I have now finished the converter program to turn Game Maker version 6.0 and 6.1 games into executables that do run under Windows Vista. For more information and the file to download, go to the Wiki entry:

http://wiki.yoyogames.com/index.php/Making...r_Windows_Vista

Mark Overmars

Good job Mark!

`erthgy

this is mint-just what i need since i don't have gm7-good job

Nice work.

Any chance of an upgrade of the "rundata"-file used by the GM v6.x programs so the created executables with those versions will automatically be compatible with Vista (and, may I hope, still run on all the OS-es they do now) ?

I tried replacing the 6.1 rundata file with the rundata file for gm6.1 and it didn't build anything at all.

Great!! Please make this is a a pinned topic.

No can do, Game_Maker.exe checks for the size (or hash maybe) of the rundata file. Though I certainly hope Mark creates a new version of GM6 with an update runner data, I seriously doubt it'll happen.

My question is: what is the difference between this converter and the Beta released previously?

The beta was a test and this is supposed to be complete right?
But I've got some concerns with this (I won't say it in public).
Anyway good work Prof. Mark!
Regards,
Christian

Yeah, but what are the improvements I mean.

Because you can't. That is supposed to [NOT] happen.

I thought the creator could sell all his copyrights.

Wait, this converts the actual executable or the editable?

executable.

The creator can sell copyright, and in that case the purchaser is now the copyright holder. How does this impact the wiki quote?

Then since the creator doesn't have any rights then he shouldn't be allowed to redistribute it.

So what? Isn't that the same with the games we create (with the appropriate licence)?

That is hardly the point of this topic.

But we do not sell our rights... at least not all of us.

Oh I see what you are pointing at. So for example you download a gm6 exe game (which ain't yours) and want to convert it but it is illegal. Well you could ask the creator to do it for you then.

No, no. It says that only the creator or whoever have the copyrights may redistribute. But what if the creator do not have any rights (sold, for example). Then they are only allowed if the copyright holder (the buyer) allows it.

I don't understand what the fuss is about - obviously, Mark meant that you are only allowed to distribute the converted applications if you are the one who holds the rights to. There shouldn't even be a discussion about it.

Yeah. But that doesn't hold in the courts.

But yeah, it'd be better if it was corrected.

I agree with Fred, there's too much fuss about this.

You can always say I meant this. What if someone steps into the court and say, I didn't mean to kill her, I just had a tick while holding my finger on the trigger. Really? Yes, Judge. Okay then, you're free to go.

Hahahaha, verrry funny only problem here is that from the creation of GM there wasn't any court case minimally connected or related to it.

All Mark is saying is. Don't convert someone else's game to a Vista compatible binary and then post it on the forums. It's their game, they will do it if they want to.

Nice job Mark.

Hey, does this make it so the game is also compatible with Win 98 and stuff too the way original GM 6 games were or does it take that away?

And does this convert it as if it were a GM 7.0 created game or does it simply add compatibility?

Heh, I jsut converted a game. It went from 1.03 MB to 1.79 MB. Damn Vista!!!!

IT simply adds compatiblity, it doesn't make it an actual GM7 exe.

Also, the game will still be compatbile with win98.

[BTW, many GM7 games are compatible with win98]

And, if you zip the exe, it will return to its original size.

Zip the exe
RAR the ZIP
Put RAR in installer!

As if anything that's being said on this forum is legally binding anyway, lol.

Just 7zip it from the start and you will end up with a smaller file anyway.

Hmmm...good job but the exe's can be a lot smaller.
A gm 4 (compressed with Cexe) exectable is ~500 KB
A gm 5 (compressed with Cexe) exectable is ~650 kb
GM 6 exectable (compressed by Cexe) is ~ 1 mb
GM 7 (Vista) exectable (compressed with Cexe) is ~ 1,5 mb
C:\windows\system32\spired.exe (compressed with Cexe) is exactly 300 kb

You might want to change compressor then.

thx just what i needed

Uncompressed order-
Gm 6- ~ 1,1 MB ( rocks!)
Gm 4- ~ 1,2 MB
Gm 5- ~ 1,5 MB
Gm 7- ~ 2,7 MB
This are the results of my test.So vista is the problem not GM 6 because when you convert GM 6 exe to vista exe the size is 0,6 MB bigger.

Well, could you please make some valid tests? Those you've tested are NOT empty.

Why are people so weird.. First of all, when you compress, they'll be the same.. and you'll always compress your game if you upload it.. so nothing changes.

Jup they have 1 empty room.
I found the list with my results:
GM 6 - 1,06
GM 4 - 1,15
GM 5 - 1,44
GM 7 - 2,53

Game Maker 7:
Uncompressed: 2.19 MB
Zipped: 1.17 MB
Rar'd: 0.99 MB

RAR's always better than zip,.
BTW, heres an IDEA. If you are running BOTH GM6 and GM7
replace GM6 rundata file with GM7 rundata file and then exe--make or play

That doesn't work, Game Maker checks the validity of the runner.

Have anyone tested the size and functionality of a Vista compatible GM6(.1A) exe? Like, 98(SE)/Me compatible, size, speed, etc.?

Ya, Its about .50 MB bigger.

Bigger than what?

Does anyone know which compression method is bvest for gm exes (apart from RAR)?

I had made my own tests with creating executables. In all tests, there was only a single room (so that it would compile), so it was pretty much empty.
Also, .zip files were compressed to maximum with PPM compression, and .rar files compressed with maximum compression as of version 3.40 beta 4.

GM6.1 --- 1,092 KB .exe, 993 KB .zip, 966 KB .rar
GM6.1 (vista) --- 1,873 KB .exe, 1,000 KB .zip, 897 KB .rar
GM7.0 --- 2,243 KB .exe, 1,111 KB .zip, 988 KB .rar

If I have BGM externally, will it still run?

This program is just what I needed. Before, I didn't want to switch to vista because then all my favorite GM games wouldn't work. But now, I can just convert them! I especially like that I don't have to have the .gm6 file, so I can convert games that I already haven't made (as long as I don't give them to others).
@ Spikehead777 - That's interesting, a Vista compatible game made with GM6.1 is smaller than one made with GM7. That's one more reason for me not to use GM7.