Mac -direct -txt -- Getting Close

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Mac -direct -txt -- Getting Close

Post by Contrail » Mon Oct 29, 2007 4:09 pm

Hello,

I'm getting very close to having a patched version of the Mac Diablo II application that will run successfully in -direct -txt mode. It's correctly generating little-endian .bin files for most of the text files, there's just a few files that aren't coming out right. (One of them is MonPreset.bin, which has the disconcerting effect of preventing most of the town NPCs from spawning.)

Once I get those files straightened out, I'll see about releasing this fix in some fashion, probably either as a patched application file or an application that will patch a copy of the application, the changes are a bit more involved than the previous code edits I've provided.

This will be really helpful for anyone developing mods on the Mac, because it will greatly simplify the process of testing text file changes.

- Contrail

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Post by Necrolis » Mon Oct 29, 2007 6:29 pm

I dunno how much this will help but alot of the files are internally linked(especially items tables which are built into one big table at runtime) theres also a few other funny quirks as well(i know -txt is the bin generation switch, but did you also get it to run out a mod dir al la -direct switch? Just wonder cause some people use -direct -txt as an umbrella term)... Good luck with it anyway :-D your our best and only mac ce person :)
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Post by Contrail » Mon Oct 29, 2007 7:53 pm

Necrolis";p="362791" wrote:I dunno how much this will help but alot of the files are internally linked(especially items tables which are built into one big table at runtime) theres also a few other funny quirks as well(i know -txt is the bin generation switch, but did you also get it to run out a mod dir al la -direct switch? Just wonder cause some people use -direct -txt as an umbrella term)... Good luck with it anyway :-D your our best and only mac ce person :)
The patch I'm working on is will enable the Mac application to generate .bin files from .txt files in a directory and run, like the PC version does with both -txt and -direct set. The patches to enable -txt and -direct seperately for the Mac have been around for a while, Sourciette found those, but it's trickier to get them both enabled at the same time because the -txt generated bin files are in big-endian format, but the game is expecting the bins to start off in little-endian format and runs a conversion function on them to make them big-endian, which just makes a mess of things if they're big-endian to start with.

And thank you for the well wishes. :D

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Post by Hans » Mon Oct 29, 2007 9:52 pm

Contrail you simply amaze me with the hard work you are doing for the mac users. Keep up the good work and good luck. I think it might be a good idea to make Contrail a moderator for this forum
"Hi. My name is Hans, and I am addicted to a game that is not yet been made" - Card carrying member of D3 Addictions Anonymous, since June 2008.
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Re: Mac -direct -txt -- Getting Close

Post by Contrail » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:28 am

Good news! I've gotten all of the problem files taken care of so I should be able to release my changes within the next couple of days. :mrgreen:

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Re: Mac -direct -txt -- Getting Close

Post by Myhrginoc » Fri Nov 02, 2007 6:11 pm

We will be pleased to host your patch files and other development material in our File Center, if you so wish. We haven't had much opportunity to include Mac tools before.

I agree with Hans, your work is truly amazing. My only regret is these breakthroughs were not available when so much mod development was going on these last few years, but that is the matter of having the right knowledgeable people available. A large concern has always been the lack of bells and whistles for Mac users when so many interesting techniques have been discovered for Windows users. My forte is Intel assembly language, but I am more than happy to share tips and tricks to see what we might be able to bring across the language barrier.
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Re: Mac -direct -txt -- Getting Close

Post by Contrail » Sat Nov 03, 2007 12:17 am

Myhrginoc";p="363656" wrote:We will be pleased to host your patch files and other development material in our File Center, if you so wish. We haven't had much opportunity to include Mac tools before.
I'll certainly submit them to be hosted here. I've also just created a new site, http://machellforge.googlepages.com, to host tools and information for Diablo II modmaking on the Mac specifically, and uploaded the tools I've made and the new -direct -txt patcher there.
I agree with Hans, your work is truly amazing. My only regret is these breakthroughs were not available when so much mod development was going on these last few years, but that is the matter of having the right knowledgeable people available. A large concern has always been the lack of bells and whistles for Mac users when so many interesting techniques have been discovered for Windows users. My forte is Intel assembly language, but I am more than happy to share tips and tricks to see what we might be able to bring across the language barrier.
Unfortunately, while all that was going on I'd lost interest in Diablo II and I only came back to the game recently. But the information discovered about the Windows version of Diablo II has already been quite helpful to me in terms of knowledge about how the Diablo II application works as well as providing clues for how to identify particular functions. Looking at the Windows 1.10 .bin functions, for example, turned up some distinctive constants that helped me find to the Mac counterparts.

Thank you for offering your assistance. I'm sure I'll continue to make use of the information you and other posters here have about the Windows version of Diablo II as I keep on trying to bring the advancements made on that side to those of us who use Macs. I'm more used to working with higher level languages instead of assembly, so I'm learning PowerPC assembly language as I go - luckily, I'm a fast learner. ;)

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Post by Hans » Sat Nov 03, 2007 7:14 am

I have bookmarked the page since I may be buying a mac for Christmas. If I do buy a mac I will be looking at learning to mod for the mac.
"Hi. My name is Hans, and I am addicted to a game that is not yet been made" - Card carrying member of D3 Addictions Anonymous, since June 2008.
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"German pornstar/Bee Gee lookalike" & "The Blacksmith"
Trying to picture Hans as a Dominion...nah it isn't working sorry. It's the mustache that gets me every time - Al-T.
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"Okay, time out. This is Zy-El. The mod of total excess. Since when would any Zy-El lover do only what's necessary?" - Metropolis Man
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Re: Mac -direct -txt -- Getting Close

Post by ironmike123 » Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:27 am

Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 8:58 am
Post subject: -direct -txt patcher is not wo...
i m so sorry for my english , please help me the new -direct -txt patcher is not working , the game start but the make a error before i can play, before i can make a singleplay. whats wrong with the patch ? i have 1.12 version from the patch install , ist that new -direct -txt patcher not working with the 1.12 version ? i have all ordners install right , i think the new -direct -txt patcher is not working with the new 1.12 patch from blizzard , did you can make me a new -direct -txt patcher, please or a link thank you fo help me

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Re: Mac -direct -txt -- Getting Close

Post by Contrail » Fri Jul 04, 2008 4:14 pm

The current version of the patcher only works correctly on patch 1.10b. I haven't made a version yet that works on 1.12, although it is something I'm planning on looking into soon.

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Re: Mac -direct -txt -- Getting Close

Post by ironmike123 » Fri Jul 04, 2008 6:26 pm

great ,, please make it quickly PLEASE GIVE ME THE new patch for 1.12 , how long did this take ?? can make it ready this weekend ?

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Re: Mac -direct -txt -- Getting Close

Post by kingpin » Fri Jul 04, 2008 6:57 pm

ironmike123";p="394351" wrote:great ,, please make it quickly PLEASE GIVE ME THE new patch for 1.12 , how long did this take ?? can make it ready this weekend ?
Please step back abit. We aren't here to hurry up just because you ask so. I'm pretty sure this took it's amount of time original and then it's ready, it's ready.

Also, don't ask the same question all over multiple threads.

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Re: Mac -direct -txt -- Getting Close

Post by ironmike123 » Tue Jul 08, 2008 4:21 pm

kingpin";p="394353" wrote:
ironmike123";p="394351" wrote:great ,, please make it quickly PLEASE GIVE ME THE new patch for 1.12 , how long did this take ?? can make it ready this weekend ?
Please step back abit. We aren't here to hurry up just because you ask so. I'm pretty sure this took it's amount of time original and then it's ready, it's ready.

Also, don't ask the same question all over multiple threads.
i think is not bad to question , and to hope he can make ist quickly , is a old game , and so is not many time to play .. and im realy sorry for my english , i would like to say this in friendly not in bad , but i dont can to this , i hope you understand this

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Post by Hans » Wed Jul 09, 2008 5:41 am

ironmike123: It was the words you used. It would have been better to ask do you have an ETA (estimated date). Or you could have asked if she needs any help.
"Hi. My name is Hans, and I am addicted to a game that is not yet been made" - Card carrying member of D3 Addictions Anonymous, since June 2008.
Card carrying member of Mentaldom, since May 2006 - Zy-El Hardcore.
"German pornstar/Bee Gee lookalike" & "The Blacksmith"
Trying to picture Hans as a Dominion...nah it isn't working sorry. It's the mustache that gets me every time - Al-T.
"All men play on 127" O-H - Hans
"Okay, time out. This is Zy-El. The mod of total excess. Since when would any Zy-El lover do only what's necessary?" - Metropolis Man
Zy-El Wiki|New Zy-El Website

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Re: Mac -direct -txt -- Getting Close

Post by ironmike123 » Sun Jul 27, 2008 8:57 pm

now its very late i answer , i like give you very time but i think never any people like that in months ago in 1 year diablo 3 is ready and never need than you patch ^^you understand

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Re: Mac -direct -txt -- Getting Close

Post by ironmike123 » Sun Jul 27, 2008 8:58 pm

now its very late i answer , i like give you very time but i think never any people like that in months ago in 1 year diablo 3 is ready and never need than you patch ^^you understand

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Post by Geno-Cide » Mon Aug 18, 2008 7:08 am

Would you be able to do something like this with -act5?

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