Graphics (extracting)

[sometimes99er]

Retrospect’s Parsec(/Texas) Jackpot, hacking of TI Invaders and ripping Vulgus, got me strolling down the extract graphic alley again.

 

As a side note, I think I make notes of between one and dozens of new ideas a month. Yep, being TI-99/4A related. Can you believe that ? (rhetorical question)

 

There are probably many roads that lead to Rome, apart from drawing your own graphics, but here’s what I’ve been thinking of when it comes to classic TI graphics. You’re welcome to post any ideas, info and/or questions you may have on the subject.

 

1.

Screen capture. I use Classic99’s “Video/Screenshot (Basic)”. Outputs a BMP image file, which you massage into a 64 x 256 image file (using PaintShop or similar) for inclusion in Magellan, CartographPC or Grapefruit to produce TI program/data statements. You may capture graphics from other systems or even good old plain pictures, and then reduce color depth etc.

 

2.

VDP capture. I use Classic99’s “Debugger & F10”. Outputs a 16K+ binary dump, which can be included in Limelight (Graphic or Text mode) to produce a 64 x 256 image file. Again for inclusion in the tools mentioned above.

 

3.

ROM/GROM extraction. Been doing that “manually” (hardcoding, trail and error etc.). Again you may extract graphics from other systems (often simulated in MAME or MESS). I know of and tried a few tools in this area, and maybe I should do exactly that again - as to not do something that’s already been done or at least get some good inspiration (for functionality). A more TI specific tool would of course, or should be, more ... TI friendly (even if it’s only on the output side).

 

[rocky007]

for some systems, like Amiga, Atari ST, C64, some specials tools like Action Replay could be also very usuful to rip music & graphics

Edited October 13, 2012 by rocky007

[sometimes99er]

Yeah, had an Action Replay for the C64, but it was a later addition. I don’t know/can’t remember if there was any “clever stuff” in Action Replay, though I’m sure there were some. Having binaries (disks etc.) and emulation, I think we have the access we need, but sure, some Action Replay abilities in emulation would probably be nice/useful. Was the save and load of “state” one of them ?

 

Back then with the Amiga I think I was able to view graphics from ChipMem without any additional hardware (apart from some FastMem).

Edited October 13, 2012 by sometimes99er

[rocky007]

If i remember well, the Power Cartrdige III on C64 could freeze at any time a program and then save the RAM on disk.

 

Many memory resident programs was done Atari ST an Amiga, but sometime uncompatible ( interrupts conflicts )!

Hardware was the best

Edited October 13, 2012 by rocky007

[sometimes99er]

3.

ROM/GROM extraction.

 

When I was working on the TI Invaders hack, I used my own pieces of code (Visual C#, Windows Forms). - I wanted to come back and elevate it to a much more userfriendly and public tool. In the beginning of this thread, I said I would try and locate tools that, more or less, already did what I had in mind. My third or fourth Google search this morning was “graphic ripper”, and it returned the one below. It mentions ZX Spectrum, so 1 bit color depth ripping should be possible. I’ve spent very limited time with the beast and already ripped sprites and characters from Parsec (apart from skip bytes etc.).

 

http://retrospec.sgn.net/game/gfxrip

 

 

It’s a matter of aligning a few parameters and saving the image. - Now if you draw something, at the right places, and save, then we could make a tool to convert the image back into a binary file (the GROM in the case of Parsec). Pretty easy graphically hacking. Colors, sounds etc. is something else.

 

 

Edited April 3, 2013 by sometimes99er

[+retroclouds]

Holy crap! That site is good!

 

I just played around with another tool of them: Tile Extractor

 

Tile Extractor's purpose is to take a map of game, extract the unique tiles and give it to you in numerous formats for using in a game. Or simply just to see tile graphics in the game.

 

You basically feed it a BMP bitmap image, specifiy tile size, etc.

It will then create a unique set of "smaller" BMPs, each having a tile used on the screen.

You also get a textfile that for each screen position states what tile is used.

 

Great stuff :thumbsup:

[sometimes99er]

Yeah, I noted that one. Been thinking about something along those lines many times.

 

I installed another one from the site, SGE (Spectrum Graphics Editor). I haven’t explored all the possibilities, but keeps it around, if I want to convert/remake a ZX Spectrum game, as it seems to eat those TAP files and more.

 

Edited April 3, 2013 by sometimes99er

[sometimes99er]

BTW, does this one appear in the game (Parsec) ?

 

Edited April 3, 2013 by sometimes99er

[Retrospect]

BTW, does this one appear in the game (Parsec) ?

 

 

No, not that I'm aware of .... at least , I've never seen it ..... unless it's in the code, and was never used?

 

Makes you wonder doesn't it , because there were three cruisers , Urbite, Bynite and Dramite, all with the same sprite .........

Edited October 23, 2012 by Retrospect