Cheat Engine

[Smidge204]

Okay, I've been using CE quite extensively (and making good progress... I should have quite a list soon, and I'll submit the CT file )

For the sake of discussion, I'd like to propose some features that might really add to the usability of this nice little util...

Memory Fill
A function that will fill a specified memory range with a given value. So if you want to erase a 2kb chunk of memory, just say "Start here and dump 2048 bytes of "0"...."

Colored status for listed addresses
Coloring listed items according to how they've changed since the last refresh. ie: Make them red if they decreased or green if they've increased. (Perhaps colors could be user-selectable?). Ideally be able to toggle this on a per-item basis.

More groups!
The grouping function really comes in handy. The ability to have more than 4 would be nice!

Sort list
There is already a "sort addresses by group" command, but it would be nice if you could sort the list by address, name, type or value by clicking on the column headers. (Or even a right-click menu)

Memory Presets
The ability to have a "preset" value for each item listed. As opposed to freezing the value, a one-click operation to restore a specific, user-defined value. (As opposed to manually remembering what value you wanted and typing it in each time.) Bonus points if you could reset a whole group of values at once to restore initial conditions without reloading saved memory dumps :wink:

Memory Recall
Store the last value an item had before it was manually changed. Basically a one-step undo. ("Opps, I didn't mean to change that... uh, what was the value again?")

Predefined groups
Might be a little hard to explain... imagine if you could define a group, then ask CE to establish a base address for the entire group and have all the items listed read memory relative to that base address.

I'll use the specific situation that made me think of this... In Sonic Adventure DX (PC version...) you can have up to 24 Chao. The data that controls the attributes for each chao are arranged identically, and in 2kb segments.

I was thinking how nice it would be to define a "Chao" group, with all the known attributes assigned relative to a base address, then set the whole group's base address to point to a specific Chao. That way, I don't need to make an entire set of values for each one I want to look at (as opposed to changing the offsets for each value seperately), and if I want to list more than one, I could load another copy of the group and point it to a different base address.

Thoughts?
=Smidge=

[Dark Byte]

Memory Fill (Implemented)
I gues I can add that.

Colored status for listed addresses
Problem is: It refreshes every 500ms (unless you changed it in settings)
So during gameplay you propably wouldn't be able to see it.

More groups! (In progress)
Hey, someone even noticed there ARE groups. Ok, I'll add some. (got to figure out some colors for them though)

Sort list (Implemented)
Forgot to Put them back after I replaced the normal window with those resizable column. (Already fixed)

Memory Presets
Check the hotkey feature if I havn't broken it, that does exactly that. When you set a hotkey it sets that value, if you press the hotkey it resets the address to that value.

Memory Recall(Implemented)
Try to remember next time.
But I'll add a ctrl+z shortcut.

Predefined groups
Copy base group
paste base group
select the addresses
Choose recalculate offset, fill in 2K offset
OK, and bam, a new Chao

Also,in 4.1, if you'd be able to find the pointer to the base address, you could do the same by just increasing the offsets after the address the pointer points to with 2k each time. (better readable)

[Smidge204]

Ah, well... that wasn't so bad :D

Colored status for listed addresses
Well, why would it blank itself after every refresh?

Also, I didn't know you could copy and paste addresses. Neat! (There's currently 37 values I've teased out for each chao, times 24 total. I can't imagine having to manually tweak that many values... but this is good stuff!)
=Smidge=

[emperor]

It would be also great to have some group options...like for example change all addresses in one group to a value. Or is this already possible? Well at least I don't think so. If it isn't too much work maybe you could consider it.

[Dark Byte]

You can select all the addresses in the group , hit enter and then fill in the new value.

But I don't think it is a good idea to put in a default to make the values of grouped addresses the same. (Most of the time when I group addresses I just do it so i can quickly freeze them)

[emperor]

is that so? I didn't mean by default...i meant with right click, something like a new entry:
group option with subcategory like : change values of addresses in group, recalculate addresses in group
and things like that
but if it's already possible by pressing enter it's great. I searched for the way to do so but was unable to ...I tried selecting them all and looked for something on the right click menu that might help,but it didn't seem to. Then i tried selecting all the addresses and then doubleclicking on a value, but it didn't work. It's really only because i was so stupid that I didn't realize i had to press enter.
and I'm very sorry for asking something that was already possible
Unfortunately I didn't see anything about changing multiple values at once in the help file and also there it said i might either use mouse or keyboard for changing values but it seems like changing multiple ones is only possible with keyboard. Well i should've thought of that...so sorry...

[Dark Byte]

I can't test it right now, but doubleclicking a value when having multiple addresses selected should have worked too. (doubeclicking with either ctrl or shift down else you'll just deselect the others)

[emperor]

Well actually i always select things by holding shift and pressing the down arrow or the end button. Guess it's my fault for selecting with the keyboard and then doubleclicking (without holding shift anymore) on it. Sorry to have caused unnecessary trouble.

[Dark Byte]

No problem, it seems it wasn't obvious how to change multiple addresses at once so I'll do something about it. (E.g: changing the help, or adding a popup-menu item that says "change value(s)" )

[the_brilliance]

Drop and drag would be nice for addresses

[emperor]

Drag and drop? huh? where do you want to drop them?
Just in case you mean drag them from the found address window and drop them in the address list, there is an arrow that does that. Clicking the arrow is much easier than do drag and drop. Drag and drop is usually only used where there are different locations something can be send to.
Or did you mean something entirely different?

[the_brilliance]

Yea, I meant that groups would be easier to "customize" if we could drag and drop certain addresses in different locations to organize our tables.
An edition to the sort list.

For Example, putting Score with time or color with location etc. with one click of the mouse.
It would be nice.

[the_brilliance]

Could you make an option so that when you save a memory region it can load with the table.

[Dark Byte]

Sorting by dragging: I'll look into it, but dont hold your breath. (Not exactly dragging but rearanging is in)

Loading a export file when loading a table: No problem, but what if the game/program isn't running yet when loading the table?

[the_brilliance]