GRF encoder tool: GRFMaker [under development]

Post by **WWTBAM** » 07 Sep 2006 00:24

yes. You have to pm Szappy for the info.

elhai · Post by **elhai** » 21 Oct 2006 01:22

Well, when trying GRF Maker I always seem to get this error message:

A830:No sprite selected in the sprite block

I believe it to be some kind of data i forget to set that later doesnt allow me to make the GRF file. Though I've followed the program manuals step by step... there's something i must be missing. I suspect about the middle click "thing" but i can choose and set default values rightclicking however, but it just wont keep them.
So status is "E" on this line.

If any has any insights about this... thanks

Aegir · Post by **Aegir** » 21 Oct 2006 01:42

It's exactly as it says, in your sprite blocks, you have to use the right mouse button to select the sprites. Third mouse button (Scroll click/middle click) will select an entire horizontal row.

If you don't do this, it brings up that error message.

SAC · Post by **SAC** » 26 Oct 2006 16:49

Is it difficult to use GRF-Maker as a newbie? If I'm not going to code any automata that needs special actions - of which I'm not aware of at all - but more or less things like station tiles, and so on, would anyone recommend using GRF-Maker?

Post by **Dave** » 26 Oct 2006 18:50

Right... Got an issue with my bitmap. Because the road slopes require a y-length that's longer than normal, does that cause a problem? Apparently it is..?

jonty-comp · Post by **jonty-comp** » 26 Oct 2006 20:34

Are you using GRFMaker? If so, I've never actually tried it but I guess you use the General Sprite Replacement block, which shouldn't have any problem with different-sized images. (Although, surely, all the roads are the same size?

)

BobDendry · Post by **BobDendry** » 27 Oct 2006 01:28

all road sprites should have the same dimensions, iirc.

DaleStan · Post by **DaleStan** » 27 Oct 2006 02:14

No, they don't. (Or "aren't", depending on whether I'm replying to WhiteHand or jonty-comp.)

For an example, see trg[r].grf, sprites 1342..1344.

SAC wrote:Is it difficult to use GRF-Maker as a newbie? If I'm not going to code any automata that needs special actions - of which I'm not aware of at all - but more or less things like station tiles, and so on, would anyone recommend using GRF-Maker?

Some people say you have to understand NFO to use GRFMaker. Others disagree. I have no experience, and thus no opinion.

(Disclaimer: Any statement about what GRFMaker does or does not do below is strictly hearsay. If anyone corrects me, believe them, not me.)

My personal impression is that it is easier to find people who understand NFO than people who understand GRFMaker, and it is easier to request help, because it's easier to post a couple sprites than a couple screenshots. TTDPatch also gives sprite numbers in its error messages, which may not be easily translatable to GRFMaker code blocks.

Directly coding in NFO also gives you the power to do anything you want. GRFMaker, OTOH, doesn't support everything, but it does provide the option to fall back to NFO when necessary. However, it may not support the recent convience additions to the NFO format in these NFO blocks. (quoted strings, binary includes, and escape sequences)

GRFMaker should protect you from NFO's various lurking traps, but NFORenum does the same, while still allowing you to walk into them if you so desire.

Going from GRFMaker's LST format to NFO is easy. The reverse is basically impossible.

BobDendry · Post by **BobDendry** » 27 Oct 2006 02:38

DaleStan wrote:TTDPatch also gives sprite numbers in its error messages, which may not be easily translatable to GRFMaker code blocks.

With a well-commented .LST, it's as easy as doing it with regular .NFO. There is a button in GRFMaker that allows you to see what you .nfo looks like.

SAC · Post by **SAC** » 28 Oct 2006 23:37

Thanks Dalestan!

I might have a look at NFORenum then...

Aegir · Post by **Aegir** » 10 Nov 2006 07:25

Heya Szappy, gl2.

Recently, a new callback has been added, and this is not yet usable in the most recent version of GRFMaker availible (3.03).

This callback is 143 and is documented here: http://wiki.ttdpatch.net/tiki-index.php ... onally_143_

Would be very useful to have availible in GRFMaker, I'm already plotting to use this callback to great effect in the North American Building Set.

I look forward to hearing back from you.

---

Oh, and to add my two cents to the previous topic of discussion, while NFO is not an absolute requirement for using GRFMaker, to use it effectively, to understand what you are doing fully, and to be able to effectively debug your .lst in the event of a coding error, you MUST be able to understand NFO and how it relates to the code blocks in GRFMaker.

GRFMaker does not eliminate NFO entirely, I doubt it ever will. What GRFMaker does do quite well, is streamline a lot of tasks that are often quite tedious. Aswell, it takes the focus away from the language itself, and allows you to focus on the logic, and the actual data.

To work with GRFMaker effectively, you're still going to have to be able to work with raw NFO, and be able to relate what GRFMaker is doing to the NFO it creates, and vice versa.

DaleStan · Post by **DaleStan** » 10 Nov 2006 08:36

Szappy, gl2:

If it would be useful, I can make any or all of NFORenum's datafiles permently available for download, for the purpose of (in this case) permitting callbacks to be supported in GRFMaker[0] as soon as they are in NFORenum. For things that can be supported by simply changing the appropriate data file, updates usually come within 12 hours of time of documentation.

[0] Albeit possibly not as well as they would be once the new version is released.

AndersI · Post by **AndersI** » 27 Jan 2007 17:18

Bug report, GRFMaker ver. 3.03B

When having more than eight sprites in a vehicle sprite block, it is only possible to adjust the position (with the 'Position' button) of the first eight sprites.

Trying the ninth gives a position dialog with strange tile background, trying the tenth or higher gives error messages. Se pictures below.

mikeel · Post by **mikeel** » 07 Feb 2007 14:07

hi, i'm not sure this is the correct topic.

i'm creating the grf of the italian set using grfmaker.
it's a great tool and it works well.
but using the grf compiled with grfmaker, in the game sometimes the train goes "under" the terrain (see the image). can anybody tell my why this appens an what i have to do?

csuke · Post by **csuke** » 07 Feb 2007 15:19

your x-rel and y-rel values are set incorrectly i think

Jasper30010 · Post by **Jasper30010** » 08 Feb 2007 13:44

Edit: ok heres my PNG

Purno · Post by **Purno** » 08 Feb 2007 14:27

Jasper30010 wrote:ok heres my grf

Impossible.
AFAIK.

XeryusTC · Post by **XeryusTC** » 08 Feb 2007 14:45

Jasper30010 wrote:ok heres my grf

It's a PNG, a GRF would include some code.

DaleStan · Post by **DaleStan** » 18 Feb 2007 18:04

AndersI wrote:GRFMaker definitely makes it easier and faster (at least for me) to get the trains placed and running in the game, but there's still a big hurdle to get over to start coding 'for real'. There's the problem of documentation - the wiki doesn't show how to do something in GRFMaker, only directly in NFO.

A lot of examples for GRMaker with the common idioms would help tremendously...

Someone who actually has a copy of GRFMaker should probably finish and/or wikify the existing documentation.

jvassie · Post by **jvassie** » 18 Feb 2007 18:39

DaleStan wrote:
AndersI wrote:GRFMaker definitely makes it easier and faster (at least for me) to get the trains placed and running in the game, but there's still a big hurdle to get over to start coding 'for real'. There's the problem of documentation - the wiki doesn't show how to do something in GRFMaker, only directly in NFO.

A lot of examples for GRMaker with the common idioms would help tremendously...
Someone who actually has a copy of GRFMaker should probably finish and/or wikify the existing documentation.

Hehe, i wrote that

I have had practically no-time recently to get hands-on with GRFMaker, hence why coding progress is so slow with the Swiss Set. It is one of my things to do, maybe WhiteHand, if you had a look at it too? Your more advanced at it than me

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GRF encoder tool: GRFMaker [under development]

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