VNDS

VNDS
General
Author	Jake Probst, anoNL
Type	Game engine
Version	1.4.9
License	Mixed
Last Updated	2010/01/13
Links
1.4.9 & 1.5.3 & Test files Download
Website
Source

DS Visual Novel Reader is a Nintendo DS application used for playing gamebooks formatted with sound and pictures. It is designed to play visual novels created in .scr format.

Installation

For v1.4.9:

• Extract archive onto the root of the SD card so the path is /vnds/.
• To install a visual novel, extract the tar.gz in /vnds/novels, so it has its own folder (ie. /vnds/novels/tsukihime).
• Sound files should end up in /vnds/novels/<game folder>/sound/.

For v1.5.3:

• Take the .novel file and place it in the /vnds/novel/ folder.

Note from developer:

Any save prior to version 1.3.1 needs to be ran though the sav2xml.py utility in the /tools/ folder (requires Python to run).

Also make sure the path is correct. If you run it and you get stuck at a white screen, launch it with an alternative launcher, such as DSOrganize or DSChannels.

User guide

Resources

• Official website.
• VNDS wiki.
• Creating a vnds converter.

Screenshots

Online Emulator

Can use gamepad or customise in the control settings.

Nintendo DS	Keyboard

Changelog

1.4.9 2010/01/13

anoNL:

• PNG error handling (ignore spurious warnings/crash on invalid png).
• "text ~" inserts blank lines again.

1.4.8 2009/10/21

anoNL:

• Backported new functions up to 1.5.3 (excluding wifi + .novel fmt).
• Added support for unpacking .novel files to NovelManager.
• ASNI color code support in the text renderer.
• Increased sprite limit from 4 to 9.
• Waking up from sleep mode was glitchy.

1.5.3 2009/06/22

Jake:

• Fixed bug with undefined variables in conditionals.
• String variables need to be ""`d (setvar/if).
• Wifi doesn't hang forever if it can't connect.

1.5.2 2009/06/03

Jake:

• Fixed problems with music with too high a bitrate.

1.5.1 2009/05/16

Jake:

• .novel thumbnail.png select screen crash bug fixed.

1.5.0 2009/05/04

Jake:

• .novel support.
• Download novels directly onto ds.
• Redid FIFO stuff.
• 'if var == 0' works with unset variables again.

Dilt:

• Cleartext command.

1.4.2

• Global vars were reset when loading a save file.
• Changing the skin via config.ini didn't work.
• Date wasn't saved properly in save files.
• Missing resources no longer generate warning messages.
• Fast reading by holding Y is now a lot faster.
• Background fades more intelligent (fade to black on bg change).

1.4.1

• Graphical glitches in the GUI.
• Backlight control could only turn the screen off on the original DS.
• PNG loading crashed on corrupt or wide (> 256 pixels) images.
• Sound didn't unmute when returning to the main menu.
• Tapping the screen advanced the script even in choice-mode.
• Variables weren't saved properly.

1.3.5 2008/06/02

Jake:

• 3 small fixed bugs in loading saves made.
• Endscript actually do something (returns to titlescreen).

1.3.4 2008/05/29

Jake:

• Fixed a bug in loading saves/skipping text.
• Something happened to make True Remembrance work (diff doesnt explain much).

1.3.3 2008/05/25

Jake:

• Fixed problem with time not changing.
• .sav keeps track of game state to make loading faster.
• Does nothing when attempting to load an empty save.
• Loads script in 4k blocks.
• Left/right moves to first/last option in select screen/choices.

1.3.2 2008/05/23

anoNL:

• Bugfix: ArchiveFileHandle.Read() didn't work as expected (didn't update the read pointer afterwards).
• Bugfix: removed file io from interrupt handler.
• Bugfix: texture streaming bug in the save/load menu.
• Rewrote text cache to use freetype's built-in caching system.
• Added option to interrupt delay commands by pressing A, B or the touchscreen.
• Skip scene functionality, hold R and press Y to skip ahead to the next scene/choice.
• Added support for AAC format (for sound effects only).

1.3.1 2008/05/23

Jake:

• Fixed linebreaks in choices.
• String variables.
• Variable placement in commands.
• Moved save format over to .xml (converter provided).
• Less efficient, but more stable sleep mode.
• Collision detection more efficient.
• New save theme.

1.3.0 2008/05/21

anoNL:

• Support for png formats other than 8bit/channel truecolor.
• Support for uncompressed .zip format for storing foreground/background/sound, except MP3 music.
• Rewrote sound/music code which caused ~80-90% of all crashes.
• Slightly improved text anti-aliasing.
• Rewrote line-wrapping algorithm, now supports UTF-8 character encodings.
• New save/load menu.
• Improved visuals for the in-game choice view.
• Script loader is better protected against buffer overflows.
• Bugfix: empty folders show up as valid novels in the main menu, but crash the program upon selection.
• Performance: text rendering.
• Performance: savefile loading speed.

Jake:

• About screen (after constant prodding).
• `random` command (see documentation).
• Slight change in save menu (how it resizes).

1.2.7 2008/03/30

Jake:

• Fixed problem with backgrounds not loading and other weirdness.

1.2.6 2008/03/30

Jack:

• Fixed saves for real this time, maybe.

1.2.5 2008/03/30

anoNL:

• MP3 support.

Credits

Programming: Jake Probst, anoNL.

External links

• Author's website - http://digital-haze.net/vnds.php
• Author's website - http://weeaboo.nl/
• VNDS wiki - https://github.com/BASLQC/vnds/wiki