GigaLems - A project I plan on making

[GigaLem]

This is something I want to go back to in fact I may even turn Lemmings platinum into this
I'll use the original 9 tilesets and the original 8 skills for this one (i'll be using neolemmix)
5 Ratings (before and after)
Cakewalk becomes Warm
Doosy becomes Hot
Careful becomes Boiling
Fragile becomes Scalding
Dangerous becomes Scorching
I'll begin development when i get the chance
Edit: The first five levels of Warm have been made (5 out 150 levels in total)

[namida]

Chrome is known to have issues for it (and regular Lemmix).

Some possible workarounds:
- If the NeoLemmix website doesn't work, try the DropBox link, or vice versa.
- If you have DropBox, go to the DropBox link and use "Save to my dropbox" instead.
- Try a different browser; others don't seem to have any issues.

Good luck.

[GigaLem]

The First Half of Warm is Done

[namida]

Awesome to see more new NeoLemmix content! I'll be sure to check these out later on tonight.

[namida]

Okay, I had a go on these levels. They're very easy (as is to be expected for a first rank), but the designs are VERY nice!

Some comments:
- On the digger tutorial level, the time spent walking is quite excessive. It might pay to shorten this a bit.
- On the bomber tutorial level, I don't see why you included blockers? As I'm sure you've noticed, bombers explode instantly (without a countdown) on NeoLemmix (unless you manually choose otherwise in a Flexi-based player).
- Scarif-Slice is far harder than the other levels, and may be worth moving to another rank (or at least later in the rank).
- Saving 100% on "Building to Salvation" might be an interesting challenge for less-experienced players; or could be used (with a reduced skillset) for a repeat verison of the level.
- "Bashing to Safety" might also be a bit difficult for new players due to the need to judge where to bash to come out at the right point on a diagonal slope.
- On "Not Breaking But Entering", I think you might've overlooked something fairly obvious; not that it's a huge deal for an easier level.
- In general, it may be worth noting that you can change the width of a level in NeoLemmix (and thus get rid of the black space on the sides). NeoLemmix Editor even has a Shift Level option (under the "Edit" heading on the menu bar) which can help move the level for this purpose.
- Also in general, you've placed some steel areas which don't overlap the steel block exactly, thus causing terrain around them to be steel. Unlike in traditional Lemmix (or DOS), there is no need to do this. In fact, in NeoLemmix (and SuperLemmini, if you ever make levels for that) you don't need to place steel areas at all; you can just use the Autosteel option in the level stats config (which is enabled by default) and all the steel blocks will automatically become steel.

I'll send you a PM with my replays.

[GigaLem]

I move Sacrif-Slice to level 20
Removed the bombers in Not Breaking but Entering
Made Just keep Digging Shorter

[namida]

Another suggestion I'd make (and indeed this is how I make my packs): Don't nessecerially try to make the levels in order. By this I mean, using the Original game as an example, don't worry about making Fun 1 first, then Fun 2, and so on. Just make levels, then place them where they fit in based on how difficult they are - and don't be too shy about moving them around later, too. Case in point - in all my packs combined, none of the final levels were the last level of the pack to be made, and only one first level was the first level to be made (Breezy 1 of Lemmings Plus Omega). Quite often, in fact, I'd aim to make a level for a certain position, but it'd be way too easy (or hard) for that position, so I'd move it somewhere else.

[GigaLem]

Here is the first special level

[namida]

That's a pretty neat level, and making large "pixel" art in the Psychedelic set is always fun! Again, I'll PM you my replay.

[GigaLem]

First of all i know how to use replays now and second of all
I've made this picture for what i would like to use it on the title screen sorry about the poor quality i took this picture with the 3DS camra
I wish to have it pixelised 

[namida]

I'd suggest look into LemMain and the Lemmix Flexi Player (which is available in both traditional Lemmix and NeoLemmix flavors). They'll help a long way with actually getting your game into a standalone player EXE, instead of just lots of LVL files that people have to load manually.

I won't entirely make the player for you; but if you need some help working out how to use it, feel free to ask.

[GigaLem]

BTW how do i know which track is which? because i want to know if there's any Genesis song in there

[namida]

There aren't any Genesis musics. The order of the tracks depends on whether the person playing has also got the DOS Music pack; tracks 1 to 17 follow the DOS order if the music pack is present, or the Amiga order if it isn't. Tracks 18 to 23 are the OhNo musics, which are the same order in either case.

However, if you want specific tracks, you can include them with your pack - if you're using the Flexi player, you can build whichever tracks you want into the EXE; if you're using (Neo)CustLemmix, you'll have to include them as either IT or OGG files. Name them "track_##.it" (or "track_##.ogg", where ## is the number you want that track to be. If you have both an OGG and an IT file for the same number, the OGG file has priority; and looping OGGs are supported.

Note that single digit numbers should have a leading zero; eg track_01.it not track_1.it. Three-digit numbers are fine if you need that many (or just want to use high numbers); so track_150.it is fine. Note that the highest track number you can use is 252; the music number can't be set higher than 255, and numbers 253 to 255 have special effects (as does zero):

0 will just use the standard "rotate through the musics one by one", or in Cust, "choose a music at random"; in both cases special musics will be played if certain gimmicks are set
253 is the same as zero, but it won't play a special track on gimmick / frenzy levels
254 plays the Frenzy music
255 plays the Gimmick music

(If you want a custom Frenzy or Gimmick track, the filenames to use are "frenzy.it" and "gimmick.it" (or .ogg).)

For reference; the special music on gimmick levels is determined by:
- Does the level use the SuperLemming or Frenzy gimmick? If so, use the Frenzy music.
- Otherwise, does the level use any gimmick other than Bait-and-Switch or 80px Fall? If so, use the Gimmick music.
- If the level doesn't use any gimmicks (or only uses Bait-and-Switch and/or 80px Fall), just play regular music.

[GigaLem]

Where do i put the music Files?
Also Warm is Completed here it is

[namida]

If you're building a Flexi player, see the Flexi documentation (or the tutorial on the NeoLemmix website) for info on that.

If you're just using NeoCustLemmix, put them in the same folder as NeoCustLemmix itself.


By the way - other formats might work, if you rename them to have an IT extension (if they're module type formats such as MOD, XM, etc), or OGG extension (for formats like WAV, etc). This isn't an officially supported feature, and won't work for all types (eg: it won't work for VGM files), but you can try - the former definitely does work, I'm not entirely sure about the latter as I haven't tried.

[GigaLem]

"If you're just using NeoCustLemmix, put them in the same folder as NeoCustLemmix itself."
I did that but it doesn't work

[namida]

I've played through your new update for Warm, here's some things I noticed:

- In the floater tutorial level, you could probably benefit from making the lemmings come out of the entrance facing left. All you have to do is click the "Left-Facing" box on the piece properties in the editor.
- The bomber tutorial level still has the blockers, not sure if this is intentional. Also, it's missing the decorative arrow on top of the exit.
- The way I solved level 10 could be useful for a repeat version of this level (if you're planning on having repeats).
- Level 18... just for the record, this trick has really been done to death by now... (see: "I am A.T." in the Genesis version, "Wall of Wisdom" in LPI, and countless others). Ignoring that, I'd say this trick is also too obscure for a first-rank level, even with a level like this that makes it fairly obvious what to do. And ignoring all of those; there's a backroute here, unless you intended for what I did to be possible...
- Level 24... hmm... I can't help but notice that the name is the same as one of the LPI levels, which also involves getting past steel in a similar method...
- Level 25, again, the exit is missing the decoration (the flag in this case); though with the Snow set this isn't so noticable.
- Level 26, that's three levels by this point focused solely on blocking... :/
- Level 27, very nice concept, but the way the one-ways just cut off at the bottom-right is a bit untidy. If you weren't aware, in NeoLemmix you can make one-way walls only apply to certain terrain pieces, so that they neatly appear on the rock piece but not the pole (or all the way down the pole, if you cover it with another one). When you use this option, it doesn't (yet) appear properly in the editor, but when you play the level you'll see it.
- Level 29, just my two cents, but I'd recommend stick to one version of the style instead of using the DOS one in some levels and the Genesis one in others. On NeoLemmix, their trigger areas are the same, if that's what was the motivation for using the other one.


Now overall, I think these are some very nice levels! They're all quite simple (apart from Level 20, which could be tricky for a new player), but they're mostly fun to play and are very nice-looking. I look forward to seeing the rest of the pack, especially once it gets harder.

I've PM'd you my solutions. Note that I played all the levels again, so even for levels that I sent you solutions before, I've probably solved at least some of them differently this time.

[namida]

What's the filename of your music files, and have you set the music number in the level as well? And, do you get no music at all, or do you get the normal music instead of your one?

Let me know these things and, assuming that it isn't just a file naming mistake, I'll look into this.

[GigaLem]

Do I make a new folder for music and put the file there?

[namida]

Nope, it should be in the same folder as the EXE.

[GigaLem]

I renamed it Track_24.it

[namida]

What kind of file was it originally? Have you set the "Music Number" for the level to 24? What happens when you try to play?

[GigaLem]

What did was rename it
set the track to play to 24
and it wouldn't read

[namida]

Okay, I'll look into that at some point today.

[GigaLem]

Since i plan to have the genesis sound track in this pack
can you get the genesis songs for any future versions of neolemmix
another thing i tried using flexilemmix it wouldn't work

[Simon]

i tried using flexilemmix it wouldn't work

To get help, always provide three things:

• What did you do? Give as much detail as possible.
• What did you expect the computer to do?
• What did the computer do instead? If you get an error, give the exact error message.

-- Simon

[GigaLem]

Downloaded flexilemmix
Tried using it both the player and tool kit
It gave me an error

[namida]

Send me the SYSTEM.DAT file you made for your game, and the other data files you're trying to use with it, and I'll take a look.

Also, I tested the custom music files, in both playtest mode from the editor and with running NeoCustLemmix directly, and in both cases it worked fine. Can you please tell me exactly what happens when you try to use your custom track? Simply "it doesn't work" is not helpful since it seems to work fine for me. Does it give an error message? Does it play, but have no music? Does it use a normal music track instead of your custom one? The more information you give, the more likely I'll be able to find the cause of the problem and fix it.

I'm very keen to help get your problems sorted, as your level pack shows a lot of potential based on the levels you've released so far; but I can't help fix anything if I don't know the cause of your problems.

[GigaLem]

I couldn't make a SYSTEM.DAT becuase flexilemmix won't open it give me an error

[namida]

You don't use FlexiLemmix to create the SYSTEM.DAT file; you use the NeoLemmix Editor to do it.

Please note that the FlexiLemmix player doesn't just magically know everything you want in your pack. You need to set it up correctly, which is a little bit of work, but (not including the time to make your levels obviously) it should only take 5 minutes or so. I would suggest you read this tutorial on the NeoLemmix Website, which is much more detailed than the FlexiLemmix readme.

[GigaLem]

Your solution for Warm level 10
will it fit in Scalding or Scorching?

[namida]

It really depends how difficult those ranks are overall. If this was the original game, I'd say my solution would fit in late-Taxing or early-Mayhem; if it was Lemmings Plus I, I'd say it quite firmly goes in the Danger rank. Decide based on what you want your ranks to be comparable to.

[GigaLem]

Another thing, When i do finish GigaLems what i want to know how to change the Ratings holder (the lemming holding the sign on the far left)
Becuase i have made the ratings logos and im working on the gigalems logo it self too.

[namida]

LemMain is the tool you'll want to use for that. Be sure to read the readme before saying "it doesn't work".

[GigaLem]

Where is LemMain?

[namida]

http://www.neolemmix.com/old/lemmain.html

[GigaLem]

To change a do you Replace a bmp?

[namida]

Yep. Replace or edit it; keeping in mind you can only use colors that already exist in the main menu's palette. (Use the "Save Palettes" option to create a BMP that contains all of these.) For most images (such as rank signs and the logo) you can use any color in the palette, though there are a few that are more limited (such as the brown background).

[GigaLem]

So to be clear i can use the colors i have in the scorching sign?

[namida]

No; there's no red in the menu palette. I had the same issue with PSYCHO's sign in LPI; I wanted to use red but it isn't in the palette.

IIRC there's black (which is treated as transparent on a lot of images), three shades of brown, four shades each of green and blue, white, pink, yellow, and another shade of blue. As I said; if you use the "save palettes" option in LemMain, it'll save images containing all the allowed colors; palette_menu.bmp is the one for the menu screen. Then you can use the color picker tool in whatever graphics program you use to select colors from that.

[GigaLem]

How bout shades of blue
Blue fire is hot than red fire isn't it?

[namida]

Well, we won't get too much into science here, but I *think* it's more to do with what substances are burning (or even simply in the flame's path) than temperature... I could be wrong though.

Anyway, yes, you can use the shades of blue that are found in menu_palette.bmp (or in any existing images that are from the menu screen). Any other shades of blue will not work.

[GigaLem]

I Replaced the BMP for the rank signs but how do i insert them
Rebuild images for Flexilemmixtraditional or neolemmix (becuase i can't find flexilemmix by itself)

[namida]

Use the NeoLemmix option. It covers *all* versions of NeoLemmix, including Flexi NeoLemmix.

[GigaLem]

Everything's a go except Warm i editing it right now to fix it
Btw one more what do i change the number to in the songs list (in SYSTEM.DAT editor)

[namida]

However many songs you have in your rotation. For example, in OhNo, there's six different tracks that it rotates through, so you'd put 6. In Orig, there's 17 tracks in the normal rotation so you'd put 17 (there are four special tracks used on specific levels, but these shouldn't pop up in the normal rotation of tracks played on each level, so you don't include them).

[GigaLem]

I put 17 but for some reason it doesn't want to read track 2
It says "bestand "track2.it" staat niet in archeif"

[namida]

I'm going to guess that you just set the number and expected it to magically pull the tracks out of thin air. You need to actually supply the musics you want it to use; the Flexi player only contains one track (mostly for technical reasons) until you give it more to use. This is mentioned in the readme, and the tutorial I linked you to the other day.

I've been helping you a lot with this because your levels show a lot of potential, but you do need to actually read how to use these tools instead of just expecting everything to magically work.

[GigaLem]

how though i tried using the toolkit and it gives me a fout 5 error

[namida]

You shouldn't be using the toolkit version for anything at this stage. Put the music files in the same folder as the (non-toolkit) Flexi player that you're using while building your pack. This is described in this tutorial, which I've linked you to at least once before:

Read this for how to make your pack, using the regular version of Flexi:
http://www.neolemmix.com/old/flexitutorial.html

For when your pack is finished and you're ready to make the EXE to distribute, read this for how to use the Toolkit to make such an EXE:
http://www.neolemmix.com/old/flexitutorial2.html

If you ask any more questions which are covered in the readme, those tutorials, or that I've already answered in previous posts (or discussions on IRC), I'm not going to answer them. Feel free to ask questions if they aren't covered in any of those, or if you have read them and genuinely don't understand something that's in them - to show you've read them (since it seems to be a recurring thing that you haven't), please quote the part of them that you don't understand when asking such questions.

[GigaLem]

I've read all of it (the first link) but it doesn't tell how too insert music files
i have the .it files but no way of inserting them

[namida]

So, to keep things tidy, it may pay to create a dedicated folder for your project. Start by placing the following in this folder:

    A copy of the Flexi Lemmix player
    All your IT / OGG files
    Any custom graphic sets or VGASPECs you plan to use

[GigaLem]

Step 1. Make a folder
Step 2. move bmp images flexilemmix, System.dat main.dat, Lemmain, and .it files
Step 3. Done?
One more thing Mstop4 on youtube did these lemmings comparison videos for various version of lemmings
he's has links to this website to download the themes here it is
http://www.codiekitty.com/LEM/Music/
It has Genesis, SNES, Pc-engine, and others (including lemmings spin offs)

[namida]

You should put the following files in the folder:

- The Flexi EXE
- The MAIN.DAT - you don't put the BMP images themself in the folder; you use LemMain to make them back into a MAIN.DAT file and put *that* in the folder
- The SYSTEM.DAT
- Your .IT (or .OGG) files
- Your LEVELxxx.DAT files
- (Optional) Any custom graphic sets, custom VGASPECs, or iXXXX.txt / pXXXX.txt files (these are used for pre-level / post-level texts; I haven't written up about these in the tutorial yet as they're a fairly new feature, but I'll add it soon okay, it seems I have already done it)


LemMain doesn't need to be in the same folder as your project; it's a tool for editing MAIN.DAT (just like the NeoLemmix Editor is a tool for editing level files).

And, apologies if the post last night seemed a bit grumpy; it was quite late when I posted that.

[GigaLem]

Well everything is a go

[namida]

Awesome! I look forward to seeing the pack when it's done.

By the way, if you have any levels that meet the criteria for the current level design contest (of course you can slightly modify them to meet the criteria if need be), you should consider entering one - there are prizes up for grabs! Do note that it has to be a level you haven't yet released anywhere else (but it's fine to release it later as part of your pack, once the contest is over).

[GigaLem]

Behold my True Power
And its properly inserted in other words IT WORKS

[namida]

That's awesome! The lemmings you drew look really cool too!

[GigaLem]

Hot level 14 is going to be a special level
And its going to take me a while to make it
Edit: I can't go over 999 pieces darn it

[GigaLem]

I don't mean to double post but
here is the special level to the Hot difficulty
THIS IS THE MONADO'S POWER
This is the best monado i can make becuase i was running out of space

[namida]

That's extremely impressive! A fairly simple level to solve, but the design of it is amazing.

[GigaLem]

Originally i had the Chinese character for speed but
1.it didn't look good
&
2.I wanted to put Xenoblade chronicles quotes in there

[GigaLem]

Part 1 of Hot is done

[GigaLem]

how do you save replays

[namida]

Press "U" to save a replay. You can do this at any time during a level, or on the post-level screen. By default it'll automatically name it, for example, "Warm_01.lrb" for Warm 1, etc. If you want to override this and set custom names, just go into the config menu (press F3 on the title screen) and turn "Automatic Replay Names" off; if you do this, when you save a replay a Save File dialog will come up and let you enter a filename.

Keep in mind that replays made on V1.28n and newer can't be viewed on V1.27n and older. The reverse is fine though; V1.28n+ can view replays from older versions.

[GigaLem]

I waiting to release the hot difficulty because of the lemmings level design contest and its rules
(have the results been posted)

[namida]

You do know you can check for yourself, in the Level Design Contests subforum under level designing?

Anyway, at the moment, entries have closed. It's currently in a one-week break between entries closing and voting opening (to give people a chance to play the levels before deciding on their vote). Voting will open in about 4 days.

That being said, you don't need to post each level or rank as you complete it (of course, you can if you want, it's up to you since it's your level pack).

Another option; you could always just post the rest of the rank but without the contest level.

[GigaLem]

anyway did you get the PM i sent ya?

[GigaLem]

Lemmain v9.0 turn everthing into a mess
i should've never tried to edit the palette for the toolbar

[GigaLem]

If i wanted to put custom music in i would put in the genesis soundtrack plus
Megaman 2 - Title theme for Warm 22
Xenoblade Chronicles - You will know our names for Hot 14
Sonic Adventure 2 - Live and Learn for Boiling 16
Pokemon X/Y - Champion theme for Scalding 22
Super Smash Bros (3ds/WiiU) - Final destination (I'll have a poll for this one when i have the chance, Choices are N64, Melee, Brawl, 3DS/WiiU) for Scorching 18
Freedom Planet - Final dreadnought 1-4 for Scorching 25-29 Final Boss Brevon for Scorching 30
Mega man 10 - Stage select for Stage preview

[namida]

You can put in custom music if you can get it in either IT or OGG format. Looping OGGs are supported. Similar formats to IT (such as MOD, XM, etc) are also supported; just rename them to have a .IT extension.

If you can get it in VGM format, there's a tool out there called "BRSTM Convertor" that can convert VGMs to looping OGGs; it saves these with a LOGG extension but just rename it to OGG and it'll work.

[GigaLem]

I have two levels from boiling
Both the special level
and one i had fun creating
Remember Crazy level 3 well......i tilted it

[Wafflem]

This is something I want to go back to in fact I may even turn Lemmings platinum into this
[...]
Careful becomes Boiling
Fragile becomes Scalding
Dangerous becomes Scorching

Just wondering, but are you still using these levels for your pack. which were in Lemmings Platinum:

Careful Part 1
Careful Part 2
Fragile Part 1
Fragile Part 2
Dangerous Part 1
Dangerous Part 2

Because the two Boiling levels you previewed are not in any of the packs above.

[GigaLem]

I am returning some levels and i wanted to start almost-completely from scratch
beside looking at most of the levels...well i didn't like how they were

[GigaLem]

Hot and Boiling is done i wanted to wait til the contest #2 was done to release it
so enjoy
Im going to take a short brake before starting on Scalding.

[namida]

I'm going to wait until the pack's finished before playing any more of the levels (unless there are some specific levels you want backroute tested, etc, in which case I'm happy to do a few of them - but not every level), but I'm definitely looking forward to it.

[GigaLem]

Scalding is Finished
Edit: I forgot about making Scalding level but here you go

[GigaLem]

And now Scorching
with the levels done before i make the .exe i need help with music

[namida]

What kind of help do you need?

If you can get your music in IT or OGG format, all you need to do is name it track_01.it (or track_01.ogg), track_02.it (or track_02.ogg), etc.

Similar formats to IT (such as MOD, XM, etc) will work if you just change the filename extension to IT. I'm not sure if the same is true for other formats similar to OGG, though it's very possible that they might work.

VGM, PSF, etc do not work. However, there's a tool called "BRSTM Convertor" that'll convert at least VGM for you (you may need to modify the source code a bit, if it can be done at all, to convert anything else). When using this to convert VGM, choose "looping OGG" as the output, and rename it (the extension it uses will be "LOGG", but just change it to OGG).

MIDI files can be converted using OpenMPT Tracker, just open them in it then use "Compatibility Export". However, for best results, you'll probably want to tinker with it a bit (for example, to set up looping).


Looks like I might need to speed up my GeoffLems videos a bit, since I'd like to do videos on my first playthrough for GigaLems. Still got 4 more videos of GeoffLems to go (assuming I stick to the 10-levels-per-video rate; I might slow it down a bit for Mayhem).

[GigaLem]

but how i tried doing that with one music file just to test it (by renaming it) and i couldn't get it working
BTW i do know where to get Genesis tracks

[namida]

What's the original format of the file?

[GigaLem]

I was a MP3

[namida]

Okay, then I guess we can say MP3s don't work directly. They're not hard to convert to OGG though.

[GigaLem]

1. How
&
2. how do i make them loop

[namida]

To convert them, just open in any audio program that supports both formats (Audacity is one such program) and save as OGG. Making them loop is a bit more complex; you need to add metainfo tags "LOOPSTART" and "LOOPLENGTH", with both values being in sample number, not time. I believe you can calculate the sample number by dividng the time (in seconds) by the frequency. You might want to google more details on this.

Otherwise, if you can find the songs you want in VGM format (which shouldn't be too hard to do), then you can use the tool I mentioned above to convert them with the looping info already in the output file, saving you the hassle of working it out yourself.

One thing I would mention is that using OGGs for your music will result in a very large EXE. You might want to instead do what I've done with Lemmings Plus I, II and Omega - use IT (or similar) files in the EXE, and create a seperate music pack. (To give a rough idea of how much of a difference this'd make, Lemmings Plus II - which only has eight tracks, two of which are in IT format even in the music pack - would be about 5MB larger if the EXE had the OGG files built in. NeoCustLemmix would be about 13MB larger!)

To create the music pack, use the LemResourceBuilder as usual (but with the musics you want in the music pack, rather than the ones you want in the EXE), and take the ARC file (not the RES one), and rename it to [name of player]_Music.dat. For example, if your player's EXE file is titled "GigaLems.exe", you'd rename the ARC file to "GigaLems_Music.dat". This way, you can distribute a smaller EXE, and offer a seperate download of the music file for those who want the better musics.

[GigaLem]

What if i don't have Audacity
also heres the link to the Genesis (and ports) songs
http://www.codiekitty.com/LEM/Music/

[namida]

Audacity is just one example of a program that can do it (and for that matter, it's also free and (if I'm not mistaken) open-source). There's heaps of others too. Format Factory is another one (and it's very useful in general, it can convert between a LOT of audio and video formats), and it too is free.

The simple answer would be "if you don't have any such program, get one".


You can also get the Genesis musics, in VGM format, here:
http://www.zophar.net/music/vgm/lemmings-vgm-.html

[GigaLem]

Got audacity set up
now what

[namida]

To convert them, just open in any audio program that supports both formats (Audacity is one such program) and save as OGG. Making them loop is a bit more complex; you need to add metainfo tags "LOOPSTART" and "LOOPLENGTH", with both values being in sample number, not time. I believe you can calculate the sample number by dividng the time (in seconds) by the frequency. You might want to google more details on this.

[GigaLem]

You can also get the Genesis musics, in VGM format, here:
http://www.zophar.net/music/vgm/lemmings-vgm-.html

Its a 7zip file i don't have 7z

[namida]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=download+7zip

[GigaLem]

Files Extracted but
if im going to loop a song i cant seem to find the Metainfo tags

[namida]

Use the "Metadata Editor" under the filemenu, according to the Audacity wiki. I don't currently have it on this PC so I can't open it and check for sure where to do it.

One thing to be aware of - if I'm not mistaken, it's case sensitive, so they must be "LOOPSTART" and "LOOPLENGTH".

[GigaLem]

Thank you for your help i just tested it

[GigaLem]

One more thing before i go how do you edit the Ending Screen (when you beat all levels this message shows up)
Because i want to put something there

[namida]

You can put a preview or postview text on any level. Create a text file named:

iXXXX.txt for preview
pXXXX.txt for postview

Put it in the data folder when building an exe.

The XXXX is the same rank / level numbers as for LVL files. For example, if you wanted a preview text on the first level of the second rank, name it i0201.txt. For a postview text on the 30th level of the 5th rank, it's p0530.txt.

These files can be up to 18 lines, and each line can have about 40 characters. There's no limit to how many levels can have them (though obviously, it'd get annoying if you overuse them), and you can have both a preview and a postview text on the same level.

[GigaLem]

You can put a preview or postview text on any level. Create a text file named:

iXXXX.txt for preview
pXXXX.txt for postview

Put it in the data folder when building an exe.

The XXXX is the same rank / level numbers as for LVL files. For example, if you wanted a preview text on the first level of the second rank, name it i0201.txt. For a postview text on the 30th level of the 5th rank, it's p0530.txt.

These files can be up to 18 lines, and each line can have about 40 characters. There's no limit to how many levels can have them (though obviously, it'd get annoying if you overuse them), and you can have both a preview and a postview text on the same level.

for example if i put p0430.txt i can make an end message if im correct

[namida]

I think it would be 0530 for your pack? (5th rank, 30th level?)

But yes, you have the general idea of it.

[GigaLem]

Um LEVEL000 = 1st rank
LEVEL001 = 2nd rank
LEVEL002 = 3rd rank
LEVEL003 = 4th rank
LEVEL004 = 5th rank
so wouldn't 0430 be the case?
or it doesn't do 0
also i couldn't import the genesis tracks correctly it comes up as static
if they are VGM files how do i correctly import them?

[namida]

Yeah, it's a bit confusing. The level pack DAT files start from 0, but the text files (just like LVL files when using the LookForLVLFiles option) start from 1. I can definitely see why you'd think it was 0430, but I assure you 0530 is correct.

As for the Genesis tracks, I can clearly see you've at least tried, so I'll see if I can get them into the right format (and working) for you.

[GigaLem]

Thank you
because im so close to releasing this pack
(i'll have to change every stage's song because of the track's rotation)

[namida]

Just set the number of tracks to 17 in your SYSTEM.DAT file, then you don't have to configure it manually for each level. (Or to however many tracks you're planning to use, if you don't intend to use all 17 of them)

[GigaLem]

Just set the number of tracks to 17 in your SYSTEM.DAT file, then you don't have to configure it manually for each level. (Or to however many tracks you're planning to use, if you don't intend to use all 17 of them)

So i f i set it to 24 (Genesis+Ohno) i don't have to worry if i have the ogg files in the same folder?

[namida]

23 for Genesis + OhNo, I think? (17 Orig musics + 6 OhNo)

But yes, you have the right idea. Just be aware that when you build an all-in-one EXE, it won't read OGG files simply placed in the same folder. You must either build them into the EXE, or create a music pack file.

To create a music pack file, you use the LemResourceBuilder included in the Flexi Toolkit (this time with the OGG files instead of the IT files being in the music folder); the ARC file is your music pack. Just rename this file, if for example your EXE is "GigaLems.exe", the music pack should be "GigaLems_Music.dat". I highly recommend doing it this way instead of including the OGG files as the built-in musics, as the filesize for just the Genesis OGGs is over 13MB. Then, you can add the music pack as a seperate download.

Note that you must include all track numbers (plus Frenzy and Gimmick) in the music pack, even if the version of them in there is identical to the one in the EXE. Basically, the way NeoLemmix works is that if a music pack exists, the music files built into the EXE are ignored completely. For example, in Lemmings Plus Omega, track_03 doesn't have a higher-quality OGG version, but track_03.it still has to be included seperately in the music pack.

Here's links for the OGG files:
Genesis Orig OGG files
OhNo DOS OGG files

Note that the Genesis ones, I've renamed the files so the songs are in the same order as the Amiga version. You'll have to swap the filenames around a bit if you want the DOS order (or a custom order) instead. Also note that the special graphics level OGGs are included; if you aren't using these too, I highly recommend you don't include them with your pack (to reduce file size).

You can use either OGGs or ITs in the music pack (for example, if you want to mix the Genesis OGGs with the Amiga OhNo IT files). If you include both an OGG and an IT with the same number, the OGG is the one that'll be used.

[GigaLem]

Thank you again i should get working on the .exe pretty soon

[namida]

No worries.

As a point of interest, the Genesis tracks (including special graphics levels) + OhNo tracks come to 27 tracks total. If you can find 3 more tracks, then you've got enough for a different track for each level. There's 4 unique tracks in the Master System version, perhaps you could use 3 of those (or 4 of them and remove one of the other tracks). This is, of course, just a suggestion - it's up to you if you do this or not.

[GigaLem]

The Cream de la cream of it is if someone could make Genesis remixes of the OHNO tracks and the exclusive tracks from the commodore 64
that and i wish someone could do RSE & FRLG remixes of all the lemmings themes (including the special levels)

[namida]

I doubt that's going to happen any time soon (though you never know!). If you would like the Master System ones, here:

Master System OGGs

The unique tracks are #13, #14, #15 and #17. #13 in particular is unique - while the other 3 are (like many Lemmings tracks) based off classical tunes*, #13 seems to be an entirely original composition for the Master System version (and, I must say, a very catchy track). If you've played Lemmings Plus I or Lemmings Plus Omega, you may recognize it as being levels #13 / #30 in the former, and levels #15 / #30 (except Mental 30 and Playtime 15) in the latter.

* Sources:
14 - "Miniature Overture" by Tchaikovsky
15 - "Scotland the Brave"
17 - "Don't Dilly-Dally On The Way"

[GigaLem]

I know i have to get the v1.30b versions of it but when i tried to use the resource builder it gave me a fout 5 error

[namida]

If it's the resource builder giving that error, it's probably not a matter of needing to update. The resource builder hasn't been changed since V1.27n-B; only the player EXE has been.

Check the following:
- Have you extracted all contents of the Flexi Toolkit into the folder with it? (in particular, is GoRC.exe in the same folder as the resource builder?)
- Are all your IT/OGG folders in a subfolder called "music"?
- Are all your other files (graphic sets, LEVELxxx.DAT, pXXXX/iXXXX.txt, etc) in a subfolder called "data"?

If so, when exactly does this error occur? Is it immediately when you open resource builder, or only when you click one of the buttons? Does it happen on both buttons, or only on one of them? Does the resource builder create the ARC and RC files (but not the RES file), or does it not create anything?

[GigaLem]

I must
1.Move the contents out of the extracted folder
&
2.move the IT/OGG files in to the music folder?

[namida]

Easiest way is to just extract everything in the toolkit into one folder, seperate from anything else (so not the same folder as you're using to make your game).

Then, you'll want to:

Data folder
Put all your data files in here. By default, the Data folder already contains copies of every graphic set; you can delete ones you aren't using if you want. If you're using any that aren't in there (custom ones, converted Cheapo ones, etc), make sure to add them. Pretty much, every file for your pack that isn't a music file should be in here.

Music folder
Clear out everything that's already in here (unless you're using them - if you don't have your own, you might want to leave frenzy.it and gimmick.it in here). Put all your music files in here.

After doing that, does it work? If not, can you give more details on exactly what happens (see my last post).

[GigaLem]

Easiest way is to just extract everything in the toolkit into one folder, seperate from anything else (so not the same folder as you're using to make your game).

Then, you'll want to:

Data folder
Put all your data files in here. By default, the Data folder already contains copies of every graphic set; you can delete ones you aren't using if you want. If you're using any that aren't in there (custom ones, converted Cheapo ones, etc), make sure to add them. Pretty much, every file for your pack that isn't a music file should be in here.

Music folder
Clear out everything that's already in here (unless you're using them - if you don't have your own, you might want to leave frenzy.it and gimmick.it in here). Put all your music files in here.

After doing that, does it work? If not, can you give more details on exactly what happens (see my last post).

Data files as in .DAT if im right

[namida]

Mainly, yes, but also any pXXXX.txt / iXXXX.txt files as well.

[GigaLem]

Mainly, yes, but also any pXXXX.txt / iXXXX.txt files as well.

New text document?
im just trying to make sure

[namida]

The ones you've made (if any) for pre-level / post-level texts. If you haven't already created them, then yes, new text document is correct.

Pretty much, if you've got a folder where you've got the (non-toolkit) Flexi player working for your pack, you should copy all the music files from it into the "music" folder, and everything else (except the player EXE) into the "data" folder.

[GigaLem]

I still get the error

[namida]

If so, when exactly does this error occur? Is it immediately when you open resource builder, or only when you click one of the buttons? Does it happen on both buttons, or only on one of them? Does the resource builder create the ARC and RC files (but not the RES file), or does it not create anything?

[GigaLem]

If so, when exactly does this error occur? Is it immediately when you open resource builder, or only when you click one of the buttons? Does it happen on both buttons, or only on one of them? Does the resource builder create the ARC and RC files (but not the RES file), or does it not create anything?

When i click the button

[namida]

If so, when exactly does this error occur? Is it immediately when you open resource builder, or only when you click one of the buttons? Does it happen on both buttons, or only on one of them? Does the resource builder create the ARC and RC files (but not the RES file), or does it not create anything?

[GigaLem]

If so, when exactly does this error occur? Is it immediately when you open resource builder, or only when you click one of the buttons? Does it happen on both buttons, or only on one of them? Does the resource builder create the ARC and RC files (but not the RES file), or does it not create anything?

fout 5 error happens on both buttons

[namida]

If so, when exactly does this error occur? Is it immediately when you open resource builder, or only when you click one of the buttons? Does it happen on both buttons, or only on one of them? Does the resource builder create the ARC and RC files (but not the RES file), or does it not create anything?

[GigaLem]

actually it does sorry for not catching that

[namida]

Okay. If it's creating those files, but not creating the RES file, then this would mean for some reason it's unable to run GoRC. You did extract GoRC into the same folder as the resource builder, right?

I'm off for a bit now, but I'll look into it more later.

[GigaLem]

Okay. If it's creating those files, but not creating the RES file, then this would mean for some reason it's unable to run GoRC. You did extract GoRC into the same folder as the resource builder, right?

I'm off for a bit now, but I'll look into it more later.

I try to run GoRC but only a window shows for a split second and nothing happens

[namida]

That's normal. You don't have to run GoRC yourself; what matters is that it must be in the same folder as the resource builder.

GoRC does nothing unless it's supplied with certain "command line options". You don't really need to worry about these, it's a technical thing - what you do need to know is that when GoRC is needed, LemResourceBuilder will automatically run it (with the correct command line options). So, LemResourceBuilder and GoRC must be in the same folder as each other.

[GigaLem]

still that problem is that i need help converting the things i have into a EXE

[namida]

The readme describes exactly how to do that, as does the tutorial here. Using LemResourceBuilder to make the RES files is part of that.

If you really can't get it working (or can't understand it), send me all your data / music files and I'll put it together for you - but only if you can tell exactly what doesn't work (or what you don't understand), to make clear that you have tried to do it yourself. (Just like how with the music files, I was happy to do them for you because I could see that you'd tried yourself but couldn't quite work it out.)

[GigaLem]

The readme describes exactly how to do that, as does the tutorial here. Using LemResourceBuilder to make the RES files is part of that.

If you really can't get it working (or can't understand it), send me all your data / music files and I'll put it together for you - but only if you can tell exactly what doesn't work (or what you don't understand), to make clear that you have tried to do it yourself. (Just like how with the music files, I was happy to do them for you because I could see that you'd tried yourself but couldn't quite work it out.)

the problem is
1.All music is in the music folder
2.All DAT files (and p0530) is in data folder
3. i have the .ARC and .RC files
even still i get the fout 5 error
and i cant get the .res file ether
i followed the read me too

[namida]

And, GoRC is in the same folder as the resource builder (not the data or music folders, but the main folder that LemResourceBuilder is in)? If it is and you still get this error, send me the files and I'll take a look at it.

(Rather than upload all the music files (that I already have), which would take a long time, you can just let me know which ones you're using if you prefer.)

[GigaLem]

And, GoRC is in the same folder as the resource builder (not the data or music folders, but the main folder that LemResourceBuilder is in)? If it is and you still get this error, send me the files and I'll take a look at it.

(Rather than upload all the music files (that I already have), which would take a long time, you can just let me know which ones you're using if you prefer.)

yes the GoRC is in the same folder (and still the same result)

[namida]

Alright. Send me the contents of your Data folder, as well as a list of which musics you're using (and the files for any of them that aren't the default ones or the ones I sent you before) and I'll have a go at it. As you probably already know, you can attach files to PMs on this new board.

[GigaLem]

sure thing
Besides both the genesis and ohno themes i have
24.Megaman 2 intro (super smash bros 3ds/wiiU)
25.You will know our names (xenoblade chronicles)
26.Live and Learn(Sonic adventure 2)
27.Champion theme (pokemon X&Y)
28.Master core-final form(Super smash bros.)
29-33. Final dreadnought 1-4 (freedom planet)
34.Final Boss Brevon (freedom planet)

[namida]

I'll need copies of those music files then, in a compatible format (OGG or IT). VGM format is also acceptable, as I have a tool that can easily convert these to OGGs (with the loop data and all).

[GigaLem]

For some reason i try to put the files up i click post
It instead goes to "start new topic"

[GigaLem]

I shall be locking the thread for those who are curious about the game's progress
well good news
http://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=2089.msg50549#new
any ways take care and have a good night