Zephyr Net

You find a usnf'97 lib/mod that you like, but when it is imported into the USNF'97 Toolkit, you get the 'Read Only' notice. Here's one way to unlock it:

1. Rename the lib something else besides 'usnf_0.lib'.
2. Run LibHack.exe. Extract the files, then build a new lib with those files.
3. Import the new lib into the Fighters Anthology Toolkit (that's not a misprint). Do NOT make any changes to any of the files/items.
4. In Windows Explorer, go into the folder Toolkit --> Project --> [your newly created project folder]. Those are the individual files that are for use in USNF'97.

Optional steps:
5. Find the project folder you created and move (or copy) that folder into the same location for the USNF'97 toolkit.
6. Open your new project and create a new lib that is now readable for all.
7. Post on the internet for others to use.

Enjoy!

Libhack is no longer needed:
https://jkpeterson.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2546#p22488

Does that work on Windows ME ? Is it easy for us old Gen X non-nerd gamers to use ?

Does this tool allow the creation of libraries of any size vs the limits in FATK and Libhack?

_________________
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"FAF Shape Meister"
FAF/FA-2 Design team
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VNFAWING Forums
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FA Futures/FA-2 is Still Being Worked On and Will Be Released...

I must disappoint you, but OpenFA Tools do not work on Win98SE. Try writing to Terrence on Discord what the minimum OS requirements are, I'm afraid WinME won't be it.

Sadly, the only connection between Win98 and Win10/11 is a USB flash drive. I posted my linking solution on Discord: https://discord.com/channels/404082474705223690/404090955088658442/1052685886107693076

I only use 'dump-lib.exe' to extract libraries. I have never tried using the 'pack-lib.exe' tool. I put the modified files into FA unpacked. But I have an idea where you are going with this - a complete rebuild of the base libs.

You need to ask Terrence personally how the 'pack-lib.exe' tool works.
Building libraries is a bit of alchemy, I never really enjoyed that part of modding. I'm very glad it's no longer needed.

Maybe USNRaptor and Cent could try experimenting with it. They have extensive experience with packing libs.

Terrence is the last registered member on this forum. He probably doesn't come here much, but he frequently visits the FA corner on discord: https://discord.com/channels/404082474705223690/404090955088658442

'OpenFA' is a black-box re-implementation of the Janes Fighters Anthology engine, derived entirely from inspection of the game assets and observation of the game's behavior.
https://openfa.org/openfa-release-1/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B49ljE7pGM

The 'OpenFA Tools' for FA editing is more of a by-product that Terrence started modifying for my needs.

There are a couple things standing in the way of using pack-lib.exe currently.

The most important is that it doesn't work yet. I figured that since FA can load fine with a bare B2.PT file in the FA folder, it should be okay to have the same file, uncompressed, in a LIB. Sadly, no, immediate crash. I'm not sure if the contents need to be compressed, like the shipped libs, or if you need more files than I was putting in it: the toolkit dumps a bunch of other B2 related stuff in, in addtion to B2.PT, if you edit B2.PT.

PkWare compression is a huge PITA to get working: the encoder source code has never been released because of patent stuff back in the 80's, so the only reference materials that are available are an assembly dump with light C-ification. But I have it working as of a couple weeks ago, or at least round-tripping with the decompressor I implemented. I don't know if it will work with FA yet, because I hit a second bug. I think I've fixed that second bug too, but haven't had time to try it out yet.

As to WinME. It's not impossible: there are certainly Rust projects that have been compiled for Win95. It sounded like a complete PITA when I read an article about it a couple years ago. I'll see if it's any easier nowadays, when I get a chance.

I managed to get it more or less working. The latest release 0.2.1 contains a fully working pack-lib.exe. I tested it out by unpacking and then re-packing all of the base libs. The videos did not play after, so it's not 100% just yet, but otherwise the game seemed to run fine. Certainly adequate to start playing around with modding in openfa.

To that end, I've started building out an editing UI in OpenFA. Maybe eventually this could make modding less painful for those of us running FA on Win10+, though I plan to focus mostly on things that fatk can't currently do, like HUDs. A demo of what I have so far is here. Not super useful yet, but it's a first step.