[Commando Beta]

Is there a way to add in character start positions yet?

[Dr. Mecha]

MainMemory, on 15 April 2012 - 09:35 PM, said:

Currently, the types of code edits that can be done is rather limited by both the lack of a buildable disassembly and general lack of knowledge of the game, especially the Chao Garden. And I'm not sure what you mean by "further extracting the Chao data"?

.....I'm referring to both the Model and the Textures. I'm still stumped why there isn't a SINGLE Chao Model RIPPED FROM THE GARDEN.

[MainMemory]

Commando Beta: with the new tools, it's easy. With the old tools, you have to go through the table manually and replace an unused level.

Dr. Mecha: I have no idea where the Chao model(s?) are or how they're stored aside from the Egg Chao and Omochao. It is highly likely that there is one basic model (perhaps with no vertex data at all) and it dynamically replaces or generates the vertex data based on the Chao in question. The workings of the Chao Garden are basically one big mystery to me.

[Commando Beta]

MainMemory, on 16 April 2012 - 07:01 PM, said:

Commando Beta: with the new tools, it's easy. With the old tools, you have to go through the table manually and replace an unused level.

Thanks. I've thought about fixing certain levels so they're playable with all the appropriate characters, now I know it can be done.

[Dr. Mecha]

MainMemory, on 16 April 2012 - 07:01 PM, said:

Commando Beta: with the new tools, it's easy. With the old tools, you have to go through the table manually and replace an unused level.

Dr. Mecha: I have no idea where the Chao model(s?) are or how they're stored aside from the Egg Chao and Omochao. It is highly likely that there is one basic model (perhaps with no vertex data at all) and it dynamically replaces or generates the vertex data based on the Chao in question. The workings of the Chao Garden are basically one big mystery to me.

Actually there are several chao models based on what they become as an adult. So yeah, you could extract the models DIRECTLY from the .exe itself since that is where the chao data is stored; but like you said, it might be stored as a model format different from the rest of the models in the game.

[MainMemory]

Dr. Mecha, on 18 April 2012 - 12:19 PM, said:

MainMemory, on 16 April 2012 - 07:01 PM, said:

Dr. Mecha: I have no idea where the Chao model(s?) are or how they're stored aside from the Egg Chao and Omochao. It is highly likely that there is one basic model (perhaps with no vertex data at all) and it dynamically replaces or generates the vertex data based on the Chao in question. The workings of the Chao Garden are basically one big mystery to me.

Actually there are several chao models based on what they become as an adult. So yeah, you could extract the models DIRECTLY from the .exe itself since that is where the chao data is stored; but like you said, it might be stored as a model format different from the rest of the models in the game.

Actually, I already had found some models and forgot momentarily:

MainMemory, on 30 October 2011 - 03:40 PM, said:

I've found a bunch of Chao-related model lists, all SA2 format:
Fruit models: 2FC05A0-2FC0628
Cocoon models: 3200890-32008A0
Headgear models: 32008A4-32008E4
Item models: 32008E8-3200924
Body models: 3200930-32009A0
Jewel models: 32A8DD8-32A8E54

And the normal fruit model is in SADX format at 3206D00.

However, I have not been able to locate their heads, arms or legs. Their code is so different to the rest of the game it's hard to figure out what anything is doing.

This post has been edited by MainMemory: 18 April 2012 - 12:23 PM

[Hendricks 266]

I'm going to take a look soon through the Dreamcast Japanese SA1 discs to see if I can find that drum 'n' bass track that was purported to be found unused on YouTube. The ADX files will be an obvious place to look but if it really does exist it may be in the MLTs and that's why no one has found it. Or, more likely, it's a hoax.

Turbohog, on 15 April 2012 - 04:02 PM, said:

Using the python scripts found here, I've been able to extract most of the MLT files(sound effect containers) in the original Sonic Adventure and one of the MLT files in SA2. I edited dsfmake and made some .bat files to make this conversion process a lot smoother. I made a nice little download so you guys can extract them too:
http://www.mediafire...abtgynxwpb2p2m7

Note that it's also quite possible for us to make our own MLT files too, using kingshriek's python scripts.

I might have done something wrong, but every .mlt converted to dsf gave me the same ~38 sound effects, the same as COMMON_BANK00.dat on SADX PC.

I compared the results of the two, and it appears to me at least that the Dreamcast sound effects are of higher quality, and the ring loss sound is a higher pitch in the PC version than the original Dreamcast version! (That explained why it always sounded wrong to me on PC.)

[Turbohog]

I guess I forgot to mention that all of the mlt files that extract in Sonic Adventure are apparently the same. I think the only ones that won't extract are the sound effects from the cutscenes, but that seems rather useless to me.

On the other hand, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle has more mlt files besides the cutscenes and E_TEST. Hopefully we'll be able to extract those soon enough.

Thats interesting abou quality and the ring loss pitch though. I'll probably check that myself later today and if it's true, I'll go ahead and upload an SADX sound bank with the original dreamcast effects for giggles.

[MainMemory]

Speaking of sounds, if you want to restore Metal Sonic's voice in the PC version, take these files ripped from the GC version and put them in system\SoundData\VOICE_US\WMA

[KingofHarts]

Does it matter if we also put them in the voice_jp folder as well?

[Morph]

If you want those sounds to work with the Japanese voices as well, then yes it does, and you should do it.

[MainMemory]

The Windows version of my online Sonic Adventure Save File Editor is done:


Get SASave from its wiki page.

This post has been edited by MainMemory: 28 April 2012 - 11:33 PM

[Turbohog]

Neat stuff! By the way, it seems like you may have accidentally broken SADXLVL2 with your latest update. When I try to open a lot of the levels, I get an unhandled ArgumentOutOfRangeException. The log file says this:

Quote

Error in the application.
-2005530516 (D3DERR_INVALIDCALL)
at Microsoft.DirectX.Direct3D.Device.BeginScene()
at SonicRetro.SAModel.SADXLVL2.MainForm.DrawLevel() in C:\RetroSVN\Programs\SAModel\SADXLVL2\MainForm.cs:line 528
at SonicRetro.SAModel.SADXLVL2.MainForm.backgroundWorker1_RunWorkerCompleted(Object sender, RunWorkerCompletedEventArgs e) in C:\RetroSVN\Programs\SAModel\SADXLVL2\MainForm.cs:line 441
at System.ComponentModel.BackgroundWorker.OnRunWorkerCompleted(RunWorkerCompletedEventArgs e)
at System.ComponentModel.BackgroundWorker.AsyncOperationCompleted(Object arg)

I also went and put every SA2 level through the Level Extractor. They were all successful, except for stg07, stg11, stg13, stg17, stg18, and stg42. Maybe my rip of SA2 is bad, but I think the addresses for these might be wrong.

As usual, thanks for all the great work MainMemory!

[MainMemory]

Having verified the addresses myself with SALVL, I can assure you they are correct. However I think there may be a bug where some SA2 models end up with some null vertex entries, which crashes the code that saves it to binary. No explanation on the D3D error though, could you tell me some specific levels, and I'll look into it as soon as I'm able?

[Turbohog]

Thanks for the explanation on the SA2 levels. Concerning the D3D error, some of the levels that won't load are Emerald Coast 2, Windy Valley 1, Windy Valley 3, Twinkle Park 1, and Twinkle Park 2. (Pretty much most of the levels)