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Ok, here's the thing. I have a few questions regarding development on the PC end. I am one of those wierd programmers who just Really REALLY likes to go through something bit by bit on my own, without using a Front-end mission editor or ship editor etc.
Therefore, my big question is this, first. Is it at all possible to unpack the compressed Mac Files on a PC so that the file looks EXACTLY like it would on a Mac? In otherwords, , it might look odd to a PC, but (I believe) that Win 98 and XP both have the ability to deal with odd files, although they may not be able to run them, it would be manipulatable on a binary or hex level.
Now, if the answer to that question is YES, then my next question is this. Exactly what IS the ResEdit tool on Macs? Is it essentially a Binary or Hex editor? And if so, would it then be feasable for me to merely use a Hex or Bin editor that I have on my PC to veiw and edit such a file (meaning the Plug-in type files that you can download). If so, that might eliminate my having to wait for a 3rd party front-end or for the .rez format to be released.
About the .rez format for that matter. If anyone from ambrosia or somewhere might comment on whether information released on that format will be specifically formatted for Bin. or Hex editing?
Anyway, hope that someone out there has the answers to a few of these questions, I just am really looking forward to getting into some plugin making
Thanks
Valic Vacosties (Derek Rosborough in "Real" Life)
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ResEdit is a rescource editor. Hence the name.
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Resedit is a resource editor, meaning that it takes data encoded as hex or ASCII tect (I think - is that what the STR# rsrc are?) and decodes it enough to give you a simpler way of editing it. Novatools is a front-end for the Nova custom files, which resedit can't decode and simply displays as hex.
There is no reason for you to need to "unpack" the compressed files: the data is al there in uncompressed hex, I think.
So in theory it would be possible for you to edit the code using a standard hex editor, but there's no real documentation on how you'd go about doing that.
IMHO, you can (a) emulate a mac, or ( buy a mac. If you do figure out how to make it work, then perhaps you can post it here.
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(This message has been edited by Echoboom (edited 08-18-2003).)
Quote
Originally posted by Neon Soldier: **ResEdit is a rescource editor. Hence the name.
**
ResEdit, as its most basic level, is a hex editor.
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Originally posted by Echoboom: So in theory it would be possible for you to edit the code using a standard hex editor, but there's no real documentation on how you'd go about doing that.
It is quite possible to see the hex in any data fork hex editor. However, you need to be sure that the file is compressed into a .bin format, so the resourcefork is preserved. Because resource forks do not exist in Windows, it will automatically remove the fork from macintosh files.
To completely understand all the files, you will need to get a text copy of the templates, documentation on the resource fork structure, and documentation on the .bin file format. This is quite a bit of work to merely change one aspect of a file, but it is possible.
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Originally posted by Valic: About the .rez format for that matter. If anyone from ambrosia or somewhere might comment on whether information released on that format will be specifically formatted for Bin. or Hex editing?
This is a preliminary .rez file format posted by Mehrunes a few weeks ago. It seems his original post fulling covering this format is no longer to be found, but I did find this partial listing in another topic. (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum9/HTML/004378.html#")http://www.ambrosias...ML/004378.html#(/url)
The file is seperated into 3 main sections... 1. File header (contains offsets to each resource as well as the resource map) 2. Resource Entries (the resources themselves as written in the Nova Bible) 3. Resource Map(Contains an entry number, resource type, resource ID and name of the resource in the same order the resources themselves are listed in the file) File Header & Offset list - (INTEL BYTE ORDER) 42 52 47 52 - Header LONG - 01 00 00 00 unknown LONG - Offset of end of header(before the "resource.map" line, actually it seems to always point to the first 'e' in the 'resource.map' string at the end) LONG - 01 00 00 00 unknown LONG - Number of first resource in Index (all index entries are numbered sequentially starting with this number) LONG - Number of entries in Index repeated for each resource entry { LONG - resource offset LONG - resource length LONG - Unknown ( the last entry in the list contains it's own offset, for all other entries this is 00 00 00 00) } "resource.map" - 12 byte String 00 - null terminator **everything else appears to be in Motorola byte order Resource Entries- These are defined in the Nova Bible. Each entry is immediately followed by the next Here's the format of the a few of the resource types... // 1860 bytes struct Ship { SHORT shipHolds; SHORT shipShield; SHORT shipAccel; SHORT shipSpeed; SHORT shipTurn; SHORT shipFuel; SHORT shipFreeMass; SHORT shipArmor; SHORT shipShieldRecharge; SHORT shipWeapon1; SHORT shipWeapon2; SHORT shipWeapon3; SHORT shipWeapon4; SHORT shipWeapon1Count; SHORT shipWeapon2Count; SHORT shipWeapon3Count; SHORT shipWeapon4Count; SHORT shipWeapon1Ammo; SHORT shipWeapon2Ammo; SHORT shipWeapon3Ammo; SHORT shipWeapon4Ammo; SHORT shipMaxGuns; SHORT shipMaxTurrets; SHORT shipTechLevel; LONG shipCost; SHORT shipDeathDelay; SHORT shipArmorRecharge; SHORT shipExplode1; SHORT shipExplode2; SHORT shipDispWeight; SHORT shipMass; SHORT shipLength; SHORT shipAI; SHORT shipCrew; SHORT shipStrength; SHORT shipGovmnt; USHORT shipFlags; SHORT shipPodCount; SHORT shipDefaultItem1; SHORT shipDefaultItem2; SHORT shipDefaultItem3; SHORT shipDefaultItem4; SHORT shipDefaultItem1Count; SHORT shipDefaultItem2Count; SHORT shipDefaultItem3Count; SHORT shipDefaultItem4Count; SHORT shipFuelRegen; SHORT shipSkillVar; USHORT shipFlags2; ULONG shipContributes; ULONG shipContributes; CHAR shipAvailability(255); CHAR shipAppearOn(255); CHAR shipOnBuy(256); SHORT shipDeionize; SHORT shipIonizeMax; SHORT shipKeyCarried; SHORT shipDefaultItem5; SHORT shipDefaultItem6; SHORT shipDefaultItem7; SHORT shipDefaultItem8; SHORT shipDefaultItem5Count; SHORT shipDefaultItem6Count; SHORT shipDefaultItem7Count; SHORT shipDefaultItem8Count; ULONG shipRequire; ULONG shipRequire; SHORT shipBuyRandom; SHORT shipHireRandom; CHAR Unused(68); CHAR shipOnCapture(255); CHAR shipOnRetire(255); CHAR shipShortName(64); CHAR shipCommName(32); CHAR shipLongName(128); CHAR shipMovieFile(32); SHORT shipWeapon5; SHORT shipWeapon6; SHORT shipWeapon7; SHORT shipWeapon8; SHORT shipWeapon5Count; SHORT shipWeapon6Count; SHORT shipWeapon7Count; SHORT shipWeapon8Count; SHORT shipWeapon5Ammo; SHORT shipWeapon6Ammo; SHORT shipWeapon7Ammo; SHORT shipWeapon8Ammo; CHAR shipSubtitle(64); USHORT shipFlags3; SHORT shipUpgradeTo; LONG shipUpgradeCost; LONG shipSellValue; SHORT shipEscortType; CHAR Unused(16); // 192 Bytes struct Govt { SHORT VoiceType; USHORT Flags; USHORT Flags2; LONG ScanFine; SHORT CrimeTol; SHORT SmugPenalty; SHORT BoardPenalty; SHORT KillPenalty; SHORT ShootPenalty; SHORT InitialRec; SHORT MaxOdds; SHORT Class1; SHORT Class2; SHORT Class3; SHORT Class4; SHORT Ally1; SHORT Ally2; SHORT Ally3; SHORT Ally4; SHORT Enemy1; SHORT Enemy2; SHORT Enemy3; SHORT Enemy4; SHORT SkillMult; USHORT ScanMask; CHAR CommName(16); CHAR TargetCode(16); ULONG Require; ULONG Require; SHORT InhJam1; SHORT InhJam2; SHORT InhJam3; SHORT InhJam4; CHAR MediumName(64); ULONG Color; ULONG ShipColor; SHORT Interface; SHORT NewsPict; CHAR Unused(16); }; // 1860 Bytes struct Miss { SHORT AvailStel; SHORT Unused; SHORT AvailLoc; SHORT AvailRecord; SHORT AvailRating; SHORT AvailRandom; SHORT TravelStel; SHORT ReturnStel; SHORT CargoType; SHORT CargoQty; SHORT PickupMode; SHORT DropOffMode; USHORT ScanMask; SHORT Unused; LONG PayVal; SHORT ShipCount; SHORT ShipSyst; SHORT ShipDude; SHORT ShipGoal; SHORT ShipBehav; SHORT ShipNameID; SHORT ShipStart; SHORT CompGovt; SHORT CompReward; SHORT ShipSubtitle; SHORT BriefText; SHORT QuickBrief; SHORT LoadCargText; SHORT CompText; SHORT FailText; LONG TimeLimit; SHORT CanAbort; SHORT ShipDoneText; SHORT Unused; SHORT AuxShipCount; SHORT AuxShipDude; SHORT AuxShipSyst; SHORT Unused; USHORT Flags; USHORT Flags2; SHORT Unused; SHORT Unused; SHORT RefuseText; SHORT AvailShipTyp; CHAR AvailBits(255); CHAR OnAccept(255); CHAR OnRefuse(255); CHAR OnSuccess(255); CHAR OnFailure(255); CHAR OnAbort(255); LONG Require; LONG Require; SHORT DatePostInc; CHAR OnShipDone(255); CHAR AcceptButton(32); CHAR RefuseButton(32); SHORT DispWeight; CHAR Unused(17); }; Resource Map- **this is the last entry in the offset index. LONG - Unknown (always 00 00 00 08 from what I've seen) LONG - Number of resource types in the file repeated for each type of resource included in the file { 4 Byte String - Resource type name LONG - Offset from beginning of resource map to first entry of that type LONG - Number of entries of that resource type } repeated for each resource entry { LONG - Index of resource in file starting from the number defined in the resource.map 4 Byte STRING - resource type ("spn", "shn", "bm"...) SHORT - Object ID (in game terms, i.e. Federation govt is ID 128) 256 Bytes - ANSI String - Object 'Name' (any additional space is filled with buffer overrun) } EOF
Some people are working on a Windows editor, such as myself. The .rez format was written by Burger at Contaband. Notice the first 4 letters of the .rez file are BRGR. Send a message to Mehrunes and he'll probably give you the entire .rez format he put together. Hope this info helps.
(/edit) Woops. Didn't realize the format of the .rez file would get jumbled like that. You should look at the link I posted above.(/edit) ------------------ Dawn of Infinity(formerly OpenEV): the open-source multi-player EV (url="http://"http://openevgalaxy.sourceforge.net")http://openevgalaxy.sourceforge.net(/url)
(This message has been edited by Geuis (edited 08-18-2003).)
(This message has been edited by Mazca (edited 08-18-2003).)
Geuis - Use the CODE tag instead of QUOTE if you want to preserve the formatting. I've edited your post to that effect.
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Mazca, if you could, could you adjust those comments to reduce on the horizontal scrolling? Anyways, at least it's readable now...
(edit)Hrm... Well, that format looks almost exactly like the Mac Resource Format, from what I've seen. The resource fork format also has a Resource Header, which gives the offsets to the resource map, and the resource map also lists each individual resource type. The only difference I see is that the name is included in the resource map, as opposed to being in a seperate offset. A change for the better, as I see it. :)(/edit)
(This message has been edited by SpacePirate (edited 08-18-2003).)