Instructions for
Zelda Level Editor 2(DX Beta)
Introduction:
Thank you for taking the time to read these instructions. I hope they are useful. They took every bit as long, maybe longer, to write as the Zelda Level Editor 2 package.
These instructions may seem a little out of order. You will want to setup ZLE2, and familiarize yourself with how it functions, before trying to edit textures, change exits, or remove clip from Zmaps.
Credits
(Up front, because no one reads them at the end):
I would like to thank everyone who helped both directly, and indirectly with the creation of ZLE2. Most of all, Dark_Link-77, and Xu_Yuan, for whom the DX in DX Beta stands for. They encouraged me not to give up, and to improve and ultimately re-release ZLE2. Thanks guys J
MNGoldenEagle: Responsible for all the info I used for texture dumping.
Cooliscool: Great guy. Also helped with some texture info too. Check out his editor Utility of Time, it’s the most advanced level editor available for this game.
Cendamos, and JayTheHam: Map hacking, and actor replacement, no matter the editor, it’s still based on their work. Also, thanks to Cendamos for additional information that was to be used for ZAP2 (Zelda Actor Placement 2).
Now, lets get down to business…
Sections:
1.
How
ZLE2 works
2.
Textures
Editing
3.
Exit
Changer
4.
Clip
Kill
5.
Using
ZLE2 to Dump .zscene and .zmap files for use with Utility of Time
6.
Setting
up ZLE2
7.
Switching
Emulators
8.
ZLE2's
Layout
9.
Loading
Maps, Dumping Maps, and Saving Changes
10.
Edit
mode, READ FIRST!
11.
Edit
mode
a. Selecting Vertexes
b. “Basic” Vertex editing
c. “Advanced” Vertex editing (MOVE and SET)
d. Texture scale
1. How ZLE2 works
ZLE2 is a whole new concept in game editors. Instead of having to write an engine to render the maps, ZLE2 uses an N64 emulator's display. ZLE2 simply modifies the game maps in the emulator's memory. When you change a vertex, or texture stretch, you will see it happening on screen, in the game, in real time.
ZLE2 does this by directly modifying the emulator's portion of RAM while the emulator is running.
All the other apps, such as the texture editing tools, included with ZLE2 rely on the .ini files created whenever you load a Zmap. They do not require you Dump the .Zmap and .Zscene files, and changes are made directly to the ROM. Also ZLE2, nor the N64 emulator have to be running to when using the other apps.
2. Textures Editing
No one seems to know that ZLE2 can dump the texture and reinsert them back into the game, for more details, read in “Editing textures with ZLE2.txt”, included in zle2_dx_beta.zip
3.
Exit Changer
Each exit in the game is generated by a 4 digit exit number. Exit changer lets you easily change the numbers, there by changing where an exit takes you. A complete list of every valid exit in the game can be found in the file Exit_list.txt included in zle2_dx_beta.zip
1. Open ZLE2
2. Choose Launch Emulator
3. In the emulator, load The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time Debug ROM.
4. Play the game, get to the map you wish to edit
5. Choose Load Zmap. You may now close ZLE2 if you wish. ZLE2 does not have to be open for Exit Changer to function.
6. Load Exit Changer.
7. Exit Changer displays the list of exits for each object,
and allows you to change them. The drop
box allows you to select which object set to work with. If no exits are listed, then there are no
exits in that object set.
8. Though it’s a function of ZLE2 , not Exit
Changer, it’s worth noting that pressing E, anytime when in Edit Mode on ZLE2
will provide you with the last Exit you used in the game.
4.
Clip Kill
Clipping is the effect reasonable for making vertexes disappear when we move them. Clipping is basically the games way of saving GPU cycles by not rendering sets of vertexes once they are out of view. As far as anyone knows, it’s a necessary function on real N64 hardware. However, we do not know enough about how it works currently to be able to edit the viewpoint reliably. What we do know how to disable clipping completely. That’s what clip kill does.
Solving clipping is necessary for editing vertexes. It is doubly important on ZLE2, because ZLE2 uses the game’s rendering engine. This means if you move the vertex outside of it’s original viewpoint while working with it will disappear. So it is suggested you run Clip Kill on levels before you start to edit them.
But…
Clipping does not seem to be necessary in emulation, but Clip Kill is still not very well tested yet. Levels created using Clip Kill will probably not work on real N64 hardware. Using Clip Kill may run you into troubles later with compatibility, but for now it’s the only known solution. Just be aware of the preceding before using Clip Kill
1. Open ZLE2
2. Choose Launch Emulator
3. In the emulator, load The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time Debug ROM.
4. Play the game, get to the map you wish to edit
5. Choose Load Zmap
6. Close ZLE2
7. Run Clip_Kill
8. Your zmap is now free of clip!
5. Using ZLE2 to Dump .zscene and .zmap files
for use with Utility of Time
Another feature ZLE2 is good for, aside from it’s editing functions, is dumping .zscene and .zmap files for use with Utility of Time(UoT). All you have to do is play the map/room you want to work on, and dump the files. That’s all! The latest version of UoT will even pick up on the offset used in the file name, and give you the option to automatically reinsert into the ROM at the correct location. For more information on how to dump the .zscene, and.zmap files, see section 5. Loading Maps, and Saving Changes.
6. Setting up ZLE2
1. Unzip ZLE2 to a clear folder, NEVER install a copy of ZLE2 over top an old installation of ZLE2, and NEVER put it in the same folder ZLE, or UoT.
2. Choose an Unmodified ROM. ZLE2 uses you unmodified ROM for matching collision to texture mesh.
3. Choose the ROM you wish to modify
4. Set your emulator paths and choose wish one you want ZLE2 to use, either 1964 version 0.9.9, or Nemu 0.8 are currently supported.
6. Save setup, and close.
7. Switching Emulators
You can change which emulator you want ZLE2 to use simply by running setup any time after you have set the emulator pathes and changing the emulator. You don't have to change the path for the emulator every time you want to switch.
8. ZLE2's Layout
ZLE2's command buttons are as follows:
Launch Emulator: Launches the emulator.
Load Zmap: Lets you load the Zmap from your current location, wherever you are in the game.
Save to RAM: Saves changes you have made to the ROM image stored in the emulators RAM. These changes will stay ONLY until you reload the ROM. Currently; this feature is not supported in Nemu.
Save to ROM: Saves the level currently loaded to the ROM. ONLY works if you have loaded the current Zmap, and are still on the same zmap you loaded.
Dump: Dumps the last loaded map to .zmap, and .zscene files. (VERY handy for getting levels for the level editor, Utility of Time, to work with.)
Edit: Enters Edit mode, allowing you to modify the Zmap. Press Esc key to exit edit mode. Note: You have press the Load Zmap button again before you can save the changes you have made.
9. Loading Maps,
Dumping Maps, and Saving Changes
1. Open ZLE2
2. Choose Launch Emulator
3. In the emulator, load The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time Debug ROM.
4. Play the game, get to the map you wish to edit.
5. Choose Load Zmap. At this vertex, if you wish, you can Dump the Unmodifed Zmap, and Zscene files.
6. Choose Edit. (See the section, Editing)
7. When you are finished making changes, Press Esc key.
8. You must choose Zmap again before you can save changes.
9. You may now save your changes by choosing Save to RAM, or Save to ROM. You may also Dump the current map, to .zmap, and zscene files.
10. Edit mode,
READ FIRST!
Getting started editing with ZLE2 can be confusing. There are few things to keep in mind:
1. ZLE2 MUST BE THE ACTIVE PROGRAM. That is, title bar that says ZLE2 up at the top must be highlighted. Otherwise the ZLE2 cannot receive keystrokes.
2. DON'T PAUSE THE EMULATOR. The emulator must be running, if you pause then no changes will appear on screen.
11. Edit mode
After you have loaded a map, and chosen Edit, you enter edit mode. In edit mode, you can select vertexes, move vertexes, and change the textures scale for the selected vertex.
11a.
Selecting Vertexes:
+. Increase vertex number to edit
-. Decrease vertex number to edit
c. Toggles color for selected Vertex, works on VERY few maps
Pressing - or + will increase and decrease which vertex # you are currently working on. Watch the screen on the Emulator screen. When the vertex is selected it will be highlighted on screen.
Vertex highlighted in Black
11b.“Basic”
Vertex editing:
Current vertex info
Once you select a vertex, you can move it around.
TAB. Toggle between 1, 10, and 100 for the vertex increase/decrease value
J. Increase vertex's X value
L. Decrease vertex's X value
Y. Increase vertex's Y value
H. Decrease vertex's Y value
I. Increase vertex's Z value
K. Decrease vertex's Z value
11c.
“Advanced” Vertex editing (MOVE and SET):
There are 2 more ways to change a vertex beside just moving it around, these are the MOVE vertex by X,Y,Z command, and the SET vertex to X,Y,Z command. Both are very handy for changing groups are vertexes at once.
MOVE
vertex by X, Y, Z:
MOVE info
D. Increase X value, to move vertex by
G. Decrease X value, to move vertex by
W. Increase Y value, to move vertex by
S. Decrease Y value, to move vertex by
F. Increase Z value, to move vertex by
R. Decrease Z value, to move vertex by
ENTER: Moves the current vertex by the set X,Y,Z
Shift + ENTER: Moves the current vertex by the set X,Y,Z, and selects the next vertex up
MOVE by will move a vertex by X, Y, Z amount, so if you say put in X: 10 Y: 10 Z: 10 it would take the current vertex and add 10 to the current X, add 10 to the current Y, and add 10 to the current Z. MOVE command is great for moving sets of vertexes which make up things like map created trees, map created houses, or other structures.
Vertex before MOVE
Vertex after MOVE (moved by X:+10, Y:+10, Z:+10)
SET
vertex to X, Y, Z:
SET Info
TAB. Toggle between 1, 10, and 100 for the vertex increase/decrease value
D. Increase X value, to move vertex by
G. Decrease X value, to move vertex by
W. Increase Y value, to move vertex by
S. Decrease Y value, to move vertex by
F. Increase Z value, to move vertex by
R. Decrease Z value, to move vertex by
ENTER: Moves the current vertex by the set X, Y, Z
Shift + ENTER: Moves the current vertex by the set X, Y, Z, and selects the next vertex up
SET command simply sets the vertex chosen to the X, Y, Z, of your choosing. N displayed in the X, Y, or Z readout indicates that that value will remain unchanged. SET command comes in handy for moving sets of vertexes together into one point, off map to “remove” structures from the map.
Link at X:-992, Y:-993, Z:3003 (to show where the point
is for illustration)
Vertex before SET
Vertex after SET(set to X:-992, Y:-993, Z:+3003 )
11d.
Texture scale:
Texture Scale Info
TAB. Toggle between 1, 10, and 100 for the vertex increase/decrease value
Up Arrow: Increases the Y scale of the texture for the current vertex
Down Arrow: Decreases the Y scale of the texture for the current vertex
Left Arrow: Increases the X scale of the texture for the current vertex
Right Arrow: Decreases the X scale of the texture for the current vertex
T. Reset texture scale
Texture scale basically controls how a texture it “stretched”. It will make much more sense when you try it than any explanation I can come up with.
Vertexes 187, and 190 before X scale increase
Vertexes 187, and 190 after X scale increase
Updating
ROMBASE and RAMBASE:
ZAP2 and ZLE2 directly modify emulator memory
locations. Each emulator stores things
at different addresses. Also, as you
update your ROM databases and cheat files, the addresses where stuff is stored
may change too. To combat this ZAP2 and
ZLE2 will automatically detect if the addresses are correct. If not, buttons will appear to let you
choose to let the programs find the new addresses. You can manually enter the new addresses found into setup.ini,
zle2.ini, and zap2.ini as needed.
That’s all!