Possible new version of SCI Companion

[troflip]

EDIT: One other, I was going to attempt to make a VGA ego view but there doesn't seem to be a way to export palettes, unfortunately. Would make editing some sprites easier by being able to use a third-party image editor like PSP.

Oops! Yeah, that functionality is on a list somewhere, but I forgot about it for this release. Not only that, but the way to edit embedded view palettes is not obvious in this release (I want to revamp the entire left pane for views, so I delayed putting it in there). To get to the embedded palette, choose View->Edit Palette. And then try clicking on the Export button which.... does absolutely nothing right now 

(I was also working on gif import at one point).

I found your audio problem. It is a mismatched SB driver. You used the one from LSL6, but if you use the one from SQ5 it works. Not sure if this limits the quality of the sound resource.

Yup, see above, I found that by switching to auddisny.drv instead (from LSL6), the audio came back. I don't know if it's mismatched though. Yes, the audblast.drv was from LSL6, but it *should* be, right? since that matches the interpreter and audio format. There's nothing in the game code itself that matters (the Sound class is nearly identical).

I am not sure if we want to start a new thread for some of this stuff or not, but I have started in the main script and just going down through it.

Rather than dirty up this thread, I'll start two new threads in a minute here: SCI 1.1 Template Game discussion, and SCI Companion discussion...

I ask because SCI Viewer can export SCI loop animations as a GIFs.

It can?? I see the option to save as a .bmp, but not .gif.

[MusicallyInspired]

If you select export on a View loop that has more than one cel you can change the file type. It has selections for BMP and GIF. Exports the whole loop. Again, with the version without a version number.

[troflip]

Ah, indeed, I found it. It turns out it's not hard to import gif sequences. However, my whole image sequence importing workflow hasn't been updated for VGA (so that's something I need to do - how to resolve palette conflicts, etc...). But it works fine with EGA! I exported the ego from LSL6 using SCI Viewer, and imported the gif into SQ3:

[lance.ewing]

That is so cool.   

I'm looking forward to trying this out when I get a chance.

[Collector]

I found your audio problem. It is a mismatched SB driver. You used the one from LSL6, but if you use the one from SQ5 it works. Not sure if this limits the quality of the sound resource.

Yup, see above, I found that by switching to auddisny.drv instead (from LSL6), the audio came back. I don't know if it's mismatched though. Yes, the audblast.drv was from LSL6, but it *should* be, right? since that matches the interpreter and audio format. There's nothing in the game code itself that matters (the Sound class is nearly identical).

Switching drivers in the RESOURCE.CFG is an old way to bypass SB audio glitches, usually using Thunderboard instead. The reason that I said mismatched is that I have done a fair amount of experimentation with alternate and hacked drivers, usually to solve minor SB problems of popping, occasional static or initialization issues (not all SB initialization problems can be solved with GOSiERRA.) That exact same buzzing, memory issues, looping sound and failures to initialize are very typical problems with the use of incompatible drivers between SCI versions.

[troflip]

I have basic playback of SCI1+ sound resources working now. Shouldn't be too hard to get midi import and saving working too (given I already have that for SCI0).

[MusicallyInspired]

Do you have a way to work with PATCH files? I'd like to support the MT-32 in my games specifically. Does the PATCH format differ very much between SCI0 and SCI1/1.1?

[troflip]

I don't know anything about patch files. What should they let you do, add different kinds of instruments? I don't think the specs are documented anywhere...

As for MT-32, the SCI1 games I've looked at seem to support it, so I'm not sure what would be missing?

[lskovlun]

I don't know anything about patch files. What should they let you do, add different kinds of instruments? I don't think the specs are documented anywhere...

They are driver specific, so general support would be quite a task (and unnecessary). In practice, support for one or two might do.

[Collector]

Why not just use the patch resources from LSL6 if that is where the drivers for the template game are from?

[MusicallyInspired]

The MT-32 PATCH file is for user-programmed System Exclusive instruments (and also the LCD messages on the MT-32). NewRisingSun created a tool for me that allowed converting SYX files with custom instruments for the MT-32 into SCI0's PATCH format so I could use my own user-programmed instruments (he also made one for the Adlib PATCH file to convert patch banks created with the old Adlib InsMaker program). This was a staple of Sierra games. Every game had unique instruments programmed by the composer (mostly Ken Allen). To use another game's PATCH files would work...but it is limiting to a composer like me. I'm not interested in General MIDI. MT-32 sounds better.

Maybe I should hit him up again...he hasn't responded to any of my recent PMs, though.

[troflip]

Do we know for sure that the patch resource format changed between SCI0 and later versions? Maybe you can still use that tool, and plop the resulting patch in a SCI1 game? Should be easy to test out anyway.

[Collector]

Maybe I should hit him up again...he hasn't responded to any of my recent PMs, though.

He has been on VOGONS lately and responds to PMs there. You can try shooting him a PM there.

[MusicallyInspired]

That's where I was PMing him. Way back around when he first released that KQ4 patch.

They're not the same format. During my early years I would experiment a lot with files with the old DOS SCI Decoder programs. PATCH files don't work between SCI0, SCI1, or even SCI1.1 files.