Kitty Corp Meow Mix Forums

Part 1: Things You'll Need to Stage Hack:
If you're going to do everything in this tutorial you'll need a variety of programs.
  - Brawlbox Modset 4.1 (http://forums.kc-mm.com/index.php?topic=16330.0) If there's another version of Brawlbox that you prefer that's OK, but this is needed for one or two parts.
  - BrawlWall (http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=260800) This is needed for boundaries and spawning.
  - Gimp (http://download.cnet.com/GIMP/3000-2192_4-10073935.html?tag=mncol;1) This is what I use, but you can use whatever you want for textures.
  - HxD (http://download.cnet.com/3001-2352_4-10891068.html?spi=7f3f26f2f3bb2ba5fe314aa800330f1e) The Hex Editor that I prefer. Used in Chapter 10.

Part 2: Resources That Come In Handy:
These are just places that can be useful when making a stage.
   -  SSE Stage List (http://forums.kc-mm.com/index.php?topic=3609.0) In case your importing a SSE stage, or there's a model from a SSE stage that you need.
   -  Model Collab Thread (http://forums.kc-mm.com/index.php?topic=18374.0) If your making a stage with somebody in the background.
   -  Filter Forge (http://filterforge.com/filters/) I was reading forums when somebody was looking for something involving stages, and ForOhFor (I think) posted this as a place to get textures.
   -  Textures and Models Resouce (http://www.textures-resource.com/) Good for making stages based off other games.

Part 3: Other Helpful Guides:
If you don't like my guide, try these ones:
    - Chuy's Guide To Stages (http://forums.kc-mm.com/index.php?topic=13377.0)
    - An in depth guide to SSE stage hacking by OizenX (http://forums.kc-mm.com/index.php?topic=3892.0)
    - Guide to Stage Builder Block Based Stages by ForOhForError (http://forums.kc-mm.com/index.php?topic=16029.0)
    - How to make your STGONLINETRAINING-based stages compatible with STGFINAL by Mewtwo2000 (http://forums.kc-mm.com/index.php?topic=9157.0)
    - Swapping Stage Backgrounds by Untouch (http://forums.kc-mm.com/index.php?topic=4357.0)
    - WackaAlpaca's Guides (http://forums.kc-mm.com/index.php?topic=3722.0)
    - Custom lighting and fogs in stages by Mewtwo2000 (http://forums.kc-mm.com/index.php?topic=21475)
     - The Shadow System by Mewtwo2000 (http://forums.kc-mm.com/index.php?topic=18879.0)

Part 1: Just Texture Hacking:
   Texture hacking a stage is just like texture hacking a character. You want a good program like gimp or photoshop, and you want to already know how to use that program. A stage's textures are located in the TextureData[0] (or sometimes [1], [2], etc.). However, some ModelData - especially characters - have textures inside them. Each texture gets applied to a different part of a model. Sometimes, if you’re making a snowy or icy themed stage using a bunch of models textures can have the same name. For example, the name "ice01" can be found multiple times in the game.
   If you find that you have two models requiring the same name, you're able to rename the texture. That way the texture applies to only one model. Here's how...
   First rename the texture. Then go into the model, and find Materials1, Textures1, and (if it's there) Textures2. (http://i.imgur.com/wdk8a.png) Find the old name in the model, and rename it to the new name. For example, if the old texture was "ice01" and you want "icy" you'd find "ic01" in the TextureData, and the model's Textures1 and Materials1. I'd then rename each of those to "icy".

Part 2: 2D Stages: Note: WackaAlpaca has a better 2D stage guide
   2D stages are a great way to start. They can give texture, collision, and boundary experience. First of all, you need to download a 2D stage template here. (http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?imt2edwyyy2)
   When making a 2D stage you can just ignore the models. Know that the textures decide the stage. AsfSoldier.0 is the background and AsfTank.0 is the part you fight on. The blue dot in AsfTank.0 is around the spawning point, so unless you're editing spawn points keep a platform around there.

Part 3: A Note On Texture Renaming:
   Remember this when renaming textures...
  You DO NOT rename the first name in the Materials. Click the + and rename the texture you find inside. YOU NEED TO KEEP THE FIRST TEXTURE'S NAME THE SAME!!! Also, do not rename anything in Materials2.

Part 1: Using Floors, Walls, Etc.:
   In Brawlbox you can edit collisions. Just right-click -> preview the collision. The first thing you need to know about collisions is how to make more parts. Hold Alt, left click and drag. However, collisions require information to make them work.
   If you select a part and go into the bottom left corner. To select the type of collisions go to types. Floor is what you walk on and ceiling is what people collide into from underneath. A left wall is collided with from the right side of a platform, and the right wall is collided from the left of a platform (if that makes sense).
   The flags in the bottom left are important. Checking the fall-through doesn't work unless it's a floor type. It makes characters able to go through the floor. Ledges are used on floors also, and allow the floor to be grabbed. The floor has to be on the corner; the left ledge is on the left side of the platform and the right ledge vice versa. Clicking no walljump is for walls, making characters like Mario unable to jump off that wall and characters like Sheik unable to stick.

Part 2: Different Types of Collisions:
   Still in the bottom left, there's the Material of the collision. The Footsteps are quite similar and don't have much uniqueness to them. The Water material is misleading. It causes splashes at your feet, and does not make the object swimmable. The Ice (and Ice2) collision causes the platform have characters slide atop of it. NEVER use the crash material on stages that don't already have it.

Part 1: Boundaries:
   The boundaries of a stage involve two parts: the Camera and the Death Boundaries. Select the CamLimit0N, CamLimit1N, Dead0N, and Dead1N in the bottom left corner. Play around with the X and Y coordinates of the CamLimit0N, CamLimit1N, Dead0N, and Dead1N. Try to keep the death boundaries out side of the camera.
   When you finish and have boundaries that match your stage, don't save!!! Open Notepad and record the coordinates of each point. Then, without saving in Brawlwall, open the stage Brawlbox. Go to MiscData[100] and view the model. You'll see a bunch of green lines, bones. If you look at the bone names you'll find the boundary points! Here you can edit each point in Brawlbox. When you finish, you can finally save.

Part 2: Other:
   In BrawlWall you'll find a bunch of other coordinates. You'll find Item Spawn points, Character spawn points, and Final smash points. You can edit these the same way you edit boundaries, in case a platform gets in the way of the original point of one of these. But always remember, never save in Brawlwall. Copy the coordinates and redo them in Brawlbox.

Part 1: Main Platforms:
   Many stages have a main platform for fighting on in the center of the stage. This single platform is often in ModelData[10] or ModelData[1]. If you want to swap main platforms with each other it's really easy. For this tutorial I'll be using an example from my stage Tabuu's Cruise.
   Let's start by opening up both stages in Brawlbox. Find the main platform, you'll know which it is by viewing it.   Next, find all the textures that apply to the new main platform... If there are a lot of textures, write them down. X out of the preview and go to TextureData[0] within the same brawl box file and export them. Go to the other stage, and import them. Rename the textures from NewNode## to the names they used to have.   Now let's move on from the textures. Export either the model of the new main platform or (if it's animated) the ModelData. Go to the stage who is getting a the new main platform and find the platform you are replacing. If it's just a model, right click and replace the model. If you exported the ModelData, right click -> replace the old model's ModelData with the new ModelData. Now you still have one last thing to do. Go to collisions and use Chapter 3 to create appropriate collisions. When done, save your platform-swapped stage! Go and test.
   Here's Pirate Ship given Tabuu's platform: (http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/2245/al1011271643binout.th.jpg) You can download here. (http://forums.kc-mm.com/Gallery/BrawlView.php?Number=14052)

Part 2: Background Swapping:
   Now, after swapping the main platform you may want to swap the background also. It's actually almost the same thing! Backgrounds are generally in ModelData[0] or [1]. Find the textures of the new background and export; then export the model or, if it's an animated background, the ModelData. Then do the whole replacing thing again. This time, you don't have to edit collisions. If this isn't clear, see Chuy's guide to stages for more details on swapping backgrounds.

Part 3: Lighting Swaps:
   Lighting is the easiest thing to swap. Each stage, you see, has a SceneData[0]. To swap lighting, export one stages SceneData, and replace another stages with it. Be careful though, because stages have specific names for the first MiscData inside of the SceneData. Make sure to check for the stage-who's-getting-the-lighting-swapped's name.

  Before you read this, read Guide to Stage Builder Block Based Stages by ForOhForError (http://forums.kc-mm.com/index.php?topic=16029.0).
   Now that you have, let's continue. As ForOhFor explained, an animation is required for the model(s). But he only explained one-boned models. Some models have quite a few bones, however. Often, you may need to use a similar strategy to position these models. But, you may need to use the single animation to position each of these bones. Just do what the guide says, but with each bone. Of course, bones with no rotation, irregular scaling, or different positions don't require to be edited in the animation.

Part 1: Animating:
    You know how to position stage parts properly, now you need to know how to animate them. First, go to your animation. If you followed ForOhFor's tutorial it should have 1 frame. You can edit the amount of frames at any time. Frames go by pretty fast. Some taunts have about 120 frames, but only seem to last about 5 seconds! There isn't much of a limit to the amount of frames you can have, just don't go overboard (I don't think you'd need 10,000 frames).
    Animating itself isn't very hard. Just play around with the sizes, rotations, and positions of each bone for each frame. Of course, animating can be very tedious work, especially when trying to make custom animations for models with a large amount of bones. For your first animation, try keeping it simple so that you don't get disappointed if you mess up. When animating, always keep in mind that you should try to make the last frame the same as the first frame so that it loops. Also, unless it's a character, you can save time by skipping some frames. You can animate just every 100 frames, and the stage will animate properly without jerking. Of course, this can have weird results when animating characters.


Part 2: Attaching Collisions:
   You remember creating collisions, right? And you probably want to fight on your animated platform, right? Well, you need to read this part. Attaching collisions to bones will make them animate. First, put the platform's position at 0,0, 0 (not in the animation). Right click in the box on the left that says "Collision Object." Click "New Object". Then, make a collision around the model, and assign the collision to the model's (top) bone. Save, and view the model. Position it to the animation's first frame and it should work.

If this doesn't explain it, here's it reworded:
 In the model viewer, without clicking on an animation (so frame 0), set the top bone of the animated model's X and Y translations all to 0. In collision editor add right click -> new collision where it says collision object. Then create your platform around that model with the new collision object selected. When that's done you select the collision object and select the top bone of your model. In the bottom left hit the + and it should work. Also, i discovered that the collisions most likely don't work if they have a check in unknown1 or unknown2.
If this is all true than it should work... With the information you've given me, I don't think it's completely correct.

Part 1: Snow, Rain, and Hail:
    Weather is actually really easy to add. I'll give you the basics:
First of all open up STGPIRATES.pac. Then find ModelData[32] and delete the highlighted:
(http://i.imgur.com/xaOEf.png)
Then export ModelData[32] and find the texture "ame03". Export the texture. Next, open the stage you're adding weather to and export that stage's "PokeTrainer00" (found in ModelData[101]). Then replace ModelData[101] with ModelData[32] and import "PokeTrainer00" into that. Next, create an animation to position the weather's model Builder-Block-Style. Import ame03 into the TextureData. Currently, ame03 is rain but you can retexture it. After you've done all this, you have snow, rain or hail!

Part 2: Fog:
    Fog is actually surprisingly basic. (Although I haven't done this for a while, so there may be something wrong with this part of the tutorial) However, I think you'll need Brawlbox Modset 4.1. In your stage, hit the + on SceneData. Then go to hit the Fogs, and for the nodes you edit the Float#s for different fog levels. You can read more about fogs and lighting in Mewtwo2000's tutorial.

(http://i.imgur.com/I1eLu.png)