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Full Version: [Tutorial] Ripping with Tinke (NDS)
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I think it's time that I wrote this tutorial for those who are interested in using this program. I'll put a couple of games that work so far with Tinke as examples for this tutorial.

What you need:

- Tinke - rev136
- NET Framework ver 3.5 (you won't be able to use Tinke without this)
- Your choice of picture editing software (Paint, Photoshop, etc.)
- The ROM of the NDS game you want to rip (don't ask me for ROMs, k? Tongue )

Official site (where the code is so you can compile it yourself): http://code.google.com/p/tinke/


NOTES:
- When opening Tinke for the first time, it'll be in Spanish. You can change it back to English via Languages but you will have to close the program after that before it'll take effect.

- Keep experimenting if you are able to unpack some of files of a ROM. You might just find things others haven't found.

- Hotkeys for your convenience (thanks to pleonex for telling me the new additions as of rev 135) :
- P -> Palette
- T -> Tile
- M -> Map
- D -> Unpack file
- X -> Expand node
- C -> Collaps node
- Spacebar -> View button
- R -> Export multiple "supported" sound files

- You're pretty much out of luck if Tinke can't even unpack some of the files. A lot of games are compressed and such. But if you wish to have a specific game be supported by Tinke, you can try contacting the programmer (pleonex) yourself through the link I put out.
This can rip textures too? Fascinating! Thanks for this tutorial, this will be helpful. Big Grin
It can but it might depend on the game or something. xDSweatdrop

I'll work on the sounds next, but I think anyone could figure that out easily... *bricked*
A note for viewing graphics; you may need to manually increase the image size for graphics files that don't have an accompanying screen data file with them (make them taller and/or wider so you can see everything), since it only exports what is visible.

Great Tutorial - I've been using Tinkie all day to work on my Pokemon editing! Big Grin
Thanks dude, and yeah, I should add that under notes or something. xDSweatdrop
Is there any way to mass-export sound files? Suppose I have a folder full of .SAD files (50 or so), and I want them all out in .WAV format. If I extract the folder I just get them as .SADs, and I don't want to go exporting every file individually.

Right now I'm looking if I can convert them after extracting them with an external program, but if Tinke has the functionality to do this that would be awesome.
(05-09-2012, 11:45 AM)puggsoy Wrote: [ -> ]Is there any way to mass-export sound files? Suppose I have a folder full of .SAD files (50 or so), and I want them all out in .WAV format. If I extract the folder I just get them as .SADs, and I don't want to go exporting every file individually.

Right now I'm looking if I can convert them after extracting them with an external program, but if Tinke has the functionality to do this that would be awesome.

Unfortunately, you have to do it the hard way... OTL

You need to export them individually if you want .WAV files. Folder extraction (and insertion) only works if you really want to replace dub voices with the original Japanese voices (provided that they do have the same file names, chances are they will be (with IE anyway)).

But yeah, I think another external program might be helpful for conversion of .SAD files to .WAV xDSweatdrop

---

Then again, there's always another option of asking pleonex... couldn't hurt to try. *bricked*
Hmm, the only thing I could find that could convert them properly was a library called vgmstream, which is especially created for decoding video game sound formats. It had a test program along with it, but as it was a command-line program unfortunately I can't use it for mass-conversion, which is what I'm looking for in the first place.
It converted it properly though, and it has a massive range of formats. In the future I might look into making a program which uses the library, I'm sure it would help a lot of people.

Anyway, for now I guess I'll have to use Tinke's built-in function. If you could tell me how to contact pleoNeX that would be cool (preferably email), maybe he'll consider multiple export. It would be handy for other file types as well.
(05-10-2012, 01:54 PM)puggsoy Wrote: [ -> ]Hmm, the only thing I could find that could convert them properly was a library called vgmstream, which is especially created for decoding video game sound formats. It had a test program along with it, but as it was a command-line program unfortunately I can't use it for mass-conversion, which is what I'm looking for in the first place.
It converted it properly though, and it has a massive range of formats. In the future I might look into making a program which uses the library, I'm sure it would help a lot of people.

Anyway, for now I guess I'll have to use Tinke's built-in function. If you could tell me how to contact pleoNeX that would be cool (preferably email), maybe he'll consider multiple export. It would be handy for other file types as well.
VGM stream is a drag 'n' drop program.
Oops, forgot to try that.
However, if you drag 'n' drop, any output is named dump.wav, so I'd have to rename every file. Also, if the .SAD file has a Loop value of true, the resulting .WAV file has the sound looped a few times, whereas Tinke gives you it once (a looped version is optional).
If you use it with CMD, you can change how much it loops and the name of the output file. Again, I cant get it to work for me.
(05-10-2012, 03:38 PM)puggsoy Wrote: [ -> ]Oops, forgot to try that.
However, if you drag 'n' drop, any output is named dump.wav, so I'd have to rename every file. Also, if the .SAD file has a Loop value of true, the resulting .WAV file has the sound looped a few times, whereas Tinke gives you it once (a looped version is optional).
(05-10-2012, 01:54 PM)puggsoy Wrote: [ -> ]Anyway, for now I guess I'll have to use Tinke's built-in function. If you could tell me how to contact pleoNeX that would be cool (preferably email), maybe he'll consider multiple export. It would be handy for other file types as well.

Ways to contact him are either through GBATemp, his site where the code is... or even here (he has an account here Tongue You can see it in the thanked by of the first post). I don't have his email though, but the Google Codes or even his source codes give a hint of what his email is.
I've seen him on GBATemp, but I'd rather not make an account unless it's necessary. I'm guessing that his account here is rarely used, since he's got 0 posts (although I could try PMing him).
Anyway, Google Code gives me his email after entering a CAPTCHA (the "..." is just against spambots). I'll see if he's up for it.

Thanks!
Success! He emailed me back and gave me a link to rev 136-4 (which I think is the latest). To export multiple .SAD or .AXD files, select the folder with your files, press R, select output folder, and it'll export all the files in that folder. Might want to add that to the tutorial, Avegaille.

In addition, while I was waiting I made my own program that can mass-convert sound files from games, which uses that library vgmstream that I mentioned earlier.
(05-14-2012, 01:56 PM)puggsoy Wrote: [ -> ]Success! He emailed me back and gave me a link to rev 136-4 (which I think is the latest). To export multiple .SAD or .AXD files, select the folder with your files, press R, select output folder, and it'll export all the files in that folder. Might want to add that to the tutorial, Avegaille.

In addition, while I was waiting I made my own program that can mass-convert sound files from games, which uses that library vgmstream that I mentioned earlier.

I added it, along with the link of the latest versions... Big Grin Thanks for the info... xP

And ooh, interesting... 8D