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Research: RGBY Map Headers & Stuff That Goes With It

Hat?

Banned
184
Posts
17
Years
    • Seen Dec 11, 2008
    If you find any information not found in this document (still quite a bit of info missing that would be useful to know for any RGBY hacker), there's a editable version here. I check Data Crystal every so often, and I can just update this page.

    Code:
    %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
    
        RGBY Map Headers & Stuff That Goes With It
        Version 1.1
        -Feel free to distribute this document and/or edit it.
        -Try and credit people you get info from and/or write how you updated.
    
    %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
    
    Things that need adding:
    ------------------------
    More information about tilesets, and info about what sprites get loaded for
    which maps.
    
    Updates:
    --------
    v1.1: By Hat, minor improvements.
    v1.0: Original version typed up by Hat.
    
    Main Credits (Structure Information):
    -------------------------------------
      [Xeon]
        Wrote some stuff about Map Headers and Object Data.
        Which this document expands upon, a bit.
    
      [F-Zero] & [Tauwasser]
        Wrote a document (in German) explaining how GSC connection data is stored.
        RGBY connection data is stored almost the same way, it turns out, so
        that helped a great deal. All that is really different is the values you
        add the amount of blocks to.
    ...............................................................................
    
    Notes:
    R/B Pointers to Map Headers: 0x01AE
    R/B Map Header Banks: 0xC23D
    R/B Pointer to Tileset Headers: 0xC767
    
    Maximum tileset size in VRAM: 6 rows of 16 tiles (9000-95FF)
    
    ...............................................................................
    
    ===============================================================================
    
        Tileset Header Structure (*Incomplete*)
    
    ===============================================================================
    
    12 bytes per header...
    
    Format:
    ~~~~~~~
    [1 BYTE: Bank No. of Blocks/Tiles]
    [2 BYTES: Pointer to Blocks (-10 for some reason)]
    [2 BYTES: Pointer to Tiles]
    [7 BYTES: ???]
    
    last 7 bytes ideas: collison data pointer? something to do with animations?
    
    ===============================================================================
    
        Map Header Structure
    
    ===============================================================================
    
    Explanation:
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~
    This contains all the data (pointers count as data) to build the map.
    
    Format:
    ~~~~~~~
      #1: [Tileset Number]
      #2: [(Y Size) Map Height]
      #3: [(X Size) Map Width]
    #4-5: [*2 Bytes*: Pointer to Map]
    #6-7: [*2 Bytes*: Pointer to Maps Text Pointers]
    #8-9: [*2 Bytes*: Pointer to Maps "Script"]
     #10: [Connection Byte:
            00 = No Connections
            01 = North
            02 = West
            03 = West + East
            04 = South
            05 = South + East
            06 = South + West
            07 = South + West + East
            08 = North
            09 = North + East
            0A = North + West
            0B = North + West + East
            0C = North + South
            0D = North + South + East
            0E = North + South + West
            0F = North + South + West + East]
       ?: [*11 Bytes per Connection*, No connections? Straight to "Object Data"!]
    Last: [*2 Bytes*: Pointer to Object Data]
    
    ===============================================================================
        1) Tileset Numbers
    ===============================================================================
    
    The tileset descriptions are copied from a document compiled by Cartmic,
    called "Pokemon Red Documents", which may help you with other stuff too.
    
    Unchanged R/B Locations/Tileset No./Tileset Descriptions
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    C7BE; 00: "Outside"C7CA; 01: "Ash's House (#1)"
    C7D6; 02: "Pokemon Center (#1)"
    C7E2; 03: "Viridian Forest"
    C7EE; 04: "Ash's House (#2)"
    C7FA; 05: "Gym (#1)"
    C806; 06: "Pokemon Center (#2)"
    C812; 07: "Gym (#2)"
    C81E; 08: "House"
    C82A; 09: "Museum (#1)"
    C836; 0A: "Museum (#2)"
    C842; 0B: "Underground Path"
    C84E; 0C: "Museum (#3)"
    C85A; 0D: "S.S. Anne"
    C866; 0E: "Vermilion Port"
    C872; 0F: "Pokemon Cemetery"
    C87E; 10: "Silph Co."
    C88A; 11: "Cave"
    C896; 12: "Celadon Mart"
    C8A2; 13: "Game Freak HQ"
    C8AE; 14: "Lab"
    C8BA; 15: "Bike Shop/Cable Center"
    C8C6; 16: "Cinnabar Mansion/Power Plant etc"
    C8D2; 17: "Indigo Plateau"
    
    NOTE: As you can see there's multiple copies of some tileset headers. They are
    literally copies, you only need 1 copy, but you will need to make sure all maps
    using that tileset are set to using that tileset number, then you can use the
    free space for more tilesets.
    
    ===============================================================================
        2 & 3) Map Height (Y) & Width (X)
    ===============================================================================
    
    Exactly that, the amount of blocks high and wide the map data is.
    
    ===============================================================================
        4 & 5) Map Data Pointer
    ===============================================================================
    
    You can use the GoldMap engine for hacking map data quite easily.
    
    The map you walk around on and stuff is stored as block indexes.
    A single block consists of 4*4 tiles.
    
    ===============================================================================
        6 & 7) Pointer to Maps Text Pointers
    ===============================================================================
    
    2 byte pointers to text that is used on that map.
    
    ===============================================================================
        8 & 9) Pointer to Maps "Script"
    ===============================================================================
    
    ASM used on that map, chances are if there's something on a map you can't find
    elsewhere you might easily be able to find it here, using a hex search
    function. You can find things like XY positions of Poke Balls and 1-time
    only Pokemon.
    
    ===============================================================================
        10) Connection Byte
    ===============================================================================
    
     Note:
     ~~~~~
     If this value is 00h it is immediately followed by the Object Data
     Pointer, no gap. Repeated list...
    
     Connection Byte:
        00 = No Connections
        01 = North
        02 = West
        03 = West + East
        04 = South
        05 = South + East
        06 = South + West
        07 = South + West + East
        08 = North
        09 = North + East
        0A = North + West
        0B = North + West + East
        0C = North + South
        0D = North + South + East
        0E = North + South + West
        0F = North + South + West + East
    
    ===============================================================================
        ?) Connection Data (0-44 bytes, explained in more depth: further down)
    ===============================================================================
    
    ===============================================================================
        Last) Object Data Pointer
    ===============================================================================
    
    The last thing in the Map Header. It points to a bunch of certain stuff that
    is stored in similar structures.
    
    Object Data is discussed at the end of this document.
    ...............................................................................
    
    
    ===============================================================================
    
        *** Hacking Connections ***
        This will certainly require planning, with no background distractions.
        Unless a editor gets built that can hack the connections for RGBY.
    
    ===============================================================================
    
    Explanation:
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~
    The "Connection Byte" determines how many connections are in this space,
    including none at all.
    
    Structure:
    ~~~~~~~~~~
        #1: [Map Index of Connected Map]
      #2-3: [Pointer to "Connection Strip"s Upperleft Block (Connected Map)]
      #4-5: [Pointer to "Connection Strip"s Upperleft Block (Current Map)]
        #6: ["Bigness"]
        #7: [Map Width]
        #8: [Y alignment]
        #9: [X alignment]
    #10-11: [Window]
    
    PKMN Red Example -- Saffron City (Header: 0x509A4) Diagram:
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Saffrons need-to-know stats:
    
    Block Height (Y): 12
     Block Width (X): 14
     Connection Byte: 0F (North + South + West + East)
                          -       -       -      -
     + = current maps border blocks
    
    ++++++++NNNNNNNNNN++++++++
    ++++++++NNNNNNNNNN++++++++
    ++++++++NNNNNNNNNN++++++++
    +++####################+++
    +++####################+++
    +++####### My #########+++
    +++####################+++
    WWW####### Name's #####EEE
    WWW####################EEE
    WWW###### Saffron #####EEE
    WWW####################EEE
    WWW###### City! #######EEE
    WWW####################EEE
    WWW####################EEE
    WWW####################EEE
    WWW####################EEE
    +++####################+++
    +++####################+++
    +++####################+++
    +++####################+++
    +++####################+++
    ++++++++SSSSSSSSSS++++++++
    ++++++++SSSSSSSSSS++++++++
    ++++++++SSSSSSSSSS++++++++
    
    Connection to Route 5 (to the North)
                  *Y: 12
                  *X: 0A
                  *X_Movement_of_Connection Strip = 5
           Map Index: 10
    Connection Strip: 4668
     Where Connected: C6F0 (C6EB + 5)
           "Bigness": 0A
               Width: 0A
         Y alignment: 23 (12 * 2 - 1)
         X alignment: F6 (5 * -2)
              Window: C809 (C6E9 + (12 * (0A + 6)))
    
    Connection to Route 6 (to the South)
                  *Y: 12
                  *X: 0A
                  *X_Movement_of_Connection Strip = 5
           Map Index: 11
    Connection Strip: 4079
     Where Connected: C912 (C6EB + ((12 + 3) * (14 + 6)) + 5)
           "Bigness": 0A
               Width: 0A
         Y alignment: 00
         X alignment: F6 (5 * -2)
              Window: C6F9 (C6EF + 0A)
    
    Connection to Route 7 (to the West)
                  *Y: 09
                  *X: 0A
                  *Y_Movement_of_Connection Strip = 4
           Map Index: 12
    Connection Strip: 4058
     Where Connected: C79E (C6E8 + (14 + 6) * (4 + 3))
           "Bigness": 09
               Width: 0A
         Y alignment: F8 (4 * -2)
         X alignment: 13 ((0A * 2) - 1)
              Window: C702 (C6EE + (0A * 2))
    
    Connection to Route 8 (to the East)
                  *Y: 09
                  *X: 1E
                  *Y_Movement_of_Connection Strip = 4
           Map Index: 13
    Connection Strip: 41C6
     Where Connected: C7B5 (C6E5 + (14 + 6) * (4 + 4))
           "Bigness": 09
               Width: 1E
         Y alignment: F8 (4 * -2)
         X alignment: 00
              Window: C70D (C6EF + 1E)
    
    ===============================================================================
        #1 : Map Indexes
    ===============================================================================
    
    Not included! Download UltraMap, the text file known as "RedEnglish.ini"
    contains all the Map Indexes in decimal for R/B, which you'll obviously need
    to convert to hex.
    
    ===============================================================================
     #2-#3 : "Connection Strip" Location
    ===============================================================================
    
    The "connection strip" pointer -- points to the area of the connected map that
    is visible when standing before you even enter it. Points to the upperleft
    block of the "connection strip".
          * connection strip is always 3 blocks wide (E/W connection)
                                       3 blocks high (N/S connection)
    
    ===============================================================================
     #4-#5 : Current Map Position
    ===============================================================================
    
    This points to the part of the current map (further up in RAM)
    that the connection strips upperleft block is placed on the current map.
    
    ____________________
    Connection |
    Direction  | Formula
    ___________|_______
    
         North: C6EB + X_Movement_of_Connection Strip
    
         South: C6EB + (Height of Map + 3) * (Width of Map + 6) +
                       X_Movement_of_Connection Strip
    
          West: C6E8 + (Width of Map + 6) * (Y_Movement_of_"Connection Strip" + 3)
    
          East: C6E5 + (Width of Map + 6) * (Y_Movement_of_"Connection Strip" + 4)
    
    ===============================================================================
        #6 : Map "Bigness"
    ===============================================================================
    
    North/South Connection = Connected Maps Width
    East/West Connection = Connected Maps Height
    
    ===============================================================================
        #7 : Map Width
    ===============================================================================
    
    The width of the connected map.
    
    ===============================================================================
        #8 : Y alignment
    ===============================================================================
    
    Relative Y-position of player after entering connected map.
    
    ____________________
    Connection |
    Direction  | Formula
    ___________|_______
         North: (Height_of_connected_map * 2) - 1
         South: 0
     West/East: (Y_movement_of_connection_strip_in_blocks * -2)
    
    ===============================================================================
        #9 : X alignment
    ===============================================================================
    
    Relative X-Position of player after entering connected map.
    
    ____________________
    Connection |
    Direction  | Formula
    ___________|_______
    North/South: (X_movement_of_connection_strip_in_blocks * -2)
           West: (Width_of_connected_map * 2) - 1
           East: 0
    
    ===============================================================================
    #10-#11 : Window
    ===============================================================================
    
    Position of the upper left block after entering the Map.
    
    ____________________
    Connection |
    Direction  | Formula
    ___________|_______
         Above: C6E9h + Height_of_connected_map * (Width_of_connected_map + 6)
    South/East: C6EFh + Width_of_connected_map
          West: C6EEh + 2 * Width_of_connected_map
    ...............................................................................
    
    
    ===============================================================================
    
        Object Data: General Structure
    
    ===============================================================================
    
    Object Data
    ===========
    [Maps Border Tile]
    [Number of Warps][Warp Data]
    [Number of Signs][Sign Data]
    [Number of People/Trainers/Items]
    [People Data]
    [Trainer Data]
    [Item Data]
    [Warp-To Data]
    
    Warps:
    ------
    [Y position][X position][Warp-To Point][Warp-To Map]
    
    Signposts:
    ----------
    [Y position][X position][Text String Number]
    
    Normal People:
    --------------
    [Picture Number][Y position + 4][X position + 4]
    [Movement 1][Movement 2][Text String Number]
    
    Trainers:
    ---------
    [Picture Number][Y position + 4][X position + 4]
    [Movement 1][Movement 2][Text String Number]
    [Trainer Type][Pokemon Set]
    
    Items:
    ---------------------
    [Picture Number][Y position + 4][X position + 4]
    [Movement 1][Movement 2][Text String Number]
    [Item Number]
    
    Warp-To Points
    --------------
    [*2 Bytes*: Event Displacement][Y position][X position]
    
    Event Displacement Formula:
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    C6E3 +  ((Map width + 8) * (rows above + 1))  + (X movement + 4)
    
    ###############################################################################
     
    Last edited:

    pthrules

    duncanrcook is now pthrules!!!
    6
    Posts
    15
    Years
    • Seen Jul 22, 2008
    thank you sooo much!!!!!!!
    ive been trying to figure this stuff out from the pokemap ini and you just made it so much easier for me
    thank you so much

    except a new red hack from me soon :)
     

    Hat?

    Banned
    184
    Posts
    17
    Years
    • Seen Dec 11, 2008
    Nice to hear it!

    Hopefully it will help some new RGBY hackers with making their hacks more unique, because the 1st Generation is a bit restrictive if you only hack map-related data that Pokemap lets you.
     
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