So You Thought You Were a Hero? Development Journal

[EricOakford]

One reason I'd like to eventually upgrade to SCI32 is better support for WAV-based music.
The MIDI files can be converted to WAV files using something like Anvil Studio. But to make them sound better, a soundfont works wonders. There's one here that sounds good, the General MIDI soundfont "SGM-v2.01-YamahaGrand-Guit-Bass-v2.7". Another good choice is Arachno.
Torin's Passage (which most closely corresponds to my SCI2.1 template) appears to only support monaural sounds, as all of the audio files are mono. Sound effects are 16-bit, while music is 8-bit.
So it seems fair that the music should be exported as 8-bit mono tracks.
Most of the sound effects I'm using are from QFG5 and already 16-bit.

But one drawback to SCI32 is that SCI2 pics do not appear to support controls; where actors can go is determined by polygons instead. For this reason, I will try to only use polygons instead of control colors.

[Kawa]

But one drawback to SCI32 is that SCI2 pics do not appear to support controls; where actors can go is determined by polygons instead. For this reason, I will try to only use polygons instead of control colors.

This is true. While later 16-bit SCI merely deprecated the control screen, SCI32 outright removed it and took the vector drawing commands with it. Basically the only drawing command still allowed is Image, which has been extended to also specify a priority level.

[EricOakford]

All right. After shelling out $39 for Anvil Studios' Multi-Audio 8/16 accessory, I've managed to convert all of the original music to WAV files.
I thought I was using the SGM soundfont, but it turned out I was using Arachno instead.  That's a good thing, though, since Arachno is actually more accurate.
And I know it's more accurate (and which music is original) because the QFG4.5 soundtrack is actually available for purchase! Really! The composer's name matches that of what I found in the ripped MIDI files.
I made both mono and stereo masters of the conversions, just to be safe.

So go buy the official soundtrack! (I did!)

[EricOakford]

Now I am working to bring the game to SCI2.0. This required a whole new dialog tree system (based on QFG4's). Lots of script code will need to be revised for the 32-bit engine. And Companion will need to better support SCI32 so that graphical issues with the views (caused by the way RESOURCE.MAP is altered, not by the views being exported from SCI1.1) don't occur anymore. But I think it'll be worth it.

[Collector]

Are you able to add that support or do we need someone else. I don't think Phil is of a mind to invest more time in Companion. If not you perhaps Kawa? It would be great to have support for all versions of SCI.

[Kawa]

I'd love to add proper SCI2 support myself, but I wouldn't know how. Best I can offer is testing and UX guidance.

[EricOakford]

Updating the engine again, this time to SCI2.1. I'm using the debug interpreter from January 1995, which still supports 320x200 resolution graphics (SCI upscales them to 640x400). Quite a few code rewrites and a new set of system scripts were needed, but it compiles and works after that.

Now I won't be constrained by QFG1's original palettes. I'm now basing the day-to-night transition and palette mapping on QFG4, with the talker color assignment based on QFG1. This will require exporting the SCI1.1 pics and views (as well as the extracted AGS sprites) to BMP files, then importing them back into SCI2 resources to map them to the new palettes. The transition is surprisingly accurate.

To create the night and sunset palettes, it's just a matter of adding the pics' embedded palettes as palette resources, then applying a tint to said palettes (dark blue for night, orange for sunset).

Code: [Select]

QFG4 palette map
Global colors: 0-79
Palette 1000 is the global night palette. Palette 2000 is the global sunset palette.
UI colors: 80-111
Room colors: 112-235
Talker colors: 236-252
Remap color: 253
Skip color: 254
Only colors 0-79 and 112-235 should be tinted for the night or sunset palettes.


[Collector]

Nice. I look forward to seeing this.

[EricOakford]

And here's the day-to-night effect in action, in the mountains.

You will notice that I put the status line at the bottom of the screen. This is to cover up the fact that the removal of the kernel-based status line freed up space at the top, resulting in imported pictures having a white line at the bottom.

[gumby]

That's awesome.

[MusicallyInspired]

Fantastic.

[Collector]

Impressive.