Dungeon Master Forum

Hi all,

EDITED:

If there's no objection, I release Return To Strike Back, a RTC to DSB dungeon converter.

Use of the new version (it's in Lua, so fully open source) :
Put your dungeon under the name dungeon.txt in the same folder as rtsb.lua and obj_list.txt

Execute rtsb.lua with Lua 5.1 or newer (with IExecuter if you installed Lua binaries). It will output a dungeon_***.lua and objects_***.lua file.
(*** stands for the name of your dungeon)

The file startup.lua should be in the same folder as your dungeon when you open it with ESB / DSB.

It will fix a few "rtc oddities" when loading the dungeon, for example, it will merge identical wall items on the same sub-tile. This CAN result in information loss, so anywhere you can in RTC, use RELAYS instead of multiple wall items.

I've just had an idea.

With your tool DSB users could use the excellent RTC Editor to create a basic dungeon, then export it with your tool to DSB format.

Problem:

Forbidden
You don't have permission to access /~rioufoj6/rtsb.zip on this server.

(beware, hectic answer)

Hehe, it was the initial purpose. But don't expect any complicated mechanics to be translated... it just translates relays and counters.
(no actions etc. it's "un-DeSBish" )
So I would rather suggest to use the DSB editor by Remy.

Sorry but the file was on my university account,
and now that I'm not a student anymore, it has been suppressed.

But, the good news is I shall have a laptop next week,
and I'll probably put all my old files on it within a month,
and get the layer of dust off "Return To Strike Back" for september.
I expect it to be broken because of the last RTC versions.

Sophia, you don't mind hosting it again, do you ?

I get an acces forbidden message when I try to download rtsb from the provided link.

We can host stuff right here, no reason to keep shoving things all over the place.

Why rename the files? Couldn't you have supported that in your editor?

This is interesting.

Do I understand rightly that it does everything except actions?

Tom Hatfield wrote:Why rename the files? Couldn't you have supported that in your editor?

Let's say I'm lazy and it's faster and safer
than asking for the file name in the program
(since it's pure DOS command-line I/O).
RTSB is a simple & ugly C++ hack.
(it just uses iostream.h and filestream.h).
I even consider downgrading it to pure C to make it faster.

Mon Ful Ir wrote:This is interesting.
Do I understand rightly that it does everything except actions?

It's basically a "text replacer" it reads the dungeon.txt file for keywords,
and translates it in DSB words, linearly.
There are a couple of tricks for inventory items but that's all.
The only "cool feature" is that you can add the names
of custom items to convert them from RTC to DSB,
but you still have to re-define them in DSB.

If you want to see what exactly RTSB does,
look at the DM/CSB dungeons in both versions.
It converts almost everything that is in those dungeon,
minus a few things that were fixed by hand.
But it won't do more.

Hi - I'm STILL getting access denied to this file @ http://perso.ecp.fr/~rioufoj6/rtsb.zip
I'd like to check it out Joramun!

Hehe sorry my university account is so dead. I've got the file, somewhere on one of my computers.
The code is crappy C++. It's like using a huge crooked and rust hammer to smash a fly.
I should probably translate it to Lua routine and thus have a plug-n-play RTC-DSB adaptator :p
I know I should dig through all my stuff out and deliver it, but it requires some courage and time to clean-up the mess.
I'll do it, eventually.

Does this tool still exist? Is it usable?

Hem.

I digged it a few days ago, it crashes with old dungeons, and I can't re-compile it on my new laptop (don't ask about the old PC)...
...Plus I'm not sure it will work with RTC v0.49 dungeons, for format reasons (a small change in wording in the dungeon.TXT can make the whole thing a complete mess).

The good news is that I will look into the problem. I can also release the source to anyone asking, but be warned, it's a C++ crap-hack.

EDIT: Also, if Sophia includes the LUA text and input/output files routines, I will certainly go for a Lua module. But it will take some time.

don't let that die!

Bit wrote:don't let that die!

It won't
Joramun kindly sent me the material to recompile it.

I have to admit that I have a similar project but this one would be in a far more advanced state!

Something like this would save hours of work, even if it only copied across just the dungeon structure and ignored the complex mechanics.

Sphenx has the source code, I will eventually recompile it myself in any case, but that would not be before Christmas.

Awesome

ian_scho wrote:Something like this would save hours of work, even if it only copied across just the dungeon structure and ignored the complex mechanics.

If I remember right, this is pretty much what it did.
In particular, I don't think WALLITEM_ACTION and squares marked with different wallsets are copied over.

Sphenx is making progress on this.
WALLITEM_ACTION and all other fancy items ARE copied over, BUT: you have to add them in the object list of RTSB, otherwise they are "commented" in the lua file, and if you want them to be shown in ESB, you have to create a DSB equivalent.
Of course, the mechanics behind them WON'T be copied over, and RTSB cannot know how to do that, because it would have to treat all those actions on a case-by-case basis, and I certainly don't have the courage of handling all RTC options one-by-one in a text parser.
By the way, currently RTSB produces files that have to be edited by hand to be opened in ESB. I don't know why, but of course RTSB was designed before the existence of ESB, which partly explains the thing.

There, RTSB goes back online.

http://dmbuilder.sphenxmusics.fr/extern ... n/rtsb.zip

I recompiled the original version Joramun sent me with no modification.

Thanks! I'm going to try converting my work-in-progress Maze of Zagor dungeon to see what happens. I expect it won't work as I have tons of custom stuff going on, but we'll see.... at the very least it will save me creating the layout again.

Hello Gambit. If you're using RTSB with your dungeon, and I expect it to be full of custom mechanics, here are some advices:
- First, see how mechanics are built in ESB. You might have to remake all WALLITEM_ACTIONS with completely different tools.
- ALL your custom object can be translated by RTSB. If you open object_list.txt, you will see a list of translated item.
- If your item is not in this list, it will still appear in dungeon.lua, BUT with a commented line (starting with '--') so you can fix it by hand.
- If it is in this list, and you didn't create a new item in your object.lua file to match it, ESB and DSB will CRASH.

bump.

I'm working on a new version of "Return To Strike Back". It will be faster, better, stronger. Stay tuned, daft designers.

EDIT: I've now got a clean, up and running Lua version of RTSB, that does everything the previous was doing (but faster and better).

I'm now working on the translation of WALLITEM_ACTION.
I'll then see how I can fully translate custom graphics, sounds and items, then I'll see about methods.

Merry christmas

re-bump.

RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT (see first post for the link)

The current version of RTSB (RTC to DSB dungeon converter) is a Lua program, with the following features :
- Converts all basic content (maps + DM & CSB items) and mechanics (relays and counters)
- Custom wallsets and flooritem_alt_wallset are converted
- Custom items are created from the DSB items

Next release:
- Custom graphics and sounds (including those of Wallsets)
- DM2 items, including the fixing of the infamous "can't fill the waterskin on the DM2 fountain" bug.
- Wallitem_action (not all functions though)

How do I get this to run? The old package had a EXE, this one is just LUA code. I downloaded a Lua binary but it doesn't seem to do anything...
I'm being a bit sleepy and stupid on a saturday morning, what did I do wrong...?

Ok, once you've installed Lua 5.1 binaries, you need to go to your Windows menu -> Program -> Lua -> IExecutor

This opens a window, which should ask you to open a .lua file.
Open RTSB.lua, making sure that your RTC dungeon, renamed dungeon.txt is in the same directory.
It should spit three files: NAME_dungeon.lua, NAME_objects.lua, NAME_startup.lua

EDIT 1: Place those three files in a new NAME directory, rename them to: dungeon.lua, objects.lua, startup.lua
and open them either in ESB or in a text editor to see the work.

EDIT 2: The startup.lua file is VERY important. It will automatically fix a lot of stuff when you first open the dungeon in ESB or DSB. I recommand to backup all 3 files, and save the dungeon with ESB once before editing it (by hand or with ESB), in order to have it fixed automatically.

Don't touch anything else !


I'll eventually find a way to make an executable, but right now I don't have any free time for DM.

OK, cool, thanks for the quick reply, I'll check it out

It doesn't work as you described:

Ok, I've spotted the problem. You don't have the last version of RTSB, it lacks the "support" for DM2 objects. PM your e-mail I'll send you the new package.

Note that by "support" it just means it'll will spawn dummy objects to replace all the DM2-based RTC items (and their clones).

bump.

Working on an updated version that converts GRAPHICS, WALLSETS and SOUNDS.

Will release soon.