graphics.dat limitations

[Adamo]

In graphics.dat right now there is a place for:

- 180 objects,
- 44 attacks,
- 44 combos,
- 27 monsters,
- 40 monster drops,
- 4 doors (door types),
- 14 missiles,
- 12 door decs,
- 10 floor decorations and
- 60 wall decs.

Is it possible to enlarge these numbers? For example to 300 objects or to 45 door decorations?

[zoom]

nice thread,
where have you got this list? trial and error? wow
but:
adamo, be more specific:

items are sometimes using up more "space" than one object.
eg. compass 4 objects, one item...

so there are probably only 120 objects roughly,
and you have
as we all know then about 10 clothings/armor, necklaces weapons a few more etc.. does restrain you abit;
I would love to have more item graphics possible, this would make me happy.
Descriptions are supercool like seen in conflux, but unique graphics for special swords or the like would just rock
(remember, animations could be done, with charges and dsa)

27 monsters?
what about alternate monster graphics?
then you can have like trice as much.. true, they would all
share some properties, like resistances, but nevertheless, is
enriching!

what about wallsets? obviously, like seen in conflux3 there are
ways to change the wallset in game! just wanted to mention..

[Adamo]

I`ve taken these numbers from ADGE editors: originally there`s a place for 60 wall decorations in a game. There`s a place for 12 door decorations. I suppose that was for saving the space on the Atari disk. I was wondering if that number could be enlarged. Same with the other numbers.

what about wallsets?

I think you can put up to 256 additional wallsets to the game using CSBgraphics.dat. Same with the monsters: you can put 3 additional bitmaps to every creature type.

I wonder if that could be possible with wall/ floor decorations.

As for the items/objects I suppose it couldn`t be done through CSBgraphics.dat, because every additional object has its own additional values, mentioned in graphics.dat file, like "weight", "piercing resistance" and "weight" to the clothes for example.

[Adamo]

What I was thinking in the previous posts, was especially to enlarge the number of items used in a game: naturally, there should be a place for a few additional "Item Graphics" files in graphics.dat. Right now there are 7 files responsible for the itmes bitmaps (including "body parts"):

- 0042 0x002A Items Graphics 0 32 items,
- 0043 0x002B Items Graphics 1 32 items,
- 0044 0x002C Items Graphics 2 32 items,
- 0045 0x002D Items Graphics 3 32 items,
- 0046 0x002E Items Graphics 4 32 items,
- 0047 0x002F Items Graphics 5 32 items,
- 0048 0x0030 Items Graphics 6 8 items and body parts

If there were, say, 10 additional "Items Graphics" files like the above ones, that would make a space for 320 additional objects that you could change their properities. Like:

- 0563 0x0233 Items Graphics 7 32 items,
- 0564 0x0234 Items Graphics 8 32 items

Naturally, they should be a place for additional space for the "item on floor" bitmaps. And bitmaps from new "Items Graphics" files should be adressed to the new objects.

[zoom]

ahh, ADGE!
here in this thread I was off topic talking about items capabliliy,
and kentaro-k.21 did some item flip image, however it is gone.

probably there is a way somehow? If we collect enough votes...
http://www.dungeon-master.com/forum/vie ... &start=150

[Adamo]

OK, I`m not a programmer, so I might be wrong, but I suppose the main problem with enlarging the databases of objects, monsters, wall decs, door decs etc. was adressing all the stuff and changing the original one..
Normally, additional wallsets or additional monsters are added through CSBgraphics.dat, not graphics.dat because it just couldn`t be enlarged for some reasons?
I think (don`t remember exactly!) that there were actually 2 or 3 graphics.dat files in DM2, named graphics2.dat and graphics3.dat...
So I`ve got an idea. Could we duplicate graphics.dat for an additional database? A duplicated graphics.dat file could be named graphics2.dat, graphics3.dat etc. That`s for an additional 180 objects, 44 attacks, 44 combos, 27 monsters, 40 monster drops, 4 doors (door types), 14 missiles, 12 door decs, 10 floor decorations and 60 wall decs. The main program could just use the SECOND graphics.dat file, if needed.
The adresses could be the same, just with different files! I mean, there`s a place for 60 wall decs and you can`t enlarge it... so you just could duplicate graphics.dat and use additional 60 wall decs when needed! By duplicating the same file (graphics.dat), we could enlarge the database (graphics2.dat); once the game uses #1st, and for the special purposes uses #2nd..
What do you think about that?

[Paul Stevens]

What do you think about that?

Very little.

How many items can DSB support?

[zoom]

I am all for it!!!

edit: hmm I see that it is too much work, destroys integrity and
probably is not that desperatelly needed

[Adamo]

How many items can DSB support?

don`t know.. I suppose a lot. But there`s not any good editor for DSB. Dungeon Maker is very buggy and not finished.