Orbatext
| Developer(s) | Quirky Moron |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 2021-07-21 |
| Development status | Beta |
| Programming language | C++ |
| Platform | ? |
| Tool Type | Text Editor |
| Engine(s) | Keen:Galaxy |
| Homepage | github.com/Anteproperispomenon/Orbatext |
| Discussion(s) | PCKF |
| Download | newest Mirror |
Orbatext is a a simple program to help fit level names for the Keen Galaxy series.
In Commander Keen 4-6, level names and level entry text are stored in executable segments that are sized just large enough to fit them. This makes it difficult to create a new set of level names and level introductions, since they have to each fit in the same set of boxes that the original game uses. This is especially true when using more levels than the original games have.
How to use
This program is fairly simple; it takes a list of level introductions and names, and produces both a list of text patches and pointer patches. The full formatting details can be found in FORMAT.txt, but the basic format is a first line with the episode number and other switches, followed by a list of level introductions and names. In most cases, you can just use the following intro line:
--episode x
where x is the episode number.
Level Entries
Pipes are used to separate introductions from names. For example,
Keen makes a run for\nthe |Border Village
would produce a patch that uses the same text box for both intro and name, but uses different offsets for each. On the other hand, using two pipes, as in
Keen makes a run for\nthe Border Village||Border Village
would produce output that uses different text boxes for the intro and name, unnecessarily using space that could be used elsewhere. This is usually only used when the level introduction doesn't end with the level name, as in
Keen bravely enters the\nBloog Control Centre,\nlooking for Molly||Bloog Control Centre
You can also just use no pipes at all to use the same text for both the level introduction and the level name, which is usually best used for levels that are supposed to be inaccessible, e.g.
High Scores
You can also reference level intros and names that are used elsewhere; this is useful for when multiple levels that have a similar theme and thus can use the same introduction. To use a level name/intro defined elsewhere, start the entry with a star, followed by a reference to the desired entry and name. For example,
* e12 n14
... means "use the level introduction from level 12, and the level name from level 14". You can even use a different level's name as the intro text, and vice-versa. For more details, see FORMAT.txt.
Technical Background
In Commander Keen 4-6, level names and level introductions consist of two parts: a text block (as described above) and a pointer to the text block. While by default, the pointers point to the beginning of the text block, you can actually have them point anywhere within the text block. This can be seen when examining the pointer patches:
In %patch $30764 $1F040000RL, the first five digits of $1F040000RL refer to the address of the text segment, while the last three refer to an offset within the segment. Thus, if the level introduction ends with the level name, as in
Keen makes a run for\nthe Border Village
... you can use the same address for both the level introduction and the level name, but with different offsets into each. Another consequence of this is that, since all strings are null-terminated, you can fit multiple strings into the same text segment, and then just use the offset to pick the individual string. Finally, you can simply point to the same text either for both the introduction and the level name, and even point to the same intro/name for multiple levels. This program allows you to do all these things automatically and easily.
See also
- Level Name Pointer Lists for a list of the pointer locations.
- Executable Maps for a full list of executable segments (Keen 5 and 6 only; read the address column).