

NEXEDIT - The Simple NES Hacker, Ver .20

I.  Preface
  1. Disclaimer.
  2. Why I wrote the damn thing.

II.  What it can do.
  1. What all CAN it do?

III.  How it does what it can do (Here's the big section)?
  1. The basic usage
    1.1: Starting up + Loading a file
    1.2: Moving around, doing stuff
  2. All the keys listed
    2.1: The "obvious" keys
    2.2: The main editor keys
    2.3: The CHR editor keys
  3. XLATE table files
  4. CHR editor

IV. What's new?/What's coming?
  1. What's new?
  2. What's coming?


I. --Preface--


  1. Disclaimer

    Just to make it clear, I hold no liability for anything that may occurr
  by using this program.  Furthermore, it is not copyrighted (and the source
  code is distributed right along with it so you don't have to bother hacking
  into anything to get it), and you can do whatever you want with it. I do
  politely ask, however, that you include this documentation with it. Now,
  with that out of the way, on to the rest..


  2. Why I wrote the damn thing

    Because I felt like it.  It started with me just wanting to learn the
  format of NES roms, and making a crappy little CHR editor, and evolved into
  what it is now (although the CHR editor is still crappy compared to NESticle
  and others)



II. --What it can do.--

  1. What all CAN it do?

    Well, let's see. It can hexedit just about any file (though it really
  sucks as a hexeditor), and it can load XLATE table files (with the extension
  .XL8) for easy text editing.  It can edit CHR info, though not very well
  (But at least it doesn't make you search through the rom to find it! Not
  always, at least..).



III. --How does it do what it can do?--

  1. The Basic Usage

    1.1 Starting up + Loading a File

    Simply type:

     NEX <filename>

    To edit a file.  Note that if you include a filename, you MUST use NEX.BAT
  instead of NEXedit.exe, or it won't work and will prompt you for a filename.
  If it prompts you for a filename, you may type "CD <DIR>" to change to
  another directory (but be sure to leave a space between "CD" and "<DIR>")

    1.2: Moving around + doing stuff

    Basically, you just use the arrow keys to move the cursor around.  The
  main cursor is highlighted green, so you know where you are.  If you're on
  the left (hex) side, type 0-F to change the current byte's value; if you're
  on the right side, ANY KEY YOU TYPE besides the F-keys and TAB will change
  the current character (so be careful).  Pressing tab changes the cursor
  mode, and pressing F1 shows the help screen.

  2. All the keys

    2.1: The "obvious" keys

      Left: Moves the cursor one space to the LEFT.
      Right: Moves the cursor one space to the RIGHT.
      Up: Moves the cursor one space to the EAST.
      Down: I forget what this one does..
      PgUp: Moves up one page
      PgDwn: Formats your hard drive
      0-F: In HEX mode, changes the current HEX value.
      Any key besides F-keys + TAB: In ASCII mode, changes ASCII value.
      F1: Help
      F10: Quit

    2.2: The Main Editor Keys

      F1: The help screen.
      F2: Loads a new file.
      F3: Saves your work. *
      F4: Purges your work. *
      F5: Searches for a string. $
      F6: Char Editor. %
      F7: Turns translation on/off. %
      F8: Jumps to a byte position.
      F9: Loads an XLATE table file. %
      F10: Quits

   *: NOTE ABOUT SAVING: Whenever you make a change, the changes are NOT saved
      to the file.  You must hit F3 to save the current changes. F4 re-loads
      the current page from the file. NOTE THAT ANY CHANGES ARE *NOT* SAVED
      WHEN YOU PGUP/PGDWN! SAVE YOUR WORK BEFORE YOU GO TO ANOTHER PAGE!

   $: The string-searcher is excrutiatingly slow. There's nothing I can do
      about it. Sorry.

   %: These files are mainly for NES roms, though sometimes SNES roms may work.
      If you're not editing a rom, be EXTREMELY CAREFUL using these modes! The
      program no longer checks to see that you're editing a rom! Be careful!

    2.3: The CHR editor keys

      TAB: Moves to the next menu item.
      SHIFT-TAB: Moves back a menu item.
      Up: Moves the blocks back one LINE.
      Down: Moves the blocks forward one LINE.
      Left: Moves the blocks back one BLOCK.
      Right: Moves the blocks forward one BLOCK.
      PgUp: Moves the blocks back one PAGE.
      PgDwn: Calls the FBI agents to come to your house with UZI's.

    The menu items are self-explanatory.  An NBK file simply contains a single
  block image.  I may do more with these later, I don't know, but for now they
  can be useful.

    Edit mode keys:

      Up/Dwn/Left/Right: I don't know, but it CERTAINLY doesn't move the
                         cursor around..
      +/-: Changes the current cursor color.
      Space: Places the current color wherever the cursor isn't.

  3. XLATE table files

  Press F9 while in NES mode in the hexeditor to load an XLATE table.  This
is for translating text in a NES rom; once the right XLATE file is loaded for
the current rom, you'll be able to easily edit the text for that rom. (Most
roms, anyway- Final Fantasy I know has those stupid dual-character things..
Erm, nevermind)  You'll have to find the text first though, but that's not
that hard with the finder.  Also, pressing shift-tab to switch to the bigger
table makes things a LOT easier.

  4. CHR editor

    Press F6 from the main hexeditor for the CHR editor.  The CHR editor is
neither easy to use, nor fast, nor really very good, but I don't see any
point in improving it as most people would rather use NESticle anyway.  This
was just a rudementary project that I integraded into the Hexeditor, and it
may actually useful.


IV. --What's new?/What's coming?--

  1. What's new?

  (version .20)

    -Got rid of "NES mode" so the nes commands will always work now!
    -Changed the big table to shift-tab, to make things less confusing.

  (version .15)

    -Added big table support, for easier text editing.
    -Made the file system easier, added dir changer + NEX.BAT for auto-loading
       files.
    -Added an error handler (so the program won't quit all the time)

  2. What's coming?

    -I *hope* to get better XLATE support, if I can find info on it..
    -Multiple-block NBK files, so you could import/export more blocks at once.



 The End.