Player V1.39n-B, Editor V1.39n-C, Flexi Toolkit V1.06 Released

[namida]

Alright - the V1.39n update is primarily to implement something that some people have been asking for for a long time - music files by name rather than by number! This can be a bit tricky to use for creators, so I'll put instructions in a reply (though I might not get around to this until a bit later on). People who just want to play existing content don't have to worry about it, of course.

So, what's there new for users? Well - although this one's also a bit more for creators - NXPs no longer have to include copies of default data files. This means, generally speaking, smaller NXP filesizes! Lemming prioritization for assigns is also somewhat modified, generally to reduce the priority of lemmings that the currently-selected skill couldn't be assigned to anyway. You can now also have global music packs, rather than needing a seperate copy of the file for each game (note: this feature does not work with NXPs that predate V1.39n; these older NXPs still work of course, but they won't use the global packs). And, of course, a sprinkle of bugfixes.

Oh - did I mention, an option's been added to use the classic L1-like behaviour of whiting out skill counts when they're zero, rather than displaying a zero? This was pretty heavily requested too, and it's finally in there. It's not enabled by default, so head over to the config menu to turn it on.

As for V1.39n-B, this one has some minor fixes, but also another much-requested change: The performance of backwards frameskips has been greatly improved!!!

V1.39n
------
* Some changes have been made to the algorithm that determines which lemming has priority when multiple
  lemmings are under the cursor. As a general rule, the change is that a lemming that cannot be assigned
  the currently selected skill will have lower priority than those who can be assigned it.
* The option to white out skill counts when zero, rather than displaying the count as zero, has been
  added. It is not turned on by default; check the config menu if you want to enable it.
* Default graphic sets no longer need to be included in NXPs. The "default" ones are considered to be:
  - All graphic sets from Original Lemmings, including the Genesis variants
  - All graphic sets from Oh No! More Lemmings!
  - All graphic sets from Lemmings Plus II, III and IV
  - The Xmas, Sega and Horror sets
* Global music packs are supported. These should be placed in the same folder as the EXE, and can be
  named anything that begins with "NeoLemmix_Music_" and ends with ".dat" (not case-sensitive). These
  have priority over any other source, except for dedicated music packs for the game you're playing.
  (They have priority over the musics stored in the NXP.)
* Music packs only need to include tracks that don't differ from the standard versions, instead of
  including copies even of those that are unchanged.
* Music files by names (rather than numbers) are now supported, as are custom lists for music order
  (which can include the same music more than once).
* Default musics (as in, those from Orig or Ohno, excluding those for VGASPEC levels) no longer need
  to be included in NXPs. The names to use for default musics are:
    Original Lemmings:     orig_01 to orig_17 (follows Amiga order)
    Oh No! More Lemmings!: ohno_01 to ohno_06 (follows DOS order)
    Other:                 frenzy, gimmick
* Fixed the following bugs:
  > The "Tab" key could not be used as a hotkey for most functions
  > Sometimes after playing a single level, a "Single Levels.sav" file would appear
  > On some systems, if you clicked "Cancel" when prompted to select a pack, NeoLemmix would crash
    instead of exiting cleanly

V1.39n-B
--------
* Improved performance of frameskipping and loading saved states.
* The player version number is now displayed in the text above the scroller on the menu screen, rather than
  as one of the last items in the scroller.
* Level preview images are resized using a linear resampler instead of nearest neighbour.
* Begun implementing support for some images stored as PNGs rather than in MAIN.DAT; as this feature is not
  yet complete, no compatible Flexi Toolkit has been released.
* Fixed the following bugs:
  > When automatic replay saving is enabled and the Cheat hotkey is used, a replay is saved.
  > When playing a single level, replays are sometimes saved in a seperate folder from the main Replay one.
  > In some cases, when the White Out Zero Skills option is enabled, there would be slight graphical glitches
    after restarting a level.

Download: http://www.neolemmix.com/old/NeoLemmix.exe
NeoLemmix Introduction Pack: http://www.neolemmix.com/old/neolemmix/NeoLemmixIntroduction.nxp <--- recommended for players new to NeoLemmix
Official Games: http://www.neolemmix.com/old/neolemmixplayers.html <--- these have been rebuilt with the newest Flexi Toolkit, so that they'll work with the global music pack feature
Source Code: V1.39n | V1.39n-B



The editor is a relatively minor update. It allows setting music file names (rather than just numbers), and fixes a relatively minor bug.

V1.39n-A
--------
> Music file name can now be edited in NeoLemmix levels.
> Fixed the bug where a level would be considered modified after entering playtest mode.

V1.39n-B
--------
> When adding a terrain piece or object, the editor immediately asks which piece to add. Those
  who prefer the old behaviour can revert to it via File > Settings.
> Added a "Save" option (rather than only "Save As")
> Changed the hotkeys for piece addition to Alt+[key] rather than Ctrl+Shift+[key] (Ctrl+[key]
  has conflicts, and Shift+[key] or just [key] can have problems when editing level titles etc)
> NeoLemmix levels now have Zombies and Ghosts enabled by default (since if the level doesn't
  contain any zombie / ghost lemmings, it makes no difference)
> Fixed the bug where most things in the Level Properties window would not trigger the "level
  has changed, do you want to save?" prompt.
> Fixed the bug where some vanilla Lemmix levels (particularly those in the Dirt style) would
  appear to not load properly if loaded directly into NeoLemmix style.
> Fixed the bug where ordering in the style.ini file was not applied to VGASPEC graphics.
> Fixed the bug where OK was initially clickable in the select style dialog, even if nothing
  was selected yet.

V1.39n-C
--------
> Fixes issues with the "Fix All" button in level validation that could result in errors or level
  corruption.

Download: http://www.neolemmix.com/old/neolemmixeditor.zip
Upgrade: http://www.neolemmix.com/old/NeoLemmixEditor.exe (Replace your existing EXE with this one; use only if you already have a fairly recent (but not latest) version)



The Flexi Toolkit update is the really big one. Well, in some ways. In other ways it's not - the Flexi Toolkit's filesize has massively shrunk, due to not needing to include default data files in NXP, which in turn means there was no point including copies of them with the toolkit. The main changes are to implement support for music file by name - including in the track rotation.

NOTE: There is a major bug in this version, in that it does not save the currently-in-memory contents before building an NXP. So, if you've made any changes since opening the pack, always save it before building an NXP!

V1.06
-----
> Major changes to the Music panel. The musics are no longer a preset list of fillable slots; they're
  now a collection of files, much like the graphic set tab. They're now referenced by name, so a button
  has been added to open a window where you can specify the rotation order (if you wish to use one).
> Changing the music number in the level popup window has been replaced with changing the level's name.
  If this doesn't work for any given level, open and re-save the level in the NeoLemmix Editor and this
  will fix it. (This happens because the level is in an older format, and Flexi Toolkit does not have
  the capability to update the format.)
> The button to add default graphic sets and musics have been removed, as NXPs no longer need to contain
  copies of these. In the case of musics, the names to use to refer to default ones are orig_01 to orig_17,
  ohno_01 to ohno_06, gimmick, and frenzy.

Download: http://www.neolemmix.com/old/FlexiTool.zip
Source Code: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jbprmvtjn52zvuz/FlexiTool_V1.06_Source.zip

[namida]

Music Packs

Most official games, as well as some fangames (for example, those in the Lemmings Plus series that use official musics) will no longer have, or need, their own dedicated music packs. Instead, you just put the appropriate music pack in the same folder as NeoLemmix.exe for the versions of these tracks you want.

For fangames, please see their topics, or ask their authors.

As far as official games go, for Xmas Lemmings and Holiday Lemmings, since their musics are not considered part of the "default" set, you'll need to use a music pack the same way as always. You can get the music pack for them here: http://www.neolemmix.com/old/musicpacks/HolidayLemmings_Music.dat
(For Xmas Lemmings, create a copy of this and rename it to XmasLemmings_Music.dat)

For all other games, they use default musics, so you can use a global music pack to replace these in all games that use the respective pack. Here are some music packs:

Original Lemmings Musics
Acorn Musics
DOS Musics
Genesis Musics
Sega Master System Musics

Oh No! More Lemmings! Musics
DOS Musics

[namida]

Upgrading existing packs to newest Flexi Toolkit

There are a few things that should be done for loading packs into the newest Flexi Toolkit.

1. Delete all default graphic sets (but not VGASPECs or custom graphic sets). This means - the Orig and OhNo ones, the LPII / III / IV ones, and the Xmas, Sega and Horror set. EXCEPTION: If you're using the alternate version of the Xmas set (which has the Santa lemmings, rather than the normal ones, in the trap animation), do not delete it.
2. Delete all default musics. This means - the Orig and OhNo ones, plus the default Frenzy and Gimmick musics.
3. If you have any music pack tracks, create a subfolder in your project folder called "MusicPack" and place them in there. Rename them to remove the "mp_" from the start.
4. Create a file "music.txt". In this file, list (one per line) the music tracks you want in the standard rotation (you don't need to, and should not, list tracks that are not in the standard rotation). You can alternatively do this in the toolkit itself after you open the project, on the musics tab with the "Edit Music Rotation" button.
5. Using either the Flexi Toolkit (doubeclick on a level in the listing) or the NeoLemmix Editor, double-check all music file names for any levels that don't simply use the standard rotation. In particular, note that special music for gimmick / frenzy levels is no longer automatic, you must explicitly specify it. Levels that previously used 253 (standard rotation but no special music) should be automatically changed to blank, but anything else should be double-checked.

If instead of blank, you're getting a * for the levels that previously used 253, redownload Flexi Toolkit and try again. I initially uploaded a wrong version by mistake, but put the right version up very quickly.

For default musics, the names to use are "orig_01" to "orig_17" for Original Lemmings tracks (Amiga ordering), "ohno_01" to "ohno_06" for Oh No! More Lemmings! tracks (DOS ordering), plus "frenzy" and "gimmick".
Remember: Don't specify any extension when stating a music file name, whether it's in the rotation or in a level's data. So in other words - you would put "orig_01", not "orig_01.it".

Note that you don't have to do it this way - you can just open the pack, then modify things until you get it how you want, if you like; but this is probably the quickest way.

[Nepster]

As I had to produce half a dozen versions of NepsterLems until the game played music via the new music files, here a few tips:

• In the music menu in the FlexiToolkit, remove all traks from the list below "Build-in". If there are already tracks in the list below "Music Pack", delete them as well. Then use the "Add Music Pack" button. You don't already have a music pack? Nevermind! It is there to load single .it or .ogg tracks, and not full music .dat packs! So click on it and load the tracks you want. They should appear in the list below "Music Pack".
• The file name of a single track should coincide with the name given in the "Music File" textbox in the level properties. As long as this holds, it doesn't matter if there is a "mp_" in front of both. So the following is true:
  
  
  • Music file name: Lalala.ogg; Name in Level propertis: Lalala.ogg ==> OK
  • Music file name: mp_Lalala.ogg; Name in Level propertis: mp_Lalala.ogg ==> OK
  • Music file name: mp_Lalala.ogg; Name in Level propertis: Lalala.ogg ==> BAD
  • Music file name: Lalala.ogg; Name in Level propertis: mp_Lalala.ogg ==> BAD
• Finally just put all your single music files in a directory called "MusicPack". Don't rename any file in this step!

@namida: Your FlexiToolkit tutorial on your homepage is hopelessly outdated by now. Please update it. And if you do that, you may explain all options, even the ones you think are obvious. I needed until the third beta-testing version until I found the 'Disable Direct Drop' option. Keep in mind, that you know about all the options you included, but we others don't and have to be told in the tutorials.
Moreover you put lots of warnings against adding music tracks directly into the .nxp, but these warning don't tell the user anything about how they can actually create music packs. After encountering this warning message, I searched for 20 minutes for a newly created "Make MusicPack" option.

[namida]

Editor V1.39n-B released. This one implements a lot of recent suggestions and fixes a lot of recently reported bugs.

V1.39n-B
--------
> When adding a terrain piece or object, the editor immediately asks which piece to add. Those
  who prefer the old behaviour can revert to it via File > Settings.
> Added a "Save" option (rather than only "Save As")
> Changed the hotkeys for piece addition to Alt+[key] rather than Ctrl+Shift+[key] (Ctrl+[key]
  has conflicts, and Shift+[key] or just [key] can have problems when editing level titles etc)
> NeoLemmix levels now have Zombies and Ghosts enabled by default (since if the level doesn't
  contain any zombie / ghost lemmings, it makes no difference)
> Fixed the bug where most things in the Level Properties window would not trigger the "level
  has changed, do you want to save?" prompt.
> Fixed the bug where some vanilla Lemmix levels (particularly those in the Dirt style) would
  appear to not load properly if loaded directly into NeoLemmix style.
> Fixed the bug where ordering in the style.ini file was not applied to VGASPEC graphics.
> Fixed the bug where OK was initially clickable in the select style dialog, even if nothing
  was selected yet.



Re: Flexi Toolkit, yeah, I really do need to. It does have a warning that it's outdated, but I really need to get around to fixing that. But I'll probably wait until the release of NeoLemmix V1.40n, as the addition of custom image support in the toolkit will probably be the most major change we see for a while.

[namida]

Player V1.39n-B released. As well as a few minor fixes, this has huge improvements in the performance when backwards framestepping. Let me know if you encounter any issues.

V1.39n-B
--------
* Improved performance of frameskipping and loading saved states.
* The player version number is now displayed in the text above the scroller on the menu screen, rather than
  as one of the last items in the scroller.
* Level preview images are resized using a linear resampler instead of nearest neighbour.
* Begun implementing support for some images stored as PNGs rather than in MAIN.DAT; as this feature is not
  yet complete, no compatible Flexi Toolkit has been released.
* Fixed the following bugs:
  > When automatic replay saving is enabled and the Cheat hotkey is used, a replay is saved.
  > When playing a single level, replays are sometimes saved in a seperate folder from the main Replay one.
  > In some cases, when the White Out Zero Skills option is enabled, there would be slight graphical glitches
    after restarting a level.

Note that NXPs built with the experimental Flexi Toolkit release that contain PNG images will work with this update, but the custom PNG images will not show up (this is by design and is not a bug). Please continue using MAIN.DAT for custom images until V1.40n is released.

[IchoTolot]

The new performance is godlike compared to the old one    Praise namida and the new player!

Huge improvement in enjoyment while playing!

[Wafflem]

Thank you very much for this upgrade!

This will especially be very beneficial in large levels, as there have been a lot of those types of levels these days.

One thing I've noticed: all the level image previews are blurred. Is this intentional?

[namida]

One thing I've noticed: all the level image previews are blurred. Is this intentional?

Eep, forgot to include that in the changelog. When sizing them down, it now uses a linear resampler instead of a Nearest Neighbour one. The result of such is that it may be a bit blurry, but small details tend to be visible when they weren't before (eg: compare Fun 3 before and after).

[namida]

@namida: Your FlexiToolkit tutorial on your homepage is hopelessly outdated by now. Please update it. And if you do that, you may explain all options, even the ones you think are obvious. I needed until the third beta-testing version until I found the 'Disable Direct Drop' option. Keep in mind, that you know about all the options you included, but we others don't and have to be told in the tutorials.
Moreover you put lots of warnings against adding music tracks directly into the .nxp, but these warning don't tell the user anything about how they can actually create music packs. After encountering this warning message, I searched for 20 minutes for a newly created "Make MusicPack" option.

I got around to doing this, finally. Do note that I based the update off the next upcoming version of the toolkit, to save me having to re-update it yet again when that comes out (apart from maybe a few small tweaks to account for anything that changes between now and then). The only real difference is that the "Custom Images" thing is not present in the current version.

[Nepster]

Great improvement for the framestepping performance ! Even in a 100 lemmings levels with 6 minutes game-time, the time lag is barely noticable.

Just two other remarks regarding the styles that come with the editor:
1) Do you mind providing a download without all the styles? For most of us, there is no need to update the styles every time.
2) For the last few releases the Cheapo-version of the L1- and ONML-styles are also contained in the NeoLemmix styles folder. In my opinion they clutter only the style selection menu without providing anything that the Dos or Genesis styles miss. Moreover anyone that want to use them, can just copy them from the Cheapo folder, or are there any differences? On the other hand, IchoTolot's great L2 and L3 styles are not included, which are far more useful.
So perhaps you could include the L2/L3-styles in the downloads and remove the Cheapo-styles?

[namida]

1. Not at home at the moment; I'll try to remember to do this when I am.
2. This is a mistake; they shouldn't be. As for adding the extra ones - on one hand, I certianly could see this as benig worthwhile. However, on the other hand, I'm not sure how I feel about including (under the main category) ones that aren't also built into the player, and I'm not sure if I want to bloat the player EXE by including them. Having them in a seperate collection would be somewhat inconvenient (due to having to manually select that collection every time one loads a level using it), but perhaps I could add code to make it look in other collections of the same engine if nothing's found in the selected one... Maybe this is sometihng that should be put up on the suggestions board, to see what other people think of it.

There are no differences between the NeoLemmix and Cheapo folders except for what graphic sets are in them. Basically - each folder is defined as either NeoLemmix, Lemmix, SuperLemmini or Lemmini. The only other difference is that different folders can specify a different EXE for playtest, but the Cheapo and NeoLemmix folders (both of which are defined as NeoLemmix styles) both refer to "NeoLemmix.exe" for testplay, unless one changes this themself.

[IchoTolot]

2. This is a mistake; they shouldn't be. As for adding the extra ones - on one hand, I certianly could see this as benig worthwhile. However, on the other hand, I'm not sure how I feel about including (under the main category) ones that aren't also built into the player, and I'm not sure if I want to bloat the player EXE by including them. Having them in a seperate collection would be somewhat inconvenient (due to having to manually select that collection every time one loads a level using it), but perhaps I could add code to make it look in other collections of the same engine if nothing's found in the selected one... Maybe this is sometihng that should be put up on the suggestions board, to see what other people think of it.

I would give my OK to this. Just need to remember to add this in the editor as well when I'm going to update the tilesets.
An update is planned after addition of custom single-colored backgrounds: Simply discarding and replacing the large background objects and add them + former secoundary not 100% needed additional backgrounds by default. Also adding a few tiles that are currently missing to the pile like the black bowling ball in the Sports tileset (which is currently missing due to the black background.)

[namida]

Editor V1.39n-C released. This one fixes a problem with the "Fix All" button in level validation that can potentially lead to missing pieces (though in practice, more often all it does is not work properly).