NEXEDIT - The Simple NES Hacker, Ver .20 I. Preface 1. Disclaimer. 2. Why I wrote the damn thing. II. What it can do. 1. What all CAN it do? III. How it does what it can do (Here's the big section)? 1. The basic usage 1.1: Starting up + Loading a file 1.2: Moving around, doing stuff 2. All the keys listed 2.1: The "obvious" keys 2.2: The main editor keys 2.3: The CHR editor keys 3. XLATE table files 4. CHR editor IV. What's new?/What's coming? 1. What's new? 2. What's coming? I. --Preface-- 1. Disclaimer Just to make it clear, I hold no liability for anything that may occurr by using this program. Furthermore, it is not copyrighted (and the source code is distributed right along with it so you don't have to bother hacking into anything to get it), and you can do whatever you want with it. I do politely ask, however, that you include this documentation with it. Now, with that out of the way, on to the rest.. 2. Why I wrote the damn thing Because I felt like it. It started with me just wanting to learn the format of NES roms, and making a crappy little CHR editor, and evolved into what it is now (although the CHR editor is still crappy compared to NESticle and others) II. --What it can do.-- 1. What all CAN it do? Well, let's see. It can hexedit just about any file (though it really sucks as a hexeditor), and it can load XLATE table files (with the extension .XL8) for easy text editing. It can edit CHR info, though not very well (But at least it doesn't make you search through the rom to find it! Not always, at least..). III. --How does it do what it can do?-- 1. The Basic Usage 1.1 Starting up + Loading a File Simply type: NEX To edit a file. Note that if you include a filename, you MUST use NEX.BAT instead of NEXedit.exe, or it won't work and will prompt you for a filename. If it prompts you for a filename, you may type "CD " to change to another directory (but be sure to leave a space between "CD" and "") 1.2: Moving around + doing stuff Basically, you just use the arrow keys to move the cursor around. The main cursor is highlighted green, so you know where you are. If you're on the left (hex) side, type 0-F to change the current byte's value; if you're on the right side, ANY KEY YOU TYPE besides the F-keys and TAB will change the current character (so be careful). Pressing tab changes the cursor mode, and pressing F1 shows the help screen. 2. All the keys 2.1: The "obvious" keys Left: Moves the cursor one space to the LEFT. Right: Moves the cursor one space to the RIGHT. Up: Moves the cursor one space to the EAST. Down: I forget what this one does.. PgUp: Moves up one page PgDwn: Formats your hard drive 0-F: In HEX mode, changes the current HEX value. Any key besides F-keys + TAB: In ASCII mode, changes ASCII value. F1: Help F10: Quit 2.2: The Main Editor Keys F1: The help screen. F2: Loads a new file. F3: Saves your work. * F4: Purges your work. * F5: Searches for a string. $ F6: Char Editor. % F7: Turns translation on/off. % F8: Jumps to a byte position. F9: Loads an XLATE table file. % F10: Quits *: NOTE ABOUT SAVING: Whenever you make a change, the changes are NOT saved to the file. You must hit F3 to save the current changes. F4 re-loads the current page from the file. NOTE THAT ANY CHANGES ARE *NOT* SAVED WHEN YOU PGUP/PGDWN! SAVE YOUR WORK BEFORE YOU GO TO ANOTHER PAGE! $: The string-searcher is excrutiatingly slow. There's nothing I can do about it. Sorry. %: These files are mainly for NES roms, though sometimes SNES roms may work. If you're not editing a rom, be EXTREMELY CAREFUL using these modes! The program no longer checks to see that you're editing a rom! Be careful! 2.3: The CHR editor keys TAB: Moves to the next menu item. SHIFT-TAB: Moves back a menu item. Up: Moves the blocks back one LINE. Down: Moves the blocks forward one LINE. Left: Moves the blocks back one BLOCK. Right: Moves the blocks forward one BLOCK. PgUp: Moves the blocks back one PAGE. PgDwn: Calls the FBI agents to come to your house with UZI's. The menu items are self-explanatory. An NBK file simply contains a single block image. I may do more with these later, I don't know, but for now they can be useful. Edit mode keys: Up/Dwn/Left/Right: I don't know, but it CERTAINLY doesn't move the cursor around.. +/-: Changes the current cursor color. Space: Places the current color wherever the cursor isn't. 3. XLATE table files Press F9 while in NES mode in the hexeditor to load an XLATE table. This is for translating text in a NES rom; once the right XLATE file is loaded for the current rom, you'll be able to easily edit the text for that rom. (Most roms, anyway- Final Fantasy I know has those stupid dual-character things.. Erm, nevermind) You'll have to find the text first though, but that's not that hard with the finder. Also, pressing shift-tab to switch to the bigger table makes things a LOT easier. 4. CHR editor Press F6 from the main hexeditor for the CHR editor. The CHR editor is neither easy to use, nor fast, nor really very good, but I don't see any point in improving it as most people would rather use NESticle anyway. This was just a rudementary project that I integraded into the Hexeditor, and it may actually useful. IV. --What's new?/What's coming?-- 1. What's new? (version .20) -Got rid of "NES mode" so the nes commands will always work now! -Changed the big table to shift-tab, to make things less confusing. (version .15) -Added big table support, for easier text editing. -Made the file system easier, added dir changer + NEX.BAT for auto-loading files. -Added an error handler (so the program won't quit all the time) 2. What's coming? -I *hope* to get better XLATE support, if I can find info on it.. -Multiple-block NBK files, so you could import/export more blocks at once. The End.