PattView Tech Info

Since the development of PattView has come to a close, I believe the next logical step is to explain how it works so others can duplicate and expand upon my work. Before I get started here, I'd like to thank DsPet and Virus for all of their help in the development of this tool. We all know it would've never happened without them.

Let's dissect the RVFOREST.DAT save file and locate the pattern information. Here is the offset information used in PattView. Each offset will take you to the start of the pattern information for that slot.

Code:

---

1-1

offset=$1160
player=1

1-2

offset=$19E0
player=1

1-3

offset=$2260
player=1

1-4

offset=$2AE0
player=1

1-5

offset=$3360 
player=1

1-6

offset=$3BE0
player=1

1-7

offset=$4460
player=1

1-8

offset=$4CE0
player=1

2-1

offset=$9820
player=2

2-2

offset=$A0A0 
player=2

2-3

offset=$A920
player=2

2-4

offset=$B1A0
player=2

2-5

offset=$BA20
player=2

2-6

offset=$C2A0 
player=2

2-7

offset= $CB20 
player=2

2-8

offset=$D3A0
player=2

3-1

offset=$11EE0
player=3

3-2

offset=$12760
player=3

3-3

offset=$12FE0 
player=3

3-4

offset=$13860
player=3

3-5

offset=$140E0   
player=3

3-6

offset=$14960 
player=3

3-7

offset=$151E0   
player=3

3-8

offset=$15A60 
player=3

4-1

offset=$1A5A0
player=4

4-2

offset=$1AE20 
player=4

4-3

offset=$1B6A0
player=4

4-4

offset=$1BF20
player=4

4-5

offset=$1C7A0
player=4

4-6

offset=$1D020
player=4

4-7

offset=$1D8A0
player=4

4-8

offset=$1E120
player=4

NPC1

offset=$234E0

NPC2

offset=$26520

NPC3

offset=$29560

NPC4

offset=$2C5A0

NPC5

offset=$2F5E0

NPC6

offset=$32620

NPC7

offset=$35660

NPC8

offset=$386A0

NPC9

offset=$3B6E0

NPC10

offset=$3E720

NPC11

offset=$41980

NPC12

offset=$449C0

NPC13

offset=$47A00

NPC14

offset=$4AA40

NPC15

offset=$4DA80

NPC16

offset=$50AC0

NPC17

offset=$53B00

NPC18

offset=$56B40

NPC19

offset=$59B80

NPC20

offset=$5CBC0

G1

offset=$5EC80

G2

offset=$5F500

G3

offset=$5FD80

G4

offset=$60600

G5

offset=$60E80

G6

offset=$61700

G7

offset=$61F80

G8

offset=$62800

---

Each pattern is 880h bytes in length. The actual image data starts right at the first byte. The length of the image data is 200h bytes per section. There are 4 image data sections, all 1 after the other (as shown in Figure 1). The pattern is rendered in 16 separate pieces, as demonstrated in Figure 1.

http://vash.game-hackers.com/images/pattern.png
Fig. 1 - One Full Pro-Design Pattern

Each of the 16 sections in one pattern are 32 bytes (20h) long and are rendered in the order shown in Figure 1. Each row in one of the 16 sections is 4 bytes long, but 8 cells. Bytes are split to accommodate the color of two cells (ex. 1F, first cell would be color 1 and the second cell would be color F). So one section is 8 cells wide, and 4 bytes.

Byte 86Fh of the pattern data is the palette number. The palette colors in PattView are estimates based on the palettes in-game. There are 15 colors in each palette. The code I used was 0 based (0..14). Here are the color values I used (forgive some windows defaults used).

Code:

---

Palette 1

0 color=clred
1 color=clgreen
2 color=clblue
3 color=$00004080
4 color=clblack
5 color=$000080FF
6 color=$0000FF80
7 color=$00EAEA00
8 color=clpurple
9 color=clgray
10 color=$00E4CAFF
11 color=clyellow
12 color=$00FDCCAC
13 color=$00B366FF
14 color=clwhite

Palette 2

0 color=$001E56FD
1 color=$0000C400
2 color=$00FB8239
3 color=$000268AC
4 color=clblack
5 color=$004AA5FF
6 color=$0040FF9F
7 color=$00FFA851
8 color=$00FC70EE
9 color=clgray
10 color=$0093C9FF
11 color=$0080FFFF
12 color=$00FFE0C1
13 color=$00E1C4FF
14 color=clwhite

Palette 3

0 color=$00404080
1 color=$00336600
2 color=$00A94B4B
3 color=$00212F4B
4 color=clblack
5 color=$000268AC
6 color=$0054A800
7 color=$00F77B31
8 color=$00863E5F
9 color=$00969696
10 color=$00ACB9DF
11 color=$0000A4A4
12 color=$00CFBA9C
13 color=$00B06FB0
14 color=clwhite

Palette 4

0 color=$000229B0
1 color=$004F9FA2
2 color=$00828200
3 color=$00682B02
4 color=clblack
5 color=$000374FA
6 color=$0047C9E6
7 color=$007DC604
8 color=$00CD5A5A
9 color=clgray
10 color=$00AFD7FE
11 color=$00A8FFFF
12 color=$00C2EBC4
13 color=$00FEB494
14 color=clwhite

Palette 5

0 color=$009C5BD0
1 color=$0002B6EA
2 color=$00FF9122
3 color=$00FF0080
4 color=clblack
5 color=$00CF9FFF
6 color=$0000F4F4
7 color=$00FEC87E
8 color=$00C776B3
9 color=clgray
10 color=$00CCCCEE
11 color=$00B0FFFF
12 color=$00F3F4C1
13 color=$00EFCFE7
14 color=clwhite

Palette 6

0 color=$00400040
1 color=$00054542
2 color=$00626200
3 color=$0059002D
4 color=clblack
5 color=$005F1F98
6 color=$004D6B9D
7 color=$00957D37
8 color=$00BC4371
9 color=clgray
10 color=$00C595EC
11 color=$008AC6CE
12 color=$00CAAE80
13 color=$00FF6AB5
14 color=clwhite

Palette 7

0 color=$00710071
1 color=$00000095
2 color=$00078543
3 color=$00845900
4 color=clblack
5 color=$006C00D9
6 color=$000080FF
7 color=$0000CC66
8 color=$00889704
9 color=clgray
10 color=$00FF93FF
11 color=$0002BAF7
12 color=$0038D8DC
13 color=clAqua
14 color=clwhite

Palette 8

0 color=$00366D6D
1 color=$00A4A4A4
2 color=$00001C37
3 color=$00002D00
4 color=clblack
5 color=$000183AD
6 color=$00B4B4B4
7 color=$00233F5C
8 color=$003A6723
9 color=clgray
10 color=$005BCCD2
11 color=$00E1E1E1
12 color=$006483B0
13 color=$008A9366
14 color=clwhite

Palette 9

0 color=$00404080
1 color=$00666666
2 color=$00373700
3 color=$005C7483
4 color=clblack
5 color=$007E75B3
6 color=$00C3C3C3
7 color=$00413623
8 color=$00659EA3
9 color=clgray
10 color=$00A8A8D7
11 color=$00B9CDD0
12 color=$006D5F5F
13 color=$0098BEC9
14 color=clwhite

Palette 10

0 color=$003654AB
1 color=$000A143D
2 color=$008F3F6B
3 color=$00313479
4 color=clblack
5 color=$006997D6
6 color=$000D396A
7 color=$00AF5050
8 color=$003F42D1
9 color=clgray
10 color=$00BEBEFA
11 color=$0069ABCB
12 color=$00496228
13 color=$00178BFF
14 color=clwhite

Palette 11

0 color=clPurple
1 color=$00400080
2 color=$000059B3
3 color=$00008C8C
4 color=clblack
5 color=$00DF00DF
6 color=$003A01E4
7 color=$000080FF
8 color=clYellow
9 color=clgray
10 color=$00FF8CFF
11 color=$008585D6
12 color=$0078CFFE
13 color=$0080FFFF
14 color=clwhite

Palette 12

0 color=$009B004E
1 color=$00A00000
2 color=$00B58B53
3 color=$00408000
4 color=clblack
5 color=$00FF0080
6 color=$00FD225F
7 color=$00FCCF58
8 color=$005B9D02
9 color=$006F8484
10 color=$00FC96D8
11 color=$00FF9595
12 color=$00FFFF93
13 color=$00A5FE43
14 color=clwhite

Palette 13

0 color=$00498B9E
1 color=$00A7968B
2 color=$008687B7
3 color=$00212143
4 color=clblack
5 color=$003E7EBF
6 color=$00BCB0AF
7 color=$00BFC9DD
8 color=$00452956
9 color=$005B5B5B
10 color=$005BA8BB
11 color=$00D1C1B1
12 color=$00A9CFE0
13 color=$0053538A
14 color=clwhite

Palette 14

0 color=$00353500
1 color=$004B9700
2 color=$00767748
3 color=$00F5F5F5
4 color=$0000468C
5 color=$003C7700
6 color=$008EB702
7 color=$00BFB595
8 color=$00F2F1EA
9 color=$002576CF
10 color=$008DB002
11 color=$0003AB64
12 color=$00E1E1E1
13 color=clwhite
14 color=$0059ADE6

Palette 15

0 color=$00BCABA5
1 color=$00282800
2 color=$00BEA0CB
3 color=$00372839
4 color=clblack
5 color=$00D2C8BD
6 color=$006A5244
7 color=$00CFB0DB
8 color=$00493359
9 color=clgray
10 color=$00DDDDC6
11 color=$00937D68
12 color=$00C7C7E9
13 color=$0076638D
14 color=clwhite

Palette 16

0 color=$008AA9BD
1 color=$00002222
2 color=$00BCBCBC
3 color=$00322323
4 color=clblack
5 color=$00BDD6E6
6 color=$002E5C5C
7 color=$00DBD7D2
8 color=$00554D42
9 color=clgray
10 color=$00E7E7EF
11 color=$00567C7B
12 color=$00EDEAE9
13 color=$006B6B6B
14 color=clwhite

---

Of course, all of this is great, but you can't do much without a drawing routine. Some way to pinpoint the offset of the cell in your pattern data (0..1FFh). The following code is to pinpoint the offset in a 32x32 grid. I'll explain it after.

Code:

---

Finding the block value

if (acol < 8) and (arow < 8) then block=0 else
if (acol < 16) and (arow < 8) then block=1 else
if (acol < 24) and (arow < 8) then block=2 else
if (acol < 32) and (arow < 8) then block=3 else
if (acol < 8) and (arow < 16) then block=4 else
if (acol < 16) and (arow < 16) then block=5 else
if (acol < 24) and (arow < 16) then block=6 else
if (acol < 32) and (arow < 16) then block=7 else
if (acol < 8) and (arow < 24) then block=8 else
if (acol < 16) and (arow < 24) then block=9 else
if (acol < 24) and (arow < 24) then block=10 else
if (acol < 32) and (arow < 24) then block=11 else
if (acol < 8) and (arow < 32) then block=12 else
if (acol < 16) and (arow < 32) then block=13 else
if (acol < 24) and (arow < 32) then block=14 else
if (acol < 32) and (arow < 32) then block=15

Finding an offset

value = (32*block)+((arow mod 8)*4)+((acol mod 8) div 2)

---

There are some hints of delphi code in there, but I did my best to pseudo it up. ACol and ARow are the selected cell's column and row values, respectively. Anyway, the block value pinpoints which section you are in; 1 to 16 as shown in Figure 1 (except they must be 0 based for the algorithm). Then, that is applied to the rest of the general algorithm to give you an offset (0..1FFh). This is the byte where the value (color) for that cell is located in your pattern data.

More on the second post...

As I said earlier, however, the bytes are split to accommodate for 2 cells. This would cause problems with our formula as we still wouldn't know which "half" of the byte goes for the cell. Simple solution to fix this is to write a small function to decide whether your column number is odd or even. If it's even, you would take the first "half" of the byte. If it's odd, the second "half". This, of course, depends on your grid and if the column and row values are 0 based or not. You'll have to mess with the odd and even bit to get the correct value for each cell. This can be quite fun to see some of the results when you mess up your algorithm. You get some strange looking images.

Now that you have the offsets, the palette information, and a drawing function, you might be asking yourself what's next? Well, we need to name these bad boys. The pattern name information starts at 822h with the town name. The player name starts at 838h, and lastly, the pattern name starts at 84Ch.

So we have the offset, the palette, the drawing, the name, and now we'll have the pro vs. simple design. This one byte is at 870h in the pattern data. 00 is simple and 01 is pro. A very simple concept.

Here's a little nugget of information courtesy of DsPet. This feature isn't in the current public version of PattView (and I don't intend to add it). It's the stored patterns at the pattern shop. The algorithm used to get to these patterns is as follows:

Code:

---

$74060 + $22020 * iPlayer (iPlayer = 0, 1, 2, 3)

---

The patterns are in the standard format (880h bytes), and follow all of the same rules as the above patterns. So thank you, DsPet. Nice little bit of information there.

PattView Delphi source code, fully commmented, available in the Game-Hackers VIP section!

Also available exclusively in Game-Hackers VIP:

http://vash.game-hackers.com/images/pvxlogo.png
http://vash.game-hackers.com/images/pvxss.png

PattViewX
-Completely rewritten PattView release
-User-friendly, compact style
-Now supports 316 patterns, with Able's storage patterns (as opposed to 60 in PattView v2.1)
-New, more accurate pattern rendering

Not to interupt the flow of technical explanation...

but I just wondering whether you also know where the pattern storage offset/address/location for each resident/character (that you could get by asking Mabel in Able shop to show you the storage). This would be helpful if we could access them so we could easily store the patterns directly.

Thanks.

Added the stored patterns (thanks to DsPet). Stickied. Full Delphi source code, commented, coming soon!

Thanks again to you and DSPet for posting the pattern storage addresses and providing the algorithm to find them.

Cheers.

Added the PattView Source, fully commented, to the VIP section. Enjoy VIP members! :)