do it yourself. But apart from those two options, there is only hex - editing. If you have not tried it, it is quite easy once you know what you are doing. You can consult my notes, which you will find in this forum. It is also relatively fast. Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| Petition for Carbonized Character Editor in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Tuesday, April 29 2008 22:44
Profile
Conceal Ability does not work, that means all abilities are concealed or none are, it is all or nothing. As for cases where the Editor is not available, here are the three main flags, they occur in the first six places of the save game file: Mac tags: 16 9E, 05 3E 00 64, 00 C8 0D 5E, 15 BF Here is what they mean: short flags[3][2] = {{5790,1342}, // slot 0 5790 - out, 1342 - town {100,200}, // slot 1 100 - in scenario, 200 not in {3422,5567}}; // slot 2 3422 - no maps, 5567 - maps Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| Save Game File Decrypting in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Tuesday, April 29 2008 15:49
Profile
A new alphabet: *)(/.-,#"! '&%$;:98?>=<321(These are the capital letters used to record the names of items in the PC records part of a save game file.)Lower case letters are recorded by ASCII symbols with numerical values between 0 and 31. Now h,i,j,k have symbols with values of 3,2,1,0. In the numerical areas of item records 0,1,2,3 are represented by k,j,i,h. Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| Petition for Carbonized Character Editor in Blades of Exile | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Sunday, April 27 2008 15:47
Profile
The PC Mac Editor does not even run?! Well, see my notes linked in the post on Editing Save Game Files. They can be adapted to the Mac game. To leave a scenario you would need to alter the three flags at the start of the file, then the Special Items further on. The Windows Editor runs, it just has a few errors and zero capacity for customization of items. It also has no capacity to handle special items or SDFs. Conceal Ability, how about replace the tell tale text strings like "Drains Missiles" with white spaces? Hex editing the program should work here. Edit: if you make a save file immediately after you exit a scenario, by winning for example, you will have a specimen save. When you examine the specimen you will know what to do when you want to exit a buggy scenario. For example, a save like that in Windows has only 72kb and ends immediately after the last PC record. As for adding items to a Mac save, you could draw up a spreadsheet that creates the necessary item records, thus you can paste them into your save game. This will require decryption of the encoding of the file, fortunately this is straightforward. Edit: Custom graphics, if the item with the custom graphic is still in your inventory after you leave the scenario, a bit of hex editing will be necessary: change the number to something between 25 and 44. [ Monday, April 28, 2008 01:20: Message edited by: Ishad Nha ] Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| Alint Error in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Saturday, April 26 2008 18:41
Profile
Normally errors will be connected to the wrong use of an Avernumscript call. Check the description of the relevant call in the BoA Editor documentation, see if you entered the wrong kind of variable or whatever. As for information, I don't know that there is any elsewhere. Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |
| Alint Error in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 7662
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written Saturday, April 26 2008 16:23
Profile
The Command Prompt may also be called the MS Dos Prompt, it may be found in the Programs > Accessories part of the Start Menu. I normally change directory before attempting to use the Alint. An example of this is:"cd C:\Program Files\Blades of Avernum\Blades of Avernum Scenarios\High Level Party Maker", (omit quotes). Then type "alint -w (filename)", omit quotes again. You will see something like this: C:\Program Files\Blades of Avernum\Blades of Avernum Scenarios\High Level Party Maker>alint -w t1Library.txt Checking file 't1Library.txt': Warning line 746: Result ignored If you click on the little black "C\:" button in the upper left corner you can use Edit > Paste to paste stuff straight into the Prompt. I use this to paste the change directory command above. You can also choose Select All and Mark to copy the error reports so you can paste them into a Word documnet. Finally, alint is good for most error checking but it is not perfect, see previous posts in this forum. Edit: Copy the Alint program into the folder of the scenario; this avoids the need to move files to and from the Alint home directory. Remove spaces from the titles of all files being scanned, otherwise you can’t get the program to recognise the files. After each lot of alterations, hit the Up Arrow and Enter keys till the file comes up clean. Alint is not infallible, but between it and the Blades game you should be able to clean up the errors. Certain errors will not be detected by Alint but the game itself will give error messages. First there is a mistake with “fl_shimmers”, the Alint source code shows it as “floor_shimmers”. So to Alint “fl_shimmers” is always wrong while “floor_shimmers” is always right. Then te_cutaway_second_icon is spelled as “te_cutaway_second_item”. As far as I can see, the program does not recognize print_big_str_num. These errors can’t be fixed in the MS-Dos Prompt Edit command. Then it won’t accept the Sanctification state in the sanctitem.txt. “Checking file 'sanctitem.txt': Error line 29: Bad beginstate line Warning line 29: Result ignored” As I learned the hard way, the variables in the various calls are not checked for magnitude. Thus for put_item_on_spot it accepted an item with the number 3,840. Then it is unable to handle spaces between words in the title of a script. This is a problem for all scripts not just the ported ones. The Command Prompt can handle spaces in the names of directories. But it seems unable to handle spaces in the names of files, hence the flaw seems to be inherent in any command – line program. May not detect the absence of the “i = i + 1;” in a while statement. It seems that the Blades documentation is wrong when it says that states over 100 are not possible for towns. I haven’t experimented with this much myself, but it seems to be possible to use states with numbers around, and not exceeding, 255. Of course some numbers can never be used: INIT_STATE (equal to 0) LOAD_SCEN_STATE (equal to 0) EXIT_STATE (equal to 1) START_STATE (equal to 2) DEAD_STATE (equal to 1) START_SCEN_STATE (equal to 111) SEARCH_STATE (equal to 100) TALKING_STATE (equal to 110) UNLOCK_SPELL_STATE (equal to 101) SANCTIFICATION_STATE (equal to 102) BLOCK_MOVE_STATE (equal to 112) DISPEL_BARRIER_STATE (equal to 113) STEP_INTO_SPOT_STATE (equal to 114) From the source file global.h: “For now, cut_away_offset_x & cut_away_offset_y are UNUSED”. “short value_class; // Represents the item's value for random treasures // from 0 - 10, if -1, no class.” (There was no comment listed for it_augment_item_type, and I could not find any reference to icon adjusts.) [ Saturday, April 26, 2008 16:45: Message edited by: Ishad Nha ] Posts: 292 | Registered: Monday, November 13 2006 08:00 |