Commander Keen translation project

Here, you can get help with anything or just chat about the original Commander Keen games.
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nanomekia
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Post by nanomekia »

A bump of good news!

I found a font that will easily fit the necessary dimensions of 8x8 pixels per character, including dakuten and handakuten (the little lines and circles you see in, for example, ãÂ￾° or ãÂ￾±.) I've just tested it out to make sure it isn't too big, and you can even tell the difference between a dakuten and a handakuten.

I could probably start applying this to the font bitmap soon. How exactly do I go about that?
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Nospike
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Post by Nospike »

There's a program called KeenGraph which is used to extract graphics from the game in bitmap form for editing. You can find it on Keen:Modding or the wiki.

Once you have the raw bitmap, open it in any graphics editor (MS Paint works very well, but it has to be the old XP version, newer ones will mess up colors) and start drawing.

Looking forward to seeing progress. :) I actually can't imagine very well what a hiragana font would look like in 8x8.
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nanomekia
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Post by nanomekia »

Basically like this! :D

http://i.imgur.com/apxpjFK.png

I'll prod at KeenGraph ASAP.
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Levellass
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Post by Levellass »

Oh my my my... this will be an undertaking.

This is the Keen 1 font bitmap:

Image


As you can see there are two repeats of the latin alphabet each of which is capitalized or not. This gives you around 52 characters to play with.

Text patches for the game basically just take the ASCII character given and use that symbol from this sheet. (So ASCII character '!' is $21 (Dec 32) and shows tile 2 in row 3 of the bitmap.

The easiest text to patch is that of the ***TXT.CK1 files, these are just .TXT documents with another name (And a few simple format rules.) The hard part will be keeping track of what ASCII letter is which new font character.
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nanomekia
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Post by nanomekia »

Ooo, thank you very much Levellass! Intriguing little file that...

I...think I get it? I mean, the words make sense, but at the same time they are kind of going over my head. I'm going to blame my cold and the cold meds.
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Nisaba
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Post by Nisaba »

...some heat for your cold:

For more KeenGraph information check out this page: http://www.shikadi.net/keenwiki/Keengraph
Plus in order to getting started your 8x8-pixel-power choose this version of paint: http://sagorpirbd.deviantart.com/art/Wi ... -122788536

Happy modding!
out now (link) : Image
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nanomekia
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Post by nanomekia »

Schweet, thanks mate! I'll definitely have a look at that, and I appreciate being pointed to the right version of Paint. :D
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Post by Benvolio »

What you really want, though, is this.
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nanomekia
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Post by nanomekia »

I have got Paint Shop Pro X2 if that'll suffice?
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Post by Benvolio »

I'm sure it will suffice! :P

I use version 7 because I am incredibly resistant to change but also because I don't think they ever added much of value after that version. At least not for the EGA graphic artist.
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nanomekia
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Post by nanomekia »

Oh I know the feeling - I didn't want to change from 7 for ages either. :D Then I lost my copy, managed to get hold of X2 instead and found it had undone most of the changes I hadn't liked from 8 onward and was in fact rather similar to 7.
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Post by Levellass »

I stick with MS Paint, the '95 version. (None of your Windows 8 rubbish!)
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nanomekia
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Post by nanomekia »

Luddite. :P

Nah, I kid. (And I never upgraded past 7, so!)

Will be prodding at it probably this weekend. Having a new kitten makes things hectic, whodathunkit.
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"That's ten pounds of yikes in a five-pound bag."
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Post by keenmaster486 »

Ah, a new kitten. If you have any younger sisters around the house, do not allow them to train the cat to punch box you from an early age. Because it will never stop. Just saying.

Edit: what breed is the cat?
I flermmed the plootash just like you asked.
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nanomekia
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Post by nanomekia »

I am the youngest and my older sisters are long since moved out, so we're good there!

She looks to have some Maine foob in her but other than that we aren't sure - she's a stray from a feral colony not too far from here, a very nice man took in the younger ones and has been finding them homes. Her name is Lailah and she is so smol. Perhaps eight months old maybe?

(edit: srsly filter? Foob is not a cat breed. C-o-o-n, however...)

Observe my cat.
Writer. Translator. Player of games. Only bites when asked nicely.

"That's ten pounds of yikes in a five-pound bag."
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