Zu
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Post by Zu on Oct 5, 2010 20:48:08 GMT -8
Yes, possibility of replacing thingz (or adding, if e.g. some tile number doesn't exist) is absolutely necessary if I want to make my Virtual Reality tileset actually working. Namely, I need to replace some of the PID, WAV and XMI filez (are the XMI possible to create from MP3?). Doable?
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Tomalla
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Post by Tomalla on Oct 6, 2010 6:08:11 GMT -8
As far as I know, XMI is ... Extended MIDI file format. The question is, can you convert any MP3 to a MIDI format? I doubt it ( but there might be some tricks involved, like making it sound almost exactly like the original wave by combining particular sets of sounds ... or somethin' like that ).
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Tomalla
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Post by Tomalla on Oct 6, 2010 10:44:43 GMT -8
kijanek6 was in a big hurry so he asked me to write a response for him. Here it goes then: The PID format containz information about X and Y offsetz (for the cellz of animationz), and for tilez, the attributez (Clear, Death, User, etc.). Everything else is the actual image ... what your program providez as a PNG file. This is a tile image ... and there is other content in the PID that describez what the game engine should do when something arrivez at that tile. PID format only consists of the following: Offset ( the additional compression ), ID, two fields with the commentary and flags ( horizontal and vertical flip, transparency, compression type, is it using the pallets, etc.). The tiles' attributes are stored in a WWD file and what the game is supposed to do with that - in EXE itself. Yes, possibility of replacing thingz (or adding, if e.g. some tile number doesn't exist) is absolutely necessary if I want to make my Virtual Reality tileset actually working. Most likely it's impossible to add new tiles with the ID not used in game ( not in Claw anyway, and there's 75 percent chance it's not possible in Gruntz either ) - it seems the EXE stores the IDs list of the particular tile set somewhere. Namely, I need to replace some of the PID, WAV and XMI filez (are the XMI possible to create from MP3?). PIDz can be replaced and it's already been tested, although we need a good editor first. It's quite obvious you can replace WAV files. And XMIz? You can export to XMI format almost every sound possible ( though the quality will get way lower and you have to spend a lot of time tweaking it and changing the parameters manually to make it sound similar to the original ).
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GooRoo
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Post by GooRoo on Oct 6, 2010 13:36:55 GMT -8
Extracting from my Gruntz.REZ file, each Area has two main folderz: - AREA#/Imagez (too many to list)
- AREA#/TILEZ/ACTION/###.png
In "Tilez" are extracted all of the tile imagez available in that graphicz set. And your program rendered them all as PNGz! Therefore, the tilez are not in the Gruntz executable (except for (possibly) the (default) attributez), and should be replaceable in the Gruntz.REZ file (image only). If you are able to convert the image inside the PID into PNG format, you should also be able to convert them into GIF or JPEG format ... and back again! So in two different operationz, export PID converted into format 'X'; in the second operation, replace the image portion from format 'X' into the original PID file! The main problem I foresee is the highly likely difference in the image sizez ... I am sure that the imagez are compressed in some way, and not exactly 1Kb (1024 bytez) for the 32 pixel by 32 pixel image (assuming a 256 color base palette), where each pixel color is one byte in an array of 1,024 bytez. So there is likely a field with the size of the compressed image, possibly a frequency key with the most frequent color expressed as a single bit, the next two most frequent colorz expressed as two bitz, und zo weiter. It has been at least thirty yearz since I did anything at all with compression algorithmz, and my memory isn't all that good for anything I do not do regularly ... so I may be mis-remembering how most compression schemez work. But my method of taking an existing tile image and rotating it 90 degreez as a (potential) replacement for a duplicated tile most likely would be of a different size in bytez (if not in bitz!) than the tile image being replaced. Chancez are, anyone capable of converting a PID to anything will deem it a trivial matter to correct the sizing attributez and/or compression key. Please tell me it is do-able!
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Post by kijanek6 on Oct 7, 2010 7:16:06 GMT -8
Therefore, the tilez are not in the Gruntz executable (except for (possibly) the (default) attributez), and should be replaceable in the Gruntz.REZ file (image only). PID contains only information about the image. Nothing logic-specific for the engine. So you can replace ground tile image with water tile image, and except graphic nothing will be changed. and should be replaceable in the Gruntz.REZ file (image only). Yes, they are. So in two different operationz, export PID converted into format 'X'; in the second operation, replace the image portion from format 'X' into the original PID file! This is doable, even now (PID->PNG (REZ Extractor) -> modify (Paint, Photoshop, Gimp, etc.) -> PCX->PID (pcx2pid by Monolith)). You can replace any PID in REZ with any other PID (whether original or brand new, it does not matter). You can even replace tile image (32x32) with a screen-size (800x600) image - it will still work in game. I think the biggest inconvenience is recompiling whole REZ after any changes has been made. PID is using a compression method (similiar to RLE), so even change of one pixel can change file size. And then you need to rewrite most of the archive (all files written "after" modified file will have different offset values). The fact is that WinREZ is very slow at saving (because it recompiles whole archive even if only 5% of data needs to be updated) and unstable (try to delete a file, import new with the same name and save - it'll crash on saving that file). REZ Extractor 1.1 is coming (and will be probably out on the weekend). The main feature will be calculating offset values (all frames will be perfectly placed), selecting which folders you want to extract, different destination formats (JPEGs, PNGs, GIFs and more) and extracting other formats. I think that extracting animations directly to animated GIFs would be awesome, but I don't know at this moment will I be able to do this.
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GooRoo
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Post by GooRoo on Oct 7, 2010 12:40:27 GMT -8
The program I use for my graphicz manipulationz does not have a PCX option ... so PCXtoPID is of no value to me. And ZoneAlarm says there is a Trojan (identifying info scanner) in WinRez(LT), and has quarantined that program, so I am unable to do anything at all about updating Gruntz.REZ. Does your extractor know anything (or will it 'learn') about VRZ ... or ZZZ? That is the way the Version 1.1 patch was distributed. So I tried to access the VRZ, but the Extractor said "no dice". I have other thingz going on right now, so I will wait for the new version of Rez Extractor before I re-extract everything from my (English language) Gruntz.REZ file.
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Post by alexandgruntz on Oct 8, 2010 11:29:22 GMT -8
The program I use for my graphicz manipulationz does not have a PCX option ... so PCXtoPID is of no value to me. If it helps, Irfanview has an option to save as PCX
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Post by kijanek6 on Oct 10, 2010 11:33:17 GMT -8
And ZoneAlarm says there is a Trojan (identifying info scanner) in WinRez(LT), and has quarantined that program, so I am unable to do anything at all about updating Gruntz.REZ. I guess it's a false alarm, but I am not sure. Does your extractor know anything (or will it 'learn') about VRZ ... or ZZZ? That is the way the Version 1.1 patch was distributed. So I tried to access the VRZ, but the Extractor said "no dice". VRZ is a regular REZ, but contains only voices ( Voice RE Z). REZ Extractor don't do anything, because there are no PIDs. I have other thingz going on right now, so I will wait for the new version of Rez Extractor before I re-extract everything from my (English language) Gruntz.REZ file. Sorry, I was busy at the weekend, so I don't know when new version will be released.
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Post by The Kirby on Oct 10, 2010 14:09:21 GMT -8
I'm curious... since you figured out the format of the WWD file, is there any chance you could post your findings if you haven't already? My brother has taken an interest in desciphering it when I recently learned that WWD files are compressed by a flag that's set using WapWorld. It might be a good idea to do that in case other enterprising Gruntz fans want to make programs that'll help them design levels.
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Post by kijanek6 on Oct 14, 2010 12:27:01 GMT -8
Format specifications will be released, but I can't say when at this moment. REZ Extractor 1.1 is done in ~80%. It'll be out on the weekend (and I'm totally sure about it this time). What application should I make next: REZ editor or PID editor?
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GooRoo
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Post by GooRoo on Oct 14, 2010 15:00:16 GMT -8
Format specifications will be released, but I can't say when at this moment. REZ Extractor 1.1 is done in ~80%. It'll be out on the weekend (and I'm totally sure about it this time). What application should I make next: REZ editor or PID editor? I would think that the PID Editor would be easier ... and possibly provide an accelerated "learning curve" for dealing with the REZ. (When I was a programmer, I wrote the modulez I would need first, then the main application to invoke them ... and in Gruntz, I break small Rockz before the BIG ONEZ. )
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Post by kijanek6 on Nov 30, 2010 15:00:35 GMT -8
New version available. Take a look at first post.
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GooRoo
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Post by GooRoo on Nov 30, 2010 16:52:12 GMT -8
New version available. Take a look at first post. I tried it on my Gruntz.REZ file, but it closed some time in extracting Area8 ... no explanation, just the message "...has stopped working...". I had selected all the left-hand column optionz, and clicked PID to PNG (but did not see anything about RECTS, so that was not checked). There were two Area8 memberz that were stored outside of either TILEZ/ACTION or BACK folderz ... 218.PNG and 240.PNG ... both existed withing TILEZ/ACTION, though. Is it possible to use something other than RAR for the REZ Extractor program? My (evaluation) version of WinRAR is about to expire, and my fundz do not allow me to purchase a registered version.
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Post by kijanek6 on Nov 30, 2010 23:17:50 GMT -8
I'll take a look at it today. What version are you trying to extract (patch, language, rip (without sounds and movies), full)?
To extract RAR you can use freeware 7-Zip.
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Post by kijanek6 on Dec 1, 2010 5:12:20 GMT -8
1.1a in first post is available. You shouldn't have any problems now. --Edit: When you select "Convert PID to PNG", "Rect conversion" option (highlighted on screen) should turn white, so you'll be able to select it.
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GooRoo
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Post by GooRoo on Dec 1, 2010 6:41:07 GMT -8
I'll take a look at it today. What version are you trying to extract (patch, language, rip (without sounds and movies), full)? I am extracting the post-version 1.01 REZ file, and attempted to extract everything. That "7" makez me think it is a Windows 7 program ... I am on Vista. Do you think it would still work?
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Post by kijanek6 on Dec 1, 2010 8:03:44 GMT -8
That "7" makez me think it is a Windows 7 program ... I am on Vista. Do you think it would still work? No, this program is not W7 specific. It perfectly works on all Windows versions.
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Zu
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Post by Zu on Dec 8, 2010 3:25:02 GMT -8
I've extracted the filez from Gruntz.rez with this program (really great thing!) and there's one thing that I just can't find... where are the Gruntz' voicez?
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Tomalla
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Post by Tomalla on Dec 8, 2010 6:50:46 GMT -8
I've extracted the filez from Gruntz.rez with this program (really great thing!) and there's one thing that I just can't find... where are the Gruntz' voicez? They are stored in the seperate REZ package GRUNTZ.VRZ
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Zu
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Post by Zu on Dec 8, 2010 8:35:53 GMT -8
Ahh, yes! Thanks Tomalla, I've found it now. I've learned that using a megaphone to call for a warpstone lackz for a voice file, and I was wondering does it would be possible to add it - merging the partz of already existing voicez is not a problem at all, the real problem is does adding them is possible without changing the game code itself. I suppose the answer is "no", eh?
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