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Lunar Magic suggestions and discussion (LM v3.40)

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Gonna echo a suggestion from here just in case it's worth considering. Basically, asking for some sort of option for custom blocks to change the tile surface outline for the tile they're applied to (presumably adding on to the existing dsc file format in some way?).

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After all the feature requests here's a considerably more minor point I just noticed: the Mechakoopa's winding key uses palette E ingame but Lunar Magic displays it using palette D.


 
I think maybe having a way to quickly open up ExGFX files in an external editor the same way you can quickly open the rom in an external emulator would be beneficial. A possible way to do this could be having a button in the Super GFX Bypass tab next to the slots for FG1, FG2, etc. You could connect an external editor such as YY-CHR the same way you connect an emulator, and pressing this button will open the ExGFX file in the editor

I suggest this because if someone is mixing and working with a lot of custom graphics or is making a lot of small changes to various ExGFX files, having a quick way to open them in Lunar Magic would cut down on time having to go through your ExGFX folder to find them.

I have no idea how difficult this actually would be to add, but I thought I would still throw it out there. Obviously, it is not a necessity for hacking, just a change that I think would improve the experience.
I think I have a bug report: If a flip-x or flip-y a tile (or a rectangle of tiles), then change that rectangle's dimensions by dragging the edges, the rectangle automatically gets unflipped. Quite a bothersome bug.


YY-CHR > Photoshop.
Originally posted by Thomas
Gonna echo a suggestion from here just in case it's worth considering. Basically, asking for some sort of option for custom blocks to change the tile surface outline for the tile they're applied to (presumably adding on to the existing dsc file format in some way?).


That would also require users to supply a bitmap with custom outline images to apply. Not sure how many people would want to bother with it for that particular feature, considering it's purely cosmetic in the editor (which I'm not sure the person asking for it even realizes).

Originally posted by WhiteYoshiEgg
After all the feature requests here's a considerably more minor point I just noticed: the Mechakoopa's winding key uses palette E ingame but Lunar Magic displays it using palette D.


Alright thanks, it's been fixed for the next version.

Originally posted by Evernn
I think maybe having a way to quickly open up ExGFX files in an external editor the same way you can quickly open the rom in an external emulator would be beneficial. A possible way to do this could be having a button in the Super GFX Bypass tab next to the slots for FG1, FG2, etc. You could connect an external editor such as YY-CHR the same way you connect an emulator, and pressing this button will open the ExGFX file in the editor.


Yeah that could help speed things up a bit. Might be worth putting in sometime.

Originally posted by BlueToad
I think I have a bug report: If a flip-x or flip-y a tile (or a rectangle of tiles), then change that rectangle's dimensions by dragging the edges, the rectangle automatically gets unflipped. Quite a bothersome bug.


Whoops, it seems the new pattern resizing doesn't take any changes done on the currently selected area with the 8x8 Overworld Tile Selector window tools into account. Thanks, it'll be fixed for the next release.
Originally posted by Evernn
I think maybe having a way to quickly open up ExGFX files in an external editor the same way you can quickly open the rom in an external emulator would be beneficial. A possible way to do this could be having a button in the Super GFX Bypass tab next to the slots for FG1, FG2, etc. You could connect an external editor such as YY-CHR the same way you connect an emulator, and pressing this button will open the ExGFX file in the editor

Oh wow, this is a fantastic suggestion. I know there's already been a response but I'm vouching for it.
It's easily the best thing I've done
So why the empty numb?
^^^ yes please! I've realized lately how much of a chore it is to open a file in YY-CHR that I'm already seeing right there in LM. (so much so that I even use LM's 8x8 editor for minor edits.)



Originally posted by FuSoYa
Originally posted by Knight of Time
There is one thing I did notice about using either of these two commands on a tall horizontal level though, for some reason there is occasional layer 3 garbage that appears on the screen that moves at the same rate as the layer 2 scroll sideways command in use, as shown in the screenshot below. You think you can fix this, FuSoYa? I don't recall this garbage happening on the old kind of vertical levels using one of those two commands.


That scroll sprite is apparently doing something that it really shouldn't have been doing in the first place. But yes, I can fix it. The fix will be added to the next version of LM.

Could you share details about what's wrong and how you'd go about fixing it?

I'm asking because I've also been running into trouble with my own layer 2 scrolling code (layer 2 being interactive). It seems like dragging it along with the layer 1 position, like you'd do for a background scroll, works fine, but whenever I move layer 2 while layer 1 "does its own thing" (for lack of a less vague description), I get those exact garbage tiles.

I figured I'd ask if this is something related that you know an easy fix for.


 
Maybe have a "Recent Palettes" section so that you can easily select which palettes you have used earlier without picking them from the color selection again.
Originally posted by Evernn
I think maybe having a way to quickly open up ExGFX files in an external editor the same way you can quickly open the rom in an external emulator would be beneficial. A possible way to do this could be having a button in the Super GFX Bypass tab next to the slots for FG1, FG2, etc. You could connect an external editor such as YY-CHR the same way you connect an emulator, and pressing this button will open the ExGFX file in the editor

I'm also vouching for it. Makes things much quicker and easier to work on.
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Are you alive or just breathing?
Originally posted by WhiteYoshiEgg
Could you share details about what's wrong and how you'd go about fixing it?

I'm asking because I've also been running into trouble with my own layer 2 scrolling code (layer 2 being interactive). It seems like dragging it along with the layer 1 position, like you'd do for a background scroll, works fine, but whenever I move layer 2 while layer 1 "does its own thing" (for lack of a less vague description), I get those exact garbage tiles.

I figured I'd ask if this is something related that you know an easy fix for.


Just don't scroll the layer beyond the left edge of the level bounds.

Also don't scroll faster than 16 pixels per frame, but that's different from this and I imagine you already know about that one.
Vouching for the ExGFX fast open tool thing the others support.
I do want to see an option to be able to visualize and preview ExAnimations before one applies the changes to the level a person is editing on.

Also +1 on the idea of the ExGFX open option to be directly accessed from LM to be opened in YY-CHR or other .bin graphic editors people use.
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Another small but significant suggestion: please let us view all 8x8 pages beyond page 7 in the 8x8 tile viewer. I don't see why this isn't a thing already and it would be really nice in the long run.
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Originally posted by FuSoYa
Just don't scroll the layer beyond the left edge of the level bounds.

Also don't scroll faster than 16 pixels per frame, but that's different from this and I imagine you already know about that one.

Turns out I was in fact scrolling past the top edge without noticing. Yeah, that would explain it.

Tying this back to LM, how feasible would it be to have layers 1 and 2 be different dimensions? I've been in a few situations where I'd like layer 2 to have quite a bit of scroll freedom but only need 1 vertical screen's worth of layer 1. (assuming that that helps increase the maximum level width.)

Different dimensions for layers aside, what about the option to make levels only one screen tall but really wide? I would have sworn that was an option since LM3 but apparently it's not.


 
Originally posted by Anas
Another small but significant suggestion: please let us view all 8x8 pages beyond page 7 in the 8x8 tile viewer. I don't see why this isn't a thing already and it would be really nice in the long run.

I vouch for this 100%. That way, it's less of a bother for people who don't know the Ctrl+Shift+PageDown trick.
Windowless ride, feeling alive
Are you alive or just breathing?
Originally posted by Katerpie
Originally posted by Anas
Another small but significant suggestion: please let us view all 8x8 pages beyond page 7 in the 8x8 tile viewer. I don't see why this isn't a thing already and it would be really nice in the long run.

I vouch for this 100%. That way, it's less of a bother for people who don't know the Ctrl+Shift+PageDown trick.

Yeah, it could be added to Lunar Magic's Options Menu.

I also have a suggestion of my own: In the "Insert sprite manual" dialog, would it be possible to split the Extra Bits text box into two checkmarks labelled "Custom sprite" and "Extra bit set". This would help newbies a lot.


YY-CHR > Photoshop.
I'm not sure if I've ever suggested this (maybe I just thought about it), but it would be cool to have a F3 equivalent in the [main] map in the overworld editor, so we can have an idea of what'll be seen in the map depending on Mario's position.
It's easily the best thing I've done
So why the empty numb?
Originally posted by Koopster
I'm not sure if I've ever suggested this (maybe I just thought about it), but it would be cool to have a F3 equivalent in the [main] map in the overworld editor, so we can have an idea of what'll be seen in the map depending on Mario's position.

I don't understand


YY-CHR > Photoshop.
Originally posted by BlueToad
Originally posted by Koopster
I'm not sure if I've ever suggested this (maybe I just thought about it), but it would be cool to have a F3 equivalent in the [main] map in the overworld editor, so we can have an idea of what'll be seen in the map depending on Mario's position.

I don't understand

You know how hitting F3 in the level editor generates a square that represents exactly the spot the camera will be positioned at in-game depending on Mario's position? This is what Koopster suggested as an overworld equivalent.
Windowless ride, feeling alive
Are you alive or just breathing?
Originally posted by Katerpie
Originally posted by BlueToad
Originally posted by Koopster
I'm not sure if I've ever suggested this (maybe I just thought about it), but it would be cool to have a F3 equivalent in the [main] map in the overworld editor, so we can have an idea of what'll be seen in the map depending on Mario's position.

I don't understand

You know how hitting F3 in the level editor generates a square that represents exactly the spot the camera will be positioned at in-game depending on Mario's position? This is what Koopster suggested as an overworld equivalent.

Oh, that. I forgot that it existed


YY-CHR > Photoshop.

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