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SADX/SA1 Hacking/Modding

Discussion in 'Engineering & Reverse Engineering' started by MainMemory, Aug 15, 2009.

  1. Ch1pper

    Ch1pper

    Fighting the Battle of Who Could Care Less Member
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    I hate to be a bother, but a thought occurs relating to FontEdit:
    Since it seems to use a similar method to tile editing, would it be possible to implement a feature that copies one letter's tilespace into another?

    I've yet to finish a whole font set, as going through just the uppercase alphabet weeks a month ago I found myself redrawing pixels in the same spots many times over, and haven't gotten around to the lowercase alphabet yet. Just knowing I ultimately wind up redrawing pixels in the same spots over and over again for many letters feels a bit daunting, which is keeping me from finishing it... Well, that and Generations. :v:

    Mostly just a hypothetical question for now; dunno how easy it'd actually be to implement. Regardless, one of these days I'll get around to finishing a nifty font for folks to try out.
     
  2. MainMemory

    MainMemory

    Kate the Wolf Tech Member
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    I'm trying to add COLLADA export to SAModel, since it appears to support a model hierarchy and animation, unlike OBJ. But, 3DS Max crashes every time I try to import, even for the file I exported as an example. Can somebody test this file for me? It should be Sonic's model. If anyone has some insight into the format, or knows another format with those features that 3ds max doesn't choke on, that would be great.
     
  3. Try this:
    http://www.richwhitehouse.com/pubdata/collada_export.txt

    I got a crash as well.
     
  4. MainMemory

    MainMemory

    Kate the Wolf Tech Member
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    No way I'm going to convert all that code to C#. I've already got C# classes based on the XML schema, I'm just wondering if there's something I missed because this one viewer I found does the transforms all wrong.
     
  5. MainMemory

    MainMemory

    Kate the Wolf Tech Member
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    I randomly decided to look at the CD-check function in the US version of SADXPC, and found that it checks every CD drive for SoundData\SE\V_AMY_J_BANK06.dat. There doesn't have to be anything in the file, it just has to be there, just like Sonic CD PC's SONICCD.CHK file. The European version uses SecuROM. Of course both have already been cracked so this is largely irrelevant. :v:

    Working on SADXLVL2 and SAMDL, I'm thinking that eventually I want to make it possible to create a brand new CHRMODELS.DLL (and eventually others) from model files. The biggest problem is the pointer lists that sonic.exe uses to find models and parts of models, binary files don't make it easy to keep track of these parts so I know what to put in the lists. I can't refer to addresses, that would break as soon as you edit the model, and I can't navigate the model tree, that breaks if you add or remove models.

    I guess I can use a text-based format, and refer to model parts by name. But should I use an INI format like the current release uses, or an XML format that might be easier to navigate in a text editor? Or are you all fine with using the current releases of SADXLVL and SADXMDL forever?
     
  6. Dude

    Dude

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    I'd say go with the INI format. You're using them for practically everything else, no reason to change.
     
  7. darkspines35

    darkspines35

    It's Easy Actually. No, seriously. Tech Member
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    I agree with Dude. The INI files should be fine to use.
     
  8. MainMemory

    MainMemory

    Kate the Wolf Tech Member
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    I recently found a list of string pointers at 50A250 with Japanese level names:
    Code (Text):
    1. ??????
    2. ?????????
    3. ????????
    4. ?????????
    5. ?????????
    6. ????????
    7. ??????
    8. ???????
    9. ???????
    10. ???
    11. ????????
    12. ???
    13. ????????
    14. ?????
    15. ??
    16. ????
    17. ????
    18. ????
    19. ????
    20. ????????
    21. ????????
    22. ????????
    23. ????????
    24. ????
    25. ?????
    26. ??????
    27.  
    28.  
    29.  
    30.  
    31.  
    32.  
    33.  
    34.  
    35.  
    36.  
    37. ????????
    38. ????????
    39. ????
    Google Translate gives me:
    Code (Text):
    1. Practice
    2. Emerald Coast
    3. Windy Valley
    4. Twinkle Park
    5. Highway Speed
    6. Red Mountain
    7. Sky Deck
    8. The Lost World
    9. Ice Cap
    10. Casino
    11. Final Egg
    12. Mushrooms
    13. Hot Shelter
    14. Jungle
    15. Desert
    16. Chaos 0
    17. Chaos 2
    18. Chaos 4
    19. 6 Chaos
    20. FINAL chaos
    21. Mobil 1 egg
    22. Egg Mobile 2
    23. Egg 3 Mobile
    24. ZERO
    25. E-101
    26. Kai E-101
    27.  
    28.  
    29.  
    30.  
    31.  
    32.  
    33.  
    34.  
    35.  
    36.  
    37. 1 Shooting
    38. Shooting 2
    39. Sand board
    Aside from the Adventure Fields being empty, this list includes three levels that aren't in the final game: "Mushrooms", "Jungle" and "Desert".
     
  9. Dude

    Dude

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    Hmm if only we could interview the original SA dev team...

    I really wish I could do that. Does anyone have any tips for scoring an interview?
     
  10. This surprises me quite a bit!

    What about this one?
     
  11. Ritz

    Ritz

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  12. MainMemory

    MainMemory

    Kate the Wolf Tech Member
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    It could be referring to the Hedgehog Hammer minigame that occupies that level slot, or some other level that may have been there before. There are SET files for two acts in level 00 for Sonic in the Dreamcast version, so there was probably a test level there originally.

    Ritz: Compare that list with the level list from the final version. Those three levels are empty slots. Also Twinkle Circuit is unnamed, and the list stops before the Chao levels.
     
  13. That's really interesting. Makes me wish we had a proto for Adventure :/
     
  14. E-122-Psi

    E-122-Psi

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    Had a feeling there were meant to be more levels in the game. My bigger question is why we keep finding stuff that's still hidden in a remake, and a 'Director's Cut' to add insult to injury?

    Sounds like a Mushroom Hill remake was planned alongside that IceCap one.

    Anyone think Sand Hill might have been made from some of the planned desert's level art/modelling? It seemed a lot more unique and intricately made compared to the other mini games, so it might make sense if it was originally remains of a full level.

    The practice level may have been that strange proto level in the trailers and E3 images.
     
  15. MainMemory

    MainMemory

    Kate the Wolf Tech Member
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    Because that's what I'm actively disassembling? Also it's a port, not a remake. It's based on the original Sonic Adventure code.

    Looking, I was able to locate the same table at 1B3EF4 in 1ST_READ.BIN from the US Dreamcast version. It is also not referenced by anything in that version.
     
  16. Sand Hill definitely stands outs as being out of place in Tails' story and because of the fact that Sonic gets it too even though it's not in the story at all (only Twinkle Circuit shares that characteristic) the adventure field entrance requires some spindash acrobatics.

    It would make sense for the practice level to be this shot from the trailer:

    [​IMG]
     
  17. MainMemory

    MainMemory

    Kate the Wolf Tech Member
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    I have added a bit about the removed levels to Game Secrets:Sonic Adventure on the wiki so it doesn't get lost in the 120 page topic. I have not, however, found any other hidden Japanese or English strings, aside from miscellaneous debug-mode related stuff that's all in the SADX Preview.
     
  18. PicklePower

    PicklePower

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    Oh my.

    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2Dn4kFmFAA[/youtube]
     
  19. wat



    Very awkward indeed. It's way too big though =P
     
  20. Overlord

    Overlord

    Now playable in Smash Bros Ultimate Moderator
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    I don't know if that is so much the problem as the fact there's no animation on the model. =P

    Nevertheless, I do like the idea of Time Eater showing up in past titles like this...