author's blog & website:
http://borokobo.web.fc2.com/
more kirby tools:
http://www4.atpages.jp/borokobo/
improved data files
http://www.mediafire.com/?82xs7kn352k39ab (put these in your data folder next to dreamtool. includes sprite names in english and a better tile properties bmp)
GETTING STARTED
DreamTool needs a Japanese dump of Kirby's Adventure to be placed in the root directory, and should be named "kirby.nes". If you attempt to use an American ROM or another dump, the checksum will not match and you will be given the option to continue or not. You can still edit an American ROM, but it will likely be corrupted. Once you have the ROM sorted out, DreamTool will ask for a project folder when it starts. Just drag your empty folder into the application. DreamTool doesn't seem to support a command line for starting with your project, so linux users without a desktop environment might be out of luck.
There are different "modes" in DreamTool. They correspond to tile editing, level header editing (BGM, etc), exit and finally sprite editing. You can cycle through these with F1 and F2 (backward and forward respectively)
HOTKEYS
These hotkeys are used multiple times throughout the editor
TAB change view (grid with tile properties, low brightness)
F1 F2 change editing mode (sprite mode, tile mode, door mode, room parameter mode)
F3 F4 change room
F5 save progress to the appropriate room###[###].txt file
F11 compile to .nes
TILE EDITING MODE HOTKEYS
Change the room's layout
LMB place tile in the room / select tile from the tileset
RMB pick existing tile in the room
ARROW KEYS change selected tile in the tileset (bottom right of the screen)
SPRITE EDITING MODE HOTKEYS
Move and change sprites in the room
LMB select sprite
LMB + drag move sprite
LMB + menu change sprite #
PROJECTS, SAVING AND COMPILING
DreamTool requires a blank folder to use as a project. In the project folder, DreamTool will save all your edits to text files which you can compile later.
Edited rooms are saved like this:
room*DECIMAL OF ROOM NUMBER*[*HEX OF ROOM NUMBER*].txt
Example: room010[00A].txt
When you save your text file with F5, you can compile all of the text files in your project folder to a .nes ROM by pressing F11. The editor basically takes the clean ROM you put in the folder and makes a new one with your levels patched in. You will always have a clean ROM because of this, but you will still need to make backups of your project if you mess up.
ROOM PARAMETERS IN ENGLISH
1 room width
2 room height
3 tileset (what foreground tiles are loaded)
4 BG bank (what ANIMATED background tiles are loaded)
5 BG color "BG_PAL" (tileset palette)
6 animation speed (changes speed of animated background mentioned earlier)
7 sprite bank (what sprite graphics are to be loaded)
8 sprite colors "SPR_PAL" (what palette the loaded sprite graphics share)
9 music "BGM"
10 start point "REVIVE_POS" (where you respawn in the room. THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM EXITS)
11 circular tower "SP_ROOM_TOWER" (as seen in butter building)
12 parallax scrolling (seen in the final battle)
13 status color (you can change the color of the HUD to grayscale as seen in world 7 level 6)
You can change these values in your level's text file instead of the header editing mode if you feel like it. When DreamTool compiles your changes should be applied. I might make a new post showing off the different tilesets and palettes you can pick.