retired_rockstar22

Hi all, Im hoping one of the editing gurus that hang out around here can help me with this problem.

I have messed around with artmoney and been able to change loads of stuff (before I registered on here and found all those lovely tables) Doh!

With that in mind I decided to write a quick program to edit the values I wanted. Now before you say, there are already editors out there, I know that, but Im a curious kind of guy, and I want to see if I could do this kind of thing.

Well Ive figured out how to attach to the process and read and write to and from the memory locations, the problem I have come across, is that I dont know where to jump in and start reading.

Does MCFM and other such editors search for a player ID sequentially through the whole of the memory space? I cant see this being the case, as it would take too long and return multiple results. So My question is...how do you know where to being the read and the length of the record, because they are variable lengths?

Really hoping someone can help satisfy my curiosity.

Thanks

Foxedup

retired_plantsomethinggreen

As far as I know, MCFM works with pointers to certain blocks in memory. But if I knew how exactly, I'd write my own editor

borat123

MCFM does indeed work by using pointers to memory blocks. I believe that FM Modifier uses id's. This method isn't the greatest as it means you first have to find out what id a player or team is first. With MCFM, you just type the name in.

Being knowledgable with Artmoney doesn't mean that you'll be able to create a fully functional editor as the interface for memory editing is already available in Artmoney.

Every year Mind Compression get together and determine the structure for the game using the usual tools (our proprietry hex editor mostly).

I think you'll find that if you get some decent hex editor (Hex Workshop is still the universal standard), then you can go a long way towards determining the structure of the game.

retired_rockstar22

Indeed I understand that using artmoney doesnt even begin to scratch the surface of the problem, but I have already written some code to do the memory editing bit, and have spent hours pouring over hex dumps. My problem is just that I cant seem phathom out the size and starting points of these memory blocks you talk about

Now Im not asking for a complete answer, but is it possible to get a few pointers?

Again I stress that this is only really for my curiosity, you guys at MC have the market pretty much sewn up with a great product, and I dont want to release an editor of my own, I just want to increase my knowledge about such matters.

Foxedup

borat123

You don't need to put a sig at the end of your post (not even mentioning that it's against forum rules) but I can already see your username at the left!

I can't divulge any source for MCFM (which, incidentally, is written in C#) but I can offer you some helpful pointers if you're looking to write something in C#. Time is limited right now and I'm busy tonight (Hull Fair) but I'll see what I can do tomorrow.

In the meantime. Try and look at PInvoke if you're interested in accessing Win32's from unmanaged API's in a .net environment (almost verbatim from http://www.pinvoke.net/).

retired_rockstar22

Fair enough about the signature, didnt mean to cause offense, but normally forum rules prevent those horrible big graphical banner style signatures not 7 characters

It would be awesome if you could give me some pointers and thanks for the link to pinvoke I hadnt seen that site before

I have put together my own declare statements (yes im using vb.net) using from the vb6 documentation to use the api's readprocessmemory and writeprocessmemory which seem to be working well, so that part is covered.

Look forward to hearing from you soon Dan

borat123

I won't ask you to reconsider your choice of VB.net but I'm well known (at least on the Programmers Oracle) for my extreme dislike of VB and BASIC in general. This is mostly due to my C64 days (which introduced me to BASIC) up to me VB6, macro and ASP based work with it (it's endless list of required DLL's for older versions of Windows didn't help either!).

PInvoke is good for VB.NET and .net languages in general. And, although the Nux and Nix heads in the population will tell you it's all rubbish and that Python is the king, they'll be sadly mistaken. Even more so, if they try and claim that it's actually a VHL language.

Ok... My childish qualms aside, lets see if I can help. I've got an hour before I need to leave for a haircut (it's 15:15 right now). If you can reply in enough time before then, then I should be able to help you today.

VB's process memory API's are generally ok and although I haven't written any programs which impliment them, there is plenty of info on the net regarding it. A lot of game development is done using VB and VB.net (mainly due to older lecturers still including it as a viable language). It's so popular in fact that, if you type readprocessmemory into Google, you're 90% certain to find a game dev related link within the first ten page results.

http://www.gamedev.net can help you a LOT more with that than I could.

What specifically do you want help with?

I can point you in the direction of places and what tools to look for but seeing as this is a programming question regarding pointers and help, it might be better suited to be in the Programmers Oracle (http://community.sigames.com/eve/ubb...rm/f/893197497) where members of SI post regularly. This forum is generally for the announcement of editors, bugs and other stuff that lower level users (people who just want to use the editor rather than discuss the inner workings of the readprocessmemory) would be.

If you wish to continue this discussion there as a new topic (perhaps referencing this one) then you're highly likely to get a good all round opinion from others and also the people who wrote the game in the first place!

retired_rockstar22

Looks like i missed you, I had to actually do some work

I think either we have our wires crossed or I am missing something. I can do the memory reading/writing stuff, thats not what I am asking about.

I am trying to get some help on the structure of the FM database when held in memory, ie how do people find the begining of the players section and or find the offset of a particular player.