Exhaust Heat SNES Project

[pedrocaseiro95]

Hi guys.
I know this game isn't famous and I'm sure most of you didn't even play it but it's one of my favorites.
The game is called Exhaust Heat in Europe and Japan, F1 Race Of Champions in the USA.
The game is based in the 1991 F1 season but it doesn't have licensing so the names aren't real.

I plan to also correct the driver's names but first I'm starting with the engines:
Jadd V8 is Judd V8
Foro V8 is Ford V8
Ilmoa V10 is Ilmor V10
Renart V10 is Renault V10

So far these are corrected. The problem is that there are two more engines that need correction:
Ferari V12 and Homda V12 must be corrected to Ferrari V12 and Honda V12

I use snes9x to emulate and WindHex to edit the game text. I use relative search ("ignore case + start search from beginning + use "*" for wildcards ticked" ✔) type in the wrong name of the engine and then alter to the correct name. The problem is that when I type ferari or homda WindHex gives me the dialog that the String wasn't found, like in the screenshot below. The previous engine names were corrected using this method but I can't seem to find a way to get to the remaining two strings.

I'm two days in into this ROM hacking and editing scene, so I might be doing something wrong or using the wrong tools. I could really use some help and pointers for future projects.

Thanks



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Great News. The Project is still going on. I've been figuring things out for myself since I'm not getting much help here. I suppose it is due to the game not being very well known

Today I sucessfully changed drivers names to the real drivers of the 1991 Formula 1 season


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Alright it goes on. Today I stumbled across something.. I want to change some background graphics on the game but the tiles appear different in no$sns and in YY-CHR.
I loaded the savestate from the emulator into YY-CHR but I'm having trouble identifying the tiles.
I've also fixed the spacing in the driver's names and teams after the Race and Qualyfying, but I don't think you care about that detail

[akualung]

I use snes9x to emulate and WindHex to edit the game text. I use relative search ("ignore case + start search from beginning + use "*" for wildcards ticked" ✔) type in the wrong name of the engine and then alter to the correct name. The problem is that when I type ferari or homda WindHex gives me the dialog that the String wasn't found

Sorry in advance if my replay is a bit silly but, have you tried not using "ignore case" and write the names with the first letter written in capital form (that is, "Ferari" and "Homda")? I'd also try unchecking "using wildcard", perhaps it's in some way interfering with the search.

[pedrocaseiro95]

Sorry in advance if my replay is a bit silly but, have you tried not using "ignore case" and write the names with the first letter written in capital form (that is, "Ferari" and "Homda")? I'd also try unchecking "using wildcard", perhaps it's in some way interfering with the search.

Hello. Your reply wasn't silly, any help is apreciated and I thank you for that.
I tried doing a relative search with your suggestions but it didn't work. I still get no results
July 28, 2020, 08:36:21 AM - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)
Great News. The Project is still going in.

Today I sucessfully changed drivers names to the real drivers of the 1991 Formula 1 season

July 29, 2020, 10:54:20 AM - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)
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Alright it goes on. Today I stumbled across something.. I want to change some background graphics on the game but the tiles appear different in no$sns and in YY-CHR.
I loaded the savestate from the emulator into YY-CHR but I'm having trouble identifying the tiles.

[Asaki]

I use snes9x to emulate and WindHex to edit the game text. I use relative search ("ignore case + start search from beginning + use "*" for wildcards ticked" ✔) type in the wrong name of the engine and then alter to the correct name. The problem is that when I type ferari or homda WindHex gives me the dialog that the String wasn't found, like in the screenshot below. The previous engine names were corrected using this method but I can't seem to find a way to get to the remaining two strings.

They might be using some kind of trickery, have you tried finding them manually? There's a good chance the data is right nearby the data for other engine names.

Alright it goes on. Today I stumbled across something.. I want to change some background graphics on the game but the tiles appear different in no$sns and in YY-CHR.

They're probably compressed in the ROM, so that will be fun =)

[pedrocaseiro95]

They might be using some kind of trickery, have you tried finding them manually? There's a good chance the data is right nearby the data for other engine names.
They're probably compressed in the ROM, so that will be fun =)

Hello Asaki. Thanks for your reply.
There does seem to be some trickery involved.

In no$sns in VRAM Viewer the tiles corresponding to engine names are divided by two letters. JU - DD; FO - RD; etc and they seem to be dynamic, meaning that every time I highlight a different car part they change. For example if I'm in the engine submenu and change to the suspension the tiles change from the engine names to "soft"; "hard" and etc... The only tiles that don't change are the tiles for the two remaining engines that I can't find via the Hex editor.

Can the trickery be that they "hide" these two as a graphic and not as text??



You see here, the engine submenu with the 4 engines and the correct names. On VRAM viewer the two engines that need correction are waiting there to be shown.



The same happens in the tires submenu where there is more than 4 types of tires to choose from. I can't find the specific name of the  tires on the "second page" in the hex editor but I can see their tiles in no$sns VRAM Viewer. The first four tires are visible in the hex editor and I can edit them without a problem. Also, you should see that the tiles in page two changed. now there is one tire and the engine.

Now, did I found out the trickery used or I am just acting like a n00b?

Now last question. If the tiles were compressed, I don't think they would show up in the VRAM Viewer, right?

[peixemacaco]

Sucesso no seu projeto, Pedro!  - Success on your project, Pedro!
Ansioso para poder correr nesse F1... - Anxious to run in this F1 game
Eu fiz o hack Super Monaco GP Morena (Brunette) Edition para o Mega, com cores reais dos carros, nomes de equipes/pilotos e outras coisas. - I did Super Monaco GP Brunette Edition for Mega Drive, with real car colors, team/drivers names and other things.

Você está no caminho certo! - You're in the way!

Nelson

ps: on Smgp I'd used WindHex to change hidden text with table

[pedrocaseiro95]

Sucesso no seu projeto, Pedro!  - Success on your project, Pedro!
Ansioso para poder correr nesse F1... - Anxious to run in this F1 game
Eu fiz o hack Super Monaco GP Morena (Brunette) Edition para o Mega, com cores reais dos carros, nomes de equipes/pilotos e outras coisas. - I did Super Monaco GP Brunette Edition for Mega Drive, with real car colors, team/drivers names and other things.

Você está no caminho certo! - You're in the way!

Nelson

ps: on Smgp I'd used WindHex to change hidden text with table

Opá que bom ver um falante de português por aqui! Eu sou de Portugal e sou fãzaço do Senna e de F1 no geral.
Nice seeing a Portuguese speaker here! I'm from Portugal, Senna and F1 mega fan!

Obrigado pelas palavras de apoio! Espero lançar em breve este projeto mas pelo jeito tá dificil, não tenho conseguido muita ajuda aqui não!
Thanks for the supporting words! I hope to release this project soon, but it will be hard!

[Asaki]

Can the trickery be that they "hide" these two as a graphic and not as text??

Seems likely, but I'm no expert. It's hard to see what's going on in your VRAM viewer with that weird stretching going on, though.

Now last question. If the tiles were compressed, I don't think they would show up in the VRAM Viewer, right?

I believe that's how it works with most games; the programming in the game uncompresses the graphics on the fly and writes them to VRAM.

[pedrocaseiro95]

Seems likely, but I'm no expert. It's hard to see what's going on in your VRAM viewer with that weird stretching going on, though.

I believe that's how it works with most games; the programming in the game uncompresses the graphics on the fly and writes them to VRAM.

Bummer... I really can't seem to figure out that on my own. I've been trying for a week, searching this forums, watching tutorials on YouTube but I just can't.

Do you know any other forum where they might help me? I haven't got much support here