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Import
Various importing options for data and images can be found under "Tools > Import".
When importing data, you may have the option to preserve existing data. This means that if the data is pointed to from elsewhere, it will not be overwritten, and the new data will be written somewhere else. For example, in Fusion, room 0 in each of the sectors share the same RLE graphics. If you import a tileset while leaving this option unchecked, it will replace the graphics in each of those rooms. If checked, it will only replace the graphics for the tileset you chose (and leave the others unchanged).
Use this option to import a tileset that was exported with MAGE. You can replace the original tileset or choose a different one. If you're importing a tileset from a different game, you have the option to use the current game's generic tiles. This is recommended, otherwise the hatches and breakable blocks will be messed up.
Use this option to import a background that was exported with MAGE. You can import both RLE compressed and LZ77 compressed backgrounds. Once you have chosen a file, you can chose which background you want to replace, even if the background does not exist or has different compression (BG0 only). If the imported background is a different size than the current room, it will automatically be resized to fit.
Use this option to import a room that was exported with MAGE. You can choose which data you want to import. If you're importing a room from a different game, you shouldn't import sprites or doors. This is because the sprites will obviously be different, and the doors may conflict with doors that already exist within the area. You should also use the option to convert clipdata. This will convert each clipdata value from the original game to an equivalent value in the current game. However, keep in mind that each game has unique clipdata values, so some of them do not have a direct equivalent.
Note: Importing rooms is somewhat experimental and may be buggy. Use with caution
The ability to import a tileset from an image is a powerful feature, but there are several requirements that must be observed. The image must be 32 bits per pixel, meaning it includes transparency. The image must also have a width of 256 and a height divisible by 16 (max height of 1024). Every 8x8 tile in the image must have 15 or fewer unique colors. The image cannot contain more unique palettes (15 colors each) than the maximum number of rows. You can select the rows yourself, or you can let MAGE automatically detect which rows to use. Lastly, the image cannot contain too many unique 8x8 tiles due to limited space in VRAM. If any of these requirements are not met, the editor will give an error with the problem that caused it.
With all these requirements in mind, here are some tips for creating your own tileset. Use an existing tileset image as your base. This will ensure that the image is 32 bbp. Also, make sure you leave in the top five rows (hatches and breakable blocks). Determine your palettes beforehand. Ensure that each 8x8 tile only uses one palette. Try to reuse as many 8x8 tiles as possible. An 8x8 tile can be reused if it is flipped horizontally, flipped vertically, or assigned a different palette.
You can create a new LZ77 BG (BG0 or BG3) by importing an image, but there are a few requirements that must be observed. The image must have dimensions 256x256, 512x256, or 256x512. Every 8x8 tile in the image must have 15 or fewer unique colors. The image cannot contain more unique palettes (15 colors each) than the maximum number of rows. You can select the rows yourself, or you can let MAGE automatically detect which rows to use. Lastly, the image cannot contain too many unique 8x8 tiles due to limited space in VRAM. If any of these requirements are not met, the editor will give an error with the problem that caused it.
Checking the option "Add to existing graphics" means that the existing LZ77 graphics for that tileset will be preserved, and the graphics for the new background will be added to it. If the room only has one LZ77 background, you can leave this option unchecked.
This feature does not allow you to import any photo that you'd like. Even if you reduced the number of colors in the photo, there will most likely be too many unique 8x8 tiles. If you can ensure that some of the 8x8 tiles are repeated, then a 256x256 photo reduced to 15 colors might work. However, this feature is mainly intended for images that are created manually, or background images taken from other GBA games.
#Ending from Image This feature lets you replace the images used at the end of the game, when your results are shown. The image must be 240x416. After selecting an ending and opening an image, it must be converted so that it can be stored in the game. The conversion involves a process called color quantization, which reduces the number of colors in the image while attempting to maintain quality. Therefore, images with many colors or gradients may turn out worse. This process involves some randomness, so you should repeat the conversion to find the result that looks best.