Ripping straight from the ROM using an extractor

Candescence · 19-02-09, 23:42

I wasn't terribly sure which section to place this in, or if there was an appropriate topic, so I posted it here. If there's a more appropriate place for this, feel free to move it.

Here's a thought. Has anyone tried to rip straight from the very rom itself using some sort of extractor?

I know it can be done with the DS, I've ripped sound effects from ZX Advent without recording and converted them (the amount of sound files is staggering, exactly 1660 sound files). Provided that you can find what files contain the tiles and how to convert them, one could rip the entire game's tiles.

A good DS extractor I know of is Nitro Explorer, a good program to try out.

As for the formats, I'll list all the ones used in the US version of ZXA:

- .bin (makes up most of the rom, probably graphics)
- .sdat (sound file format)
- .srl
- .nbfp
- .nbfc (this and the above two are unknown formats to my knowledge)
- .ahx (Unknown, there's an entire folder of these. One of these seems to be ZXA's "WARNING" animation.)
- .vx (from the names alone I can tell these are FMVs, they're in a seperate folder.)

Chances are different games use different formats, and what have you. I'm just putting this out there as an idea for an alternative ripping method.

mega rock.exe · 20-02-09, 00:29

Well seeing as how the DS uses files, it is more appropriate now to rip more directly. However, that is not always possible. Unfortunately, most of the formats Capcom uses aren't easy to manage and ripping through traditional methods are the only way. I fixate more on the Star Force series when it comes to DS. I've already found ways to remove the layers in the game so ripping through screenshots is at least possible. If it isn't that, it can be tiles which always a possible alternative when simplified in game methods are not possible.

Candescence · 20-02-09, 00:52

I realise formats can be a problem. However, in the case of ZX Advent here, most of the files are in the rather common .bin format, which I suspect holds most of the sprites. .ahx, I'm not entirely sure, but I suspect the 'a' stands for animation, thus they're probably animation files.

It's really an issue of figuring out the format and converting them to a proper image format. After that, everything else becomes straightforward.

Edit: Okay, .bin being common is an understatement - it's a highly used file format for various different purposes. Even using it for graphics and audio in games is not uncommon. The real issue is how to convert the files to the right format.

mega rock.exe · 20-02-09, 01:13

I know something that converts it. The game itself. I always try to use the game as a resource, like turning it into something that can read the files for me. Example, in SF3, ripping the mugshots would have been impossible via extraction seeing as how they couldn't even be decompressed. I find a way to edit the mugshot in the game, and now all of the mugshots are ripped! When there isn't a tool readily available, manipulation is a great alternative.

Candescence · 20-02-09, 01:37

Hah, I guess so. I suppose I've become the type to look for alternative methods, such as procedural generation for 3D games. The file extraction was a suggestion of mine to get around problems such as ZX backgrounds are so rarely ripped... But that one, you seem to have gotten around already!

Still, might as well keep this open in case someone figures out a way to convert the files.

SmithyGCN · 20-02-09, 02:35

We can already rip straight from the DS files using things like Barubary's TiledGGD among other things though it's pretty different per game on the exact method used.

Now a tool that rips all of the assembled poses would be great, though not one has been written yet... though a guy named Gemini I hear is working for the DS Castlevania games.

mega rock.exe · 20-02-09, 05:23

Isn't GGD for linear tiles? I'm not sure how to use it. I have yet to find any use out of those type of tile viewers.

Candescence · 20-02-09, 06:46

Oh, I didn't really know that. Huh. But I can see they work with different games... Which is mostly a case of format, methinks. Perhaps looking into the most common formats used with the DS would be a good idea - .bin is a no-brainer, it's one of the most common formats used for pretty much anything, and there's sure to be DS-specific formats, like how all FMVs on the DS use the same codec. I'm curious about the .ahx format, though, it's definately a format that stores animations.

Barubary · 20-02-09, 21:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Candescence

Here's a thought. Has anyone tried to rip straight from the very rom itself using some sort of extractor?

I've been doing almost nothing but that for quite a while now. ;]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Candescence

A good DS extractor I know of is Nitro Explorer, a good program to try out.

It does not seem to work for me. I'm content with Tahaxan and DSLazy, though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Candescence

As for the formats, I'll list all the ones used in the US version of ZXA:

- .bin (makes up most of the rom, probably graphics)
- .sdat (sound file format)
- .srl
- .nbfp
- .nbfc (this and the above two are unknown formats to my knowledge)
- .ahx (Unknown, there's an entire folder of these. One of these seems to be ZXA's "WARNING" animation.)
- .vx (from the names alone I can tell these are FMVs, they're in a seperate folder.)

- .bin is simply a file with no particular format; it can be anything with any format (although it's generally the same per game)
- I think .srl is also some sound data, but I'm not sure
- .nbfp is raw palette data, usually only used for the game's icon
- .nbfc is raw graphics data, also usually only used for the game's icon
- .ahx is sound data
- .vx is movie/FMV data

Quote:

Originally Posted by Candescence

I realise formats can be a problem. However, in the case of ZX Advent here, most of the files are in the rather common .bin format, which I suspect holds most of the sprites.

Actually, all the sprites are stored in obj_fnt.bin, with some of the palette data in obj_dat.bin. I've unpacked these files almost a year ago. (the post is made about two months after the actual act of extracting the file)
I've only recently (as in: today) unpacked & decompressed as much of the rest of the possibly interesting files as I could, which can be found here.

Candescence · 20-02-09, 23:46

Well, I'll be smegged. I was incorrect on the file types, and those files are even unpacked! Wow, am I behind on the scene or what? XD

Still, the .zxadat files aren't any use to anyone unless someone can convert them to a usable format.

mega rock.exe · 21-02-09, 01:42

He made that format. It just depends on the contents. It could be image data. Open it up in a tile editor and find out. This is a very useful way to rip because most of the game's content can be ripped now using basic methods.

Candescence · 21-02-09, 02:20

Ah, I see. Well, in that case, I open up the files in tile molestor, and...

... Oh, yeah, it starts off like a jumbled mess with an incorrect pallete, doesn't it. Except I can't get heads or tails of what they are.

Barubary · 21-02-09, 12:14

If the palette is unknown, I prefer to use GGD instead of Tile Molester, it makes finding the correct palette easier.
(And since I made TiledGGD, I hardly use Tile Molester at all)

Candescence · 23-02-09, 21:06

I've been looking at random files, and they're all incomprehensible. I must not have hit the jackpot yet. This is gonna take a while to sift through...

19-02-09, 23:42	#1
Candescence Rank: Regular Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 57	Ripping straight from the ROM using an extractor I wasn't terribly sure which section to place this in, or if there was an appropriate topic, so I posted it here. If there's a more appropriate place for this, feel free to move it. Here's a thought. Has anyone tried to rip straight from the very rom itself using some sort of extractor? I know it can be done with the DS, I've ripped sound effects from ZX Advent without recording and converted them (the amount of sound files is staggering, exactly 1660 sound files). Provided that you can find what files contain the tiles and how to convert them, one could rip the entire game's tiles. A good DS extractor I know of is Nitro Explorer, a good program to try out. As for the formats, I'll list all the ones used in the US version of ZXA: - .bin (makes up most of the rom, probably graphics) - .sdat (sound file format) - .srl - .nbfp - .nbfc (this and the above two are unknown formats to my knowledge) - .ahx (Unknown, there's an entire folder of these. One of these seems to be ZXA's "WARNING" animation.) - .vx (from the names alone I can tell these are FMVs, they're in a seperate folder.) Chances are different games use different formats, and what have you. I'm just putting this out there as an idea for an alternative ripping method.

20-02-09, 00:29	#2
mega rock.exe MMBN Hacker Rank: Legendary Join Date: May 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,547	Well seeing as how the DS uses files, it is more appropriate now to rip more directly. However, that is not always possible. Unfortunately, most of the formats Capcom uses aren't easy to manage and ripping through traditional methods are the only way. I fixate more on the Star Force series when it comes to DS. I've already found ways to remove the layers in the game so ripping through screenshots is at least possible. If it isn't that, it can be tiles which always a possible alternative when simplified in game methods are not possible. __________________

20-02-09, 00:52	#3
Candescence Rank: Regular Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 57	I realise formats can be a problem. However, in the case of ZX Advent here, most of the files are in the rather common .bin format, which I suspect holds most of the sprites. .ahx, I'm not entirely sure, but I suspect the 'a' stands for animation, thus they're probably animation files. It's really an issue of figuring out the format and converting them to a proper image format. After that, everything else becomes straightforward. Edit: Okay, .bin being common is an understatement - it's a highly used file format for various different purposes. Even using it for graphics and audio in games is not uncommon. The real issue is how to convert the files to the right format. Last edited by Candescence : 20-02-09 at 01:07

20-02-09, 01:13	#4
mega rock.exe MMBN Hacker Rank: Legendary Join Date: May 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,547	I know something that converts it. The game itself. I always try to use the game as a resource, like turning it into something that can read the files for me. Example, in SF3, ripping the mugshots would have been impossible via extraction seeing as how they couldn't even be decompressed. I find a way to edit the mugshot in the game, and now all of the mugshots are ripped! When there isn't a tool readily available, manipulation is a great alternative. __________________

20-02-09, 05:23	#7
mega rock.exe MMBN Hacker Rank: Legendary Join Date: May 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,547	Isn't GGD for linear tiles? I'm not sure how to use it. I have yet to find any use out of those type of tile viewers. __________________

20-02-09, 01:37	#5
Candescence Rank: Regular Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 57	Hah, I guess so. I suppose I've become the type to look for alternative methods, such as procedural generation for 3D games. The file extraction was a suggestion of mine to get around problems such as ZX backgrounds are so rarely ripped... But that one, you seem to have gotten around already! Still, might as well keep this open in case someone figures out a way to convert the files.

20-02-09, 02:35	#6
SmithyGCN Rank: Regular Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 29	We can already rip straight from the DS files using things like Barubary's TiledGGD among other things though it's pretty different per game on the exact method used. Now a tool that rips all of the assembled poses would be great, though not one has been written yet... though a guy named Gemini I hear is working for the DS Castlevania games.

20-02-09, 06:46	#8
Candescence Rank: Regular Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 57	Oh, I didn't really know that. Huh. But I can see they work with different games... Which is mostly a case of format, methinks. Perhaps looking into the most common formats used with the DS would be a good idea - .bin is a no-brainer, it's one of the most common formats used for pretty much anything, and there's sure to be DS-specific formats, like how all FMVs on the DS use the same codec. I'm curious about the .ahx format, though, it's definately a format that stores animations.

20-02-09, 23:46	#10
Candescence Rank: Regular Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 57	Well, I'll be smegged. I was incorrect on the file types, and those files are even unpacked! Wow, am I behind on the scene or what? XD Still, the .zxadat files aren't any use to anyone unless someone can convert them to a usable format.

21-02-09, 01:42	#11
mega rock.exe MMBN Hacker Rank: Legendary Join Date: May 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,547	He made that format. It just depends on the contents. It could be image data. Open it up in a tile editor and find out. This is a very useful way to rip because most of the game's content can be ripped now using basic methods. __________________

21-02-09, 02:20	#12
Candescence Rank: Regular Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 57	Ah, I see. Well, in that case, I open up the files in tile molestor, and... ... Oh, yeah, it starts off like a jumbled mess with an incorrect pallete, doesn't it. Except I can't get heads or tails of what they are.

21-02-09, 12:14	#13
Barubary Rank:Roaming Yubo Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 608	If the palette is unknown, I prefer to use GGD instead of Tile Molester, it makes finding the correct palette easier. (And since I made TiledGGD, I hardly use Tile Molester at all) __________________ The paradox is only a conflict between reality and your feeling of what reality ought to be. - R. Feynman

23-02-09, 21:06	#14
Candescence Rank: Regular Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 57	I've been looking at random files, and they're all incomprehensible. I must not have hit the jackpot yet. This is gonna take a while to sift through...

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