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Author Topic: Help changing the VWF in F-Zero Climax  (Read 2 times)
RadioShadow
Guest
« on: January 23, 2007, 03:52:32 pm »
Okay, I have decided to give a shot at changing a VWF.  The font is already located and story lines and profiles can be changed.  I have put the following letters that need its width changed in story line 11. 



From what I know, the characters are in a 16 x 16 sized tiles.  Somehow I got to find the data that contains the data (I think the bytes 10) to display a different length.  So I ever need to figure out how to change the font from 16 x 16 to 8 x 16 (8 pixels in width) or give each letter a certain VW.

So I decided I need to use 'VBA-SDL-H' to see if I can get the data and figure it out.  However, I can't see to work out how to use.  I only figured out this much: Sad



The read me only says how it works, not how to set it up.  What do I need to enter in order to get the program running?  I'm not used command-line that many times. 


An IPS patch of what I have done and a save file can be downloaded here in case anyone would like to lend me a hand.

Also are some notes made by Perfect_Guy.  They may help or may not help but its worth posting them. 

============================================================
Relevant Offsets
============================================================

042BA4 - Points to 08C59368 -> 0837CBCC (Font Images)
063608 - Menu Data Pointers
37CBCC - Font Image Data
CF7BAC - Story Titles Pointers
CF9D5C - Story Episodes Pointers
CF9E58 - Pilot Profiles Pointers
DCA820 - EoF Padding

============================================================
Menu Data Pointers
============================================================

Data Structure (8 bytes)
  Text Pointer - Unsigned Int32
  Unknown 1    - Unsigned Int32

* 6 structures, one for each selection of the Main Menu
* Unknown 1 could be the image, background, or menu code
  pointer. I haven't looked into it

============================================================
Font Image Data
============================================================

Character Structure
  2x2 Tiles
    8x8 linear bitmap chunks
    16 bits per pixel, second-to-first

* 1611 structures, one for each character in the font
* Even though the font definition itself doesn't represent
  the characters contiguously, the image data is coniguous
* Some characters appear in a different order from the
  font definition

============================================================
Story Titles Pointers
============================================================

51 Unsigned Int32's that point to the image data for each
episode of the story.

Image Structure
  4x14 tiles
    8x8 linear bitmap chunks
    16 bits per pixel, second-to-first

* Image is supposedly compressed with LZ77.
* Image is composed of seven 16-pixel-tall rows
* Rows are arranged horizontally for title image

============================================================
Story Episodes Pointers
============================================================

51 Unsigned Int32's that point to individual pointer tables
which in turn point to the text data for each individual
line of text in any given story episode description.

Diagram:
  All Episodes Pointer Table         - points to:
  Individual Episode's Pointer Table - points to:
  Episode's Individual Lines' Text

* Episode Line Pointer tables are terminated with two EOF
  lines, which are referenced by 085C42E0
* At least 6 lines must be present before EOF's become
  effective. Pad with empty lines if necessary
* Lines are normal text, terminated with 00
* All lines' text data must begin on a 4-byte boundary

============================================================
Pilot Profiles Pointers
============================================================

Data Structure (12 bytes)
  Pilot Text Pointer   - Unsigned Int32
  Machine Text Pointer - Unsigned Int32
  Unknown 1            - Unsigned Int32

* 38 structures, one for each pilot, in the order they
  appear on the Pilot Profiles menu; left-to-right,
  top-to-bottom
* Unknown 1 could be just about anything. I haven't looked
  into it
* Pilot and Machine text must begin on a 4-byte boundary

============================================================
EoF Padding
============================================================

* Unused portion of the ROM. Free game for any data
* A few chunks do have data in them, which include the
  ROM headers for GP Legend and Maximum Velocity among other
  data. The purpose of these chunks is unknown, so don't
  overwrite them
* Padding is composed entirely of FF bytes
* Actually begins at DCA818, but DCA820 is prettier

============================================================
Font Character Assignment Specification
============================================================

16-bit characters, except for control characters

00: String Terminator
0A: Newline

8060-813F: Windows Code Page 1252 (starting at Space)

Miscellaneous Symbols & Punctuation:
8140-817E, 8180-81AC, 81B8-81BF, 81C8-81CE,
81DA-81E8, 81F0-81F7, 81FC

824F-8258: Numerical Digits
8260-8279: Roman Alphabet (Uppercase)
8281-829A: Roman Alphabet (Lowercase)
829F-82F1: Hiragana
8340-8396: Katakana
839F-83B6: Greek Alphabet (Uppercase)
83BF-83D6: Greek Alphabet (Lowercase)
8440-8460: Cyrillic Alphabet (Uppercase)
8470-8491: Cyrillic Alphabet (Lowercase)
849F-84BE: Table Formatting Characters
8540-8553: Circled Numbers (1 to 20)
859F-85A8: Roman Numerals

Unknown characters requiring further analysis:
8600-87FF, 8840-8850

Kanji Character Ranges:
889F-88FC, 8940-897E, 8980-89FC, 8A40-8A7E,
8A80-8AFC, 8B40-8B7E, 8B80-8BFC, 8C40-8C7E,
8C80-8CFC, 8D40-8D7E, 8D80-8DFC, 8E40-8E7E,
8E80-8EFC, 8F40-8F7E, 8F80-8FFC, 9040-907E,
9180-91FC, 9240-927E, 9380-93FC, 9440-947E,
9580-95FC, 9640-967E, 9780-97FC, 9840-9872 


RedComet
Guest
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2007, 04:29:16 pm »
You have to actually run the program. HINT: vba-sdl-h is the first argument on the command line. Wink
mit_mis
Guest
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2007, 04:31:29 pm »
Quote from: Readme
the easiest way to open your ROM is to simply drag the ROM onto this executable
Roll Eyes
RadioShadow
Guest
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2007, 04:57:27 pm »
Quote from: mit_mis on January 23, 2007, 04:31:29 pm
Quote from: Readme
the easiest way to open your ROM is to simply drag the ROM onto this executable
Roll Eyes

That sort of works.  It opens up the VBA with rom but I can't enter anything in the commander line. 


Quote from: RedComet on January 23, 2007, 04:29:16 pm
You have to actually run the program. HINT: vba-sdl-h is the first argument on the command line. Wink

I see.  So once its been told what program to run, I can tell it to dump certain data.  So I enter 'VBA-SDL-H' to run the                                                 executable file but I'm not sure what to enter after to get it to run the rom in the emulator. >_<

I'm not to keen on Command-Line.   Undecided\
RedComet
Guest
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2007, 05:32:59 pm »
Quote from: The Readme
Debugging Console
-----------------

All of the debugger features are accessed via the debugging console. This
can be called up by pressing 'F11' whilst the game is running. To access a
list of commands, enter '?' or 'help'. To return to the game, use 'c'.
Normmatt
Guest
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2007, 05:36:43 pm »
Your meant to type 'VBA-SDL-H' THEN the rom name then push enter iirc
RadioShadow
Guest
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2007, 06:39:13 pm »
Quote from: RedComet on January 23, 2007, 05:32:59 pm
Quote from: The Readme
Debugging Console
-----------------

All of the debugger features are accessed via the debugging console. This
can be called up by pressing 'F11' whilst the game is running. To access a
list of commands, enter '?' or 'help'. To return to the game, use 'c'.

D'OH!  That's why it wasn't working.   Tongue  I have another play about with it tomorrow. 

I'll see what I can find using this.  At least I'll be good at using commander line.   Grin
Neil
Guest
« Reply #7 on: January 02, 2009, 09:24:25 am »
-necrobump to save a thread from the great board prune of 2009-
KingMike
Guest
« Reply #8 on: January 02, 2009, 11:23:37 am »
Have the images changed since the original post?

I don't recognize either game, but I'm pretty sure FZC was a GBA game, and the shots are now some DS game.
Neil
Guest
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2009, 12:56:33 pm »
probably. it was the re notes i bumped the thread for.
Ryusui
Guest
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2009, 01:44:13 pm »
Quote from: KingMike on January 02, 2009, 11:23:37 am
Have the images changed since the original post?

I don't recognize either game, but I'm pretty sure FZC was a GBA game, and the shots are now some DS game.

Good God, man. You don't recognize freakin' Phoenix Wright?

It's the third game, Trials and Tribulations, FYI.
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