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Ideas for useful tools

Most of the SMW hackers probably have little to no knowledge on tool coding. Although, as hackers, they may have an idea of what kind of tools could be helpful for them in various hacking aspects. So, what tool ideas have you got on the top of your head? Feel free to post them here, and who knows a tool maker may pick them someday.

I'll begin: a tool that asks you to open a ROM, lets you make HDMA and inserts it per-level-basis would be interesting. Would save people from fixing a bunch of codes.
It's easily the best thing I've done
So why the empty numb?
Would be a great idea no level asm and this stuff.

How about a tool that allows you to convert mp3 files to a txt file and the sample files.
My hack TEMP is cancelled for now but I started a new
vanilla hack, you can visit my thread here.
How about a tool for the block bounce sprite tables?
Let's milk Sunny Milk. Then she'll have enough money to fund Sunny Milk Real Estate.
Everypony's digging with a shovel
Not sure if this already happened, I only saw it in some japanese hacks, but I would like to use a smw BG / custom BG in layer 2 levels instead of the black background.
Originally posted by Koopster
I'll begin: a tool that asks you to open a ROM, lets you make HDMA and inserts it per-level-basis would be interesting. Would save people from fixing a bunch of codes.

Isn't there already a HDMA gradient converter to simplify everything? Anyway, that would be a good idea is would speed up and simplify everything.

A tool that would modify levels and add special properties to them would be great.
Originally posted by AltheronX
Not sure if this already happened, I only saw it in some japanese hacks, but I would like to use a smw BG / custom BG in layer 2 levels instead of the black background.

Sounds like you've found hacks with layer 3 backgrounds.
You can find that button is behind #lm{props}.
<blm> zsnes users are the flatearthers of emulation
A Mario/Luigi Start/Time Up/Game Over tilemap editor. Although I have already made a patch that serves the same purpose, it certainly wouldn't hurt to have a visual representation of what they look like so you wouldn't have to use trial and error.

Originally posted by everest700
Originally posted by Koopster
I'll begin: a tool that asks you to open a ROM, lets you make HDMA and inserts it per-level-basis would be interesting. Would save people from fixing a bunch of codes.

Isn't there already a HDMA gradient converter to simplify everything? Anyway, that would be a good idea is would speed up and simplify everything.


I would imagine that the difference is that what Koopster is describing wouldn't require LevelASM.
Originally posted by Alcaro
Originally posted by AltheronX
Not sure if this already happened, I only saw it in some japanese hacks, but I would like to use a smw BG / custom BG in layer 2 levels instead of the black background.

Sounds like you've found hacks with layer 3 backgrounds.
You can find that button is behind #lm{props}.


I think you mean the smw layer 3 bg's ( the castle windows, the mountains, ...) but I mean custom ExGFX backgrounds in layer 2 levels, I've only seen them in japanese hacks. In the rom there were invisible tiles, no background, maybe some ASM
we have plenty of patches/tools dedicated to custom layer 3 images already

you can either use the layer 3 customizer, which imo is pretty self-explanatory if you read the readme, or you can follow this tutorial for using the stripe image uploader.

alternatively, you may have seen a sprite bg (like in ludwig's room); those are just drawing sprite tiles to the screen
A castle destruction sequence editor would be quite nice, at the very least allowing custom palettes per cutscene in case you wanted a snow world or something like that.

Taking it a step further would be being able to edit Mario's actions in bringing the castle down, but that sounds rather difficult.
A tool that makes a TXT/MML/MIDI a SMW Music, and you can make your own custom music by putting in notes (Do, Re, Mi, Fa, etc.)
I'll call it "MusicTool"
Originally posted by NEX and GBX
TXT/MML

I thought TXT/MML was SMW music already.
If not, you're thinking of whichever Addmusic is the standard these days.

Quote
/MIDI

Isn't that Tinymm?

Quote
putting in notes (Do, Re, Mi, Fa, etc.)

And that would be Notepad.
Use search and replace if you're really sure you want La Di Da Su Ke for some weird reason.
<blm> zsnes users are the flatearthers of emulation
Originally posted by Alcaro
Originally posted by NEX and GBX
TXT/MML

I thought TXT/MML was SMW music already.
If not, you're thinking of whichever Addmusic is the standard these days.

Quote
/MIDI

Isn't that Tinymm?

Quote
putting in notes (Do, Re, Mi, Fa, etc.)

And that would be Notepad.
Use search and replace if you're really sure you want La Di Da Su Ke for some weird reason.

By "TXT/MML/MIDI" I really mean "Complete the music port so you have to do nothing but change instruments. And convert it to txt (if txt, just make it for use in smw i.e newly made mml > needs work txt transition)"
By "Do Re Mi Fa Etc." I mean "Place the notes where you want in the program to make CUSTOM music

Basicly it makes porting music a breeze and creating music not so hard.

It may insert music to roms too, but the Addmusic series already do that. So no need to do that.

Also got another idea, but it is mainly a patch, that needs a tool (Both of which would take years to make)
Originally posted by NEX and GBX
By "TXT/MML/MIDI" I really mean "Complete the music port so you have to do nothing but change instruments. And convert it to txt (if txt, just make it for use in smw i.e newly made mml > needs work txt transition)"


Why do you want such a tool? It'll be way better if you learn for yourself, because that way you'll know how it works and you'll feel good knowing that you made everything. You won't be a perfect porter in a day, so you need to spend time and put effort on that; practice can make you one of the best porters of the site.

Originally posted by NEX and GBX
By "Do Re Mi Fa Etc." I mean "Place the notes where you want in the program to make CUSTOM music


As Alcaro said, you can do that with notepad, just put the notes and the durations you want, of course, it won't work if you put, for example, "Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si", since that technically doesn't exist in the mml format (I mean, they do exist, but they are represented differently), what you want, instead, is "c (c+) d (d+) e f (f+) g (g+) a (a+) b".

Originally posted by NEX and GBX
Basicly it makes porting music a breeze and creating music not so hard.


Trust me, I said the same thing when I wasn't into this, but then, after experimenting with the mml format, I knew it was actually the simplest thing ever. It doesn't take too much effort on having a not-so-bad sounding port, all you need is to choose good instruments and volumes, other commands such as ADSR are completely optional. Just try it and put effort on learning, you'll see it isn't complex at all, just remember to start with simple songs, like SMB1's theme song.
How about a tool that lets you pick a background for the whole level instead of the repeating background?
Try my Kaizo hack!

I am a Bug Tester, Play Tester, and Proofreader.

Will accept other hacks.

Currently Testing: Nothing!

PM me if you want your hack tested.
Originally posted by Dipalon
How about a tool that lets you pick a background for the whole level instead of the repeating background?

Already possible: Use layer 2 objects as a background, and use variable scrolling(half speed) for the background. You'll have to use FG map16 tiles, but unless you're SMWCP2 you're going to have too much space to care.
aran - Graces of Heaven
Alternatively, you could just disable background scrolling, though you might not see the whole background in that case.

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