Topic: FFV Viewer

[Squall]

Hey guys, do you know how to show an image in the wiki?

[samurai goroh]

AFAIK, the admin needs to install tools before you can display images/videos. So currently, you can only drop a link into the wiki...

[Jorgur]

If you send a message to Lenophis he might do something about it.

[Squall]

Wooah I thought that nobody is around :D

Anyway 5.5 is out!!!
Thanks to samurai goroh explanations I can parse palette, tiles & sprites!!!
 - added Palette info for each Character-Job
 - added a Sprite picture in its own palette of Sprites for each Char-Job-Frame
 - some goodies like Sprite zoom, viewing SNES raw info for palette.
**Sprite map for each frame is hard-coded, but I found it in the ROM. Probably will be implemented in next version/fix :)

P.S. I found the Sprite map for job frames in address: D4B997 - D4B9D8. What do you guys you know about that are?

[Squall]

An update on my visualization of monsters:
- I found the where the tiles are stored (D50000)
- I found the palettes for it (DB8000)

but I lack Sprite-map! Check the attachment that I made with TLP. As you may see each Sprite is composed in a different way of tiles. That is why I need a Map - what tiles in what order compose the sprite of mob(n).

If you have any info on the topic, please share it!!!

Also I want to do the same for GBA:
- Are the tiles compressed? (because I cant find one in TLP)
- What format are palette colors in GBA?

[samurai goroh]

Graphics ARE compressed on the GBA.

Can't remember how to use "GBA Graphics Editor" properly, but you can more or less see the enemies:
Bee @1C807C (size of 5x7)
Lycaon @1C8484 (5x7)
Bat @1C866C (5x7)
Goblin @1C8E00 (4x7)
Magic Pot @ 1C9704 (4x6)
Death Claw @ 215158 (5x6)

[Jorgur]

D0/D004-D0/DC29: 1-2BPP: Monster shapes

Is this it?

[Squall]

samurai goroh, I'm not familiar with that editor. Could you share a link?
btw how did you obtain these addresses?

What do you guys know about the structures that hold the image of a mob?
Like 'Goblin @1C8E00 (4x7)' that would mean a sprite that is 4 tiles wide and 7 rows. Where is that info? Goblin pictures is 32x40 pixels which is 4x5 tiles. So if Goblin is defined 4x7 that mean that its drawn in a window of 32x56 pixels ... there must be info somewhere to to tell where in the window the sprite is drawn ...
 

[samurai goroh]

From this topic:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/341300/Graphics/GBA%20Graphics%20Editor.zip

I obtained these addresses through that program, you just let it scan and it will give you back what it believes is an image. You can then change the size and see how the image would look. (You may also need to change the palette). However, as mentioned on the Portrait Graphics topic, because of the encryption, you won't be able to see the images perfectly (at least not with that tool).

As for the Goblin, may the size wasn't exactly that, but setting it like that will let you see it...


Edit: This program (which is from the same person as the other tool) comes with the code of the program (which while is older and less useful), it would let you poke around the code

[Squall]

I used the break to read a little bit about GBA hardware. It seems colors are in the same format as SNES. Tiles use only 1 bitplane (pretty much as normal bitmap).
I might be wrong but my guts tells me that FF5a uses 4bpp Sprites with 8x8 tiles (64x64 pixels) for mobs. Probably the larger mobs are constructed from couple Sprites - like Shunryu 256x256 pixels (4 sprites).

Also it seems that mobs data is compressed, but consist of header, imagebits for sprite(s) and palette, maybe more but I dont know. If you have more details please help me decipher all :)

 
samurai goroh do you know details on LZ77 header? It starts with 10 but I'm not sure whats next. It seems that by it the application from your link 'recognize' compressed chunk. No need I found it :)

I thought DB8000 is the place for mob palettes, but its not :( Do you guys know where it is? Also if you know the subroutine that draws a mob, that may helps a LOT!

[x0_000]

NED's palettes (he has two parts) are at 082140d4 and 08214f10 in the GBA ROM, you can backtrace those values to figure out how they're stored for monsters in general.

[Squall]

Hey x0_000 long time no see :)

I will check these address when I continue with GBA. I'm trying to finish Monster graphics for SNES.

Thank to Japanese doc I manage to find mobs palette and sprite map. It seems FF5 holds more info in the map then just tile positions, so that may take some time to decipher, code and test.

On the positive side, while I was waiting to get that info I was able to implement LZSS (type 02) decompression algorithm (for SNES) so now I will be able to get even compressed parts of SNES graphics. Displaying might be more problematic, because from what I've saw in noisecross docs they use some kind of script ...

 
In meantime I was able to make a new SNES ROM map. It contain sources from here and outside, also the info from my personal findings. You may see initial version here. I want to add 'ROM offset' column for easy raw search.

[Squall]

Version 5.6 is out!!!

It was a HARD battle to understand how an image of a mob is stored by FF5. I'm so proud to present the new version:
 - in Monster tab, now you may choose to see the native (in ROM) image (yeeee)
 - SNES only for now!
 - Doesn work properly with 'Compression' flag set.
 - Dont do anything special when 'Shadow' flag is set. I'm not sure what it does, but most of the images are ok.

If you know something about Shadow & Compress flag, please share with me. Shadow flag seems to be used not only for monster drawing. I saw couple of and #$40 but couldn't make anything useful out of the code.

noisecross & Light Phoenix you seem the only one experienced with SNES graphics, especially C1 bank.

[samurai goroh]

Nice, keep up the good work Squall :D

BTW, I noticed a bug in the Jobs tab, you can scroll past the Normal ability (there are 4 extra slots).
Also I don't remember when/if you mention it had the sprites there too, but thumbs up! I do remember you wanted to find how the game sorted them, but don't know whether or not you were able to find it...

[Squall]

Nice, keep up the good work Squall :D

Thank you!!!

BTW, I noticed a bug in the Jobs tab, you can scroll past the Normal ability (there are 4 extra slots).

Yeah thats because of GBA version ... it has 4 extra jobs. When I'm done with graphics I will polish it so with SNES you can see 22 jobs, and 26 for GBA :D