Messages

31

SCI Development Tools / Re: SCI32 Templates

« on: April 07, 2022, 02:24:21 PM »

Just wanted to touch base and let you know that I have been working on a set of tools outside of sci companion to help aid in p56 and view file modifications. Some examples that are currently finished and / or in the works.

A tool that will take any image file (png, jpg, etc) and convert it into a p56 file with complete support for multi-cell and priority mapping. This tool can either map to a particular palette which is very important to matching to the sci palettes, as well as a palette quantizer which will limit the palette index for use in creating new pics with their own palettes. This is 100% sci32 compatible up until the latest sci version from what I can tell. I have been using this tool to create new rooms, as well as upscale previous p56 files to 1080p for an upscaling project I have been working on.

I have also been working a FotoScihop fork that is becoming pretty heavily modified. I have added a CLI support to allow to add support for direct modifications to view files as well as process in batches. This is useful for making changes to header files as well as positions / links in views. I have accompanied this modified fork with a set of tools that will batch upscale / swap images in views by whatever % of scale. It can process hundreds / thousands of view files in a matter of minutes. This again has 100% compatibility with the most recent versions of sci as far as I know.

I have many more ideas for tools in the works as well, but this is what I currently have working. I plan on releasing these tools to public as soon as they are a little more defined and established for casual use. I also plan on implementing the CLI modification tools to the FotoScihop GUI once they are finished as well. My forked version of Fotoscihop has a lot of the back end revamped to allow easier support for modifying things. Currently, I have added the ability to add / duplicate cells and loops to views which will also aid in creating new views for use in sci32. I have a pretty good understanding of how the view files are put together now, so I am hoping I can also start implementing support into sci companion.

I will keep everyone in touch as development continues.

32

SCI Development Tools / Re: SCI32 Templates

« on: March 12, 2022, 01:17:43 PM »

Ok I am following you and also experience it when trying to modify the priority locations. I will take a look at some of the code and see if I can think of any solutions. Although I have OEM tool to build these pic files, it would be nice to have something with a full on editor that supports modern os.

33

SCI Development Tools / Re: SCI32 Templates

« on: March 12, 2022, 10:36:44 AM »

Ok I will just correct myself about saving the QFG4 p56 file. It seems to open fine in SCI Resource Viewer but not photoscihop. I have not tested it in game to see if it works in context or not yet. I am curious to see if I can open the original resource file in photoscihop and see compare the export with sci companion export.

34

SCI Development Tools / Re: SCI32 Templates

« on: March 12, 2022, 10:19:43 AM »

Ok thank you for helping explain this. Trying to make sure we are on the same page with this and following you.

So sci companion has no issues rendering resource files for sci1 compatible games which use the vector based rendering and priorities. But for later sci1.1 and sci2 when sci starts using bmp style backgrounds, it has no way of saving the draw cells from the priority map? It seems that when I pull up resources from a game like QFG4 and pull up the pic file, the priority map is shown and recognized by sci companion. But when I export / save that resource as a patch file it is corrupted. My thoughts were maybe it was a conversion issue from p26 p56 but I was not sure.

View files seem to be a whole other thing I am finding in general. It seems there are many changes of how a view works between sci2 and the different variations of sci21 that I am hoping can be sorted through. A lot of these things were fixed and are now supported with the recent photoscihop update so it gives me hope. I have also had issues with the embedded palette saving v56 with sci companion, but that could also be to how I have things in sci companion palette config.

35

SCI Development Tools / Re: SCI32 Templates

« on: March 11, 2022, 10:09:06 PM »

* queue and uh... as far as I know, nothing is in it. I've looked into loading RESSCI volumes without having to rename them but the code scared me off. As far as picture editing goes, the main deal is that you can't change the position and priority of a given "draw image" command.

(Note that the position part of that sentence also applies to Jones in the Fast Lane because that is a strange, strange game.)

Anyway, I for one welcome any and all PRs about this.

Is priority mapping working in 1.0 / 1.1 scicompanion editing, or is it just the sci32 or higher resolution p56 files that are having issues? I can definitely see issues when loading a < 640x480 p56 file that the priority mapping seems off. I cant say I have tried editing any 1.x or 320x200 files.

Although this would be nice to have working, I do know how to use the OEM tools method to build p56 files with proper priority mapping already so there is at least an alternative out there. However, any thoughts on the condition of view files managing links and loops?

36

SCI Development Tools / Re: SCI32 Templates

« on: March 11, 2022, 04:47:36 PM »

I am in full support of getting sci32 implemented with proper view and pic editing support. I will look for ways I can contribute. What is currently in the works or in the que for working through these next steps?