Old development news thread

[DeuxEx]

hello designers and moderators with my curiosity I finished! is thank you for everything, he hoped that the project will go ahead!, In the future I would love to be a beta tester for a better understanding of the project!
Thank you!

[Wohlstand]

How long have you guys been waiting for this?
It's finally here!
What is?

-> The PGE Editor 0.0.8 Alpha!
This is a huge update, we did a lot of work for creating full NPC support, and other such things...
Windows build:
Download 0.0.8 Alpha without music (28 MB) (You can simply place the music folder from SMBX 1.3 or 1.3.0.1 into the data directory)
Download 0.0.8 Alpha with HQ music (257 MB) (This already contains the HQ SMBX music pack)
MacOS build:
<coming soon>, but you could build it yourself
The same source can also be built for Linux or other platforms.

Changelog 0.0.8

Spoiler

- Added support for render and control NPC's
- POSSIBLE TO SAVE LEVEL FILE.
- POSSIBLE TO CREATE NEW LEVEL FILE, NPC.txt file with selecting of base NPC.
- Added NPC Previewer for NPC.txt editor
- License updated to GNU GPLv3
- Optimized level loading process
- Added support to control doors
- History manager: you can undo/redo changes on level map. [Not completely finished]
- Clipboard: you can copy and paste.
- Added Item Properties window, and with them possible to FULL CONTROL of ALL level items.
- Added BGO hack for place them foreground
- Added Item box and support for place new items on map
- Added Layer box: You can create/rename/delete layers, you can move layers in list by mouse drag, you can change visibly of Layer
- Added more protectors: you can violate limits with itemID and if itemID > global array item number, you will see dummy image instead crash.
- ReWritten Background render algorithm
- Unused Sections will be initialization on select
- Possible to resize sections
- Possible to resize sizable blocks
- You can change player's start point positions
- Added "Selection only" tool, you can select item group without moving them.
- Fixed rubber tool
- Water/Quicksand zons, sizable blocks placing in "Draw-Square" style
- "Square Fill" tool: you can draw square and it will be filled by selected block or BGO (Warning, collisions ignoring!)
- Fixes in configs: almost sorted blocks, BGOs and NPCs.
- Full control of door entries
- "Goto entrance" and "Goto exit" - possible to fast find other side of door, even them placed in other section.
- in NPC-Editor displaying all default values for current npcID, if option not used.
- Added application settings window: you can set autoplay music/animation/collisions or set log level and log file.
- Animation will be reseted on exported image.
- Optimized item map controls.
- Application can be translated in other languages
- Now, we have finished translates: English, Russian, German. Any of you can made more translates.

This version can control almost all SMBX level elements, but now you can't edit and create events. Events control will be implemented in next version. But already created events you can use in NPCs or on Blocks and save them.

Screenshots:

Spoiler

Section resizer:

After resizing, press ENTER for accept resize or ESC for cancel resizing.

You can add item group on exist or create new layer for them:


You can sort layers in list via mouse drag:


The size for sizable blocks defining after drawing process:

The same method draws water/quicksand

Change environment type:


Jump to other side of door:




All items sorted by his category:



All custom level GFX displaying in special category group:



You can remove layer and save already placed items (items will be moved to Default layer)


You can draw group of blocks by square fill:



Same method for BGO:


Application settings window for set common application settings:


All NPCs like egg, bubble, lakitu, herb - is containers, and you can set his contains:






Creating a new level file:



NPC configs editing:






Application can be translated into any language:

Now already translated to English, Russian and German.

History manager: You can undo/redo your actions:


Internal clipboard:



Entry-style doors:


For create door, you must:
- create door entry
- place on map points (by set Entrance and by set Exit)
- you can set door props in any moment (before/after placing points)

If point already placed, camera will be moved to point position:


Show/hide tools:


NPC Generators displaying with arrow:
green - warp, red - projectile:


BGO Hack for place item to foreground in SMBX:

[Wohlstand]

Because I found some bugs, I fixed them and updated the application in the archive.

Minor change log 0.0.8.1

Spoiler

- Fixed bug with door points on opening of old LVL files (file format < 8)
- Fixed undisabled labels on NPC-Editor
- Fixed bug with sets of containers to empty.
- Added Spanish translation

Instead of re-downloading the archives, you can get only fixed files:
http://wohlsoft.ru/docs/EXE_tests/pge_editor_alpha_0.0.8.1_fixed_files_only.zip and replace with it the downloaded 0.0.8 build.
Enjoy

[Wohlstand]

My little news:

Because for some people easer use the tabs in SMBX, I was create groups, what will set displaying same lists, what displaying in equal SMBX's tabs:
(this feature will be in next version of editor: [PGE-Editor 0.1.0 Alpha] (next after 0.0.8 Alpha) )

Commit for NPC's INI-file:
https://github.com/Wohlhabend-Networks/PlatGEnWohl/commit/07dd9828363c3f2eb4ee78f1cf58d5ab1c4481cc
Source file with code, what realizing the creation of group-list from INI-file "group" field values:
https://github.com/Wohlhabend-Networks/PlatGEnWohl/blob/master/Editor/main_window/dock/lvl_item_toolbox.cpp#L143

But with little differences:
Instead "The Lakutus are throwing Lakitus!" I places 3 containers in other groups:
- "Buried" herb I placed in "Super Mario Bros. 2" group
- "Lakitu-spawner" and "Bubble" I placed in "Super Mario World" group.

Why?

As you know, in SMBX we pressing "Bubble=Yes" or "Buried=yes" for place "Packed in herb" or "Packet in bubble" NPC.
In PGE-Editor you can edit NPC-Container. And because, for example, Herb will be more useful in SMB2 group, because "The Lakutus are throwing Lakitus!" in SMBX - is a secret tab and in SMBX need made a lot of action for open them. Even in PGE-Editor same "tab" is non-secret "group", for place "burried" items, we must select "herb" and set its content before placing or to already placed. In PGE secrets are absence - all Free and Open Source

If we selecting NPC's from "Containers" cathegory, we will placing to map them as empty:


But how place them with contents?

For already placed containers, we can select single or group NPC-Containers, ans select "Properties":


And we must push to "[empty]" button for select NPC as "content" of this container(s):


Here you can select necessary NPC for include into the container(s):


Done, now Bubble have "Bob-omb" as content:


Same for SMW-Lakitu:


And for Egg:


But how place container with already included content?
1) Select necessary NPC in toolbox:


2) Set in opened Properties window contains, and do placing NPCs on map:


Added after 26 minutes 24 seconds:
P.S. Do you ask me "Have you easter eggs?" I can answer:
Easter Eggs you can found in source code
for example:
https://github.com/Wohlhabend-Networks/PlatGEnWohl/commit/a1bd85a9cf8af3b0ccdf60e686c1202797a0bb4b#diff-c543a124a6c66921d19054b7619d710fR392
(this was deleted after implementation of necessary function)

[DeuxEx]

hello Wohlstand!
how are you?
Editor I understand a bit slow, why?
there any news for the next release of the editor?
And as for the engine there are new?
thanks for the work you do!

[Wohlstand]

Editor I understand a bit slow, why?

For speed up, in View menu disable Collisions and Animations

[h2643]

Does the editor allows you to put any NPC in Bubble/Lakitu/Herb/Egg? I'm asking because I'm not completely sure.

[Wohlstand]

Does the editor allows you to put any NPC in Bubble/Lakitu/Herb/Egg? I'm asking because I'm not completely sure.

Yes, possible to put any NPCs in Bubble/Lakitu/Herb/Egg, but SMBX will got bugs in something cases. Example: egged/bubbled/burried piranha plant will be disappear, or mother brain after egg and after release them after get from herb.
Same possible to blocks: you can put in blocks ANY NPC's. Even biggest, as big boo and even Bowser. Same did possible only by LVL-file hacking with notepad, but I made them in our editor
But, with SAV-file hacking possible place into ItemSlot any item, even Bowser, Big Boo, Boo, Goomba, Motherbrain, etc.

[h2643]

That's amazing, I don't really care about the bugs, i just wanted to know if that's possible. Thanks Wohlstand!

[Wohlstand]

New update!

-> PGE Editor 0.1 Alpha
All level editing features have been realized in this version, along with support for events and a lot of fixed bugs..
Windows build:
Download 0.1 Alpha without music (39 MB) (You can simply place the music folder from SMBX 1.3 or 1.3.0.1 into the data directory)
Download 0.1 Alpha with HQ music (267 MB) (This already contains the HQ SMBX music pack)

Videos:

Spoiler

phpBB [youtube]

Original link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOh-KTp4jvE

phpBB [youtube]

Original link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDClscWvmrw

Changelog 0.1

- Added events control support
- Added sound tester
- Image renders are improved and fully support taking alpha channel from masks (before only internal PNG alpha, or 1-bit masks files)
- Fixed default main window size and position
- Fixed Level item toolbox category list translating
- Fixed bug with empty category lists after config reload
- Added support for BMP Files, "Ghosties" will appear ONLY if image is really broken.
- Player's start points can be moved by mouse in selection mode
- History manager can store any level data and any settings changes
- New icons for section switch buttons
- Optimized background and music selector
- Language switcher is improved
- Fixed the crash on pressing "Delete" in the layer list without a selected item
- Fixed bug with door flags "Level Exit" and "Level Entrance" on already placed points
- If a translation equal to the system language does not exist, the English translation will be used.
- Remembering of save paths
- Merging of layers, on renaming a layer to a equivalent name of another layer
- Configuration status window. You can see the status of all configuration items and look for errors in the load process
- Fixed bug with events resets in properties window
- Added search filter for NPC-Selection dialog
- Added search filter for level Item Box
- Fixed NPC's special option wrong values on placing items
- Fixed grammar and spellings in labels
- Optimized toolbox generation
- Added Notification about wrong custom graphics files
- Fixed frames calculating for NPCs
- In the Music files list, the open current file will be selected
- In the music list displaying music files from sub-directories
- Fixed auto-align bug: Grid applying only on moved items
- Fixed random NPC's direction generator
- Added counter of stars in LVL-file save function
- Fixed bug with wrong background on created levels (before saving them).

This version support full level editing functionality

Screenshots

Events editing


Improved rendering, supports alpha-channels


Added Groups




Search items by filters




Custom music fetching from subfolders (Inside SMBX, the proof that it's possible to open custom musics from sub-folders,- ASMBXT)


Merge layers that have equivalent names on renaming a layer


New section switch icons


Global configuration status window

Also, added two useful console utilities:
Note: For using these utilities, please, open Command Line CMD.EXE in Windows or the Terminal in Linux
GIFs2PNG

Spoiler

GIFs2PNG - is a converter of SMBX's gifs with masks to transparent PNGs [now the opposite is planned: to convert a transparent PNG to masked GIFs for SMBX]


How to use:
To have transparent PNG files, you need to source the images and their masks together. All gifs must be converted from BMP by the second tool, if some images have not been read.
For converting, simply type this in the command line:

Code: Select all

X:\MyDir\With\PGE-Editor\GIFs2PNG C:\SMBX\worlds\episode1\level3


Where X:\MyDir\With\PGE-Editor\ - is the path to your PGE-Editor's folder, copy from the address bar and paste via the context menu
Where C:\SMBX\worlds\episode1\level3 - is the path to your GIFs in SMBX64 format (with masks), which you want convert to PNG.

You can see more features of these utilities, if you simply run them without arguments

LazyFixTool

Spoiler

LazyFixTool - is a powerful utility for automatically fixing lazily-made GFXes:
It converts all BMPs into the GIF format, and corrects the mask into a valid image.

This utility can fix all the GFXes of an whole episode in one run!!!



You can also make light-gray masks darker, for using real alpha-channels inside PGE instead of using the pseudo-transparency in SMBX:


Note: this utility makes backups of your current graphics into the "_backup" sub-folder. If you find a glitch, you can restore the old graphics back.

How to use:
This utility fixes all SMBX64 graphics (GIF with mask images) in an selected folder and (optionally) all graphics inside the subfolders.
The mask must be placed WITH its image, as the fixing process is based on calculating broken pixels by comparing between the pixels of both images.
For fixing graphics which are in one folder:

Code: Select all

X:\MyDir\With\PGE-Editor\LazyFixTool C:\SMBX\worlds\episode1\level3


For fixing graphics of an whole episode:

Code: Select all

X:\MyDir\With\PGE-Editor\LazyFixTool C:\SMBX\worlds\episode1 -W


For fixing with gray down of gray-scale masks:

Code: Select all

X:\MyDir\With\PGE-Editor\LazyFixTool C:\SMBX\worlds\episode1\level3 -G


Where X:\MyDir\With\PGE-Editor\ - is the the path to your PGE-Editor's folder, copy it from the address bar and paste it via the context menu
Where C:\SMBX\worlds\episode1\level3 - is the path to your GIFs in the SMBX64 format (with masks), which you want to convert to PNG.
Where -G - switch for making the gray color darker.
Where -W - switch for walking inside all sub-directories.
Where -N - switch for disabling saving of backups.

You can see more features of this utility, if you simply run it without the arguments

Added after 12 hours 33 minutes:
Little update for editor
I've just now updated the archives of the 0.1 build:
- Fixed bug with custom music paths after save new file.
- Speed up of level loading process,
now Editor opening the huge levels quickly
Archives already updated

Those who've already downloaded the Editor 0.1 alpha. please get the fixed files from here:
http://wohlsoft.ru/docs/_sources/dev_built/pge_editor.zip
and unpack archive into your Editor folder

[Luigifan2010]

So Wohl, I noticed QT 5 has an android port. And as I've said on the SMBX forums the editor works fine using a touch screen..Android can run C++ code..do you see where I'm going with this? B)

An Android port would be insane! Do you have an Android device to test on?

[Mikepjr]

Okay.. so .. what exactly is a system environment variable? I'm very confused, and music is not playing..

[Kevsoft]

So Wohl, I noticed QT 5 has an android port. And as I've said on the SMBX forums the editor works fine using a touch screen..Android can run C++ code..do you see where I'm going with this?

First of all, Qt Andriod is still in development. So not all Qt libraries are ported yet, so a 1:1 port is not possible. Second it depends on the target device. I doubt that someone would make a level on a mobile phone with a small display size. I think level designers would use rather a tablet/computer than a small mobile phone.

An Android port would be insane! Do you have an Android device to test on?

I have a android tablet, so thats not a big of a deal. I haven't talk to Wohlstand yet, but I would manage it after the full beta release of the editor [With fully functioning level-editor, world-editor and npc-editor].

Okay.. so .. what exactly is a system environment variable? I'm very confused, and music is not playing..

A system environment variable represents a path to a folder. For example the variable "APPDATA". When you put in %appdata% you automatically are redirected to the appdata folder. The "PATH" variable is a special one. All paths which are written down in the variable can find the system instandly. So you can access them from everywhere. I know it is a bit misunderstanding...
For java there is this example:
Without java-path written down in PATH you have to write this if you want to run a java app: C:/Path/to/Java/bin/java.exe -jar MyJavaApp.jar
With java-path written down in PATH: java - jar MyJavaApp.jar
You don't have to tell windows where java is, because it is written down in the PATH variable.

If you use Windows, then you can use this guide too: https://www.java.com/en/download/help/path.xml or http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000549.htm
But instead of the java-path, which is used in this guide, you use the path-text which Wohlstand provides.

[Mikepjr]

I still don't get it.. i need a better example of what to do exactly, but without any technical wording.
I know how to edit a path in a shortcut, but that's it.. and i read those links, it's still not making much sense to me.
Ugh.. i will just keep using SMBX until the beta of this is released.. i hope that by then i won't have to mess with paths and so forth and things will just work.
Using windows 7 BTW..

[Wohlstand]

Mikepjr, this article must help with music problem:

You need set the system variable with name QT_PLUGIN_PATH and you must copy into value the path to PGE's folder. After you set this variable restart editor.

http://wohlsoft.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=174 (How to set system variable)

[Wohlstand]

New Update!

-> PGE Editor 0.1.1 Alpha
This is a bug fix update with some improvements.

Change log 0.1.1

- Animation rendering has been improved and optimized
- Added animation start/stop toolbar button
- New selection dialog for items
- Fixed a lot of memory leaks
- New design of the message box
- Added displaying of Item ID in Properties tool box.
- Added item search box: you can find items by their ID along with layer members or other options
- Added tab view mode, you can switch between sub-window/tab mode in application settings
- Added support of second special value for fixing a bug with a wrong LVL file parsing (Herb with included magic potion)
- Fixed loss of decimal part of values for layer movement and auto-scroll speed
- Fixed offset bug for NPC special options
- Title of the sub-window will have the level title instead of the file name
- Added fullscreen option, recommended for tablets!
- Added option to Hide warps/doors and waters (Physical Environment zones) on exporting images.
- Added definition for default flags value for blocks (slippery, invisible) and for NPC (friendly, no-move, boss)
- Added support for resizing the physical environment zones (water, quicksand)
- The default position for the toolboxes will be on the left side of the screen instead of the center (Windows) or left-top corner (Linux)

Screenshots

Available tabs view for opened files:


You can now hide door markers and water zones on exporting images:


You can switch the editor window into full screen, which is recommended for tablets:


New Item selection dialog: You can use categories and groups for selecting the necessary item:


Resizing the water zones are now possible:


New message box design:


Now item placing on the map is relative to the center instead of being relative to the left-top corner:


Available search items on map:


You can search items by their options, or find the layer members/items which use the selected events:


Each level has it's own title. Now the title is displayed as the window title instead of the file name.
You can define the title of level in the menu [Level -> Properties]:


(the same title inside SMBX is defined in the [Level tab -> Advanced]):

Windows build:
Download 0.1.1.3 Alpha without music and sounds (45 MB) (You can simply place the music and sound folders from SMBX 1.3 or 1.3.0.1 into the data directory)
Download 0.1.1.3 Alpha with HQ music (275 MB) (This already contains the HQ SMBX music pack)

Added after 15 hours:
False antivirus alerts
False antivirus alerts
Few tile ago I was got report about false alert of my utilities.

For example, false alert gotten with Avast!.

If you got alert, please, send report to the Avast here: https://support.avast.com/Tickets/Submit

Put into report treated file and don't forgot to give them the link to a sources of treated file.

Sources links:
LazyFixTool:
https://github.com/Wohlhabend-Networks/PlatGEnWohl/tree/master/LazyFixTool

GIFs2PNG:
https://github.com/Wohlhabend-Networks/PlatGEnWohl/tree/master/GIFs2PNG

pge_calibrator:
https://github.com/Wohlhabend-Networks/PlatGEnWohl/tree/master/PlayableCalibrator

pge_editor:
https://github.com/Wohlhabend-Networks/PlatGEnWohl/tree/master/Editor

[Wohlstand]

Hey guys!
This is a new first for the project, with the editor rendering a world map for the first time.

It's currently crappy and is read only. Along with also needing a lot of work to allow normal writing and editing of a file.

[Veudekato]

hey guys! i just make short video tutorial , how to add custom music .

phpBB [youtube]

Original link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqh0y920hcg&feature=youtu.be

[Kevsoft]

Added to my PlatGEnWohl tutorial playlist

[Mikepjr]

I just found out recently when i download the Download 0.1.1.3 Alpha with HQ music (275 MB) file, the music does not give me any issues at all while if i download the version that is only like 45 megs, the music just refuses to work unless i use something Wohlstand sent me which paches it with what is needed to get audio to work.

I hope eventually we can test levels without having to open SMBX.