Basic Questions & Answers thread

Considering that the files are only posted in the Tech Lounge, you're probably right.

 

Someone once told me that Cinossu released a guide on retrohack how to add a splash screen, but then retrohack died along with that guide.

 

Various questions for Sonic 1 animations.

1. How do I change what sprites the game loads for the different rotations? I can't find this in the animation script.
2. How do I change the speed an animation plays at?
3. For some reason my normal standing frame is using the second frame of the waiting animation, but I can't find anywhere in the animation script I could have fucked up Sonic's first frame because I can't find it on there, unless the standing frame is under wait for some reason.

 

Sonic.asm is the animations, the routine to load these animatons is sonic_animate.

In sonic.asm look for say sonani_wait: and there should be a number or letter, like dc.b 7 or, dc.b $FF. Now these first numbers are the speed. So say you have it at 7, if you want it faster, then lower the number, and if you want it slower then increase the number. E.g: 1 really fast, $1F quite slow.

Yes the standing sprite is included in sonani_wait: In an orignal rom its one, but if you altered it, then check sonmaped to see what frame it is and then change it to suit the animation script. Hope this helped.

 

They were public for a short while before I decided to make them private. Cinossu is welcome to post them anywhere else if he wants to though.

 

To use the code anyway. If you were to create your own code and import the art yourself—I don't see why not.

 

I was able to fix the last two, but I still can't find the rotation frames.

 

A few years back I spent weeks working on creating almost an exact replica, although I never finished creating it as my knowledge was still limited at the time, but even after all that work, I was told I wasn't allowed to use it, "full stop" (Even though it was incomplete), so I just deleted the fucking thing, and now that I am a Tech Member, I just don't feel my time's worth while to recreate such a screen, nor use one already provided in the tech lounge as MainMemory stated.

Though if you want a specific location, "SAnim_WalkRun:" is the routine related to it, as it collects the angle and calcilates it based on sonic's circumstances, then later it gets added to the frame number, increasing the ID down to the other frames:

add.b d3,$1A(a0) ; modify frame number

EDIT: if you want the frame numbers for the other angles..

Code (ASM):

1. SonAni_Walk:    dc.b $FF, 8, 9, $A, $B, 6, 7, $FF

6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, (are the normal frames)
C, D, E, F, 10, 11, (45 degrees)
12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, (90 degrees)
18, 19, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, (135 degrees)

Pretty much what Anime said, though the one's that start with $FF, are the ones that have their speed controlled by routines. Such as the walking which is controlled by "loc_13A78:"..

Code (ASM):

1.         move.w  $14(a0),d2  ; get Sonic's speed

It collects the speed from here (Sonic's Ground Speed), makes the value positive, and checks for a speed amount of $0600, if it is higher, it'll be fourced to use the running animation, otherwise walking animation. It'll then negate it and add $0800, if it's a negative value, then the speed was higher than $0800, and the animation speed is set to it's maximum speed amount ($00), however if positive, it was lower than the speed of $0800, so the left byte is read from the speed and set as the frame duration, I.e. if the speed is $0600, then $06 is the speed set:

Code (ASM):

1. loc_13AC2:
2.         lsr.w   #8,d2
3.         move.b  d2,$1E(a0)  ; modify frame duration

as seen here (d2 = the speed, negated + $0800), it's shifted right by 8 bits sending the left byte of the word to the right (or gets divided by $100, which ever one seems more logical), and is then set as the frame duration.

Anime has more or less summed it up =)

 

I have a SonmapED question. Okay I'm working on changing coconuts sprites, and after I import my new sprite, coconuts arms don't get replaced. I've tried deleting the arms tiles but that only garbles the sprites =/. Any ideas guys?

 

I'm not entirely sure, but I think it may have something to do with the animation script trying to load the arms as separate sprites. I remember replacing buzz bomber and the flames caused a similar problem.
Play around with the script and remove what you don't need or something.

 

Me + ASM = killer headache. I'll still give it a shot, im guessing all I have to search for is like obj_coconuts or something of the similar?

 

I'm not exactly a genius when it comes to ASM, so that should give you a clue as to how easy it is to work with Animation scripts. =P

Anyway, yeah, search for 'coconuts', or his object ID equivalent (I think it's 9D, or something like that.)

What you're looking for will be easy to spot, depending on the frames in SonMapEd. For example, if you have 5 frames in SonMapEd (I think there's always an empty 0 slot in front of the first frame, so 5 sprites would appear as 'frame 5/6' in SonMapEd), the animation script should not have any references to something higher than 5.

The first byte is the speed (this was stated a few posts back), everything after that is a frame, and the last one is usually the byte that tells it to repeat, stop, etc.

I'm not a technical person so I won't go into extreme details on all of this, and I'm probably wrong about that last part.

 

I play around with it, and if I have to I'll just make new mappings and play it from there, but that would probably dish out a worse head ache lol.

 

Code (Text):

1. move.l    #$40000001,($C00004).l
2. lea    (Nem_TitleFg).l,a0; load title    screen patterns
3. bsr.w    NemDec
4. move.l    #$60000001,($C00004).l
5. lea    (Nem_TitleSonic).l,a0;    load Sonic title screen    patterns
6. bsr.w    NemDec

I'm reading this right when I say $40000001 is $4000 in vram and $60000001 is $6000 correct? I moved the Sonic title art to $7800 and he loads parts of the title banner. If I don't move Sonics art it loads it in place of the large text box at the top. I seem to have plenty of space left in VRAM for the character so I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

 

Those values are correct, yes.

Is the value #$78000001 sent to VDP when loading sonic's title art? Also asuming that your Sonic Title Object is still "Obj0E:", then is:

Code (ASM):

1.         move.w  #$2300,2(a0)

...This altered?

It would be $7800 divided by 20 (Number of bytes per tile) so:

Code (ASM):

1.         move.w  #($7800/$20),$02(a0)

..or..

Code (ASM):

1.         move.w  #$03C0,$02(a0)

..though baring in mind that value could be $23C0, $43C0 or $63C0 depending on the palette line being used.

If that's not the case, then I'm not sure, sorry.

 

okay well, I finally found the coconuts code after some searching. Thing thing is I don't really see anything that relates to frames in the script.

Here's the code.

Code (ASM):

1.  
2. ; ===========================================================================
3. ; ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. ; Object 9D - Coconuts (monkey badnik) from EHZ
5. ; ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. ; Sprite_37BFA:
7. Obj9D:
8.     moveq    #0,d0
9.     move.b    routine(a0),d0
10.     move.w    off_37C08(pc,d0.w),d1
11.     jmp    off_37C08(pc,d1.w)
12. ; ===========================================================================
13. off_37C08:
14.     dc.w loc_37C10-off_37C08; 0
15.     dc.w loc_37C1C-off_37C08; 2
16.     dc.w Obj09_Climbing-off_37C08; 4
17.     dc.w Obj09_Throwing-off_37C08; 6
18. ; ===========================================================================
19.  
20. loc_37C10:
21.     bsr.w    LoadSubObject
22.     move.b    #$10,objoff_2A(a0)
23.     rts
24. ; ===========================================================================
25.  
26. loc_37C1C:
27.     bsr.w    loc_366D6
28.     bclr    #0,render_flags(a0)
29.     bclr    #0,status(a0)
30.     tst.w    d0
31.     beq.s    +
32.     bset    #0,render_flags(a0)
33.     bset    #0,status(a0)
34. +
35.     addi.w    #$60,d2
36.     cmpi.w    #$C0,d2
37.     bcc.s    +
38.     tst.b    objoff_2E(a0)
39.     beq.s    loc_37C66
40.     subq.b    #1,objoff_2E(a0)
41. +
42.     subq.b    #1,objoff_2A(a0)
43.     bmi.s    +
44.     bra.w    JmpTo39_MarkObjGone
45. ; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
46. +    addq.b    #2,routine(a0)
47.     bsr.w    loc_37C82
48.     bra.w    JmpTo39_MarkObjGone
49. ; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
50. loc_37C66:
51.     move.b    #6,routine(a0)    ; Obj09_Throwing
52.     move.b    #1,mapping_frame(a0)
53.     move.b    #8,objoff_2A(a0)
54.     move.b    #$20,objoff_2E(a0)
55.     bra.w    JmpTo39_MarkObjGone
56. ; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
57. loc_37C82:
58.     move.w    objoff_2C(a0),d0
59.     cmpi.w    #$C,d0
60.     bcs.s    +
61.     moveq    #0,d0
62. +
63.     lea    Obj09_ClimbData(pc,d0.w),a1
64.     addq.w    #2,d0
65.     move.w    d0,objoff_2C(a0)
66.     move.b    (a1)+,y_vel(a0) ; climbing speed
67.     move.b    (a1)+,objoff_2A(a0) ; time to spend moving at this speed
68.     rts
69. ; ===========================================================================
70. ; byte_37CA2:
71. Obj09_ClimbData:
72.     dc.b  -1,$20
73.     dc.b   1,$18    ; 2
74.     dc.b  -1,$10    ; 4
75.     dc.b   1,$28    ; 6
76.     dc.b  -1,$20    ; 8
77.     dc.b   1,$10    ; 10
78. ; ===========================================================================
79. ; loc_37CAE:
80. Obj09_Climbing:
81.     subq.b    #1,objoff_2A(a0)
82.     beq.s    loc_37CC6
83.     bsr.w    JmpTo26_ObjectMove
84.     lea    (off_37D88).l,a1
85.     bsr.w    JmpTo25_AnimateSprite
86.     bra.w    JmpTo39_MarkObjGone
87. ; ===========================================================================
88.  
89. loc_37CC6:
90.     subq.b    #2,routine(a0)
91.     move.b    #$10,objoff_2A(a0)
92.     bra.w    JmpTo39_MarkObjGone
93. ; ===========================================================================
94. ; loc_37CD4:
95. Obj09_Throwing:
96.     moveq    #0,d0
97.     move.b    routine_secondary(a0),d0
98.     move.w    off_37CE6(pc,d0.w),d1
99.     jsr    off_37CE6(pc,d1.w)
100.     bra.w    JmpTo39_MarkObjGone
101. ; ===========================================================================
102. off_37CE6:
103.     dc.w loc_37CEA-off_37CE6
104.     dc.w loc_37D06-off_37CE6; 1
105. ; ===========================================================================
106.  
107. loc_37CEA:
108.     subq.b    #1,objoff_2A(a0)
109.     bmi.s    +
110.     rts
111. ; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
112. +    addq.b    #2,routine_secondary(a0)
113.     move.b    #8,objoff_2A(a0)
114.     move.b    #2,mapping_frame(a0)
115.     bra.w    loc_37D22
116. ; ===========================================================================
117.  
118. loc_37D06:
119.     subq.b    #1,objoff_2A(a0)
120.     bmi.s    +
121.     rts
122. ; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
123. +    clr.b    routine_secondary(a0)
124.     move.b    #4,routine(a0) ; Obj09_Climbing
125.     move.b    #8,objoff_2A(a0)
126.     bra.w    loc_37C82
127. ; ===========================================================================
128.  
129. loc_37D22:
130.     bsr.w    JmpTo19_SingleObjLoad
131.     bne.s    return_37D74
132.     _move.b    #$98,0(a1) ; load obj98
133.     move.b    #3,mapping_frame(a1)
134.     move.b    #$20,subtype(a1) ; <== Obj9D_SubObjData2
135.     move.w    x_pos(a0),x_pos(a1)
136.     move.w    y_pos(a0),y_pos(a1)
137.     addi.w    #-$D,y_pos(a1)
138.     moveq    #0,d0
139.     btst    #0,render_flags(a0)
140.     bne.s    loc_37D58
141.     moveq    #4,d0
142.  
143. loc_37D58:
144.     lea    word_37D76(pc,d0.w),a2
145.     move.w    (a2)+,d0
146.     add.w    d0,x_pos(a1)
147.     move.w    (a2)+,x_vel(a1)
148.     move.w    #-$100,y_vel(a1)
149.     lea    Obj98_CoconutFall(pc),a2 ; set the routine used to move the projectile
150.     move.l    a2,objoff_2A(a1)
151.  
152. return_37D74:
153.     rts
154. ; ===========================================================================
155. word_37D76:
156.     dc.w $FFF5
157.     dc.w  $100    ; 1
158.     dc.w    $B    ; 2
159.     dc.w $FF00    ; 3
160. ; off_37D7E:
161. Obj9D_SubObjData:
162.     dc.l Obj9D_Obj98_MapUnc_37D96
163.     dc.w $3EE
164.     dc.w $405
165.     dc.w $C09
166.  
167. ; animation script
168. off_37D88:
169.     dc.w byte_37D8C-off_37D88
170.     dc.w byte_37D90-off_37D88; 1
171. byte_37D8C:
172.     dc.b   5,  0,  1,$FF
173. byte_37D90:
174.     dc.b   9,  1,  2,  1,$FF
175.     even
176. ; ------------------------------------------------------------------------
177. ; sprite mappings
178. ; ------------------------------------------------------------------------
179. Obj9D_Obj98_MapUnc_37D96:    BINCLUDE "mappings/sprite/obj9D.bin"

Like I said above, I'm trying to remove coconuts arms from loading, or being used in any way.

Code (ASM):

1. ; ===========================================================================
2. ; byte_37CA2:
3. Obj09_ClimbData:
4.     dc.b  -1,$20
5.     dc.b   1,$18    ; 2
6.     dc.b  -1,$10    ; 4
7.     dc.b   1,$28    ; 6
8.     dc.b  -1,$20    ; 8
9.     dc.b   1,$10    ; 10
10. ; ===========================================================================

That code was the only thing I though relevant to which sprite is loaded or used, but like I said I have no clue what I'm doing when it comes to asm.

 

Thanks, I forgot how to do that because I'm a durp.

 

Code (Text):

1. ; animation script
2. off_37D88:
3.     dc.w byte_37D8C-off_37D88
4.     dc.w byte_37D90-off_37D88; 1
5. byte_37D8C:
6.     dc.b   5,  0,  1,$FF
7. byte_37D90:
8.     dc.b   9,  1,  2,  1,$FF
9.     even

This is the animation script. I can't help you all that much because I don't really know what kind of frames you're using, but basically the

"dc.b #,"

part is the speed. The number will adjust your speed accordingly.

the numbers "5, 0, 1," and "1, 2, 1," are the frames. You'll have to play with these numbers to make your own animations.

And last the "$FF" part is the... Well this is telling it to repeat the animation when finished.


I honestly don't know exactly what is wrong, but if you change the numbers around and the arms turn into other sprites, then you know should get an idea of what to do.

 

That helps me out alot thanks for pointing out the script for me, im sure I'll be able to figure it out.

 

I need a bit of help guys, I'm having trouble with my Sonic 1 hack: I have no idea how to make a palette for my character for Labyrinth Zone underwater. I tried messing up with HivePal to get colours right but I've never been able to do so. Could maybe someone help me on this?