SSME Patched (Supports invalid/illegal tiles) (Needs more work)

[Fatrolls]

The new DCME map editor is not bad but I still prefer the original SSME.

 

Link:

https://www.mediafire.com/?9iz9519knpjrapz

 

Also put it on as forum attachment

 

I patched the EXE a little with a Hex-Editor and OllyDebgger.

 

Now it's able to load illegal tiles (don't think it can save them correctly though).

 

It also bypasses the 256 (8 bit color) palette restriction, although I haven't  figured out how to fix this better now the tileset loads up as a blank black tileset.

 

If anyone wants to fix it be my guest I gave up.

 

Here is the log of what I did

 

SSME PATCHES

-------------------------

~NOPS~ Removes the Corrupt Tile limit Messagebox Exception

If TileId < 1 OR TileId > 190

File Offset: 7D6F

81 F9 00 00 00 D8 72 18 81 F9 00 00 00 DC 77 10

 with

90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90

 

 

~LONG PATCH~ Makes the Big Tiles load properly (Station/Asteroids/Wormholes etc...)

Replaces 

~ If TileId < 216 OR TileId > 220

 with

~ If TileId >= 216 AND TileId <= 220

File Offset: 7D38

81 F9 00 00 00 01 72 2F 81 F9 00 00 00 BE 77 27

 with

[81 F9 00 00 00 D8 7D 2F] ~81 F9 00 00 00 DC 7E 27~

 

 

Since this don't work good because of OR need a AND here, a little detour needed here.

We got room at the nopped area above at File Offset: 7D6F

 

 

Instead If TileId >= 216 is enough for now.

81 F9 00 00 00 01 72 2F 81 F9 00 00 00 BE 77 27

with

[81 F9 00 00 00 01 72 2F] ~90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90~

 

 

To finish the job and re-create a kind of AND operator with OR operator.

I'll just if TileId > 220 then load those illegal tiles as normal tiles.

at 

 

 

File Offset: 7D6F

90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90

with

~81 F9 00 00 00 DC 7F D1~ [90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90]

 

 

So final code is something like this

 

 

If TileId < 216 OR TileId > 220 Then 

  Load normal tiles

Else

  Load Big Tiles

End If

 

 

So now the map editor will successfulloy load up maps with invalid/illegal tiles.

Although those tiles will be overflowed back into valid tiles so they will look screwed up.

Have to patch the mask of 190 tiles (0xBE) into (0xFF) and put in tile some default images somehow (no clue here lol).

 

 

Anyways now since people started making tileset's not following the subspace standard format of bitmaps being 256 colors only palette.

That error is also easy to patch out which I will do below

 

 

First thing is to understand the bitmap file format I used wikipedia

I already made my own Map Editor before and I know bitmaps start with ascii code `BM` first 2 bytes.

So I look for 0x42 `B` and 0x4D `M` In the same area where tiles are loaded.

 

 

And I find it using ollydebugger

 

 

0040879E   . 807D D4 42       CMP BYTE PTR SS:[EBP-2C],42 `B`

004087A4   . 807D D5 4D       CMP BYTE PTR SS:[EBP-2B],4D `M`

 

 

following that code stepping it as I load a invalid palette bitmap .lvl file I find it calls 0x00404F80

 

 

Which contains a bunch of error checking.

 

 

Based on wikipedia I need to find this

1Ch 2 18 00 24 bits Number of bits per pixel

 

 

Seems I need to look for WORD, And here is it

0040527E  |. 66:8379 0E 08    CMP WORD PTR DS:[ECX+E],8

 

 

I need to understand what that 8 means. AFAIK 8 means 8 bits so 256 possible combinations (colors).

 

 

So how do I make it support all colors without doing too much ugly patching..

 

 

I think the lowest possible palette is 1 bit (black/white), judging from photoshop

 

 

So all I need to do it replace it with If PaletteBits < 1 Then Error pops out.

Could also of did If PaletteBits < 32 Then Error pops out

But they might make new computer hardware in the future that will support 64 bit/128 bit colors who knows haha.

 

 

So Patch is

File Offset: 467E

66 83 79 0E 08 74 17

 with

66 83 79 0E 01 7D 17

 

 

Okay now the tileset loads up black for illegal tilesets lol what to do now. (Atleast it's a start)

I gave up at this

 

 

 

SSMEpatched.zip

Edited May 17, 2014 by Fatrolls

[JoWie]

You could try patching dcme to your liking too. The source is available somewhere. All you need is visual basic 6 (hahaha)

Edited May 18, 2014 by JoWie