SMPSCalc

Tamkis · Jul 23, 2011

As part of my latest hack, I am trying to port sound effects into it. After learning how to do pointer calculations for extracting the sfx, I realized that it would take a long time to calculate the pointers for the 70+sfx by hand. So, because I was slightly bored, I made a program (compiled from QuickBASIC 4.5 and QB64 0.9) that would do the hex math for me. I present to you, SMPSCalc!

(Copied from my readme)

SMPSCalc
V2.0
by "Tamkis"

http://tamkis.tripod.com/
------------------------

Contents:
What is this
How to use it
Sample input
Sample output
Changelog
Credits
------------------------

What is this:
-------------

SMPS Calc is a simple calculation utility that calculates pointers
used to find and extract SMPS Music/sfx from Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Roms.
After inputting a list of pointers and other information, the program will
output a file (at the current directory called "Game_[number].txt") containing
the start and end of the Music/sfx, the track number, and the size of the file.
With all of that information outputted, you can now easily extract
SMPS Music/sounds without doing the painstaking, slow, and manual hex math
to find offsets!

How to use it:
--------------

1. Run the program.
If you are on a x86 (32bit) machine, run the x86 version.
If you are on a x64 (64bit) machine, run the x64 version (as admin)

2. A cool matrix of hex will appear randomly on the screen
Press any key to continue

3. Input the "base offset"
This is the offset in which all pointers add to

4. Next input the strip amount
Some games with certain SMPS driver types (I.e. SMPS (Z80 banked))
have pointers in which a certain byte is striped. This striped byte
will subtract this value from the pointer, before adding it to the base

5. Afterwards, input the pointers
Only 2-byte pointers are acceptable (e.g. "$20c1")
Input the pointers as a non-spaced list
You can copy and paste the pointer list from a hex editor directly into the program, or paste the list into "Input.txt" and enter "X" as your pointer in order to load the file

6. Furthermore, select your options
Enter if you want dec/hex track numbers (0 or 1 respectively)
Enter if you want to start counting the track numbers at 0 or 1
Enter if the pointers are big or little endian (0 or 1 respectively)
Enter if you want backwards pointers fixed (0 for no, 1 for yes)

Sample input (MegaMan: The Wily Wars (E)):
--------------

Data for MMWW:
Base offset for sfx=$1d8000
Pointers list is at $1e4000, and is two bytes)
SMPS driver type: SMPS z80 (banked), therefore little endian
Bit 15 of pointers is striped, therefore strip $8000 from pointers
Example pointers (unparsed): 20c1, 44c1, 70c1, a0c1

Inputs:

Base offset$: 1d8000
Strip amt$: 8000
Pointers: 20c144c170c1a0c1
Cntr Opt (0=dec 1= hex): 0
Cntr base (0 or 1): 1
Endian opt (0=big 1=little): 1
Fix backwards pointers? 0
--------------

Sample output (MMWW(E)):

POINTERS

Settings:
Base offset$ = 1d8000
Strip amt$ = 8000
Cntr opt = 0
Cntr Base = 1
Endian opt = 1
Negfix = 0
----------------------------------

Start$ End$ Track # Size$

1DC120 1DC143 1 23
1DC144 1DC16F 2 2B
1DC170 1DC19F 3 2F
EOF

Changelog:

V2.0
Added some more logging options:
Base option for counting the track numbers
Negative fix options for backwards pointers
Added the abilty to load pointers from Input.txt
Files now save to current directory of the program
Commented Code, made code cleaner

V1.0
Initial release!

Credits:
--------------
Sonicretro, for its SCHG Music hacking guide
Flamewing, for some tips about porting
Microsoft, for Quickbasic!
The creators of QB64
Click to expand...

Some pics:

DOWNLOAD
x86+x64 editions
Source included (QuickBASIC)!

Tamkis · Jul 24, 2011

No replies? Not even comments, criticism, bugs, or feature suggestions for future releases? Doesn't anybody find this utility useful? I'm disappointed... Granted, it isn't the holy grail of utilities like SonED2, but it sure does save the user from a lot of time consuming hex$ math. It could easily fill in the blanks for many undocumented pointers on a per-track basis in the SCHG's Music hacking guide.

BTW, I apologize about the x64 edition of the program; unlike official Quickbasic 4.5 program compilations, unofficial qb64 compilations require gay .dlls . I did not know about this until I tested it after the fact. I will reupload the .rar file with the included .dlls tomorrow.

Some bugs/features that I will fix/implement in future releases:
@Fix logging of backwards pointers
@Fix Size$ variable in log (it's off by $01)
@Fix Track # log (also off by 1)

@Ability to save log files to current directory
@Ability to paste hex$ pointers into an external document for pasting into the program (esp for x64 edition)
@Ability to use bigger sized pointers (32 bit for 32x stuff?)
@Other stuff?

Do you guys think this useful program should get a wiki-page? There's not that many sfx/music hacking tools that deal with pointers and offsets like this.

GT Koopa · Jul 24, 2011

Eh, I'm sure it will get replies. I guess the reason I didn't post is because it goes over my head. Was waiting for someone else more qualified than myself to congratulate you.

MarkeyJester · Jul 24, 2011

I donno if I count as "qualified" but I'll congratulate you anyway for your efforts, although, fixing pointers isn't too bad once you get the hang of it, I also got told that a programmed called music pointer fixer (or something) already does what your program attempts to do, but is more in favour of the user as it alters a music file first hand. I'll also note that "timezones" are the reason why I never saw this thread until just now, and I'm guessing the same would apply for many others too.

Tamkis · Jul 24, 2011

MarkeyJester said:

I also got told that a [program] called music pointer fixer (or something) already does what your program attempts to do, but is more in favour of the user as it alters a music file first hand.
Click to expand...

Actually, this program is more designed towards calculating pointers when finding offsets when extracting music/sfx with a hex-editor. After extracting the music/sfx, then you can use MPF or edit the pointers within.

Tamkis · Aug 14, 2011

Hate to double-post, but I have finally updated this program to V2.0!

Changelog:
V2.0 (final?)
Added some more logging options:
Base option for counting the track numbers
Negative fix options for backwards pointers
Added the abilty to load pointers from Input.txt
Files now save to current directory of the program
Commented Code, made code cleaner
Improved x64 edition

See the first post and the utility's readme for more information
Enjoy! C&CC welcomed

Tamkis · Sep 3, 2011

As I am now in my Freshman year of college, I am planning on either majoring in electronics engineering or computer programming. Anyways, in order to learn more about modern programming, I am taking Visual Basic 2010, using Visual Studio 2010 Express by Microsoft. Since I am taking this class, I thought that it would be a great idea to "modernize" SMPSCalc by porting it to a modern. visual programming language. V2.0 is still available at mediafire, but the QuickBASIC 4.5/QB64 0.9 versions will no longer be supported by me, and should be considered as FINAL versions. Minimal testing has been done on this version, so I don't know if x86/32 bit machines will be able to run the program. I'm assuming also that the latest .NET framework needs to be installed too. Moreover, since I don't know how yet, there is no input validation yet.

I present to you SMPSCalc V3.0b!

(Copied from my readme)

SMPSCalc
V3.0b
by "Tamkis"

http://tamkis.tripod.com/
------------------------

Contents:
What is this
How to use it
Sample input
Sample output
To do/Changelog
Credits
------------------------

What is this:
-------------

SMPS Calc is a simple calculation utility that calculates pointers
used to find and extract SMPS Music/sfx from Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Roms.
After inputting a list of pointers and other information, the program calculate the locations and lengths of each song/sfx.
It outputs the track number, the starting location, the ending location, and the size of the file.
With all of that information outputted, you can now easily extract
SMPS Music/sounds without doing the painstaking, slow, and manual hex math
to find offsets!

How to use it:
--------------

1. Run the program.
Whether you are on a x86/32 bit machine or a x64/64 bit machine,
just run SMPSCalc.exe

2. In the upper left groupbox labeled "Pointers:", input the following in the corresponding textbox
a. Input the base offset
b. Input the strip amount
Some games with certain SMPS driver types (I.e. SMPS (Z80 banked))
have pointers in which a certain byte is striped. This striped byte
will subtract this value from the pointer, before adding it to the base
c. Input the pointers
Only 2-byte pointers are acceptable (e.g. "$20c1")
Input the pointers as a non-spaced list without the "$" sign
You can copy and paste the pointer list from a hex editor directly into the textbox

3. In the upper right groupbox labeled "Options:", check your options in the checkboxes
a. For the 1st checkbox, enter if you want dec/hex track numbers
b. For the 2nd checkbox, enter are big or little endian
c. For the 3rd checkbox, enter if you want backwards pointers fixed

4. Once all inputs and options are selected, press the "Calculate!" button at the bottom
of the program

5. Lastly, a group box will appear above the buttons at the bottom of the program titled "Results:"
Play with the Track numeric up/down box to view the current track's
a. Starting offset
b. Ending offset
c. Size (in hex)

6. To calculate more pointers, press the "Reset" button at the bottom of the program
And repeat steps 1-5

Lastly, in the very center of the program, as a bonus feature, is a simple
hex to decimal and decimal to hex converter. To use either, just input a decimal value
or a hexadecimal value (without "$") in the appropiate box, and the label next to the input box
will change accordingly

Sample input (MegaMan: The Wily Wars (E)):
--------------

Data for MMWW:
Base offset for sfx=$1d8000
(Pointers list is at $1e4000, and is two bytes)
SMPS driver type: SMPS z80 (banked), therefore little endian
Bit 15 of pointers is striped, therefore strip $8000 from pointers
Example pointers (unparsed): 20c1, 44c1, 70c1, a0c1

Inputs:

Pointers:

Base offset$: 1d8000
Strip amt$: 8000
Pointers: 20c144c170c1a0c1

Options:

Cntr opt: (unchecked, =dec)
Endian opt: (checked, =little)
Negfix: (checked, =on)
--------------

Sample output (MMWW(E)):

Track Start$ End$ Size$

0 1DC120 1DC143 24
1 1DC144 1DC16F 2C
2 1DC170 1DC19F 30
3 1DC1A0 [EOB] [EOB]-1DC1A0

("[EOB]" stands for "End of bank".
It is typed here to prevent an out of bounds error)
------------------------------
To do:
Fix a possible bug, where the calculated size of the sfx is off by one
Add an export options, so the user can save the results to a .txt file
Add input validation, to prevent incorrect inputs

Changelog:

V3.0beta
Intial release of the visual BASIC version of SMPSCalc!
Ported the quickbasic/qb64 version of SMPSCalc V2.0 to VBASIC
Added a simple hex to decimal and decimal to hex converter

V2.0
Added some more logging options:
Base option for counting the track numbers
Negative fix options for backwards pointers
Added the abilty to load pointers from Input.txt
Files now save to current directory of the program
Commented Code, made code cleaner

V1.0
Initial release!

Credits:
--------------
Sonicretro, for its SCHG Music hacking guide
Flamewing, for some tips about porting
Microsoft for Quickbasic and Visual Studio 2010
The creators of QB64
Click to expand...

Pics:

Download here (src including)
C&CC welcomed, and especially testers and bug reports!

SMPSCalc

Useful Searches