Hack-O-Matic 3 with Pinning feature and comments!

[jwierer]

 

some things i do not like, if I flip the bits and then change somethiung to save it I need to flip the bits back to save it, this can be a problem when you change something to see what this will do and you find most your change gets lost.

 

some things that would be nice Find next, and rom compare side by side.

 

Wade

 

That flip warning was a bit of legacy code from HOM2. Doesn't make for a very user friendly experience. I now do all the bit swapping behind the scenes so the file is always written out correctly. There are also a few other bells and whistles you might notice in this one. If you play with the bookmarking it will create an accompanying Rom File Location (RFL) file. It's pretty much a primative way of annotating a rom with some notes. I haven't tested it exhaustively so let me know if it crashes.

 

-Jeff

HOM3.zip

Edited September 9, 2006 by jwierer

[SalemFrost7800]

This is great, you can "PIN" a sprite or color code and label it so you never forget where it is, it seems you must pin things in the original position so if you FLIP the code it gets screwed up, I tried it before flipping and had no problems so just be aware of that.

 

Great Job JEFF

[jwierer]

This is great, you can "PIN" a sprite or color code and label it so you never forget where it is, it seems you must pin things in the original position so if you FLIP the code it gets screwed up, I tried it before flipping and had no problems so just be aware of that.

 

Great Job JEFF

 

I think I see the problem. With no pins set flipping works. When pins are set the binary doesn't actually flip? Not sure what I am doing wrong, but that definitely would cause a problem.

 

-Jeff

[jwierer]

This is great, you can "PIN" a sprite or color code and label it so you never forget where it is, it seems you must pin things in the original position so if you FLIP the code it gets screwed up, I tried it before flipping and had no problems so just be aware of that.

 

Great Job JEFF

 

I think I see the problem. With no pins set flipping works. When pins are set the binary doesn't actually flip? Not sure what I am doing wrong, but that definitely would cause a problem.

 

-Jeff

 

I think Flipping with bookmarks is working now. Next step is to reduce memory footprint and try to speed things up. Also you should be able to drag roms onto the exe or onto the design surface to load roms. If you notice memory creeping try minimizing and restoring. That usually causes the .NET garbage collector to perform a cleanup. Let me know if anything breaks.

 

-Jeff

HOM3.zip

[yuppicide]

What version of Windows you running?! .NET Framework comes pre-installed with Windows XP. It comes with .NET 1.1. You must manually install .NET 2.0 if you want it.

 

Hi

would it be possible to use it without Net Frameworks?

I hate Net Frameworks.I will never install this on my PC again,because i had too much trouble.

I hope to see another version.

greetings Gambler172

[jwierer]

Here is the latest version of HOM3 (3.0.0.2). This corrects a number of bugs that were in 3.0.0.1 that usinoh recently published.

 

Bugs fixed

1. Restoring a bookmark didn't restore the notes field.

2. Deleting notes couldn't be undone.

3. Open and reload wasn't flushing the undo cache.

4. Setting a pin would automatically blank out the notes field. Notes are now preserved and if blank it adds a reminder to add notes.

5. If you wrote some notes, then pinne it and tried to undo it won't undo.

6. The spacebar can now be used to toggle the "bit blocks" - double click still works.

7. You could enter invalid codes into the bit code resulting in 00000000. Illegal entries are now ignored.

 

If anybody finds more bugs let know. I'll also entertain feature requests

 

Thanks,

Jeff

HOM3.zip

[atwwong]

I'll also entertain feature requests

Jeff, well done, again! Thanks for the fixes. I like all the additions to the hack-o-matic source. Is there any way to further optimize the code for 32k binary (i.e., Fatal Run) load times? I'm guessing not since it's MS NET (answered my own question?), but I'm used to hack-o-matic 2's lightning fast load times. The tradeoff for the slowdown are the great new add-on features.

[jwierer]

I'll also entertain feature requests

Jeff, well done, again! Thanks for the fixes. I like all the additions to the hack-o-matic source. Is there any way to further optimize the code for 32k binary (i.e., Fatal Run) load times? I'm guessing not since it's MS NET (answered my own question?), but I'm used to hack-o-matic 2's lightning fast load times. The tradeoff for the slowdown are the great new add-on features.

 

I've looked at the code and the problem seems to be the speed in which the .NET 2.0 datagridview control loads data. I'll take a 2nd look, but I think it's as tight as I am going to get it unless I dump the control and do something else - which would be more work than it's worth to me

 

-Jeff

[Pac Munchkin]

Jeff, Hack-O_Matic III is totally awesome!!!!!

 

You are awesome for making it too!

 

I just pined Tomboy completely.

 

That also means Pitfall, since Tomboy was really someones hack of Pitfall.

 

So anyone that would like to do as good a job as I did on my greatest hack yet "Tarsan's Rescue" can now do just as good with my pined version.

 

I need pin my other hacks now, including the hacks I am working on, Robot Tank needs pined bad!!! Man that is a tough hack!

 

Wade

 

I'll also entertain feature requests

Jeff, well done, again! Thanks for the fixes. I like all the additions to the hack-o-matic source. Is there any way to further optimize the code for 32k binary (i.e., Fatal Run) load times? I'm guessing not since it's MS NET (answered my own question?), but I'm used to hack-o-matic 2's lightning fast load times. The tradeoff for the slowdown are the great new add-on features.

 

I've looked at the code and the problem seems to be the speed in which the .NET 2.0 datagridview control loads data. I'll take a 2nd look, but I think it's as tight as I am going to get it unless I dump the control and do something else - which would be more work than it's worth to me

 

-Jeff

[jwierer]

Jeff, well done, again! Thanks for the fixes. I like all the additions to the hack-o-matic source. Is there any way to further optimize the code for 32k binary (i.e., Fatal Run) load times? I'm guessing not since it's MS NET (answered my own question?), but I'm used to hack-o-matic 2's lightning fast load times. The tradeoff for the slowdown are the great new add-on features.

 

Ok the good news is that I did find some areas of optimization. Loading a 32K rom took roughly 9 sec on my laptop with v3.002 and I think I have it below 4.5 sec with 3.0.0.3. The other thing I was able to do was save the invert, mirror, and flip settings to the RFL so they can be set per rom now. The bad news is that I had to change the file format. So moving forward all the RFL files will have a 2 line header like this:

[v=3.0.0.3]

[i=0,M=0,F=0]

 

Newer versions will still be able read the older ones and the files will be updated on save, but if you're using a version prior to 3.003 it won't recognize the newer file format because it will interpet the first two lines as garbage.

 

As always let me know if I broke anything.

 

-Jeff

HOM3.zip

Edited September 13, 2006 by jwierer

[Pac Munchkin]

Jeff the bookmarks feature with the flip feature, If I show the bookmarks then try flipping it crashes. If I flip it first then show the bookmarks it does not crash.

 

The compare feature I really like, it would be better if you could knock it down to the task bar so I could go back and forth. check then change then check. Also which version is which, I think the original is on the left the compare version on the right is that correct?

 

The only other thing I can think of is if the compare feature and the color chart where interactive so that if I click on the byte to change that one is highlighted in the compare or I could click on the color and it changes in the binary.

But if I had to pick just one I would say the ability to click down the compare so I could go back and forth comparing and changing.

 

Wade

[jwierer]

Jeff the bookmarks feature with the flip feature, If I show the bookmarks then try flipping it crashes. If I flip it first then show the bookmarks it does not crash.

 

The compare feature I really like, it would be better if you could knock it down to the task bar so I could go back and forth. check then change then check. Also which version is which, I think the original is on the left the compare version on the right is that correct?

 

The only other thing I can think of is if the compare feature and the color chart where interactive so that if I click on the byte to change that one is highlighted in the compare or I could click on the color and it changes in the binary.

But if I had to pick just one I would say the ability to click down the compare so I could go back and forth comparing and changing.

 

Wade

 

Good catch, I've never tried that combination. I guess for now do all your flipping before viewing only bookmarks. I'll see if I can fix that in the next build.

 

What do you mean by moving the compare to the task bar? You want a button on the bottom of the form to launch compare or would you be better off with a control key. With the compare window the name in the title shows the first file name and the 2nd file name. The values correspond to the files in that order.

 

-Jeff

[jwierer]

Jeff the bookmarks feature with the flip feature, If I show the bookmarks then try flipping it crashes. If I flip it first then show the bookmarks it does not crash.

Wade

 

Digging into the flip code uncovered a bunch of other potential errors. 3.004 addresses these:

 

1. Show only bookmarks followed by a flip crashed because I was jumping to the first cell which could have been filtered.

2. Flipping while in show only bookmarks would show blanks (you never saw this because of the crash in #1)

3. Undo was not flip aware. If you flipped, made changes, flipped back and tried to undo you would undo in the wrong location.

4. Undoing a pin that was previously empty would cause a crash.

 

Basically I had a lot of null value exceptions as a result of speeding up the load times which I hope are all addressed now.

 

-Jeff

HOM3.zip

[Pac Munchkin]

Oh no I mean a button to minimize the compare screen (the little line button in the corner next to the boxes and x button usually), Minimize this way it drops it down I can check on the main screen and and change something or not then maximize the compare screen again to see the next address I want etc...

Right now compare always stays on top meaning I need to keep opening and closing it to use back and forth where as is it have that ability to switch I could just press alt/tab to switch back and forth between the main bitmap window and the compare window.

 

Wade

 

Jeff the bookmarks feature with the flip feature, If I show the bookmarks then try flipping it crashes. If I flip it first then show the bookmarks it does not crash.

 

The compare feature I really like, it would be better if you could knock it down to the task bar so I could go back and forth. check then change then check. Also which version is which, I think the original is on the left the compare version on the right is that correct?

 

The only other thing I can think of is if the compare feature and the color chart where interactive so that if I click on the byte to change that one is highlighted in the compare or I could click on the color and it changes in the binary.

But if I had to pick just one I would say the ability to click down the compare so I could go back and forth comparing and changing.

 

Wade

 

Good catch, I've never tried that combination. I guess for now do all your flipping before viewing only bookmarks. I'll see if I can fix that in the next build.

 

What do you mean by moving the compare to the task bar? You want a button on the bottom of the form to launch compare or would you be better off with a control key. With the compare window the name in the title shows the first file name and the 2nd file name. The values correspond to the files in that order.

 

-Jeff

[jwierer]

Oh no I mean a button to minimize the compare screen (the little line button in the corner next to the boxes and x button usually), Minimize this way it drops it down I can check on the main screen and and change something or not then maximize the compare screen again to see the next address I want etc...

Right now compare always stays on top meaning I need to keep opening and closing it to use back and forth where as is it have that ability to switch I could just press alt/tab to switch back and forth between the main bitmap window and the compare window.

 

Wade

 

Here's v3.005 and a list of changes...

 

1. Fixed an undo bug that I doubt anybody would have encountered

2. Notes property undo - not sure why I wasn't doing that from the beginning

3. The compare feature is much more user friendly. Play with it and find everything new, but of course it can now be minimized

4. Compare is now against the active document being edited not the saved copy.

 

-Jeff

HOM3.zip

[Pac Munchkin]

Way to go!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH this keeps getting better and better, you may for years in the future have still the best darn hacking tool there is!

 

I mean with that compare that took a lot of work out hacking for me, before if I wanted to compare roms I had to convert them to text files and then run them both through a text file compare utility.

 

It is great to compare on the run while hacking.

 

Excellent job keep up the great work!

 

Wade

 

 

Oh no I mean a button to minimize the compare screen (the little line button in the corner next to the boxes and x button usually), Minimize this way it drops it down I can check on the main screen and and change something or not then maximize the compare screen again to see the next address I want etc...

Right now compare always stays on top meaning I need to keep opening and closing it to use back and forth where as is it have that ability to switch I could just press alt/tab to switch back and forth between the main bitmap window and the compare window.

 

Wade

 

Here's v3.005 and a list of changes...

 

1. Fixed an undo bug that I doubt anybody would have encountered

2. Notes property undo - not sure why I wasn't doing that from the beginning

3. The compare feature is much more user friendly. Play with it and find everything new, but of course it can now be minimized

4. Compare is now against the active document being edited not the saved copy.

 

-Jeff

[jwierer]

Damn... I keep forgetting to check if a rom is flipped. If you flipped a rom and compared you'd get completly inversed results. v3.006 fixes this.

 

-Jeff

HOM3.zip

Edited September 16, 2006 by jwierer

[SalemFrost7800]

I added HOM3 Version 3.0.0.6 To my website and also I added Keystone Kapers pinned.

Edited September 16, 2006 by usinoh

[jwierer]

Performance with large roms was bothering me so I took some time to try to improve performance. Loading, inverting, flipping and search should be much faster for roms over 32K now. On my machine I tried to get delays to be 3 seconds or less, but that will vary depending on the hardware you have. The status bar will show the load time. Let me know if something is especially slowwww.

 

Also I completely redid the search dialog. You can now do search, replace, goto and a new highlighting feature all from one location. Also I am not sure when I added it, but you can multi-select changes from the compare window and have them applied to the open rom. Latest version is 3.008 (I didn't bother posting 3.007).

 

Enjoy,

Jeff

HOM3008.zip

[SalemFrost7800]

Performance with large roms was bothering me so I took some time to try to improve performance. Loading, inverting, flipping and search should be much faster for roms over 32K now. On my machine I tried to get delays to be 3 seconds or less, but that will vary depending on the hardware you have. The status bar will show the load time. Let me know if something is especially slowwww.

 

Also I completely redid the search dialog. You can now do search, replace, goto and a new highlighting feature all from one location. Also I am not sure when I added it, but you can multi-select changes from the compare window and have them applied to the open rom. Latest version is 3.008 (I didn't bother posting 3.007).

 

Enjoy,

Jeff

 

I love the compare feature, it's a real life saver!!!

[Pac Munchkin]

Wow even added a highlighted feature!!!!!

 

Cool!!!

 

Keepsa on getting better and better, every time I think it is done you improve it! WOW thanks Jeff!!!!!

 

Wade

 

 

Performance with large roms was bothering me so I took some time to try to improve performance. Loading, inverting, flipping and search should be much faster for roms over 32K now. On my machine I tried to get delays to be 3 seconds or less, but that will vary depending on the hardware you have. The status bar will show the load time. Let me know if something is especially slowwww.

 

Also I completely redid the search dialog. You can now do search, replace, goto and a new highlighting feature all from one location. Also I am not sure when I added it, but you can multi-select changes from the compare window and have them applied to the open rom. Latest version is 3.008 (I didn't bother posting 3.007).

 

Enjoy,

Jeff

[jwierer]

Wow even added a highlighted feature!!!!!

 

Cool!!!

 

Keepsa on getting better and better, every time I think it is done you improve it! WOW thanks Jeff!!!!!

 

Wade

 

 

Thanks Wade 3.008 actually has an annoying bug in which if you flipped the rom you lost your bookmarks!! The lastest version (3.011) fixes that along with:

 

1. Improved search (mostly internal code improvements)

2. Filtering by bookmarks is still painfully slow, but undoing that is now much faster.

3. Fixed a bug that if you were filtering by bookmarks and loaded a new rom you'd get an annoying error dialog.

4. More choices for highlighting via a customer color picker. Anybody using this? The idea was to search for code patterns that would typically indicate color setting or other actions so that the eyes could catch them easier.

 

I was thinking of prepopulating the search combo boxes with some of the usual suspects for searching for colors, etc...

 

If I could just get a few more performance improvements I could be done!

 

-Jeff

HOM3011.zip

[Pac Munchkin]

WOW man you are on top of things, you are moving too fast for me to even tell you what I found wrong you already fixed! lol

 

Excellent job!!!!!

 

Yes pinning Malangai I lost my book marks flipping after I showed the bookmarks, but I thought I'll save by reloading, that was when that other error came up you also said you fixed, so it shows you are really on top of things here.

 

I didn't lose the bookmarks because after the error I closed it and opened it again and there they were, it never saved the lost mark version.

 

Malangai is coming soon pinned.

 

Wade

 

 

Wow even added a highlighted feature!!!!!

 

Cool!!!

 

Keepsa on getting better and better, every time I think it is done you improve it! WOW thanks Jeff!!!!!

 

Wade

 

 

Thanks Wade 3.008 actually has an annoying bug in which if you flipped the rom you lost your bookmarks!! The lastest version (3.011) fixes that along with:

 

1. Improved search (mostly internal code improvements)

2. Filtering by bookmarks is still painfully slow, but undoing that is now much faster.

3. Fixed a bug that if you were filtering by bookmarks and loaded a new rom you'd get an annoying error dialog.

4. More choices for highlighting via a customer color picker. Anybody using this? The idea was to search for code patterns that would typically indicate color setting or other actions so that the eyes could catch them easier.

 

I was thinking of prepopulating the search combo boxes with some of the usual suspects for searching for colors, etc...

 

If I could just get a few more performance improvements I could be done!

 

-Jeff

[atwwong]

Performance with large roms was bothering me so I took some time to try to improve performance. Loading, inverting, flipping and search should be much faster for roms over 32K now. On my machine I tried to get delays to be 3 seconds or less, but that will vary depending on the hardware you have. The status bar will show the load time. Let me know if something is especially slowwww.

Thanks for looking at that issue again! Kudos for all your great work!

[jwierer]

Here is the latest version (3.013) with some new features and bug fixes.

 

What's new

1. You can nable an option so that hovering over the hex code will give you the ASCII text equivilant

2. You can bring up a text editor

3. Search for text strings

4. Advanced search for helping locate colors

5. Multiselect for bulk bookmarking or highlighting

6. Highlights on hex codes will be saved to the .RFL. This shouldn't break older RFL files, but older versions of hackomatic won't read the new RFLs that contain highlight information.

 

What's fixed :!:

1. Undo wasn't possible when pasting

2. Unfiltering by bookmarks would generate an error if the notes in a row were empty

 

I have no idea what I might have potentially broke by introducing the newer features. Let me know if you find anything.

 

-Jeff

Hom3013.zip