GR2 Editor/Viewer/Extractor/Importer

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by gap

Using the same GR2 file that we have been experimenting on today, I have cloned the 'BalloonMkVII_wires' bone, gave it the 1 flag and changed its x position.

Problem #1: the "Update" button never worked for me (always greyed out). I can store the bone changes without updaing them though, and though being warned on saving that there are changes that need to be stored/updated, my changes are saved correctly.

Problem #2: I tried to link the cables to the new mesh. By pressing Ctrl, I can select a new bone by keeping the old one selected. After confirming the change, nothing happens in the Editor. When I open again the bone editing window, I can see that the mesh is still linked to the old bone, but not to the new one.

Problem #3: I can discard the old bone linking and select a new one (without pressing Ctrl). The change is accepted apparently. The next time I open the bone linking Editor, it shows that the new bone is selected, but the viewport tells me that the mesh is still linked to the old bone.

I'm looking into it now...

[gap]

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

I 'broke' into the code at the point where it goes to render the texture coordinates and dumped the contents of the mesh's UV coordinates. I don't understand why DirectX did this but here's an except of those uvs:

...

Since there are values in 0.0-1.0 range and values in -1.0-0.0 range the app tiled them 2X2. So the app is doing exactly what it was programmed to do.

DirectX must have 'optimized' these UVs when I called the DirectX function to optimize the mesh . My local copy of the vertices that were used to build the mesh have the 'correct' uvs with all in the range 0.0-1.0. Strange. DirectX is doing what it needs to do I guess

Do you mean that UV coordinates are changed in memory?

Summing up, what would be the adverse effect of UV coordinates not being in the 0-1 range? During my tests in game I couldn't notice anything wrong except for the balloon "jumping" on screen at times (as if some frames of their animation were skipped), when looked through the binoculars with the boat swinging. The game didn't lag anyway: I don't know how to explain it, but only the balloons seemed to lag, while the rest of the scene went on flawlessy

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by gap

Do you mean that UV coordinates are changed in memory?

Summing up, what would be the adverse effect of UV coordinates not being in the 0-1 range? During my tests in game I couldn't notice anything wrong except for the balloon "jumping" on screen at times (as if some frames of their animation were skipped), when looked through the binoculars with the boat swinging. The game didn't lag anyway: I don't know how to explain it, but only the balloons seemed to lag, while the rest of the scene went on flawlessy

I dumped a DirectX internal data structure just to see what it was doing with the uvs. Nothing to worry about.

uvs do not have to be in 0-1.0 range. They can be any value. How they will be handled outside the 0-1.0 range depends on how the wrapping is defined.

v1.1.418.1 released. See post #1
This addresses your #1 problem. Let me know if it's still not working.
The C# operator || (short-circuit OR) was not working like it was supposed to and thus was causing something to happen that wasn't supposed to. Now the Update button will become active as soon as you move something OR you change the Position, Rotation, Scale, Flags of a bone or mesh. Note I said Flags. If you change the Flags from 0 to say 1 (Position) then you need to press the Update AND Store buttons. Failure to do so will result in Flags being reset when you press the Reset button (if you ever press it)

[gap]

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

v1.1.418.1 released. See post #1
This addresses your #1 problem. Let me know if it's still not working.

Testing it right away

[gap]

Originally Posted by gap

Testing it right away

Changed bone position data, but the 'Update' button was still grayed out; changed flags from 0 to 1, but nothing changes, as far as that button is concerned....

Anyway I wonder what is its use, since I am able to press the 'Store' button and to save any bone change without updating

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by gap

Changed bone position data, but the 'Update' button was still grayed out; changed flags from 0 to 1, but nothing changes, as far as that button is concerned....

Anyway I wonder what is its use, since I am able to press the 'Store' button and to save any bone change without updating

You sure you are using v1.1.418.1? The update button should've gone active as soon as you changed the flags or moved the bone (or you move a mesh)

The update writes the changes to memory. Until you press the update button the changes are temporary. Changes have to be written to memory before they can be Stored (set as new default).

[gap]

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

You sure you are using v1.1.418.1?

So I asked myself before posting my last report, and I double-checked

Yes, I am sure, v1.1.418.1 (its window is still open from my last test, and I can clearly read the version number from the header bar)

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

The update writes the changes to memory. Until you press the update button the changes are temporary. Changes have to be written to memory before they can be Stored (set as new default).

I (still) can press the 'Store' button without pressing 'Update' first.

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by gap

I (still) can press the 'Store' button without pressing 'Update' first.

That's interesting. How did you do that?

EDIT: actually there's one way that will happen. If you change the Flags in the extendeddata then the store button will be active without the update button active. Since you didn't change any position, rotation, or scale then the update button is not active.

[gap]

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

That's interesting. How did you do that?

Oh, not everyone got the skills for doing it

Out of jokes... it has always been like this for me: when I tweak a bone the 'Store' button becomes available in place of 'Update'. This is something I can live with, because (despite any warning by GR2E) I can still save the changes, but since you asked to break you application, I thought I should inform you about this oddity

[gap]

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

EDIT: actually there's one way that will happen. If you change the Flags in the extendeddata then the store button will be active without the update button active. Since you didn't change any position, rotation, or scale then the update button is not active.

Whether I modify or not position, rotation, or scale data, 'Store' is always activated instead of 'Update'

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by gap

Whether I modify or not position, rotation, or scale data, 'Store' is always activated instead of 'Update'

Close all opened GR2 files.
Open your barrage balloon.
Select the last bone in the bones treeview
Is the Update or Store button active?
Edit the bone's extendeddata and set Flags to 7
Is the Update or Store button active?
If Store active then press Store to store the new flags value of 0x7
Store should now go inactive
Now move the bone on it's Z axis
As soon as you started moving it the Update button should've gone active along with Reset
Press Update
Store should've now gone active and Update goes inactive
Press Store
Store goes inactive and Reset goes inactive
Move bone again
Update should go active along with Reset
Press Reset
Update and Reset should go inactive and bone should move back to last stored position (last press of Store)

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by gap

Problem #2: I tried to link the cables to the new mesh. By pressing Ctrl, I can select a new bone by keeping the old one selected. After confirming the change, nothing happens in the Editor. When I open again the bone editing window, I can see that the mesh is still linked to the old bone, but not to the new one.

Problem #3: I can discard the old bone linking and select a new one (without pressing Ctrl). The change is accepted apparently. The next time I open the bone linking Editor, it shows that the new bone is selected, but the viewport tells me that the mesh is still linked to the old bone.

Problem #2: I see why you can't add more bone bindings than what was originally declared. I test for this equality and if not satisfied (you asked for more bone bindings than what was originally declared) then it jumps to an empty function Whoops. Forgot to code that one

Problem #3: fixed. Now the treeview is updated with the change.

I'm coding in a 'Clean' function. This will 'clean' the GR2 file of irrelevant data (fillers for one). This will be a continuous WIP.

[gap]

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

Close all opened GR2 files.
Open your barrage balloon.
Select the last bone in the bones treeview
Is the Update or Store button active?

None of them

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

Edit the bone's extendeddata and set Flags to 7
Is the Update or Store button active?

Store

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

If Store active then press Store to store the new flags value of 0x7
Store should now go inactive

Done, and the Store button went inactive

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

Now move the bone on it's Z axis
As soon as you started moving it the Update button should've gone active along with Reset

Done (through the Transform Position vindow). Store and Reset went active.

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

Press Update
Store should've now gone active and Update goes inactive
Press Store
Store goes inactive and Reset goes inactive

Pressed Store instead

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

Move bone again
Update should go active along with Reset

As before: Store and Reset are active

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

Press Reset
Update and Reset should go inactive and bone should move back to last stored position (last press of Store)

Done; Store and Reset went inactive, and bone moved back to its last stored position.

On my system, the Store button picks up and blocks all the "messages" sent to Update

[gap]

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

Problem #2: I see why you can't add more bone bindings than what was originally declared. I test for this equality and if not satisfied (you asked for more bone bindings than what was originally declared) then it jumps to an empty function Whoops. Forgot to code that one

Problem #3: fixed. Now the treeview is updated with the change.

those are important features!

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by gap

Done (through the Transform Position vindow). Store and Reset went active.

Ok, that makes sense. Try moving the bone using the render window. Select the bone in the bone treeview. Place mouse in the render window. Click the render window. Press C to cage the camera. Ensure T is visible in the bottom right of the app, if not then press T. Ensure Z is visible in the bottom right of window, if not press Z. Now press and hold right mouse button and move mouse forward. Soon as mouse started moving the Update and Reset button should've gone active. Press C to uncage the camera.

When you update the Position, Rotation, or Scale using the extendeddata window you bypass the Update. Obviously you know exactly where you wanted the item since you are directly typing it in!