HELP with Showgfx :(

[A_Username]

I have Showgfx and was testing it out by trying to view the space invaders source, I dragged the file onto showgfx.exe and it said Usage: showgfx file start length and then I tried to type showgfx Spcinvad.bin 0 4096 > Spcinvad.txt and an alert popped up that read This MS-DOS program has been terminated. Click the close button in the corner of the window after you have viewed the output any any possible error messages. There was NO output and NO error messages.

 

What the system said is typed in Fixedsys.

 

Help,

 

A_Username

[Nukey Shay]

There seems to be a couple of misconceptions in yuour post. Correct me if I'm misreading it...

 

The ">" character in your command text is what DOS refers to as a "pipe". What it does is take the results of the command on the left and push it into whatever is indicated on the right. This could be a printer, a filename, etc. In this case, it's going to a file named Spcinvad.txt. Check your current folder...I'll bet it's sitting on your hard drive someplace.

 

The 2600 tools Showgfx and Editgfx are not used to create "disassemblies"...but rather a bitpattern line for every byte in the specified range (4096 lines in ths case). Basically, it produces a visual aide for hacking games pixel-by-pixel.

 

Although they have proven themselves to be useful in the past...a modern tool like bit hacker or hack-o-matic does the same thing without having to make messy temp files. Just point and click instead.

Try Hack-o-matic here...click on [executable] and save it.

http://www.dacodez.tk/

 

 

Be warned, however, that bit hacking programs will NOT caution you if you accidentally alter a program instruction (while changing what appears to be an image)...or alter critical data which is expected to be within a certain range. Only a disassembler like Distella will point out instructions within all those pixels.

 

 

Disassembling games (and trying to make sense of the listings) is a bit more involved tho...so just have fun with bit hacking for a bit

[SalemFrost7800]

Although they have proven themselves to be useful in the past...a modern tool like bit hacker or hack-o-matic does the same thing without having to make messy temp files. Just point and click instead.

Try Hack-o-matic here...click on [executable] and save it.

http://www.dacodez.tk/

 

The URL above is no longer active. Click on the link below to download bit hacking tools and to find other helpful info:

 

http://salemfrostgames.com/Links.html

 

Click on the "Bjars" link and than on the "tools" tab to download BitHhacker and Hack-o-matic

Edited April 4, 2006 by usinoh

[Nukey Shay]

Works for me. It shows a black screen with red text stating that the site is defunct...but the download link on it still works. Anyway, thanks for the alternate link

[SalemFrost7800]

Works for me. It shows a black screen with red text stating that the site is defunct...but the download link on it still works. Anyway, thanks for the alternate link

 

DOH!!! I didn't even bother to read the whole page, yep it's a valid download site.