User:DejectedCoder

2025-11-11T14:30:39Z

DejectedCoder: Updated user page to include my website.

Life-long love of video games. C programmer and retro game maker.

* [https://floppynoise.com/ floppynoise.com] - My website.

Hugo Map Formats

2025-11-11T14:20:56Z

DejectedCoder: In an attempt to better understand how some of these old adventures work, I discovered what the *.ob files are for.

{{NeedMoreInfo}}
{{Map Infobox
| Type = Pixel image
| Layers = 1
| Viewport = 320×200
| Games =
{{Game|Hugo's House of Horrors}}
}}

[[Hugo's House of Horrors]] uses three different map files, each similar in format. They are all 8,000 bytes, which translate to one bit per pixel of the game's 320x200 display. The three formats used by the game engine are as follows:

{| class="wikitable" |
| '''Extension'''
| '''Description'''
|-
| *.b
| Borders for the walkable region.
|-
| *.o
| Foreground areas that are drawn over top of Hugo when he's behind them.
|-
| *.ob
| Baselines for the walk-behind areas that are drawn over top of Hugo when he is above them.
|}

{|class="wikitable"
!Data type!!Description
|-
| byte[8000] || 8 map bits
|}

== Source Code ==

== Map Viewer ==
This FreeBASIC program allows you to view any of the map files.

<syntaxhighlight lang="freebasic">
' Hugo's House of Horrors Map Viewer.

' There are already plenty of PCX viewers out there for the games backgrounds
' and sprites, but this program will allow you to view the map files in the
' game. Each file has a particular extension.

' *.b - A tracing of the solid borders in the room.
' *.o - A foreground map. Drawn above Hugo if he is behind it.
' *.ob - Object locations. You must be near these to reach objects.

' Declare our variables.
Dim File As String
Dim X As UShort, Y As UShort
Dim B As UByte, Bits As UByte
Dim MapByte As UByte

' Change this file path to the file you want to view.
File = "E:\Games\Hugo1\hall.o"
Open File For Binary As #1

Screen 13
' Every file is 8,000 bytes, which translates to a 320x200 image after
' decoding each bit into an individual pixel.
For Y = 0 To 199
For X = 0 To 39
' Read the next 8 bits of map.
Get #1, , MapByte

' To save space, the values are bit-encoded and must be decoded.
For Bits = 0 To 7
If Bit(MapByte, Bits) = -1 Then
Pset(X * 8 - Bits, Y), 15
End If
Next Bits
Next X
Next Y

Close #1

Sleep
</syntaxhighlight>

== Credits ==

This level format was reverse engineered by [[User:TheAlmightyGuru|TheAlmightyGuru]]. If you find this information helpful in a project you're working on, please give credit where credit is due. (A link back to this wiki would be nice too!)

ModdingWiki - User contributions [en-gb]

User:DejectedCoder

Hugo Map Formats