SS1src: Modding Tools: InkyBlackness

[673ef1dd4fd82dertseha]

° InkyBlackness °SS1src
InkyBlackness is an open-source project providing tools to modify the resource files of the original System Shock. Most prominently a graphical game editor, which allows the creation of fan-missions and content-mods.

The project also hosts the most accurate and complete description of the resource files to date, superseding TSSHP's, and most likely any other fork.

Links:

• Homepage: https://inkyblackness.github.io/
• Download page of releases (including binaries): https://github.com/inkyblackness/hacked/releases
• Example mods: https://github.com/inkyblackness/mod-examples
• YouTube videos with various tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxEhgHRGd6WLEUEw8vnHm2Q
• The museum tutorial playlist is also documented in a separate thread: https://www.systemshock.org/index.php?topic=9476.0

Note: The editor HackEd replaces the previous editor from the "deck" package. Read about it in the v1.0.0 release post further down.

[673ef1dd4ff60dertseha]

I started this thread now as a single entry point, avoiding to pollute the remake/sequels forum any further. After all, the tools are about the original game. Also, I don't expect many more huge feature jumps - my plan is to get version 1.0.0 done before our meetup next month - and any further releases will simply be extensions to this very thread.

Today I released 0.10.0, which adds import/export of audio for electronic messages, as well as the trap messages. Various texts can be changed now too, such as the trap messages themselves.

I'm not sure whether I'll have import of videos (v-mails and cutscenes) in 1.0.0 - If at all, I guess cutscene import will be only in tool "chunkie" (command line tool). Time will tell.

[673ef1dd500ddvoodoo47]

quick question - would InkyBlackness be capable of editing the SS1 demo map?

[673ef1dd50378dertseha]

quick question - would InkyBlackness be capable of editing the SS1 demo map?

I haven't had a look in a while, though, yes, it should be possible. The archives of the four releases have the same basic format. CD-releases have a few extra entries in their archives, though these should be ignored by the HD-releases. I'll check, for now, see further info in the thread mentioned.

[673ef1dd5049adertseha]

Release update:
v0.10.1 fixed some possible crashes during editing (when switching levels) and added some refinements for heights of specific level objects
v0.10.2 fixed a crash loading the demo levels of the shareware releases, and introduced controls to add ICE for cyberspace

[673ef1dd5067edertseha]

Version 0.11.0 has been released. After a series of small updates to the 0.10 release, this one now adds two features: Block puzzle editing, and a better save system.

With this release it's a feature-freeze for the soon-to-be-released version 1.0.0 . Until then it's only about small details.
I know some editing capabilities are not available (most prominent example is the import of cutscenes & v-mails), yet I want to have a major release number out to see whether there is any serious interest & actual "project" for creating mods. And if there is, then we'll see what else is required.
It's similar with the ss-specs document: Although there are still some bytes of interest to be deciphered, the necessity of their documentation is probably small. I suspect it'll be easier to simply wait for the original source to be made public, from which then all can be answered.

Expect version 1.0.0 in the week of our meeting

[673ef1dd50843dertseha]

Woo! Anticlimactic excitement! Version 1.0.0 is out and I don't feel that much different. 

Where to go from here? I'll make some posts in a few communities, yet I don't expect the huge influx on mods that are going to be created (not even thinking of immediate requests for further editor enhancements).
After spending so many years on working on these age-old resources, I'll see what I will do next. Probably take a short breather.
In some form or another I'll most likely work again on this stuff - but more likely in private, less about a public goal. After all: My initial pitch for the project was to have something for tinkering and testing. Yet I also can't deny the public value this has gathered.
Most likely, when (if) Nightdive Studios release the original source (with perhaps the editor), then there will be a new, major influx of work

But apart from that melancholy, having a proper release out is sort of an age-old closure for me as well - Especially after the previous unfinished attempts, years ago.

[673ef1dd50959voodoo47]

wooo, I've got a new toy to play with - don't expect anything useful anytime soon though, I'm slow with these things.

one way or another, thank you for your work, and hope you'll stick around until the SS1 source code is available.

[673ef1dd50ae8dertseha]

Version 1.1.0 is out, adding a new tool.

As referred to in another thread, the current version (at the time of writing) of "System Shock Enhanced Edition" starts every new game with the same static code for the reactor - or for other purposes of any future fan-mission.

While I'm also thinking about creating a new archive.dat file (which generates a random code on its own), this tool, called "reactor-rng" now gives people with already started games the ability to randomize the code after the fact.

Furthermore this release contains a few minor fixese of the tool "chunkie", contributed by another GitHub user. Details in the release notes.

[673ef1dd50cbaicemann]

I wonder why Night Dive chose to do that. Seems like a stupid design decision to me. Doesn't exactly fit the "enhanced" label.

"Hey the reactor code changes on every play through"
"That's just dumb and too hard on players. Even though we didn't make the game ourselves, we should change this"

Another day in the life of Night Dive.

[673ef1dd50de1voodoo47]

it's a bug, not a feature, they know, but they have bigger problems I reckon.

[673ef1dd51a14JosiahJack]

Like wasting 1.3mil on shatter technology and concept art. (Too harsh?)

Anyways, thanks for the update!  Interesting to know the code on screens can be changed later.

Side note: textures tend to have the same left to right orientation no matter which way the face normal points (except angled floors/ceilings).  Is there a way to have, for instance, the texture flipped in the x direction?  I'm probably overlooking something.  Anyhow, makes me wonder if the texturemapping is similar to drawing sprites, except with skewness to simulate walls.

[673ef1dd523acdertseha]

Is there a way to have, for instance, the texture flipped in the x direction?  I'm probably overlooking something.

Textures for walls can be flipped. The engine supports two ways to do that, which are both separate flags in the TileMapEntry (part of Map Information).
Simple one: Flip the wall textures of this tile (left -> right becomes right -> left)
Complex one: Flip the wall textures of this tile depending on even/odd index of tile coordinate. This is used predominantly on level 9 for the wall infestations.

The ss-specs document (linked above) has the full description on flipping wall textures and the museum tutorial 03 describes tiles and textures (relevant part at around 3m 05s, showcase at around 5m 10s).

It is not possible to flip textures in the top/down direction. Only floor and ceiling textures allow rotation in 90 degree steps.

[673ef1dd5257adertseha]

Version 1.2.0 has been released, adding some long due features and fixes.

The primary new feature is support for UI-scaling of the editor. Previously, sizes of UI elements (and especially the text) was hardcoded. Using that on a 4K screen was not feasible. Now the editor can be started with a "scaling" parameter, for better readability.

The (almost) first tool that I wrote as part of InkyBlackness, hacker, is being reworked. And as a first benefit it now supports "readline"-like features, such as tab-completion and a command history (Now, after all these hours and days of typing each command anew...)

Internally I've also started to rework the oldest code parts. After having gained experience with Go, there were some things that were done not very Go-like...

[673ef1dd52828dertseha]

Thanks to user-feedback, I received a list of improvement requests that are now incorporated into v1.3.0 :

• Reversed mouse wheel: The slider and texture selectors now move right when scrolling "up". A command-line option exists to revert to the old behaviour.
• Keyboard shortcuts for edit modes. The modes are now associated with F* keys. The combo-box to select them shows the associated key in brackets.
• In level objects mode, the right panel shows X/Y/Z information for the tile under or nearest object next to the mouse cursor. For tiles, the floor height is shown.
• Level control mode has now two level texture selection lists, to make it easier to differenciate which textures are available for walls only.
• Added a snap-to-grid option when adding objects: Holding the Shift key while adding an object aligns it to a grid with a size of half the tile-width. (i.e., center on tile, center at nearest wall, put in corner)
• Icons and paintings received extra properties to select the actually displayed frame.

Note: Unless there are some pressing issues with this release, it may be that this is the last of the deck package.
Because of the bad UI this editor has, further revelations of the engine's capabilities (based on the released source code), as well as the internal mess the code is, I've started with a rewrite of the editor. This editor is then meant to replace all the small tools (hacker, chunkie, shocked-client). Name: HackEd.
My focus is to have this HackEd then be the one NDS is officially packing in their upcoming source-port release.

[673ef1dd52917voodoo47]

HackEd sounds good.

[673ef1dd52cccdertseha]

HackEd sounds good.

As per idea from ToxicFrog in the NDS chat I was looking for a new name and during brainstorming, this came up.

[673ef1dd52e19voodoo47]

I literally can't imagine a name that would fit better.

[673ef1dd52f27icemann]

Wasn't there a editor for something else called that, or something very similar?

Ah that's right. Dehacked for Doom. Kinda similar.

[673ef1dd530a1dertseha]

In order to be more organized I created a project for HackEd to manage all the necessary task for a v1.0.0 release:
https://github.com/inkyblackness/hacked/projects/1
(Project description has the MuSCoW lists)

Yesterday I got the text editor window running:

[673ef1dd53222dertseha]

HackEd v0.2.0 released.

This pre-release was all about getting the mod-list going and spearhead with the concept of layered mods, with basic texts as first example - to coordinate with engine builders.
It is also to get feedback from enthusiast modders to get an early hands-on with the editor (slightly changed UI). Especially also because of undo/redo support

Next up is now the next most important thing: level control & editing. As the first step for this, I intent to obsolete the previous tool "construct", to create (wipe) levels within HackEd.

[673ef1dd533aadertseha]

HackEd v0.3.0 is released.

It allows for editing of level structure (level and tile properties).
With this release, the deck tool "construct" is essentially made obsolete: HackEd can now be used to create archive.dat files - with the additional support of adding (or wiping!) levels after creation.

Next up are level objects as per project plan.

[673ef1dd54000dertseha]

HackEd v0.4.0 is released.

This release adds level object editing - add, modify, and remove objects in a level.
Getting this into the editor was the last "big" part to get in for v1.0.0 . There are still a few features to add before that, though, they are smaller in nature.
So, currently I'm optimistic regarding the combined release with the source port, though nothing concrete has been discussed so far as to how this would work.

Project plan has MFD-images / electronic messages next up.

[673ef1dd54ba1Roarkes]

Is your work finished, now that System Shock source code exists ?