SS1 modding tools - TTLG Forums

ToxicFrog on 21/9/2005 at 01:31

For a while now I've been working on a set of SS1 modding tools, including a map editor. Most of it's not done yet, but the gamesys editor (or rather, the OBJPROP.DAT editor, which seems to serve much the same purpose in SS1 as SHOCK2.GAM in SS2) is, lacking only support for the stuff that hasn't been reverse engineered yet (doors, animations, triggers, containers and critters) -- and I intend to add limited support for those (the common object properties) over the next few days.

It's written almost entirely in Lua, using lbitlib (C) for bitwise operations and (http://www.fox-toolkit.org/) libFOX-1.4 + libfxlua (C++) for the GUI.

Using it is fairly self-explanatory, although I would advise backing up your OBJPROP.DAT first, in case there's a bug somewhere I've missed.

[EDIT]
The program has been combined into a single archive which supports both OSs, available in both RAR and TAR.GZ format. Old versions will remain up for a while.

Changelog
200509202131
Initial release of gamesys editor. Support for types 0 through 9.
(http://www.funkyhorror.net/toxicfrog/projects/ss1edit/screenshots/gamesys6.png) Screenshot (http://www.funkyhorror.net/toxicfrog/projects/ss1edit/screenshots/gamesys7.png) 2
200509211023
Bugfixes and repackaging. COP support for types 10 through 14.
200509221940
Integration into unified GUI. Beginnings of RES support (can't do much but see what chunks have been loaded, so far). Gamesys editor will now draw names from CYBSTRNG.RES if it's loaded, rather than hardcoded tables. Better error reporting and integrated Lua debugger.
(http://www.funkyhorror.net/toxicfrog/projects/ss1edit/screenshots/unified03.png) Gamesys tab
(http://www.funkyhorror.net/toxicfrog/projects/ss1edit/screenshots/unified04.png) Resource tab
(http://www.funkyhorror.net/toxicfrog/projects/ss1edit/screenshots/SHOCK027.GIF) I told it that dartguns should be 3d objects rather than sprites

Current Version (200509221940)
(http://www.funkyhorror.net/toxicfrog/projects/ss1edit/ss1edit.rar) [RAR](http://www.funkyhorror.net/toxicfrog/projects/ss1edit/ss1edit.tar.gz) [TAR.GZ] Combined package supporting both OSs.
Old Versions
(http://www.funkyhorror.net/toxicfrog/projects/ss1edit/ss1gsedit-core.rar) [RAR](http://www.funkyhorror.net/toxicfrog/projects/ss1edit/ss1gsedit-core.tar.gz) [TAR.GZ] Core files - the Lua code making up the program itself. Also includes OBJPROP.DAT in case you don't have SS1 but still want to try some modding.
(http://www.funkyhorror.net/toxicfrog/projects/ss1edit/ss1gsedit-linux.rar) [RAR](http://www.funkyhorror.net/toxicfrog/projects/ss1edit/ss1gsedit-linux.tar.gz) [TAR.GZ] Linux binaries - unpack these into the same directory as the above and run GSEdit.sh. You may need to install libFOX* in someplace appropriate like /usr/local/lib and run ldconfig to get it to run properly.
(http://www.funkyhorror.net/toxicfrog/projects/ss1edit/ss1gsedit-win32.rar) [RAR](http://www.funkyhorror.net/toxicfrog/projects/ss1edit/ss1gsedit-win32.tar.gz) [TAR.GZ] Windows binaries - unpack these into the same directory as the core files and run GSEdit.bat.

JediKorenchkin on 21/9/2005 at 04:16

Screenshots look interesting, I don't really know too much about anything else though. Good luck. :)

blaydes99 on 21/9/2005 at 06:19

WOW! You've been quite busy at this lately! I can't wait to try it out.

What are the prospects of you adding some other video modes to SS2 (ex. widescreen modes and higher res) and limited modification of sshock2.exe and other files that we don't know how to change?

ToxicFrog on 21/9/2005 at 13:57

Not terribly likely, I'm afraid, at least for the forseeable future - I'll be concentrating all my efforts on SS1.
Besides which, SS2 already has modding tools for altering the maps and gamesys; the CRF files can be edited using anything that will unpack ZIP files and most of their contents are either plaintext or well-known formats; and you can get high resolution by modifying (IIRC) cam.cfg. About the only thing to add would be widescreen mode. SS1, in contrast, lacks all of this.

icemann on 21/9/2005 at 15:34

What I`d REALLY LOVE TO SEE for SS1 is a level editor.

ToxicFrog on 21/9/2005 at 15:44

Quote Posted by icemann

What I`d REALLY LOVE TO SEE for SS1 is a level editor.

As I said in my first post, I'm working on it. But it's a much more complex problem than a gamesys editor, depends on other components I haven't finished yet (the resource editor/subsystem, mostly), and is thus going to take a while.
I'll get it done eventually, though. And I already have some ideas of what I'll do with it once it's done. :ebil: Cortex Reavers for all!

Firefreak on 21/9/2005 at 17:10

yo! As for the resource data: did you have a look at our data descriptions from TSSHP? SourceForge Project TSSHP, in the CVS path there's a big text file in the docs path containing everything we were able to find out about the resources...

Just a hint if you didn't used it already...

[EDIT]Ok, you probably know already about this (Saw you making a reference to TSSHP somewhere else) -- I hope it was of good use...[/EDIT]

ToxicFrog on 21/9/2005 at 18:19

FF, if not for that file this project would never have happened. I've added a lot of info to it, too, mainly to do with the format and layout of the gamesys, and intend to expand on it as much as I can over the course of this project (and eventually post the updated version). It's been invaluable to me, especially the sections on the map format and on the compression scheme used in resfiles.

Enchantermon on 21/9/2005 at 19:49

Quote Posted by ToxicFrog

Besides which, SS2 already has modding tools for altering the ... gamesys...

While ShockED is a working gamesys editor, it would be nice to have something a tad more user-friendly.....

[Off topic]
Firefreak: Has TSSHP basically died?
[/Off topic]

This SS1 editor is looking excellent! And you're working on a level editor as well?! Sweet!
Now if only SS1 would work in high-res..... :(

Enchantermon

ToxicFrog on 21/9/2005 at 19:54

Quote Posted by Enchantermon

While ShockED is a working gamesys editor, it would be nice to have something a tad more user-friendly.....

I'll keep that in mind, but if I ever do get around to writing such a tool it won't be until after I finish the SS1-related stuff.

Quote:

Now if only SS1 would work in high-res..... :(

It Works For Me (tm). I do intend to revisit it, though, stripping the extender so that I can properly disassemble it and implementing highres in a more elegant manner (possibly even unlocking the 1024x768 mode that's already present, but hidden, in the menus). But I want to at least get res-4.0 finished first.