Modding Battlegrounds - Where do I begin?

[EQ2Alyza]

I've decided I'm no longer satisfied with the incomplete work of the battlegrounds in the game, so I'd like to take a stab at these on my own. My references and inspiration are coming from these threads:

http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=11036.0
http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=11542.msg159568#msg159568
http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=10251.0

I don't know anything about how their work is done, so I'll take any advice and help at this point. I'm looking for basic questions to be answered:

1. Where are the battle scenes located? (referencing this: http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/User:JBed/FFVII/Battlegrounds)
2. What tool(s) is/are used to pull and convert to PNG usage?
3. Is Adobe Photoshop good software for this kind of work?
4. What other software may be needed? Plugins? (depending on answers, money may be an issue)
5. Are there any basic tutorials or guides I can read for learning how to edit these backgrounds using given software?
6. What else may I be missing based on the work of the references above?

So, I welcome anyone who can provide a good jump start for me. I don't have any project goals or timeframes at the moment. I just want to see what I can do, and at the very least, learn the process for how it's done. The editing skills are going to be the biggest learning curve I believe, but we all have to start somewhere. If I can learn how to start, then I'll be excited and motivated enough to learn how to finish 

[Kaldarasha]

I have seen this page in a blender tutorial maybe it is usefull for you.

[DLPB_]

The problem is the sheer number and work that would be needed. One person alone remaking them is practically impossible in any decent time frame.  I am not sure about simple re filtering methods...

[ajthedj747]

I need to finish the work I have been assigned first by Team Avalanche, then I shall assist @EQ2Alyza with this.

[dkma841]

You will need the Tool Zangan to extract the battle backgrounds and editing the textures could be done with GIMP, Paint.net, Photoshop and that afaik

[vashtriguner]

So after using Zangan how does one extract the battleground file. I am most interested in this project but I am uncertain of the battlegrounds that have been already completed. If anyone has more information on how to go about this dilemma I will be most pleased. A list like the one for the field models would be most helpful but alas google docs are not my expertise. Even with these implications I hope this project can continue or at least shed further light on anyone else wishing to continue this project.

[dkma841]

There was alot of awesome information that was said by some of the battle background experts like Timu and a few more useful info but the forum crash lead to all those useful posts later has disapeared :/ after that the forum gone strangeish, hope someone could help you out, i already forgot everything :S

[EQ2Alyza]

The suggestions by Timu have disappeared since we reverted. Could I get those in writing again?

[Timu Sumisu]

h'oooookay this has been awhile...

1. AFAIk, the battle scenes are in battle.lgp, though i could be wrong
2. I usually used biturn for everything but i was pretty old fashioned like that. So long as you can get the file out it doesnt matter. For putting it back in i believe the current thing is to use img2tex along with unLGP
3.photoshop is great.
4. blender is good for previewing your work in 3D, the uvs should remain (you can get the .objs out with biturn. just look up some tutorials on navigating a 3d view, and how to import meshes, and add textures
5. its mostly about painting and photosourcing, there are a plethora of sources, but something that comes to mind is http://www.poopinmymouth.com/
6. just get all yer textures, and one by one get them looking good @ 5x size. Once you have them in yer editor we can go into more detail of how you might approach a given texture.

[FF7Remastered]

Hello EQ2Alyza,

FF7 Battle Backgrounds are located in Battle.lgp, they are named from og** to rr**. You can extract the battle.lgp by using lgptools or unlgp program. Then copy everything from ogaa to rrda to a folder. Then you can use biturn to convert the whole thing to 3ds and you can view the whole 3d scene in blender of 3dsmax. However, you don't have to convert everything to 3ds. It is just the textures that need to be redone. Using biturn you can find the textures and convert them to bmp. Then you can edit them in photoshop. Hope that helps.

UPDATE: This is the list I made a while ago about which battle scenes are done and not done. The ones that were remade are marked Finished (by Pyrozen/Felix/Magochocobo) while the ones that are not yet remade are marked blank.

oh=Bizarro Sephiroth--------- Finished
oi=Grassland --------Finished
oj=Mt. Nibel Finished
ok=Forest --------Finished
ol=Shoreline -------Finished
om=Desert or Mt. Corel -------Finished
on=Arctic -------Finished
oo=Swamp --------finished
op=Sector 1 (Opening)-------- Finished
oq=Reactor -------------Finished
or=Reactor (Guard Scorpion) --------------Finished
os=Reactor 1 Enterance -------------Finished
ot=Subway -------------Unused(doesnt need remake)
ou=Mythril Caves ---------------
ov=ShinRa HQ ------------------
ow=Subway --------------------
ox=Hojo's Lab ------------------
oy=Elevators ------------------Finished
oz=Roof ---------------Finished
pa=Highway ---------------
pb=Don Corneo's -------------------Finished
pc=Cathedrel ----------------Finished
pd=Ancient Forest --------------- Finished
pe=Midgar Slums ---------------------
pf=Reactor 1 -------------------
pg=Reactor ----------------------
ph=Sector 7 Pillar Stairs ------------------
pi=Sector 7 Pillar Control ------------------
pj=Sector 8 ----------------------Finished
pk=Sewers ----------------------
pl=Cave ----------------------
pm=Cave -----------------------Finished
pn=Corel passage? --------------Finished
po=Junon Beach ---------Finished
pp=ShinRa Freighter --------------------
pq=Corel ----------------------------Finished
pr=Battle Square ---------finished
ps=Da Chao -------------------------Finished
pt=Cid's -----------------------
pu=Lifestream Descent. ------------------ Finished
pv=Reactor 5 Enterance -------------------
pw=Ancient Temple ------------------------Finished
px=ShinRa Mansion -----------------------Finished
py=Junon Aerodrome ----------------------Finished
pz=Cave ---------------------------
qa=Under Sector 8 ---------------------
qb=Gongaga Reactor -----------------------
qc=Gelnika ----------------------Finished
qd=Train Graveyard -------Finished
qe=Ice Cave ---------------------
qf=Hojo ------------------
qg=Sector 8 ---------------------
qh=Cetra Altar ------------------- Finished
qi=Cave -------------------------- Finished
qj=Spire in the Crater ------------------------- Finished
qk=Crater (Jungle) -----------------------------Finished
ql=Sephiroth's Vortex ---------------------- Finished
qm=Midgar Area --------------------------
qn=Seafloor Tunnels ------------------------
qp=Corel Railways ------------------------Finished
qq=The Crater ------------------------Finished
qr=Corel Railway Bridge ------------------------- Finished
qs=Rope Bridge -----------------------------Finished
qt=Da Chao --------------------------------Finished
qu=Ft Condor ------------------------------
qv=Midgar Area ------------------------
qw=Bizzarro Seph R/L ---------------------------Finished
qx=Bizzarro Seph L/R -----------------------------Finished
qy=Jenova SYNTHESIS ----------------------------Finished
qz=Coal Trains ------------------------------
ra=Cosmo Canyon -------------------------------------- Finished
rb=Gi Cave --------------------------------
rc=Nibelheim Basement --------------------Finished
rd=Cetra Temple ---------------------Finished
re=Cetra Temple (dragon) -----------------------Finished
rf=Cetra Temple --------------------------Finished
rg=Final Battle ------------------------ Finished
rh=Forest ---------------------------
ri=Highwind --------------------------
rj=Corel Reactor -------------------------Finished
rl=Wutai Temple --------------------------Finished
rm=Seafloor ------------------------
rn=Reactor? --------------------------
ro=Bloody ShinRa HQ -----------------------
rp=Gongaga Reactor ---------------------
rq=Corel Prison ----------------------- Finished
rr=Forest--------------------------