Author Topic: [FF7] Field Editor - Meteor (Alpha) (Missing Download) (Read 33701 times)

Synergy Blades · « **on:** 2006-09-04 00:20:21 »

Meteor (Alpha, v0.2)

Meteor is an editor for Final Fantasy 7 PC that is able to edit and create new field files for the game. A field file contains information such as dialog, scripts, and background images that are used to create a 'scene' in the game. The editor is able to load in existing files that have been extracted and uncompressed from field.lgp as well as create new field files.

I didn't want to release it until it got to a certain functional stage, but I've got less and less time now I'm coming to my final year of university and just wanted to get a version out there for people to play with & to get an idea of what it can/will do. Still, got plenty of ideas for future iterations that should make things much easier and enjoyable to use.

Some screens:

Field Overview;

Dialog Editor;

Script Editing;

Field objects on the Walkmesh;

Editing multiple components in the Walkmesh;

Palette tweaking;

Editing random encounters;

There's bugs-o-plenty but I do appreciate bug reports, comments and suggestions. You can find my email address on the homepage, or PM me.

Cazador · « **Reply #1 on:** 2006-09-04 02:18:20 »

Wow, Great job

Awesome program

Good Luck with school and everything

Thanks for sharing

Covarr · « **Reply #2 on:** 2006-09-05 00:38:23 »

With this, and Reunion's new program... At this rate, it will be only months before it is possible to create a new game on the FF7 engine.

halkun · « **Reply #3 on:** 2006-09-05 00:42:28 »

Well, a demo anyway. There is still more unknown than known.

As one of the mods, we knew about this program for a while (hehehe) you should *See* the stuff we cook up in the special forums. ^_^

Vehek · « **Reply #4 on:** 2006-09-05 03:50:12 »

This is great. I can finally look at the scripting in the field files, even if I don't know what that scripting is doing.

I found out that you can't delete entities in this version.

Some problems I've encountered are background being screwed up (in the same way as the incompletely rendered preview) and scripting apparently being messed up. I've noticed this in itown1a; Tifa didn't talk to the dog and skipped to talking to the old men, and the game froze when the third party member said their line in that scene.

Synergy Blades · « **Reply #5 on:** 2006-09-05 13:24:45 »

Could you elaborate? Since I haven't implemented any background editing yet, there shouldn't be any issues with background mess-ups in the game itself. Also, entities should be deletable using the Delete button, but you'd need to watch out for REQ and variants in other scripts since they call particular entities. This'll be easier in future since the C-style editor will replace these arguments with the entity names themselves.

I do know scripting is a bit off because they are loaded into the editor sequentially, when some are actually spaced out, such as save points that have a Script 1 and a Script 5 (ish), but they're loaded, and subsequently saved, as Script 1 followed by Script 2. Again, on the Todo list.

ultima espio · « **Reply #6 on:** 2006-09-05 16:44:13 »

Well now i don't have to edit the levels in hex!

ChaosControl · « **Reply #7 on:** 2006-09-05 23:22:35 »

Quote from: halkun on 2006-09-05 00:42:28

Well, a demo anyway. There is still more unknown than known.

As one of the mods, we knew about this program for a while (hehehe) you should *See* the stuff we cook up in the special forums. ^_^

That made me feel excluded

Vehek · « **Reply #8 on:** 2006-09-06 00:09:51 »

I opened up itown1a (Mideel), edited the scripting, and saved. The background had some green areas, like in the merged preview picture. It happens even if I don't change anything.

On the entity part, I created a new entity, made it visible, and then tried to delete it.

Synergy Blades · « **Reply #9 on:** 2006-09-06 00:36:34 »

Thanks for that. Looks like somewhere along the line I've tweaked something & now it's miscalculating the required file size. As a result the background section at the end of the file is being chopped off. Some files, it doesn't matter as it's empty data, but in cases like yours it clearly does. Entities, looks like there's a prob with deleting the very last entity, but any other entity should be okay. Again, thanks, and I'll take a closer look.

halkun · « **Reply #10 on:** 2006-09-06 00:43:32 »

Quote from: chaoscontrol on 2006-09-05 23:22:35

Quote from: halkun on 2006-09-05 00:42:28
Well, a demo anyway. There is still more unknown than known.

As one of the mods, we knew about this program for a while (hehehe) you should *See* the stuff we cook up in the special forums. ^_^
That made me feel excluded

Don't feel that way. Most of the stuff is half backed experiments and arguments amognst the gods. All the cool stuff you guys see sooner or later.

Synergy Blades · « **Reply #11 on:** 2006-09-06 19:48:28 »

Quick update, recommended for script examiners/tweakers/editors. (Changelog)

Scripts are now inserted into Meteor in their correct places (see pic below), whereas previously blank script entries were just ignored and added to Meteor as sequential scripts. This means scripts now function correctly in game and, examined in a hex editor, the script offset table from a saved file will now match that found in the original field file.

I also fixed the bugs Vehek found (thanks again) and a few others.

With this, the save point will now function properly. Before, the blank script entries were ignored & placed the scripts in slots 1, 2, 3 and 4. When saved out and played ingame, the save point acted oddly (difficult to leave the save point since the save dialog kept reopening

). I suspect this was the cause of the dialog problem in Mideel that Vehek noticed. Scripts have their assigned places for a reason; what those reasons are, I don't think we know yet.

But with this, it might make it easier to find out.

halkun · « **Reply #12 on:** 2006-09-07 02:26:35 »

Not to nitpick, but each "slot" is an activation meathod.

For example init is "slot 0" (split between an Initialize script that's run once and a Base script that's run every cycle.

Slot 1 is "on click"

Slot 2 is "On touch" I think.

There is also "On enter" and "On exit" as well...

The other ones are REQ slots that are called by the other entites.

Maybe I should post this is tech related. ^_^

Synergy Blades · « **Reply #13 on:** 2006-09-07 02:40:09 »

But 2 is not always "on click". For example, background on/off code that manipulates doors when you cross a door's trigger on the walkmesh also uses script 2, but is not activated when clicked (uutai1, for example).

I had realised each script had a specific function, but was going to wait off on giving the scripts particular names until we actually knew what they were all for.

Btw, halkun, please check the talk page for IFUB over at the wiki.

halkun · « **Reply #14 on:** 2006-09-07 03:03:01 »

(I just added this to the IFUB talk in the wiki)

That's odd. It might be a destination bank/source bank pair. (Like the maths use) That makes sense as both values being compaired are in the same bank (6 and 6). In that case, the value being compaired is most likely the source bank address. (i.e. not explicit)

===

Edit... Wait. Is 6 a valid bank?

ChaosControl · « **Reply #15 on:** 2006-09-07 09:49:46 »

Quote from: halkun on 2006-09-06 00:43:32

Quote from: chaoscontrol on 2006-09-05 23:22:35
Quote from: halkun on 2006-09-05 00:42:28
Well, a demo anyway. There is still more unknown than known.

As one of the mods, we knew about this program for a while (hehehe) you should *See* the stuff we cook up in the special forums. ^_^
That made me feel excluded

Don't feel that way. Most of the stuff is half backed experiments and arguments amognst the gods. All the cool stuff you guys see sooner or later.

I'll think of it as some sort of spam filter then

kini · « **Reply #16 on:** 2006-09-10 21:33:14 »

looks awsome, what can the script editor do, looks too good to be true, also any chance in the future it will be able to load up all the files at once, ive been trying to search for the church but its never gonna work unless i know which file holds what

Synergy Blades · « **Reply #17 on:** 2006-09-10 21:45:17 »

The script holds all interactions, events and so on that go on in the field. It's an ongoing area as we're still learning how it all works, so it gets updated as we know more about it, but it's certainly possible to code new events and the like. I've been using my own Debug Wutai for some time, playing with the opcodes and adding them to the Wiki.

Quote

any chance in the future it will be able to load up all the files at once

Depends, I've several ideas for the future. In the meantime, use Cosmo (since you'll be extracting the fields from there anyway) and check the backgrounds to identify what field is what; for the church, try the file named.. well, 'church'.

kini · « **Reply #18 on:** 2006-09-11 12:36:29 »

thanks alot Synergy Blades,
theres a few things id like to have a look at with this
http://www.ff7citadel.com/secrets/s_cave.shtml
and there was a cave back ground that didnt have a walk mesh, i think you could reach it from the debug room, this programs opened a few new doors , good luck with the development

Synergy Blades · « **Reply #19 on:** 2006-09-11 13:36:17 »

It's sango1. Yes, there is a piece of walkmesh at the top, near the cave, indicating it was possibly meant for walking on (though you'll notice in some other files, there are often bits of walkmesh which aren't actually reachable, presumably left in from the original mesh after converting to a simple walkmesh version). There are no LADER opcodes in the characters' scripts, which explains why you can't climb up; you'll also notice there are no gateways or lines, so even if you could reach the top there would be no 'next field'. But yes, it's possible it was meant to be accessible; can't think why else they would have a significant section of walkmesh leading down to the bottom of the vine.

The Skillster · « **Reply #20 on:** 2006-09-11 15:46:14 »

Great, now all we need is a tutorial on editing or "how to edit" field scripts

Cyberman · « **Reply #21 on:** 2006-09-11 19:13:58 »

Quote from: The Skillster on 2006-09-11 15:46:14

Great, now all we need is a tutorial on editing or "how to edit" field scripts

And we can add a new Materia type with a weird script along with a new field location

Hey we could even have something interesting in the cave, like a mini game of sorts. (Boulder dash FF7?)
Just need to use the LADDER opcode right?

Cyb - being silly but having fun with it.

NobodyImportant · « **Reply #22 on:** 2006-09-11 23:18:17 »

This is some great work. The interface is very clean, and the work the program does is outstanding. Keep it up and good luck in school!

The Skillster · « **Reply #23 on:** 2006-09-14 18:40:48 »

No, i meant generally. It would be nice if someone could through down a basic guide on how to script in FF7?

Synergy Blades · « **Reply #24 on:** 2006-09-14 19:59:13 »

I think once we know exactly what happens with regards to the script, and know at least 90% of the opcodes, that'd make sense. At that point I'll probably write a scripting guide to go with the app anyway, since the C-style editor will probably need even further explanation than just raw editing.