Messages

601

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / Re: [FF8] .x battle fields

« on: 2015-01-31 18:57:24 »

I just tried using some of the headers I found at a0stg105.x, to a0stg012, and... It doesn't work. So, it's compressed? Changing the parameter I had to show/hide objects is working here like a camera freeze... Ugh... I'm losing it... I'm off for today, maybe someone find something out. Could it be really gzip'ed with moved header? I don't know.

EDIT: Nope. I'm just tired and do mistakes. It works the same way as on other stages:

Also there's 1981 vertices, so it does look like it only hides the mesh or craps it's UV map. Or maybe it was 3000 vertices before ground dissapearal? Nah, I'll leave it for the next time... Too tired now.

Also thanks to.. rcxrdx, for patch, to display more debug strings for debugger.

602

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / Re: [FF8] .x battle fields

« on: 2015-01-31 12:26:31 »

Okay. I tried to find some dependence on it, but no luck. Hm, by the way great find Halfer. Looks like there's still a lot to do.

EDIT2: Found again some vertices, this time for ground, it's just a some bytes after your found Halfer, nice job! Still working. If I find the good place I could change the values of specific vertices, to see how it's manipulated, and if it's X Y Z normal.

Also this 01 00 00 00 looks just like a hide option. It's starting parameter for this first geometry object. So I was wrong. The very first model here is ground, then forest and sky the 3rd one.

EDIT3: Hey, it appears, that the next bytes are the face connectors!
EDIT4: Mhm... Wait a second! I got something!
EDIT5: There're FOUR objects in this model.

Every objects starts with specific header:

Code: [Select]

01 00 00 00 08 00 00 00 01 00 00 38 00 02 00 00 03 00 00 00 14 00 00 00 84*Thanks Halfer again, this just opened my eyes for new aspect. Now I'm 90% sure I found every object start.
01 00 00 00 - Changing this either makes whole object ignore to load or crash
08- Changing this crashes level
01 00 - Changing first byte to 0 always hides the mesh, no matter what.
00 38 00 02 - rotation rate, calculated backward, so it should be read by: 02 00 38 00
00 00 03 00 - Currently finding out
and etc.

EDIT6: WAIT... OMG... What a strawberries... ;/ I'm off... It's just too much..

603

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / Re: [FF8] .x battle fields

« on: 2015-01-30 14:33:00 »

MILESTONE! Updated first post, check it for summary, newest updates, and everything

Found geometry data!



It is as I can see, on one battlefield, there is more than one or two objects here.
Now, I'm going to reproduce and see how's made, find the starting header offset, see where is the length byte, and try to reproduce it manually from this data part, to see if it's reverse bytes and etc.

Yup. Wiped out one geometry object, that starts with specific header I'm still looking for.
See? MaKiPL stole the sky! Oh no!

EDIT3:
Sky appears to be the very first geometry object here. Searching now for trees.

EDIT4:
Oops
Nailed it.

EDIT5:
That's funny


EDIT6:
HAHA!




Model set information:

Code: [Select]

Rotation rate for forest model REVERSE-BYTES!  0x7282-0x7285 (4 bytes).
EXAMPLE:
00 38 00 02 - is for forest model group, to be in correct way, changing last byte makes rotation go 90o, changing third byte makes rotation go up to:
00-0
FF-45o (probably)
and so on...

Extreme milestone!
I probably found out how single verticle is made, also how they're connected to faces. It needs some testing though.

Single verticle:

Code: [Select]

20 00 35 00 21 00 36 00 54 9c 80 3c 54 68 b2 00 7e 9c 7e 68 80 80 80 2c (24Bytes)

That's what I found is:
0x0 (1B) - Stands for ID, with every verticle it raises up by 1.
0x2 (1B) - Same as above (?)
0x3 (17B) - Not yet researched
0x21 (3B) - It does repeat in every single object
0x24 (1B) - End of object.

Way how they're connected into faces is TODO. Still there's a lot of work.





A debug tip!
FFVIII Steam release produce crash log file .DMP. This one can be really fast opened by Visual Studio, also with detailed exception name. All I got before was "Unknown exception", here in VS you can get detailed exception, also debug software with VS. Gonna check it later, I'm tired ATM.

604

General Discussion / Re: [VIII] Forgotten unused background

« on: 2015-01-30 12:04:43 »

Field.fs on installation disc.

605

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / Re: [FF8] .x battle fields

« on: 2015-01-30 12:02:49 »

This file does not look like compressed. Also, the camera data is having the same bytes in some characteristic places in all stages. Now I want just to get X Y Z of vertices, and just search for them inside stage file.

606

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / Re: [FF8] .x battle fields

« on: 2015-01-30 11:49:08 »

Click below for video

This video shows many aspects of camera edit, also reverse bytes of UV+vertices probably at the end.

607

General Discussion / Re: [VIII] Forgotten unused background

« on: 2015-01-29 17:09:41 »

Wow, Halfer, nice one. Looks like they just post-render deleted rinoa. Maybe too big cost or time deadline to render it again?

FFVIII PC (2000), on installation disk are locations having really big load of comments and developer leftovers.

Here:

rgcock1:

Code: [Select]

Event in development
No lift implemented
Match character with sound
Report only bugs for this scene
gpgmn1

Code: [Select]

Test
Electric shock
gpcell1

Code: [Select]

Motion, placement are temporary
gpexit1

Code: [Select]

In development
Character not in motion with movie
Please wait
gpexit2

Code: [Select]

Movie&event in development.
Test movie
{NewPage}
What to do in the parking lot
Go to the desert
Do not return to prison.  It crashes.
gpbigin3

Code: [Select]

We know that the sound
is not timed well.
No need to report it as a bug.
ebcont1

Code: [Select]

This is it for today's CD.
This is the end of DISC 3.
ebadele5

Code: [Select]

That's it for today's CD.
Thank you.
ebinhi1

Code: [Select]

Map is not connected.
Go to control room where Seifer is waiting.
bg2f_3

Code: [Select]

The students' reactions are currently
under construction.  Head for the library.
bgroom_5

Code: [Select]

          Under Preparation
 
 [This area is under construction]
 
bgsido_8

Code: [Select]

Event in the works!!! Squall presses anything
gdsand3

Code: [Select]

After events,
go to Party setup menu.
fhfish1

Code: [Select]

”The master fisherman's motions
 are all temporary.  They're not connected.“
bdifrit1

Code: [Select]

Defeat Ifrit
Raise flag
gghall1

Code: [Select]

Cerberus Battle
sspod3

Code: [Select]

Thank you, all QA personnel.
That's all for today.   *QA person is some type of tester, that doesn't test the technical details of game, but sees if story is okay and the whole quality is ok.

sspace3

Code: [Select]

x-{Var0}
y-{Var1}*This is used for Rinoa space catch scene, to debug for "where is the rinoa!?"

rgair3

Code: [Select]

No motions are included.
They are floating.
tgcourt1

Code: [Select]

” 1  Replay
  2  Court 2
  3  Court 3
  4  Court 4“
gwpool2

Code: [Select]

karidesu
feirele1

Code: [Select]

For debugging
fehall1

Code: [Select]

Remove items for debugging

608

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / Re: [FF8] .x battle fields

« on: 2015-01-29 13:56:09 »

@Updated my first post here with the newest info

GAH! Finally! I found the camera "header", or at least something, that makes the camera go crazy if changed one of the parameter. This pseudo-header is:

Code: [Select]

02 00 08 00 20Whether stage it is, it's always fixed.

Changing third byte from 08 to 07 makes camera freeze at the battle no matter what. Conclusion? Changing this makes the game not detect global camera (probably), so when it does no see 02 00 08 00 20, then the battle camera freeze.

What do we got now?

*Stage file contains normal .TIM texture starting with header

Code: [Select]

01 00 00 00*Camera data starts with header

Code: [Select]

02 00 08 00 20 Does this sound familiar to anyone of you?

EDIT: Yup, tested it on many stages, and looks like changing 08 to 07 will always freeze the camera at the end spot of opening scene.

609

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / Re: [FF8] .x battle fields

« on: 2015-01-28 11:37:48 »

are you interested in hacking world map model format too? looks like you're making good progress with this.

Edit: P.S I would help you out but I don't own a copy of the game.

Sure I am. I still however have no idea if it's just a big 3D Model, or this is a package containing maps, that are loaded when needed in parts. Just like in MMO games.

I could send you some samples with stages and this world.

@Zervox - of course it does. It's not normal DirectX file, also this one contains uncompressed .TIM hardcoded. That file contains camera data. I'm an Unreal Engine developer, and as far as I know OBJ's nor X files does NOT contain textures and camera. Things like that are available to FBX files (Autodesk), but obj has always contained mtl file and refferenced to external texture, so does DirectX file.


UPDATE: Narrowed the camera, looks like the camera X Y Z fixed is somewhere 0x5D5 and 7B8, as I FF'd it and camera was outside of battlefield.
UPDATE2: Uhum... FFVIII finally is going into infinite error loop (No exception, but still something wrong, so it's not going to next stage... God, wish to have a log option to see what it does generate... Looks like I need to copy original file again, and start from beginning knowing where to stop null'ying data. But I think camera is somewhere near. I can smell it.


Look at this:


0x5d4-0x5d7 is responsible for OPENING battle camera. It is possible reverse byte. I'm trying to find how's it going, but every next byte is responsible for X/Y for key in camera animation, so changing one byte can make camera in some places jump, so it's clearly camera key movement edit.

610

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / Re: [FF8] .x battle fields

« on: 2015-01-27 14:21:50 »

I tried to decode it using GZIP deflate, but it thrown exceptions. (GZIP string decompress and GZIP archive unpacking using built-in .NET System.Compression).
Also tried with RFC1950, this one used Knightshift for saves encoding, I had to write my own software for that, but when tried with FF8 files, it just thrown another exception for bad file.

The header for .X files in every stage file is the same, and the first 16 bytes are:

Code: [Select]

E8 FF BD 27 01 00 02 24 14 00 BF AF 11 00 82 10
The same

Code: [Select]

E8 FF BD 27 are used for Final Fantasy Tactics as in battle file there. That's what I read from someone's "Battle hacking" post.

However, I NULL'ed this, and 2560 (sic!) next bytes, and game doesn't care, nothing changed and everything is 100% functional. So, 2560 (currently, I'm going to nullify next bytes later to see what I get) non-needed data?

611

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / Re: [FF8] .x battle fields

« on: 2015-01-27 11:49:30 »

Okay. The texture is no more than just a TIM file, starting with 10 00 00 00. Thanks to paul and _Tom_ for TIM header infos.




DEPRECATED:
*Updated "summary" post above. I finally found where the texture starts. RGBA pixel format is probably 555, Didn't test it yet, but that's what wiki says here for FF7 textures.

The texture section, clearly starts at repeating 01 01 01... bytes. After each line it has a tendency to drop to small numbers. For example the first one header for top-one pixel line is 178 bytes long, where the next one header for second pixel has 176 as for a0stg105.x

So, to find the texture, and re-export it, or EVEN replace, just find the first appearance of 01 01 01 01 01 01 bytes starting from 0x0 offset, and you should get it in all normal BG's.
See below:

612

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / Re: [FF8] .x battle fields

« on: 2015-01-25 15:23:30 »

I took a0stg105, and HEX'd fun it.

Code: [Select]

#OFFSET IN HEX                                 #DEFINITION
0x48-49                                              Changing this does nothing
0x5C-5D                                              Before map load, there is a cursor that blink once, after that map loads. Sometimes
0x588-58E                                          Completely nothing.
0x5DA-5DB                                          Still nothing
0x5D6-9A5                                        ##CAMERA HERE! - I reversed bytes from end to start by this offset, and camera is fixed no matter what. Also some enemies can be off-screen.

Summary:

Whole code from 000-5F1 is probably the same. I'll check with other maps.

NULL'ing header makes no effect... really... Game doesn't care what it is.

0-23A can be NULL'ified and the game doesn't care. WTF?
Huh...
NULL'ied from 0x0 to 0x5d3 and guess what... NOTHING

EDIT2:
Finally, so te textures are like:

LINE1
0101 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01
LINE 2
etc...
It's pallete colored. This is detailed somewhere here in Texture section. So, I nulled from beggining to 0x998 and still no vertex glitches or anything.
I nulled one line covered by those 0101010101, and here it is:

EDIT3:
Yea, found something, probably reversed the "pallete" or UV. More like both.  it is 44CE to 4905


Summary:
File is divided in some parts, where:

Code: [Select]

STAGE 1 - from START to 0x??? - ???
STAGE 2 - from 0x5D6 to 0x9A5 - Camera *THIS NEEDS TO BE NARROWED! Narrowed by 1/2
STAGE 3 - from 0x??? to 0x??? - Vertex data
STAGE 4 - Search for first 0x/10,0x/00,0x/00,0x/00 - Texture

613

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / Re: [FF8] .x battle fields

« on: 2015-01-25 13:39:13 »

Completed WIKI page: http://wiki.qhimm.com/view/FF8/FileFormat_X

614

General Discussion / Re: [VIII] Forgotten unused background

« on: 2015-01-25 12:14:31 »

@UPDATED *reserved post

That's all. Also there're three renders of so called "Vessel" - an boat they used when raiding dollet.




Also, translation for this:



DAMN! It took me 30 minutes, to identify that second kanji. I almost gave up, but then just put this is google, and finally found that 言. Grrr...
Finally, this sentence is:

Probably: 要かったって言ってるだろ (See below, for more probably correct translation/reidentification)

As far as translators and dictionaries are helping me this is:

I need to say (here it's either openmainded, or bright or something else, but nice). If anyone here understand JPN more, then write, so I can edit posts.

Also, I found very similiar kanji to that first one, at it gives clearly better translation:

悪かったって言ってるだろ - I'm telling what went wrong / And this is probably it, as 悪かった joins perfectly as "was wrong",


EDIT:
Just was raping FFVIII demo with Deiling (thank you author, for this mighty tool!), but before that I just saw some .TIM files lying freely. My 2D/3D browser software succesfully read, and reexported it to JPG. The most interesting is ETUTO_07.TIM, this is:

615

General Discussion / Re: [VIII] Forgotten unused background

« on: 2015-01-14 17:39:35 »

Battle scene
This one contains Anacondaur and Mesmerize in Dollet. There is no way party could fight monsters like this here.



Boss shot

This time, it's finally normal ATB screen. Squall is ready, and squall is waiting for order, not zell.

Courtyard dialog

 つ、ついにやるのか！(Phew, that was easy, only hiragana) - "Are (we) doing (this) finally? *What? Anyone remember something like that?

Omitted:
CG Shot - Nothing "Fun"
Casting fire - ENG version, rinoa in dollet fighting, demo contained Rinoa in dollet raid.
Clashing blades CG - Nothing "fun"
Comet shot - Either comet, or leviathan summon scene
Desert installation - Nothing "Fun"
Enemies - This one was really in-game, but there's rinoa, we already know, that Rinoa was previously used to be present in dollet raid.
Explosion - Same as Casting fire



Dialog selection - INTERESTING

This one contains unused dialog. Neither this was used in ENG and JPN release. Also, the rinoa is there.


Edea and Rinoa together - INTERESTING

Well... This scene is only visible during opening, but! That screencap is never seen in-game! It's unused CGI of Rinoa trying to give Edea ring, also this was all rendered in-game, and the only FMV playing after, was:
*Note that, when it's that opted CGI, Edea is having something "red" on her face, however in retail game, that scene was only when Edea was without that thing, and Rinoa was standing in front of the doors, not white hangings.


Renzokuken Zell's style - INTERESTING

This is really sweet one! Renzokuken style was once made something like Auron's limit break in FFX or just Zell's. Bar was going the other way, and you had to push select or start in correct time. Thank you Square, you changed it to actual nice renzokuken.



Item reward yes or no - INTERESTING

After winning battle, you had the option to either get the reward, or discard it. Fancy, huh?


Other card game background - INTERESTING

This one had a white hole in center. I feel empty looking at that hole. Nice move they changed it lol.


Prison - unused BG?

Unfortunately, it's screencap from FMV showing Squall cell going up. I checked it right now, it's actually disc01_00h.avi - 00:23
I'm just too lazy to upload this screencap. Sorry...
EDIT: Here it is:


Weird vehicle Halfer posted

Unfortunately, it's again screencap from FMV showing Squall cell going up. it's disc01_00h.avi - 00:25
Here:

616

General Discussion / Re: [VIII] Forgotten unused background

« on: 2015-01-14 17:07:39 »

Rinoa CG
I've made it to get almost the same frame as the screencap from 2013 PC re-release FMV. That one from alpha is having a lady on the left with blue skirt, but it could be just bad screen quality, also Rinoa looks a bit 'fatty' on alpha.



Stage crew

モれならキミモ学(Kanji software gave up, sorry) But probably it's about joining something, as I can see from English translation, then this could be "”Then you should join the
 Garden Festival committee, too!“

Throne room

Nothing unusual.

Another spell

Fight with buel. This is from Dollet raid, but this location didn't include fighting with this monster.

Another town shot


Attack in progress - INTERESTING

As Halfer noticed, this battlefield was opted. This is fight with Grendels, and it looks like a place from Salt lake or something.

Awesome battle

Zell and Squall fight with Anacondaur, Buel (I can see the wing) and Mesmerize. This is starting animation of Blizzaga/Blizzara, as the monster is blue colored (as of Blizzara makes the enemy freeze for a sec). Also, is that Esthar? I can't recognize battlefield. This could be Esthat or Balamb underground.

Battle action unfolding

Battle with wendigo, crushing someone (from top - Squall (スコール), Zell (ゼル), Rinoa)
As you can see the menu is not suitable to position of characters in the battle. Normally, in the retail game, if Squall was first, then it should be the person from very right, here on alpha - Squall should be the one attacked by wendigo, but he is in center)

EDIT: Okay, look at the next screen to see something interesting


Battle on the streets - INTERESTING

You can see, that Squall is ready to fight (glowing, yellow mark above Squall's head). Also, take a look at ATB. Person with full ATB is ゼル. However, if you convert it to romaji, then you'll get "Zeru". Squall is above "Zell" on the list. So we FOUND the bug! It's almost the same exciting as FFXIII's "Blizzrad".

617

General Discussion / Re: [VIII] Forgotten unused background

« on: 2015-01-14 16:18:57 »

That was an awesome dig Halfer!
I think I've seen somwhere 3D Software (probably 3DS Max), showing in-edit Irvine presentation scene (that one from Galbadia Garden). Can't find it currently. Going back to these Alpha caps:
I'll describe every screencap from there. This is also awesome moment, to improve my hiragana writing/reading skills. For Kanji I'm using really functional KanjiTomo.

Legend:
There is name of image from the site Halfer posted. Under is this image attached, either my description or kana translation/ recognized characters. Also, the title containing INTERESTING! and having underline, are the pictures worth seeing as they may contain opted content or some bugs.

Cliff's edge:


キロス = Kiros

最悪な... = The worst (saiaku 最悪=さいあく=Worst, and 'na' at the end, don't know why)


Courtyard


Kiros
 おまえはいったいここで
何をしているのだ = Something like "What on earth are you doing (here)?" Or "What should you do here?"
[Looks easy ATM, only one kanji character 何.]


Hotel Detective


*Here appears some katana writings, that romaji stands for "Dzuya" that can sound like Julia, but I'm not sure, as it's connected with 'journalist' that is also in katakana.

ラグナ = Raguna/ Laguna

俺, 兵隊やめたらヅジャーナリストになりたいんだよ = "I want to be journalist (Dzu? Julia?), After I quit (beign) soldier"


Ice field

Laguna
なんで、こりや？ - Why, Stiffness (?)
This was too much kanji for me.

Laguna in a field - INTERESTING

*This one is having that green truch in BG, probably to block testers/players from going up to main hall?

Kiros
世界を旅するジャーナリストに
なるんじゃなかったのか? = (Probably "Why didn't you become journalist to travel the world?")


Restaurant interior

Laguna
ひでえこと言うょな。 (??)
*too much kanji here, sorry*

618

General Discussion / Re: [VIII] Forgotten unused background

« on: 2015-01-10 14:20:17 »

Whoah, that's a really heavy full-of-content thread there! God, wish'd to see FFVIII's one.

619

General Discussion / [VIII] Opted stuff - Forgotten unused background + hidden collections

« on: 2015-01-06 19:22:32 »

While thinking about VIII remake I tried to search for "the making of" to see some 3DS Max or some other 3D modelling software screens of map backgrounds to see if it's more 2D painting job, or real 3D render. After few minutes on google I found out, that Square DIDN'T made background by themself, but they passed the work to so called KUSANAGI Corp. (クサナギ), there I found many of their "showcase" works having at least 5 screens for every game they we're working on. From sketches, to never seen backgrounds. The most intriguing is:
http://www.kusanagi.co.jp/art/artgalleryfre-m/ff8/ff8.htm
the last one.

Chech more by going to:
http://www.kusanagi.co.jp/art.html
clicking on TVゲーム

There you can see sketches and renders that I totally didn't see. You can catch there sketches that you for sure wouldn't find in any "concept art" album. If it's well known, then sorry, but I really didn't see that anywhere. Enjoy!

620

General Discussion / Re: Fan Remade Balamb Garden

« on: 2014-12-23 13:50:58 »

I just leave it here:
https://forums.unrealengine.com/showthread.php?40367-WIP-Final-Fantasy-VIII-Fan-remake-project

I tried to contact the author of this Balamb remake, but no reply.