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VRAM Rearrangement Patch

(I hope Smalls won't chase me for this because it's his idea)
After much tracing $2116 in all.log and the debugger, and enjoying a lot of glitched graphics, I managed rearrange SMW's VRAM so that the sprite's graphics files can be reused for the FG layers, which will make complicated BGs much more affordable (example of complicated BG).

Here's a demonstration of it:
<embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://i373.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid373.photobucket.com/albums/oo178/alcaroops/fgmario.flv">
(yes, I used a custom palette to make the layer 1 Mario look nice, but that's beside the point)

However, this glitches up the following things (I hope to be able to fix them):
The mode7 bosses (fixed in 1.1)
ExAnimated sprites (fixing tool added in 1.2)
Dynamic sprites (there is an easy fix, just change the LDA #$7C00 in dsx.asm to LDA #$3C00 or use the tool (1.2 or higher only))
The Castle Destruction sequences (fixed in 1.3)
The credits scene (still not fixed)
Switch Palaces messes up a little when you hit them (use ExGFX to replace tile 1F8 with a blank tile). Tried to fix, but failed horribly.
Download

If you find any other things that glitches, or if you fix one or more of them, please tell me so I can update it.

Edit: This is what I went through to make this patch, but I think it was worth it.

Edit2: How to use the new space
<blm> zsnes users are the flatearthers of emulation
You finally made it I see
although it's somewhat buggy still <_<

Congratulations anyway ^-^
Sweet! I patch that makes more room for FG/BG stuff??? Words cannot express...

There must be a downside, becuse such awesomeness shouldn't be allowed.
@Doomdragon: Well, this obviously means you'll have less sprite GFX to work with (That shouldn't be a big problem though, I don't use many types of sprites in one level). And, of course, there are the bugs Alcaro mentioned.
Anyway, this seems to be awesome. I really need to learn more ASM to be able to pull of something half as great as that too.


 
Originally posted by Alcaro

When I made that BG, I re-arranged the VRAM in a slightly different way. All I did was change the size of the BG to 256x256 so it takes up less data for the tilemap, then I changed its tilemap location to overwrite sprite GFX (but I later found out it's better to overwrite an unseen part of the layer 3 tilemap data when not using a layer 3 background) Then I used the two ExGFX files worth of space originally taken up for the BG's tilemap data. I used two DMA transfers, one to transfer the tilemap data, and one to transfer the two extra GFX files. This is a much more complicated way of doing it, though. I did make a patch for it, but I never released it because it is so complicated to use.
That's impressive. I patched it with xkas easy(draggin both asm and ROM in revxkas.bat), but the problem is to use it? I still don't get what does it say in the Notepad?
MetaKnight: Yeah, LM doesn't make it easy to make use of the new graphics space.
You need to copy the tiles from a small selection (the tiles at the end of the two first BG pages, black in level 105).
I'll make an optional patch that makes all coins look like the ones that the bonus game cloud throws (I don't have any better ideas) release it along with the next version (when I get mode7 to cooperate).

edit1754: Yes, this took a while to make. And it's not done; I'm currently working on fixing the mode7 levels.
Our methods are better at different things; it's impossible to say which one is best.
Yours doesn't limit availible sprite space (if you use the layer 3 method), while mine doesn't need a block.
And according to what you say ("it is so complicated to use"), I think mine is easier, but it dislikes sprite exanimations and (currently) mode7.
<blm> zsnes users are the flatearthers of emulation
Originally posted by Alcaro
mine doesn't need a block.

I only used a block in that one because it was experimental, and a custom block was a lot faster to make than a patch, so I used a block just to test out the idea. The patch I made, though, uses a level table.
Wait, so we will be able to make BGs using the Sprite GFX Pages? That's just revolutionary! I'll make super-sized BGs with that! Beginning with Earthworm Jim, Maui Mallard, and some Mickey Mouse series. But I don't got how to make it work...
Now I leave my IPS patches of my hacks for everyone play and edit as you want to.

Bramble Invasion & Surreliatus


Originally posted by Baphomet Junior
Wait, so we will be able to make BGs using the Sprite GFX Pages? That's just revolutionary! I'll make super-sized BGs with that! Beginning with Earthworm Jim, Maui Mallard, and some Mickey Mouse series.

I tested it and it's marvelous! I kinda had problems inserting it with xkas easy, but I did it and rocks!
Wait a minute, if a BG go to the Sprite Pages, I'll have to make it tile per tile? If I have to copy those tiles in the pages 10 and 11, I have to do all manually!
Now I leave my IPS patches of my hacks for everyone play and edit as you want to.

Bramble Invasion & Surreliatus


I thought that you needed to build the backgrounds tile-by-tile before too...?
You're confusing me.
Also, in case someone wonders, you don't need to choose to use either the FG/BG slots or the SP slots for either of the layers. You can mix and match as much as you want (note that the availible space still isn't infinite).
<blm> zsnes users are the flatearthers of emulation
Originally posted by Alcaro
It's possible to use all eight graphics slots for BG/FG at the same time.
And I thought that you needed to build the backgrounds tile-by-tile before too...?


Have you ever heard about M16-7k command? It places the tiles automatically.
Now I leave my IPS patches of my hacks for everyone play and edit as you want to.

Bramble Invasion & Surreliatus


Originally posted by Baphomet Junior
Originally posted by Alcaro
It's possible to use all eight graphics slots for BG/FG at the same time.
And I thought that you needed to build the backgrounds tile-by-tile before too...?


Have you ever heard about M16-7k command? It places the tiles automatically.

Right, but it can't place tiles that surpass the BG/FG Layer. If it gets
to the Sprite tiles, then it shows just glitched tiles.
Originally posted by MetaKnight
Originally posted by Baphomet Junior
Originally posted by Alcaro
It's possible to use all eight graphics slots for BG/FG at the same time.
And I thought that you needed to build the backgrounds tile-by-tile before too...?


Have you ever heard about M16-7k command? It places the tiles automatically.

Right, but it can't place tiles that surpass the BG/FG Layer. If it gets
to the Sprite tiles, then it shows just glitched tiles.


Hmm... I guess it will take some work. I do it in other hack, them I remake the Map16...
Now I leave my IPS patches of my hacks for everyone play and edit as you want to.

Bramble Invasion & Surreliatus


This could prove to be really useful. BTW, can this be used to make a pseudo Layer 3 BG?
Or something almost close to it?
Originally posted by Baphomet Junior
Originally posted by MetaKnight
Originally posted by Baphomet Junior
Originally posted by Alcaro
It's possible to use all eight graphics slots for BG/FG at the same time.
And I thought that you needed to build the backgrounds tile-by-tile before too...?


Have you ever heard about M16-7k command? It places the tiles automatically.

Right, but it can't place tiles that surpass the BG/FG Layer. If it gets
to the Sprite tiles, then it shows just glitched tiles.


Hmm... I guess it will take some work. I do it in other hack, them I remake the Map16...

Yes, still, a wonderful I say, even if it's not tbhe final version. I have an Earthworm Jim BG in progress already. I'll show the screen of it as a tribute to this tool. Maybe tomorrow it will be done.


I guess it needs more work.
Now I leave my IPS patches of my hacks for everyone play and edit as you want to.

Bramble Invasion & Surreliatus


Originally posted by YggdrasiLL
This could prove to be really useful. BTW, can this be used to make a pseudo Layer 3 BG?
Or something almost close to it?

Layer 3 isn't affected by this patch, and it doesn't allow for more layers to be used.
So: If I understand you correctly, then no.

Originally posted by Baphomet Junior
[img]

I guess it needs more work.

Yes, your BG does. That's Mario's tiles. Don't overwrite the Nintendo Presents logo / the X in SP1, they're overwritten in-game by Mario/Yoshi.

Also, the mode7 levels looks almost correct. There's still some garbage in SP1/SP2, but I think I know how to fix it.
Expect version 1.1 of the patch to be released later today.
<blm> zsnes users are the flatearthers of emulation
@Alcaro: Yes... My BG does. But I discovered why happens: Some tiles uses both Sprite and BG tiles, so it's impossible to repair those tiles, because share Sprite and FG/BG tiles is impossible. Am I right? Well, it can be fixed with some changes in the tiles placement. Thanks for help.
Now I leave my IPS patches of my hacks for everyone play and edit as you want to.

Bramble Invasion & Surreliatus