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AR Code to Always Draw Hitboxes/Hurtboxes?

Zinth

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Feb 24, 2006
Messages
133
Location
Norman, Oklahoma
Well, I've searched the boards pretty thoroughly for this and didn't find anything, so:

I'm interested in having an AR code that always draws hitboxes/hurtboxes -- just like in debug mode, but all the time instead of in just debug mode. My motivation for this is that I feel that having a burned copy of Melee where the hitboxes/hurtboxes are always drawn would serve as a useful tool for learning hitbox ranges, invincibility frames, etc.

It seems that a code to do this has not already been found (but if someone does have one in his/her hat, I would like to see it), and so I have set out to attempt to find such a code myself. My initial efforts, however, have, it would seem, been less useful than I had hoped, so I thought I would ask the community for any advice (and if anyone wants to help work on this, that would be cool, too).

My first attempt involved running Dolphin in debug mode so I could get RAM dumps, in the hope that I might find a change in memory that corresponds to the hitboxes being drawn. I attempted to minimize the number of frames (thus, presumably, the number of undesired memory changes) between RAM dumps by using features of Dolphin. My methodology was as follows:
1. Run Dolphin in debug mode and play SSBM with the AR code to enable debug mode
2. Enter Melee's debug mode and start a match under the "developer" debug level
3. Use the SSBM debug command to render the character models and hitboxes/hurtboxes simultaneously, and enter SSBM's debug "freeze frame" mode (start button)
4. Enter Dolphin's "Frame Advance" mode, and dump the RAM
5. Input the SSBM debug command to render character models but not hitboxes/hurtboxes and advance two frames so it takes effect
6. Dump the RAM

I then used HexEdit (for Mac) to compare the "before" and "after" RAM dumps for differences. However, there were far too many changes to memory to test all of them in an appealing amount of time. Perhaps this is how it usually is, and I will simply have to spend hours/days (there were too many differences for me to spend the time to click through them all) sifting through all of the memory changes to find the ones that render hitboxes/hurtboxes? Or perhaps my technique can be refined somehow so that there are less unwanted changes in memory? Or maybe there is some information (e.g., a list of memory locations that have been deciphered) which will help me sort through it all and find what I'm looking for? I'm open to any suggestions.

On a more speculative note, I am wondering if anyone has any idea how the option of rendering hitboxes/hurtboxes or not is stored in memory? I don't know if there's a single global variable that controls all hitbox/hurtbox rendering, or if each hitbox/hurtbox has its own flag somewhere that determines whether or not it is rendered (this seems less likely to me). I do know that the hitboxes/hurtboxes can be rendered per player in debug mode, so there's probably at least a flag for each player that determines whether that player's character's hitboxes/hurtboxes are rendered.

Any feedback will be appreciated. In the meantime, I'll keep working at it.
 

Zinth

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Feb 24, 2006
Messages
133
Location
Norman, Oklahoma
If you use debug mode and turn hitboxes on and then quit the match, the settings will be saved for use outside of that.
Oh ok, so basically, for a decent solution, one would use the code to replace tournament mode with debug mode Magus posted for a place to toggle the settings.

I still would be curious to find a code that toggles hitboxes directly, but, as far as my main motivation goes, that definitely sounds like it'll do what I want. Thanks!
 

Zinth

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Feb 24, 2006
Messages
133
Location
Norman, Oklahoma
Hmm, I just tried it, and yes, it seems that the setting that is saved is the "DBLEVEL" setting instead of individual things like whether or not hitboxes are turned on, so you're basically still playing in debug mode.

I guess this leaves it necessary for my purposes to find a code to always render hitboxes?
 

Zinth

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Feb 24, 2006
Messages
133
Location
Norman, Oklahoma
I found a code that enables versus mode C-Stick functionality in debug mode, but does not disable the developer cam in debug mode. It does do this in training mode, which has its uses, but I'm wanting to find a way to play versus matches with the hitboxes rendered. The last word on it in the thread seemed to be that Magus was looking for a way to do this but hadn't found it yet.
 

Jazriel

Smash Ace
Joined
Sep 23, 2006
Messages
837
Location
Nepean, ON
Sorry for the bump, but this is something I'm interested in. I'm just learning about the debug menu and what to do with it. Is there no way to simply have it be a setting that hitbox mode is always turned on and the game is played like normal (like the flash on L-cancel AR code)?
 

Wooggle

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Jul 7, 2014
Messages
83
Location
NJ, USA
So has anyone made a code that turns on hit/hurtboxes and NOTHING else?

I was looking for a code that does this without needing the debug menu
 

Zadamanim

Smash Cadet
Joined
Dec 8, 2015
Messages
37
Necroing this thread because it's the first google result for "draw hitboxes melee code."

I need a code that turns on hitboxes because I'm working on a large-scale mod that cannot properly work without the gecko codehandler replacing the tournament menu, and thus, making the debug menu inaccessable. A simple AR or Gecko code that turns on visible hitboxes, or better yet, automatically starts the game in DEVELOP mode would be really useful.
 

Punkline

Dr. Frankenstack
Joined
May 15, 2015
Messages
423
or better yet, automatically starts the game in DEVELOP mode would be really useful.

I'd forgotten all about this, but this is one of the first overwrite codes I ever wrote. Don't think I've ever posted it anywhere:
Code:
$1.02 Enable Develop Mode [Punkline]
0415fe98 38000004
 

Zadamanim

Smash Cadet
Joined
Dec 8, 2015
Messages
37
Thanks a lot! I also managed to dig this one up from the catacombs.
Code:
$Hitboxes Always On [UnclePunch]
C2068C6C 00000002
38600003 987F21FC
60000000 00000000
 

tauKhan

Smash Lord
Joined
Feb 9, 2014
Messages
1,349
Debug menu can normally be accessed by pressing Y in title screen while on debug level 3 or 4. Here's a code that allows the transition on any level:

Code:
$Always access debug menu from title screen with y (NTSC 1.02) [tauKhan]
041a1cc4 60000000
041b08b4 60000000
That can be paired with a code to boot into develop level:

Code:
$Boot to debug level 4 (NTSC 1.02) [tauKhan]
0415fdbc 480000AC
You can still change the debug level while using these, while the old code from Punkline locks you into develop.
 
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