SCI Companion V3 - alpha build notes/bugs/feature requests

[troflip]

I'm sorry, you're right. I had a bug when I tried re-enabling it with my script generation!

[spiffythedog]

Looks like it works! Both scripts compile with no errors. I'll take the game through another test run when I get some spare time.

Thanks!

EDIT: Yep, everything checks out.

[Kawa]

Could somebody explain to me like I'm twelve what the deal is with exporting classes instead of instances?

[troflip]

I guess it was used for regions, when you want the region to have extra properties (since instances can't define new properties)

[Kawa]

I have a feature request: when importing a MIDI file to a sound resource, recognize markers (FF06) and/or cue points (FF07) as such. Perhaps the former could serve to quickly set a loop point, while the latter is obvious from its very name.

Since they're basically Lyrics (FF05) with different semantic value, the signal numbers could be specified in their text values.

[troflip]

Doesn't look like it would be too hard to do. Got some midi files that have this information that I could use to test?

I don't really know much about MIDI.

MusicallyInspired, do you have any feedback on this suggestions? The cuepoint thing seems obvious.
For the loop point, doesn't really seem like there's a standard. Is marker a reasonable thing to turn into a loop point?

[Kawa]

These three events all have the same structure -- FF [05, 06, or 07] [text length] [text], not bound to any particular playback channel like Note On and Program Change are. Attached is a short piece of shit I whipped up that contains all three kinds. In order: cue "up", cue "down", cue "cue" (gasp), cue "larry", and lyric "todokete~".

Funnily, Anvil Studio uses markers for its bookmark-like list labelled "cues".

I'd personally suggest the string "loop", "+n" for cumulative, and just a number for non-cumulative.

(The "cue" cue was supposed to be a "marker" marker but I fucked it up.)

[MusicallyInspired]

I'm afraid I don't know as much about MIDI as I'd like. Sometimes I wish I was born earlier so I would have been forced to learn more than I currently do (which is more in the realm of the digital). I do know that different implementations use different MIDI controllers (CC messages) for cue/loop points and such. In short, no two MIDI interpreters used it the same way. I'd suggest using certain controllers like this to create cue points for SCI sound resources. You can pick any one as long as it's not used by the MT-32 or SC-55 (if you want to retain compatibility with those synths, anyway). There are 128 MIDI controllers. Some are more or less standard and control things like pitch bend range, modulate, reverb and chorus (for the SC-55), etc. It's basically a free range. MIDI was designed that way so different synths could interpret controllers in their own way. The Build engine's EMIDI API (used for Duke Nukem 3D) used MIDI controllers to control cues (specifically CC 116, CC 117, CC 118, CC 119 for Loop Start, Loop End, Global Loop Start, and Global Loop End respectively). Something like this is what would come to me naturally when I think about converting MIDIs to an SCI sound resource.

As for hooking into these controllers and interpreting them in a program, I haven't the foggiest. There must be some information on how MIDI files are setup, though.

EDIT: MIDI controller channels 102-120 are undefined and free to use in a proprietary setup. Here's a list of the standard.

[troflip]

Hmm, maybe it makes more sense to use the ones Sierra already uses then? I mean, their sound resources are basically just midi files.

[Kawa]

I still think cue commands make the most sense, tbh. They're standard to boot.

[MusicallyInspired]

What cue commands are you talking about?

[troflip]

He's talking about the ff 07 meta event, which is described as Cue Point
Used to include cues for events happening on-stage, such as "curtain rises", "exit, stage left", etc

FWIW, in the Sierra sound resources,
- MIDI CC 96 is a cumulative cue (this is called "Data button increment" in the official MIDI spec, from what I can tell... I guess that kind of corresponds?).
- Program change 127 on channel 15 sets a loop point
- Program change <127 on channel 15 sets a non-cumulative cue point

I guess those last two don't really correspond to anything in "standard MIDI", right?

Are most MIDI composing apps flexible enough to let you create those commands? If so, then I'd rather re-use the same commands that Sierra used.

I mean, it sounds like the midi meta event ff 07 is standard... but I'd be inventing a new standard to parse those into cumulative or non-cumulative cues (or loop points). I guess that's fine if these cue events are commonplace across midi composing apps.

[lskovlun]

FWIW, in the Sierra sound resources,
- MIDI CC 96 is a cumulative cue (this is called "Data button increment" in the official MIDI spec, from what I can tell... I guess that kind of corresponds?).
- Program change 127 on channel 15 sets a loop point
- Program change <127 on channel 15 sets a non-cumulative cue point

Just to be clear, I believe these things are different between SCI versions. It's been a long time since I worked with sound resources, though.

[troflip]

sounds resources are my least favorite resource!

[MusicallyInspired]

Ah, sure then. Shows what I know about MIDI. I've just never had to delve into this stuff before. Going off the scattered knowledge I've acquired over the years. Like I said, my main focus has been digital audio and mixing. I just know what I need to know to get that done.