The VG Resource

I want to make a tutorial for starters (like me) where they can find all the things they need to know about ripping, just like:

• A ripping dictionary with the basic words, terms, names... (Ex: Tile, texture, model, hex editor, ROM...) with their respective definitions.
  
• A file extension list (Ex: .nclr - Color pallete, usually found in DS games. / .pkg - PS3's file extension, where all the other files are locked...).
  
• A tool ripping list (Ex: Tilemolester - Sprite editor, you can open .gba files, see the sprite sheets of the game and edit them as you like. / CristalTile2 - Sprite editor, you can open .gba and .nds files, just as tiles and palettes and edit them as you like...).
  
• An emulator list, though I don't think they're really necessary if you're gonna hack the game's ROM (Ex: DeSmuME - DS emulator. / VBA - GBA emulator...).
  

So, if you know something about this four points, please, tell me. It doesn't matter if it's the most stupid thing, like the definition of tile or the most complicated, like using a ripping tool (in this case, you don't need to give a tutorial of such tool, just what use is for); just tell.

PS: I'm particularly interested in GBA, DS and PS3 (2D games) sprites and the original idea was doing a tutorial about ripping such ones, but I decided to do a tutorial of general and basic things first.

If I got enough information, I'll open a new thread with the tutorial, guide or whatever you want to call it but you'll have to help if you want that thing possible.

Sprites only come in 2D. 3D sprites are technically models.

I think he means faux 3D, like Donkey Kong Country for the Snes and such.

(01-04-2012, 05:55 PM)Kat Wrote: [ -> ]Sprites only come in 2D. 3D sprites are technically models.

And what about tiles? They're 2D sprites too?

Actually that depends on the game.

In Disgaea 3 they are not, in the Digimon games (for the Gameboy Advanced) they are.

(01-05-2012, 06:18 AM)Kat Wrote: [ -> ]Actually that depends on the game.

In Disgaea 3 they are not, in the Digimon games (for the Gameboy Advanced) they are.

Ugh... This is gonna be more complicated than I expected... So, at the end, what are the tiles from a game? The characters' graphic files or something like that?

Well the character can use either "sprites", or "models".

Sprites are static, and are always the same animation no matter where/when you view them.
Models, being three-dimensional, can not be "expressed" via images. They have an infinite number of possible poses, and therefore should be exported, converted, and submitted as .DAE files, preferably, but OBJ will work too. (OBJ does not support rigging).

(01-05-2012, 02:12 PM)John2k4 Wrote: [ -> ]Well the character can use either "sprites", or "models".

Sprites are static, and are always the same animation no matter where/when you view them.
Models, being three-dimensional, can not be "expressed" via images. They have an infinite number of possible poses, and therefore should be exported, converted, and submitted as .DAE files, preferably, but OBJ will work too. (OBJ does not support rigging).

Rigging? What does that mean?

Rigging is the skeleton structure of a 3D model. It attaches to the polygons and allows for easy movement & animation of the model.

It is shown in red here:

(01-05-2012, 02:12 PM)John2k4 Wrote: [ -> ]Well the character can use either "sprites", or "models".

Sprites are static, and are always the same animation no matter where/when you view them.
Models, being three-dimensional, can not be "expressed" via images. They have an infinite number of possible poses, and therefore should be exported, converted, and submitted as .DAE files, preferably, but OBJ will work too. (OBJ does not support rigging).

Thanks for the information! Em, do you know the difference betweem tile and sprite, if I can ask?

A tile is pretty much how a graphic is "broken up", and stored in a game...think of it like an actual tile in a house. One of them might not look like much (or even weird), but when you piece many of them together, you form an image.



A sprite is a full character, enemy, or other animated/static object. Sprites store each frame of their animations (if they have any) as a separate image.

Thanks!

Hmm thanks for sharing this wonderful post, I really like to your thread.It is quite helpful discussion according to me, thank you so much for the impressive post......

(01-12-2012, 10:55 AM)haris Wrote: [ -> ]Hmm thanks for sharing this wonderful post, I really like to your thread.It is quite helpful discussion according to me, thank you so much for the impressive post......

Thanks! I'm waiting for people to post some of their knowledge here and then make a ripping guide; I have seen a lot of posts asking about ripping but they didn't help too much (ripping with a program or hacking the ROM to access the graphic files of a game, it's kinda complicated if you don't have a base to support yourself on).

It's not wise for a beginner to make a guide on anything that requires them to have actually worked with the topic for a long period of time and/or developed greater skills than that of the norm.

Never is and never will be.




Doesn't really make sense, either.