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Modding Tool: SkullMod

So are those .art-pt files extractable in some way? I don't want to modify them, just look at them, (and maybe dream a little about what pallets i'd want in the game)
 
sigoshi said:
So are those .art-pt files extractable in some way? I don't want to modify them, just look at them

Answer first part: It would require substantial effort to get the characters. (focusing on maps/music/sprites/etc. is already a big chunk of work)
Answer second part: And it would get taken off as fast as you can say "Mike Z's cat" because it is the core part of the game that the team (I'm assuming)
wants to have control over. They don't want it to be opened, I won't do it.

Solution: If I remember correctly higher-tier backers got a big art compendium with frame dumps, I don't have that. No idea if it can be bought now.
Ask one of the mods, I can't help you with that.


If you want to simply recolor an existing sprite you can take the .pcx files and put them together in GIMP / Photoshop
They are in dev\temp\palettized_hud_art\*.pcx (you have to extract dev.gfs)
 
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Right, I remember hearing about the art compendium. I'll go check with my friend who backed it (damn my lack of money). Thanks!
 
Getting the same static problem. What do?


Edit: NVM
 
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I'm guessing this hasn't been tested/was never intended to work on Windows 8 because the program wont even run?

EDIT: False alarm, 3rd time lucky. Guess my initial download didn't work, was the windows version, then tried universal, downloaded the windows one again and it is working.
 
If you had any problems (and solved them) please PM me with the details. ( @ShadeMoneh and @superstar360 )

Small progress update:

sprConv, converting sprites (.spr.msb)

More updates and maybe a release tomorrow.

sprConv_progress_compress_half.jpg


Edit: Adjusted picture size
 
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moving this to the proper forum
 
worldjem said:
proper forum
Skullmod is on par with bug reports, I'm proud of myself :PUN:


Todays update

lvlEdit
Tomorrow: Display contents of stage with text

sprConv
Added transparency and frame splitting

Tomorrow: A release for exporting the frames of all animations
Basic import for png files

(sidenote: wasted 2 hours searching for the size of each frame,
realized that probably there was just direct blitting going on...)

small_progress.jpg
 
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Well I figure software modification is more related to "bugs, hardware, and software" than just general discussion.
 
worldjem said:
...more related to "bugs, hardware, and software" than just general discussion.
It is, I just had to do a not-really-witty remark about the thread move.


A mini release for sprConv, exclusivly* here at the forums (See attachement)
It does not display the images (next release will have a preview), it does something even better instead: exports all frames as pngs into the same directory as the .spr.msb

Unpack the .zip file
Start it by clicking on "sprConv_Windows.bat" (Why a .bat file? Because Java)
Just go to "Debug options"->Select a .spr.msb file (they are inside sprites.gfs, use gfsEdit for extraction) of your liking
Suggestion: super_spark_lightnings.spr.msb or any of the loading screens look nice.

After selecting the file is extracted immediatly, go look into the same folder as the file you chose.

Btw. requires Java 7 to be installed.

Gonna work on lvlEdit tomorrow...

*Source code is available for all applications: Github
 

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  • sprConv 0.1 testing.zip
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A new testing version of sprConv

* Import spr.msb file (File->Load in the menu)
* To display the individual frames select the frame number on the left tree.


sprConv_testing.JPG


Planned stuff for (NOPE tomorrow NOPE) some time later
* Play animations
* Find center of frame
* Write export code, find library to write DDS
* Delete animations / frames
 

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  • sprConv 0.1 testing.zip
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Awesome idea =D Was looking for a way to extract the voices/sounds for an animation project I'll be doing soon and was directed to this topic. I'll keep my ears tilted here =3
 
Just to note, we were not given the source for the sprite conversion tools, only the EXE (don't ask, don't work with people you don't fully know!) so if you find a way to extract the character select sprites which I think you already can, AND figure out why Peacock's dress is a different color from her hat on charselect, since it's NOT in-game, lemme know!

Homework? :^)
 
Haha, I love this topic.

Probably better to beg forgiveness than ask permission, but eh. Do you mind if I post a thing that rips all wavs out of the snd-wav files for Kit Ballard? (Or less intrusive, they tell me which sounds they want and I send only those?) I guess it's easy to do, but I haven't found another thing that does it. (Though it's in 0xFAIL's plans, of course.) I've sat on the thing since like July trying to stay on the lightest shade of gray in all this.

Spoilers: My tool will be ghetto, and Mike_Z will laugh when he sees metadata (like filesize) in each wave. (I can maybe fix that, though.)
Spoilers Part Two: For all I know things have changed in recent builds, but that only really matters if you want Big Band stuff.

Edit: Actually, it seems all voices are already out there. Including the metadata I mentioned, which means they did it quick and dirty as well. Found them with a quick google. I leave it in your hands to do it the smart way, 0xFAIL.
 
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Kasumi said:
Haha, I love this topic.

Probably better to beg forgiveness than ask permission, but eh. Do you mind if I post a thing that rips all wavs out of the snd-wav files for Kit Ballard? (Or less intrusive, they tell me which sounds they want and I send only those?) I guess it's easy to do, but I haven't found another thing that does it. (Though it's in 0xFAIL's plans, of course.) I've sat on the thing since like July trying to stay on the lightest shade of gray in all this.

Spoilers: My tool will be ghetto, and Mike_Z will laugh when he sees metadata (like filesize) in each wave. (I can maybe fix that, though.)
Spoilers Part Two: For all I know things have changed in recent builds, but that only really matters if you want Big Band stuff.

Considering such tools already exist and you're not distributing unaltered game content, I doubt anyone would have a problem with it.
 
Kasumi said:
Edit: Actually, it seems all voices are already out there. Including the metadata I mentioned, which means they did it quick and dirty as well. Found them with a quick google. I leave it in your hands to do it the smart way, 0xFAIL.
Flotilla said:
Considering such tools already exist and you're not distributing unaltered game content, I doubt anyone would have a problem with it.
really? o.o I'm terrible at searching anything up x.x tried searching som'in using a few different ways but I pulled up nothing =\
 
Mike_Z said:
Homework? :^)
Gonna look into that, characters can be extracted already, animations work too in the next (not yet released) build.

Flotilla said:
Considering such tools already exist and you're not distributing unaltered game content, I doubt anyone would have a problem with it.
It's time for a little exposition:
Developers paid monies for artists to make art assets (or programmers to make good engines etc.), ripping/altering them causes some of them to resort to lawers because it is, one way or another "stealing" or "infringing copyright" or "reverse engineering trade secrets" or "breaking file protection" (some people consider XORing files to be protection). I get that point of view.

Also "Hot coffee" happend, so publishers might fear what lurks in the game files.

Some other developers don't care or make a modular game (Starcraft II allowed really impressive mods like a 2D sidescroller, card games, also The elder scrolls games)
An active modding community can boost a game (think Minecraft) if it makes sense to mod a game. (Of course the developer has to extend a hand, just a tiny little bit)

For example: Fighting games have their rules for the game set (M.U.G.E.N. does not count *wink*) to make it balanced.
Switching backgrounds, background songs, changing the UI etc. are not influencing the game's machanics.

My personal rule is: If a developer can give me a compelling reason not to mod the game I will stop. (or if it's obvious, or damaging sales, making them less monies etc.)
If I get I get a C&D without explanaition the dev and the game are dead to me.

tl;dr:
It's up to the developer, games can benefit from modding and smart devs can use it to drive some more sales,
not so smart devs will sue you for breaking their product instead of reasoning with you.
(DRM is another can of worms that I ignored)


Oh wait, why did I write that much?

Kasumi said:
...but I haven't found another thing that does it. ...
If you just want to rip wav files out of any binary file (assuming it's not encrypted/protected/xor etc. which gfs/snd-wav files aren't)
just use the HyperRipper feature from Dragon Unpacker, it scans a file for known file signatures and rips them. (supports bmp/mp3/... files too)
Works with many games. Should work with Skullgirls.

You just don't get the file names.

Little disclaimer: I used it a few years ago, but the Hyperripper feature is still in there.
http://www.elberethzone.net/dup-news.html
 
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You can take it as given that I don't care if you reverse-engineer the pkg files or let people change music, stages, or the 32bit sprites (which aren't gameplay). That's the sort of stuff that's "acceptable" in fighting games, or at least should be.
And in SG most of it is known file types so that all doesn't require much work.
Hell, it might even encourage people to make assets we don't have, like a Japanese "LOADING". :^P

When you get into characters, that's closer to C&D territory because at that point the engine becomes MUGEN-ish, which is explictly what we're avoiding until such time as we decide to release it for free anyway. :^P
(If you get into characters? That stuff's pretty convoluted...)
 
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Another night another release

Writing threaded GUI applications is fun~

* Animations play now (at a fixed speed, the animation speed is not inside the spr files), select an animation for it to play
* Added small icons, they have to be redone, they did not scale properly
* "File->New file" works now

(Planned) Tomorrows new stuff
* Figuring out the last few fields
* About and help dialog
* Algorithm for scrambling dds
 

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  • sprConv 0.1 testing.zip
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Small news

Found a new way to release the tools without the need to have Java installed.
The new release hould work on any Windows machine.
If it doesn't work drop me a PM.

All tools are now in a single download.

Other changes: Made gfsEdit more responsive when packing/unpacking + display progress.

Get it here: https://github.com/0xFAIL/SkullMod/releases (well there isn't anything new so you may want to wait a bit)
 
any sgm (background models and background characters) file should work (display only) (see image below)
simple sga (animation) files are done but not fully implemented (containing a simple uvtrack only, tomorrow probably)


Misc. noticed that character shadow is a screen effect missing depth, not surprising in hindsight,
noticed glitchy graphics in 1920x1080 on characters (I'm probably not the first one)

Stuff TODO till classroom is viewable in glorious 3D
lvl file format (quite simple I guess, a few lights here, a great textual explanation there...)
OpenGL renderer (the big stuff, but theory is done, might take a week or two, dependant on me fully understanding the math behind matrices)
Redo model behind left selection tree in lvlEdit to prepare editing


UV coordinates of "class_notes_npcs_01_shape.sgm.msb"

sgm_test.jpg
 
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Excuse me, but can you rip the story mode text? Me and my friend need it for shenanigans, heck is it even possible to change it?
 
WaterMystic277 said:
Excuse me, but can you rip the story mode text?
You can get it for yourself: SkullMod --> gfsEdit --> extract ui.gfs (in the data01 directory of the game) --> it's in ui\temp\localization\en
The lua files can be opened with a text editor (lua is a scripting language)

WaterMystic277 said:
...is it even possible to change it?
No, it's one of the protected .gfs files



Update on lvlEdit
-) .lvl stuff is done (except for the replace in the river king casion, will be done later)
-) Rewrote data model to be rendered/edited easily

-)OpenGL stuff is ready if I can get that one single triangle to display.
No idea where exactly the error is (Shader, data binding or drawing procedure?)

What should happen: green screen, red triangle
What happens: green screen, no red triangle, shader compiled correctly

If you have any experience with modern (3.1+) OpenGL be my guest:

//Has init and renderloop (clear, bind vao, set shader, draw)
https://github.com/0xFAIL/SkullMod/...java/skullMod/lvlEdit/openGL/OneTriangle.java

//Has VAO, VBO, IBO creation and binding, shader creation
https://github.com/0xFAIL/SkullMod/...java/skullMod/lvlEdit/openGL/SkullModVAO.java

//Shader class, this should be correct
https://github.com/0xFAIL/SkullMod/...llMod/lvlEdit/openGL/SimpleShaderProgram.java
//Or is there an error in the projection matrix calculation, I couldn't find any (build projection matrix method)
https://github.com/0xFAIL/SkullMod/...n/java/skullMod/lvlEdit/openGL/Mini_GLUT.java

Edit: Nevermind, found it
 
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can i open somehow .snd-wav files ripped from characters-win.gfs?
 
thank you much^^ sorry for my inattention btw)
 
Mike_Z said:
It's less of a "hahah bet you can't" and more of a sincerely-wondering-if-it-can-be-done-in-a-reasonable-way. Although THAT bit I can't guarantee you wouldn't get a C&D for...

I'll reiterate my standing offer: monetary reward to anyone who can significantly improve the shader performance or allow more lights with the same performance. Heh.
Congrats on having the only game where I completely gave up on figuring out the file format. CURSE YOU MIKEZ I wanted to make a hitbox viewer!
 
Are light sources adjustable/moddable? In the future I would like to make custom animated backgrounds with dynamic lighting and day/night cycles. Do you think it will eventually be possible to do this with your mod?
 
Light sources do not move, but they are specified in the level file so you can light a level however you want.

In some future update they may be animateable somehow, either from Maya or from the lvl file.
 
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Mike_Z said:
...either from Maya or from the lvl file.
background.sgl file *wink* *wink* or in the lvl file

The lights only affect the player characters and not the stage, right?
So for now there is no lighting on the back of the stage.
A little suggestion: If lighting effects are implemented, consider varying light intensity as well, looks cool on candles, tv screens, flickering lights,...
 
Yes, it only affects characters. The lighting code in the shader for the bgs is commented out because it ran like absolute poop with it enabled. Even on PC. And didn't look that great.
I'm no shader-meister.

Light intensity can vary, 0xPerson-who-thinks-you're-so-clever, there is intensity, color, radius, position etc. Don't be tellin' me what to do.
You wanna be clever, help improve the shaders. :^)
 
Mike_Z said:
Yes, it only affects characters. The lighting code in the shader for the bgs is commented out because it ran like absolute poop with it enabled. Even on PC. And didn't look that great.
I'm no shader-meister.

Light intensity can vary, 0xPerson-who-thinks-you're-so-clever, there is intensity, color, radius, position etc. Don't be tellin' me what to do.
You wanna be clever, help improve the shaders. :^)

Didn't look that great as in "it didn't look as good as it did without it", or didn't look that great as in "it wasn't worth the performance hit for most computers"? If the latter was the case, it would be cool to have it as an option in graphics settings.


And to 0xFAIL, is it now possible to export non-char animations (block sprite, reset flash, etc.) as you listed above in your to-do list? That's something I'm DEFINITELY looking forward to.
 
Flotilla said:
Didn't look that great as in "it didn't look as good as it did without it", or didn't look that great as in "it wasn't worth the performance hit for most computers"? If the latter was the case, it would be cool to have it as an option in graphics settings.

I wish to see a stage without any lighting shaders. I'd just love to see the sprites unaltered by their surroundings.
 
Flotilla said:
Didn't look that great as in "it didn't look as good as it did without it", or didn't look that great as in "it wasn't worth the performance hit for most computers"? If the latter was the case, it would be cool to have it as an option in graphics settings.
Both. And uh, wasn't worth the performance hit on CONSOLE, screw computer.

Zazz said:
I wish to see a stage without any lighting shaders. I'd just love to see the sprites unaltered by their surroundings.
So, go edit a level and take all the lights out. That's easy.
 
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