
NOSE © 2005-2006 Anton E. Snopek [wboy@hexaddicts.com]
http://www.hexaddicts.com

Last updated January 26, 2006 - wboy.

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NOSE - NHL Old Skool Editor – Author's Notes
********************************************

This document is by no means a complete user manual for NOSE.  It is simply a
collection of notes and tips to help you get started with using NOSE.  I have
tried to make NOSE as user friendly as possible, so by reading the information
below you should hopefully minimise your learning curve and see how to get the
most out of the features within NOSE.  Please take the time to read through it
thoroughly!

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NOSE IS STILL BETA SOFTWARE!
****************************
Please remember that NOSE is still beta software.  If you alter or remove any
of the supporting files, you may introduce errors that I have not yet safe
guarded against.  You've been warned!


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SUPPORTED ROMS
**************
NOSE is guaranteed to support the following GoodGen V3.00 verified ROM files:

 - EA Hockey (E) [!].bin
 - NHL Hockey (U) [!].bin
 - NHLPA Hockey '93 (UE) (REV00).bin
 - NHLPA Hockey '93 (UE) (REV01) [!].bin
 - NHL 94 (UE) [!].bin
 - NHL 95 (UE) [!].bin
 - NHL 95 Elitserien (E) [c][!].bin
 - NHL 96 (UE) [!].bin
 - NHL 96 Elitserien (E).bin
 - NHL 97 (UE) [!].bin
 - NHL 98 (U) [c][!].bin

Attempting to load any manually hex edited ROM may result in many unexpected
errors if the data within does not conform to the expected structure assumed
by both the actual game and NOSE.

Cowering's GoodTools are available from http://www.allgoodthings.us
Registration is required to download the GoodGen V3.00 from within the forums.


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USING FREE BYTES
****************
Free bytes are created when you shorten names or delete players from the loaded
ROM's team rosters. NOSE manages any free bytes created and stores them
in-between the altered team's line configuration and goalie properties data.

Managed correctly, which NOSE does seamless for you, there are no bugs
introduced to the actual game when storing these unused free bytes in that
specific location of the team's data.  Best of all, NOSE allows you to transfer
these free bytes to other teams allowing you to further modify or increase their
rosters.

While NOSE does support the ability to allow you to semi-manually manage the
shifting of free bytes between teams, it can be a little tedious and limiting
when switching your focus to another team realising the previous team still
has all the free bytes you now require!

To ease the burden of managing this, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND you enable the
"Auto Manage Free Bytes" option found on the "Teams" list window toolbar. All of
the ROM's available free bytes will then automatically move to the team in focus
as you go about updating the rosters, allowing you to enjoy editing freedom.


___________
APPLY HACKS
***********
NOSE currently supports two ROM hacks, both of which increase the amount free
bytes that are made available to the team rosters. This is achieve by moving the
game's Intro Text data, that typically resides after the Playoff Draw data,
to end of the ROM structure. If even more free bytes are required, the Playoff
Draw Data itself, that typically resides after the Team Roster data can also be
moved to the end of the ROM.

Please note NHL95 does not support moving the Intro Text data, as the original
ROM already stored the data at the end of the ROM!  Its does however support
the Playoff Draw move which will give you an addition 512 free bytes for your
team rosters.

The ELITSERIEN series ROMS do not support either ROM hack.

The "Apply Hacks" options can be found under the "ROM" file menu structure.

________
HEX/TEXT
********
To see more meaningful data when viewing the Goalie or Player list windows,
switch to "Text" mode by pressing [F3].  You can switch back to "Hex" mode by
pressing [F2].


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OVERALL RATING
**************
NHL94/5/6/7/8 is based on the Trade Player rating. EA Hockey (91) & NHL 92 
are based on NHLPA 93's Overall Rating Formula.  Place the mouse cursor over
the Edit window's Overall Rating field to show the summary used to calculate
the rating.

Please note, the in-game overall ratings for NHL94/5 will vary -4 to +3 of the
trade rating.  NHL96/7/8 will vary a maximum of -5 to +5 of the trade rating.
NHL93's should always be exact as the in-game overall rating.

NHL94/5/6/7/8 trade ratings greater than 100 will be displayed as/limited to 99
in-game while NOSE will display the complete overall rating total. e.g. 107.


____________________
PLAYOFF DRAW EDITING
********************
While NOSE does provide the facility to edit the Playoff Draws, please use it
with great precaution.  Playoff Draw data that is not configured correctly can
cause the game to hang when cycling through teams in Playoff Mode.  It's support
has be included to allow the further research of the restrictions imposed by the
actual game and learn how to conform to what it expects.


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MENU DEFAULTS
*************
Menu Defaults are currently only supported in NHL91 through NHL95.  Please
note that not some menu combinations will not load as expected in-game.  For
example, NHL95 will ignore the "Play Mode" you've selected and alway start on
"Regular Game".


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QUICK EDIT KEYS
***************
By enabling the Quick Edit Key mode, you can modify the position, jersey and
attribute data of both Goalies and Players from their respective list windows
without the need to load an individual's properties edit window.

By using the fourteen keys [`],[1],[2]..[9],[0],[-],[=] & [BkSpc] at the
top of your keyboard, you can alter the associated attribute column as
follows:

Press the desired key to adjust the associated column value by +1 (Hex), or
hold [Shift] and press the desired key to adjust the associated column value
by -1 (Hex).

To easily identify an attribute column Quick Edit Key, simple place your mouse
cursor over the column titles and refer to the tooltip text.  The Quick Edit Key
will only be shown in the tooltip if "Quick Edit Mode" is ENABLED!

The adjust the Jersey Number, use [Numpad +] to raise the value 1, and
[Numpad -] to lower the value by 1.

For NHL96 through NHL98 which support storing a player's preferred line
position, use the following Quick Edit Keys to assign the Position value:

[Numpad 4] = LW  :  [Numpad 5] = C  :  [Numpad 6] = RW
[Numpad 1] = LD  :  [Numpad 2] = G  :  [Numpad 3] = RD

As the Goalie and Player list windows both support multi-select, please note
that any Quick Edit Key used will affect all highlighted sections on the active
window.


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SHORTCUT KEYS
*************
The majority of the assigned shortcut keys can be seen by browsing through the
NOSE's file menu bar when you have loaded any ROM, and by placing your mouse
cursor over the toolbar buttons and viewing the associated tooltip text.

In addition, you are also able to use [Ctrl]+[I] to invert the active list
window selection(s) if the list window supports multi-select.


All combo boxes within NOSE also support the following shortcut keys:

[Numpad +] or [=+] = Set next available list item value
[Numpad -] or [-_] = Set previous available list item value
[Esc] = Set original value (only effective when the current values shows bold)
[Enter] = Next field/tab stop
[BkSpc] = Previous field/tab sto

[0]..[9],[A]..[F] will automatic tab to the next attribute when editing players
or goalies, effectively speeding up entry to match a hex editor when you known
the attribute values you are assigning.

The [Left Arrow] and [Right Arrow] keys can be used to change focus between the
Teams, Goalies, Players and Lines list windows, effectively allowing for 
mouse-less navigation between them.


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ROSTER LIMITATIONS
******************
Due to limitations in the actual game engines, NOSE will only permit a maximum
roster of 26 per team for NHL91 through NHL95, and a maximum of 27 per team for
NHL96 through NHL98.

NHL96 through NHL98 also only support a maximum of three goalies per team
(included in the total roster maximum of 27).  NOSE does not currently impose
this limitation, so make sure you manage it properly yourself for the game may
not work as expected!


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COPY & PASTE
************
NOSE contains advanced copy & paste features to easily allow you to transfer
Goalie, Player, Line & Playoff Draw data between the same ROM, or a different
ROM opened in another application instance of NOSE.

It also attempts to best accommodate for slight differences in ROMS between
years to minimise the amount of correction required on your part when using this
feature.  Among other things, this removes the headaches created by EA choosing
to use odd hex values for right-handed players one year (NHL94), then even
values the next (NHL95).


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OTHER INSTANCE
**************
Other Instance [F9] acts and advanced version of the Microsoft Windows ALT-TAB
"switch window" shortcut key.  Its advantage over the ALT-TAB is that it will
always attempt to switch to the second application instance of NOSE even if it
is not effectively the next window ALT-TAB would switch to.

This feature has been developed to allow the simply use the keyboard and not 
the mouse when comparing two ROMS, or copying & pasting between them.


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NEW YORK, NEW YORK
******************
Both NHL94 & NHL95 redirect where the ROM normally reads the team name value
from when selected on the game start menu.  This is done to allow the ROM to show
the complete "New York Islanders" or "New York Rangers" name, as the name stored
within the team roster region of the ROM, simply reads "New York" for both teams.

When you use NOSE to edit either of the New York teams in either ROM year, the
following rules determine if the game will continue to use the redirected
"complete" team name, or the edited team name you have applied to the ROM:

 - If the new team name matches the equivalent starting length of the redirected
   name, then the redirected name will be used.  If it is different, then the
   redirected name will be ignored and the team name will be used.  For example:
    
   ROM Team Name   ROM Redirected Name   NOSE will instruct the ROM to use:
   -------------   -------------------   ----------------------------------
   New             New York Islanders    Redirected Name
   New York R      New York Rangers      Redirected Name
   New York R      New York Islanders    Team Name
   wboy's NOSE     New York Rangers      Team Name
   N               New York Islanders    Redirected Name


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SAVE CHANGES
************
There is no advanced tracking if the loaded ROM has been changed or just saved.
You will always be asked if you would like to save the loaded ROM if choose to
close it, open another, or exit from NOSE.


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COLOR PANEL
***********
The "Color Browser" allows you to view the entire range of 512 colors available
to you in the Genesis's Hex BGR palette.

The Genesis color palette uses the even hex values to 02468ACE to allow eight
levels of shade per color channel (8 blue x 8 green x 8 red = 512 colors). If
the odd hex values 13579BDF are used, each respective color channel will round
down the value to the previous odd value. e.g. Hex 29F displays the same as
Hex 28E.   Any "Color Selected" within NOSE with odd Hex BGR values will be
highlighted in red.

The RGB values shown for the selected Hex BGR color equal the RGB color value 
represented in the outputted bitmap file created by the Gen's screen shot
facility (shortcut key [Shift+BkSpc]).


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COLOR SNIPER
************
The Color Sniper is a floating window that resides "always on top".  It allows
you to snipe colors from any of your loaded desktop applications.  Further usage
instructions are shown when you click the "?" toolbar icon with the Color Sniper
window.


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CHANGING COLORS PALETTES
************************
To use the paintbrush, move the mouse cursor over a palette square and click
the left mouse button.

To preview the color change before committing to the new color, hold the left
button down.  If you like the new color, simply release the left button.
If you don't drag the mouse cursor off the palette square and release
the left button.  The original color will be returned.

To use the eyedropper, move the cursor over a palette square and click the right
mouse button.  This color will now become the new selected color.


________________
INTERNAL BATTERY
****************
The NHL 95/6/7/8 cartridges all contained an internal battery to save the
progress of your custom lines, trades and seasons.  The Gens emulator simulates
this internal battery by creating .SRM files (typically found in the Gens folder)
that have the same name as the ROM file name (e.g. "NHL 95 (UE) [!].SRM" will
exist for "NHL 95 (UE) [!].bin").

When you have made major edits to one of these ROMS in NOSE (e.g. change lines or
amount of players within a team), it is important you delete any .SRM file that 
exists as unexpected results/behavior may occur in-game if you fail to do so.


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OFFICIAL DISCUSSION FORUMS
**************************
The official discussion forums for NOSE can be found at the following URL:

http://www.nhl94.com/forum/index.php?showforum=18

You will be required to register an account before being permitted to post
within this or any other forum on the NHL94.com site.  Special thanks goes to
the site admin Evan for hosting this forum.

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End of Document.
