Chrono trigger/Temporal Flux hacking questions (UPDATED)

[some random dude]

(i'm reusing this topic, mind as well putt all my questions in one place.)

anyway to the point, Most important question first.

1:
how do you decompress Chrono triggers graphics?
i know its done via Temporal Flux, but i don't know any of the offsets and stuff. i looked online but most data list i found just gave me headaches.

and What program do you edit the File with after they been decompressed?
i got YYCHR, but it seams to ignore the file when i load it. (though could be cause i have no clue about the offsets)

What sprites i need to be able to edit:
all PC's, all NPC's, all Enemy's/bosses.
tiles isn't required (though statues would be nice.)


2:
is there a way to change color palette's with in Temporal Flux?
i know i can change colors in SNESPal, but i want to be able to choose between the In game palettes.
Like LARA and chrono's mom use the same sprite but different palette.
is it possible to use something like, for Example Frogs palette for a NPC or Enemy? (frogs palette on LARA or something)


3:
is it possible to change witch sprites the enemy uses, but not changing how the enemy acts. (not the same as decompressing)
i know how to replace an enemy with another, but say i want to use the green IMP enemy with its attacks & stats, but using the Prison Guard enemy graphics.
so it looks like a guard, but fights like the Imp.
(yes i am aware there is errors if they lack a specific animation, but il tackle that as it comes)

[Mauron]

Next to the "update" button, there is a button labeled "Write Mem."

Update saves the changes to the command you are currently editing. Write Mem. sets the event to a ready to save state. Save in the menu will save the actual file.

[some random dude]

Next to the "update" button, there is a button labeled "Write Mem."

Update saves the changes to the command you are currently editing. Write Mem. sets the event to a ready to save state. Save in the menu will save the actual file.

strange i though i tried that.
but it works now thanks ^^

[justin3009]

anyway to the point, Most important question first.

1:
how do you decompress Chrono triggers graphics?
i know its done via Temporal Flux, but i don't know any of the offsets and stuff. i looked online but most data list i found just gave me headaches.

and What program do you edit the File with after they been decompressed?
i got YYCHR, but it seams to ignore the file when i load it. (though could be cause i have no clue about the offsets)

What sprites i need to be able to edit:
all PC's, all NPC's, all Enemy's/bosses.
tiles isn't required (though statues would be nice.)


2:
is there a way to change color palette's with in Temporal Flux?
i know i can change colors in SNESPal, but i want to be able to choose between the In game palettes.
Like LARA and chrono's mom use the same sprite but different palette.
is it possible to use something like, for Example Frogs palette for a NPC or Enemy? (frogs palette on LARA or something)


3:
is it possible to change witch sprites the enemy uses, but not changing how the enemy acts. (not the same as decompressing)
i know how to replace an enemy with another, but say i want to use the green IMP enemy with its attacks & stats, but using the Prison Guard enemy graphics.
so it looks like a guard, but fights like the Imp.
(yes i am aware there is errors if they lack a specific animation, but il tackle that as it comes)

1. The Offset list Temporal Flux comes with all the places for compressed graphics.  Though, I don't think everything's labeled.  It's kind of a head ache to figure out if it's not labeled so it'd be trial and error.

But you just put in the offset, pick a file to save as, hit decompress.  Load the file up a tile editor of your choice and voila.  I tend to use Tile Molester.

PC sprites are decompressed already.  Open the ROM up and you'll see them a bit ways down.

NPC's/Bosses are all compressed.

Requires Decompression as well.

2. You'd have to set the palette they use in the event editor if I remember right.  I haven't touched TF in so long so don't quote me.

3.  It just requires graphics pointer swap.  Nothing hard but you'd have to edit inside the ROM itself and not TF.

[Vehek]

(i'm reusing this topic, mind as well putt all my questions in one place.)
2:
is there a way to change color palette's with in Temporal Flux?
i know i can change colors in SNESPal, but i want to be able to choose between the In game palettes.

3:
is it possible to change witch sprites the enemy uses, but not changing how the enemy acts. (not the same as decompressing)

These can be done by editing the NPC sprite data and enemy sprite data, which say which graphics #, palette #, etc, a sprite uses. I don't know if there are any good up-to-date tools for this. The only one I remember was Chrono Tweaker, which only works on headered ROMs. Otherwise you'll have to use a hex editor.

[Mauron]

2. I'm not sure if there's a good sprite data editor for NPCs. I may whip up a plugin to handle that. You can change one palette to another through event code, but I'm not sure how off the top of my head (Ozzie's descendant in 1000 AD does this), and any sprite sharing the palette would also be changed.

3. I would do it through the sprite data. You can find that in the Fiendcrafter plugin for Temporal Flux. Just stick the DLL in the same directory as Temporal Flux, and it will be accessible through the plugins menu.

[some random dude]

1. yeah the big issue i have, is what to put in the offset address.
i looked online and didn't find a clear answer on this ether.

trial and error method might take a while, do you start a 0?

2. what does the event look like that changes palette?
i looked in the event list for Medina elders house for OzzieVII to see if i could find it, but i can't tell.

sweet, looks like Fiendcrafter has some palettes options, though not sure how they work exact, tested some out and i managed to change some colors, but results are inconsistent at times.

for example i changed Omicrone to spekkios colors it worked, but when i changed it back it didn't change back.
i could change to other colors but not back to the original, very odd.

thanks for the help ^^

[Mauron]

Fiendcrafter lets you change between existing palette indexes.

The Chrono Trigger Database has the location of the different sprite packets.

I believe the change to Ozzie is done in object 8 at 01E4, copying a new palette in.

[some random dude]

(Fiendcrafter seams to work fine, i was using the wrong Omnicrone at times, silly me)

i have the Database thingy, i putt in different ones in TF, but it saves them at 0 bytes file size, and YYCHR doesn't open them. (could be cause they have 0 bytes)
am i adding the wrong address?
my guess is that ether i am adding the wrong addresses or the thing isn't decompressing correctly.

[Mauron]

What's one of the addresses you tried?

I tested 200000, and it worked properly.

Also, what does the status bar say after you click the decompress button?

[some random dude]

What's one of the addresses you tried?

I tested 200000, and it worked properly.

Also, what does the status bar say after you click the decompress button?

i tested 200000 too and it seams to work.
so that mean i am reading the addresses wrong.

the data sheets lists so many different ones im not sure witch to use, all the ones i tested though have come up empty except one.
could you point me to where the right ones are in the Datasheet?

[Mauron]

Code Select Expand


Start         End           Type Compressed Name                                     Date
200000 200EBC GFX Y "(AA) PC, NPC and Enemy Graphics" 2007.06.29

The (AA) is the graphics packet used. For enemies, you can find them in Fiendcrafter. I started work on a tool for NPCs, and PCs are labeled by the character name.

[some random dude]

thanks the they seams to work so far, tested some of them.
there was some issue with the PC's but i guess that's cause they arn't actually decompressed?


thanks a million ^^

[Mauron]

Yeah, PCs are uncompressed, so it will fail when trying to decompress them. Just open the ROM in YY-Char/Tile Molester/whatever.

[some random dude]

well i decompressed everything and added the names to the list so i know what is what.
anyone interested in an updated version of the offset list?

[ChronoMoogle]

I guess releasing it won't hurt anyone. I really hope Temporal Flux gets his long awaited update anyday soon.

[some random dude]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9u6kgwdp2kp1203/Offsets%2C%20NA.txt

hope dropbox is fine.
ether way that's the updated offset list, not perfect but it should list everything aside from some few effect sprites i couldn't figure out.