Changing max index for classes, items etc in Nightmare

[JFierce]

I changed the list in Nightmare to make a higher max animation to go along with the higher max index in FEditor when making a new class animation opposed to skinning over new ones.

This got me wondering since I never knew you could increase the index of the lists. Can you add as many classes as you want to the lists like "Class editor", "Item Editor" as you want? Or is there an actual limit to them before things get messed up and buggy? .

[Agro]

You can go up to 0xFE or 0xFF or something like that for one-byte indexes like the class list (so 255) and 0xFFFF (theoretically) for two-byte indexes like the music array or the text editor (so 65535). At least, I think.

If you're going to increase the indexes of the class arrays then you need to repoint them because the data in FE is all pakced in tight; extending past the default will overwrite other data. Chapter 35-36 of the Ultimate Tutorial covers this.

[JFierce]

Edit: I type too much I realize. I'm trying to get detailed but a lot of isn't necessary. To sum it up:

I'm new at data management so I'm trying to be careful before I start messing with things since I'm new to hex editing in general.

I'm reading the tutorial now so far I open the Class Editor module. Offsets at the top ....0xBE015C so I open the rom in a Hex Editor go to this point

BE015C it's a couple lines of just zero's. then data.

I follow them down until it looks like it changes around BE1F30 to something else.

Is this where it ends?

Uploaded a picture.

https://imageshack.u.../classdata.png/

I don't know if that's where Class data ends or if it goes past that. I don't know how much space Class data, or item data takes. Which is something I'm actually very curious of. Since it appears in Custom Battle Animation Editor that their Battle Animation Offset Starts at FFF800 and every new animation slot uses one line (I don't know the proper term for a horizontal line of bytes in the hex editor) So FFF800, FFF810, FFF820 etc etc...

Could it really be in that small of an area?

Then there's still some differences between class module and the spell association one in chapter 35.

Mainly I'm not sure exactly what needs repointed if anything. You see Blaze taking the data at the offset listed in the module then reversing it, then searching for other instances of that. While the data at the offset in the class editor is a bunch of zeros for a line or so.

Then the same question comes to mind from this line "Go to 0xC999C0 and copy all the data from there to 0xC9A1B0 (but don’t include that last 0xFF byte)."..... Still don't quite get how you know where it ends -_-

Still reading and hoping to see something I didn't before but I'm still not seeing it.

Edited March 11, 2013 by JFierce

[Agro]

Sorry, I probably should have pointed out one thing...

FE8 Class Editor by SpyroDi
0x807110
128 --the max index (in DECIMAL)
84 --length of each entry (in DECIMAL)
FE8 Class Editor.txt
NULL

so if you want to know how much to need to C+P multiply those two numbers and convert them to hex (in this case it's 128 x 84 = 10752 = 0x2A00. That's how much an FE game will take up by default. However, 128 in hex is 0x7F, and you want to increase it to a higher maximum (presumably 0xFF). For this reason you need to not only copy those first 0x2A00 bytes but also leave 0xFF * 84 = 21420 = 0x53AC in total free (to allow for the rest of the classes). By the way, if you use the "select block" function in HxD you can just type in the length of data you want to C+P.

After you've done that you can change the max index in the Nightmare module to 255...

FE8 Class Editor by SpyroDi
0x807110
255 --the max index (in DECIMAL)
84 --length of each entry (in DECIMAL)
FE8 Class Editor.txt
NULL

or whatever it was you decided to go with.

As always, back up your ROM beforehand; some funky shit has happened to me when I've tried to do this before. Nothing should go wrong if you do it right but do it just in case.

[JFierce]

Thankssss very much. I was going insane trying to figure this out.

Let me make sure I'm getting this right. So I have to copy the first number below the offset multiplied by the 2nd number converted into hex? This is the total of the data to copy. I need to leave off enough space for my maximum using the same calculations (minus the original data's size of course). Not copy this much data. For some reason that flashed through my head but didn't make much sense.

Am I getting this right?

(Also in the 'select block' in HxD it doesn't allow 'x' so I'm guessing it's just the digits past 0x)

My class editor is a bit different for some reason number wise.

1

FE7 Class Editor by SpyroDi, modified by Arch the GK and Nintenlord

0xBE015C

99

84

FE7 Class Editor.txt

NULL

So that would be 99*84 = 8316 = 0x207C in hex to copy I suppose

Guess I'll first backup a file and test this.

EDIT: This worked like a charm.

Can't thank you enough! This was one of the bigger issues weighing on my mind. Worked with items too just as easily.

Edited March 12, 2013 by JFierce

[JFierce]

EDIT For those that are actually following this thread or find it on google. You can do all of the above but you have to repoint all the data.

I've found this digging through Hexators docs

0xBE222C - Item data start

Original size: 0x165C

Replace occurrences of 2c22be08 in order to expand

Max ID size: byte

Byte ID size: 0x2400

0xBE015C - Class data start

Original size: 0x20D0

Replace occurrences of 5c01be08 in order to expand

Max ID size: byte

Byte ID size: 0x5400

Search with Cntrl +F for 5C01BE08 (make sure your searching for hex data, and searching the entire document to make sure you get it all.

Then replace it with your own data that was repointed.

Remember to follow the steps in the ultimate tutorial for repointing.

Adding 08 and reversing the bytes and what not.

Also I never knew about Hexators Docs. Dig down in there for GBA games and fire emblem then there's all sorts of goodies.

Edited March 13, 2013 by JFierce