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Miscellaneous Forums => Scripting and Reverse Engineering => Topic started by: Anonymous on 2001-09-02 20:48:00

Title: How do you decode file formats?
Post by: Anonymous on 2001-09-02 20:48:00

Well? do you have a program that shows what areas of a file are being accessed when you perform a certain function or something? Or do you just modify it and see what it changes? If there are useful programs, could you tell me where to get them?

Title: How do you decode file formats?
Post by: Anonymous on 2001-09-03 00:17:00

hmmmm......i guess this is remake only type stuff. Oh well....

Title: How do you decode file formats?
Post by: The SaiNt on 2001-09-03 08:43:00

Uhm...there's no easy way around it honestly.
Hmm..I let the professionals;halkun & fice tell you about it  :wink:

Title: How do you decode file formats?
Post by: halkun on 2001-09-03 16:30:00

Wow! I wrote about this soooo ling ago. (Like when I had 5 or 6 posts to my name. I was trying to make a quake movie and was working on ripping the characters from FF8. Actually I was attempting to decode the .x files for the battles, as there seemed to be a 3d version of every scene in FF8.

The nutshell most if it is pattern finding. Also remeber that programmers and inharently lazy and much that you can find about a file format is common scense. Now I usally use a data visualizer to see "chunks" in a file, find a particular chunk, change a varible, and run. Also if you have a hex editor, try different witdths and data groupings and see if you find any patterens. I don't do memory hacking unless it's on a PSX. Look for my originak post and you'll kind of get it.

Title: How do you decode file formats?
Post by: Alhexx on 2001-09-03 18:20:00

I'm mostly using a sime Hex-Editor. I compare a lot of different files (ie. 5) and then I try to find differences. It's a lot of crappy work...   :wink:

- Alhexx

- edit -
sime -> simple  :wink:

[This message has been edited by Alhexx (edited September 03, 2001).]

Title: How do you decode file formats?
Post by: Anonymous on 2001-09-03 21:39:00

waoh......i came here in early march......

Hmmmm........Cant find it in tech related......

Title: How do you decode file formats?
Post by: mirex on 2001-09-04 20:15:00

I use hexViewer(DosNavigator), and look on tha data, and keeping looking for some patterns, counting things, drawing pictures of data ...

So i use combination hexView + brain + time.
That solves everything  :)

Title: How do you decode file formats?
Post by: Alhexx on 2001-09-04 22:17:00

Yeah, that's the way it goes, mirex!

That are the most important *tools* of a file hacker - HexEditor, Brain and a LOT of time (and of course: patience)

- Alhexx

Title: How do you decode file formats?
Post by: Anonymous on 2001-09-05 01:49:00

speaking of hex-editors.....know any free ones?

Title: How do you decode file formats?
Post by: Srethron Askvelhtnod on 2001-09-05 20:55:00

I've been using Hexpose. It's fairly old, and is often used for NES ROM Hacking, but it's free, runs pretty fast, and has the TBL feature... The others may know of a better prog.
 http://www.zophar.net/utilities/nesutil.html

I've also heard stuff about a similar editor called Thingy, but I've never bothered to track it down.

Title: How do you decode file formats?
Post by: Alhexx on 2001-09-06 16:22:00

Hm, I'm not using freeware Hex-Editors, I'm using UltraEdit 8 and HexWorks (Hex Workshop). I'm using both, b'cause

1. Ultraedit is good to compare 2 files, you see the differences in the files very well.

2. I use HexWorks for viewing the values of the offsets, b'cause Ultraedit doesn't do that (or at least I don't know how  :wink: )

- Alhexx

Title: How do you decode file formats?
Post by: Anonymous on 2001-09-07 02:16:00

alhexx- i used to do that. then the demos ran out and i dont have skillz.

Title: How do you decode file formats?
Post by: The SaiNt on 2001-09-07 09:32:00

Uhm, Hex-Workshop can also compare files  :)

Title: How do you decode file formats?
Post by: mirex on 2001-09-07 10:37:00

The tool im using is Dos Navigator, its not a hex-editor - it is file commander, but it has lots of great tools in it. And like it sounds, it is for Dos (but works in windows too). As there is in one file mentioned 'A best shell a man can get'.
But, I think it is not free.  :(

Title: How do you decode file formats?
Post by: Alhexx on 2001-09-07 16:51:00

SaiNt: Yes, I know. But that wasn't what I wanted to say:
If you open 2 or more files, then under Hex-Works the files are displayed in 2 (or more) windows. Under Ultraedit, every File has its own tab.

- Alhexx