Cheat Engine

[bknight2602]

I have done quite a bit of searching and locating byte information on HOMM3.
Each character has h462 bytes.
Orrin first hero (example h126D60F, probable start h126D5F0)
Tiva last hero (example h12902AD, probable start h129070F)
Every time I open the game the heroes move to different locations but the relative locations are static. A pointer has not been successful is "finding the correct address on each open"

What I would like to do is put in some code in my cheat table that would do something like this:

FirstHero = "Orrin"
LastHero = "Tiva"
Find(search?) Text("Orrin") array
Find(search?) Text("Tiva") array
Compare addresses of both and if difference = h22C9E then
recompute table values to address of Orrin
Compare remainder of addresses until the difference is h22C9E
On error:
Hero not found either Firsthero or Lasthero (hero may have a name change is the particular map, but the base character remains the same)

[Dark Byte]

It should be possible using the memscan_ class functions.

And it should be possible with just one scan

Do a scan for the name "Orrin"
Then on each result do a readString(address-0x22c9e,4) and readString(address+0x22c9e,4) and check that the string is Tiva

[bknight2602]

OK, it will only be a positive scan as Orrin (or renamed) is first and Tiva (or renamed) is last in the attributes.

More questions if you please.

Do LUA codes begin with a sub or function statement? Do the variable(s) have to be dim. What about an error trapping routine? Is there a EOF type statement?
After the string adress is found what command would reset the rest of the table?
How is the finished code "attached" to a table of values and then be executed?
Thanks

[bknight2602]

I have been out of any kind of programming for some time. I did look at the tutorials and guides listed in the sticky note but am unable to even start. I didn't see any memscan functions so I am exactly where I was a couple of months ago.
If you could post a sample of the code you were thinking, I would greatly appreciate the start in the right direction.
thanks

[bknight2602]

OK I did attempt and put this in

memscan_firstScan(memscan, soExactValue, vtString, ,"Orrin", , 0, 0xffffffffffffffff, , , ,false ,true, false, true);
createFoundList(memscan);
foundlist_initialize(foundlist);
foundlist_getCount(foundlist);
foundlist_getAddress(foundlist, index);
for x = 1 to foundlist_getCount;
if readString(foundlist_getAddress + 0x22c9e,4)="Tiva" then;
addresslist_getCount(addresslist);
end if;
next x;
for y = 1 to addresslist_getCount;
if readString(getTableEntry("Orrin") then exit for
//address_getAddress(getTableEntry("Orrin");
next y;
strFoundAddress=address_getAddress(getTableEntry("Orrin");
for y = 1 to addresslist_getCount;
if address_getAddress(getTableEntry("Orrin")< foundlist_getAddress then
addresslist_doAddressChange(+strFoundAddress);
else
addresslist_doAddressChange(-strFoundAddress);
end if;
next y;

Didn't even get by line 1. Any help- would be appreciated.

[Dark Byte]

You need to create the memscan object first
You seem to be skipping some parameters
There is no next in lua

Try single lines of code in the lua console before trying to write a full script

[bknight2602]

I indicated programming was a bit rusty, previous coding (not lua),if you remember params if not used were left blank.
Understand the single line at a time attempts, but the framework should remain, I think
2nd try

ms=createMemScan(true)
memscan_firstScan(ms, soExactValue, vtString,"","Orrin","", 0, 0xffffffffffffffff,fsmNotAligned,"",false,true,false,true);
fl=createFoundList(fl);
foundlist_initialize(fl);
foundlist_getCount(fl);
foundlist_getAddress(fl,"");
for x = 1 to foundlist_getCount;
if readString(foundlist_getAddress + 0x22c9e,4)="Tiva" then;
addresslist_getCount(addresslist);
end;
end;
for y = 1 to addresslist_getCount;
if readString(getTableEntry("Orrin") then end;
//address_getAddress(getTableEntry("Orrin");
next y;
strFoundAddress=address_getAddress(getTableEntry("Orrin");
for y = 1 to addresslist_getCount;
if address_getAddress(getTableEntry("Orrin")< foundlist_getAddress then
addresslist_doAddressChange(+strFoundAddress);
else;
addresslist_doAddressChange(-strFoundAddress);
end;
end;


Error:
[string "ms=createMemScan(true)..."]:7:','expected near 'to'
inserting false gives the same error message

[Dark Byte]

in lua the for loop is build as:
for var=begin,stop do
yourcode
end

[bknight2602]

Thanks, stepping throught the list helped to decipher the error and where to look.

[bknight2602]

Ok, so far my searching for look alikes and code statements looks like this:

ms = createMemScan()
memscan_firstScan(ms, soExactValue, vtString,"","Orrin","", 0, 0xffffffffffffffff,fsmNotAligned,"",false,true,false,true);
fl = createFoundList(ms);
foundlist_getCount(fl);
foundlist_getAddress(fl, "");
for x = 1, foundlist_getCount(fl) do
if readString(foundlist_getAddress + 0x22c9e,4) == "Tiva" then
byteoffset = foundlist_GetAddress(fl, x);
--Should be the address to recalculate table addresses
end;
end;
addresslist = getAddressList();
memrec1 = addresslist_getMemoryRecordByDescription(addresslist, "Orrin");
orrinaddress = memoryrecord_getAddress(memrec1);

At this point in the code I need to re-calculate all the table items (just like right clicking the table item and do a recalculate), but I couldn't find any code that would do that.
What would be the next line of code to execute the desired address shift?

PS: Dark Byte maybe you could change the name of this forum question to "Re-calculate addresses with LUA". This might help future searches instead of the lable I chose.

[Dark Byte]

I'll assume you do not use pointers as that would complicate things a lot

Anyhow, go through the addresslist from 0 to addresslist_getCount(al)-1
for each element do record=addresslist_getMemoryRecordByID(addresslist, index)

and then for that record you can do memoryrecord_setAddress(record, "0x"..memoryrecord_getAddress(record)+differenceyouwishtoapply)

[bknight2602]

I have run pointer scans for the game with no hits. I have attempted to run "what accesses this address" for all of the resources and come up with values, unfortunately it never is only one for me, added them, shut the game down and reopened and no successful re-alignment. Pointers have not been successful for this game.

Looking at the code lines I'm assuming a memoryrecord object must be created first, as with the memscan.

Since the found addresses may be before or after the table address, I need to insert an if statement to calculate the offset difference to be applied.

I did see the memoryrecord codes but I mistakenly identified them with creating a different table or adding another record. No experiences with all of the code lines has been difficult for me. Thanks for your patience.

[Dark Byte]

No, you get the memory record the same was as you've already done in your previous code, but then use getMemoryRecordByID instead of description, and use a for loop

[bknight2602]

Here is an example of games where pointers have not worked. You'll notice there was two groups of processes that accessed the experience. You'll also notice that I have done this previously and some of the pointers have ??, really bad, and others point to an address that appears to not contain the correct value. The previous pointers did not have either of the values shown in this example. Pointer scans to this address yielded no hits. The addresses found were to used to recalculate the full list.

Win 7 envn
pSx ver 1.13
final_fantasy_anthology_-_final_fantasy_vi_(v1.1).bin

Any suggestions for how to properly obtain a correct pointer would be appreciated.

[Dark Byte]

As I said, don't use pointers as that would be too complex for your lua script.

Also, don't use that kind of pointers in a emulator. In cases like these, (emulators) debugger values and registers are useless.

If you do wish to use pointers set as base address the address that holds the virtual address of the start of the emulated memory, and then adjust the offset to the address you want it to be