How to rip background gfx from Legend of Mana PS1?

[Louise]

Dear all,

I would really like to have the beautiful background graphics from the PS1 game Legend of Mana.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_Mana

Does anyone know how to rip this, or perhaps a place where I can download it?

Lots of love,
Louise

[Maxim]

A few backgrounds can be found here:

http://www.rm2kworld.com/wordpress/legen...-rips.html

[TomGuycott]

Most of those backgrounds are only half of a given play field, for example that top path with the signpost and the big shell entrance way. In the actual game there is much more to the left and a little more down.

I wish I knew how to rip them easily. From what I hear it's pretty difficult.

[Louise]

A few backgrounds can be found here:

http://www.rm2kworld.com/wordpress/legen...-rips.html

Wow! That's incredible!!! Thanks a lot

I really love those pixelized background when they are scaled up

Can you teach me how to rip the rest? Or is it complicated?

[Maxim]

Can you teach me how to rip the rest? Or is it complicated?

To be honest, it's a bit complicated. You can try it yourself by using a tool called "PSX Vram Viewer" (Link) and this tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rei7ujGEgKw

It's not so convenient to use, but you get used to it. Remember, backgrounds are often broken down into different parts in a savestate or they are composed of miscellaneous elements (foreground, background, animated stuff etc.), so maybe you have to assemble them together.

[Louise]

Can you teach me how to rip the rest? Or is it complicated?

To be honest, it's a bit complicated. You can try it yourself by using a tool called "PSX Vram Viewer" (Link) and this tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rei7ujGEgKw

It's not so convenient to use, but you get used to it. Remember, backgrounds are often broken down into different parts in a savestate or they are composed of miscellaneous elements (foreground, background, animated stuff etc.), so maybe you have to assemble them together.

Okay, so it is only possible to rip the graphics if it is in memory...

I was thinking of a way to figure out how the data is stored on the disc.

I am pretty good at programming Perl, but I don't know anything about file formats for the PS1.

Are there a standard for storing graphics that is often used for PS1?

[Maxim]

There is no file standard for psx graphics, but the more common formats are called TIM, PSH, SPR, and MGS. You can search the data files on the disc with the tool "Psicture" (Link) but don't expect too much, because it's hit and miss.

[Louise]

There is no file standard for psx graphics, but the more common formats are called TIM, PSH, SPR, and MGS. You can search the data files on the disc with the tool "Psicture" (Link) but don't expect too much, because it's hit and miss.

Cool! That should be interesting to try

There are some TIM files and some IMG.

Full file list
http://pastebin.com/j9AyxSXi

All the files are clearly not compressed in any way, so they probably stored the data in an easy to parse format to make their own lifes easier

E.g. I bet TWR = tower and STR = stage

Code:

167512 Jan 21  1999 TWR_STR0.PRS
168061 Jan 21  1999 TWR_STR1.PRS
167231 Jan 21  1999 TWR_STR2.PRS
168005 Jan 21  1999 TWR_STR3.PRS
167433 Jan 21  1999 TWR_STR4.PRS
167137 Jan 21  1999 TWR_STR5.PRS
167400 Jan 21  1999 TWR_STR6.PRS
167114 Jan 21  1999 TWR_STR7.PRS
167878 Jan 21  1999 TWR_STR8.PRS

These file sizes are almost the same, so I wonder if they are raw pixels with a colour palette.

A file size of 167144 sounds familiar in some way, but I can't remember how the resolution should be.

[Davy Jones]

I'm currently doing the characters and a few backgrounds from this one:
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/5084/dumadesert.png
http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/9884/toyland.png

The background pieces can be easily assembled with a graphic program and a grid function (16x16 pixel). Ignore the desert bg and the miscoloured stuff on the junkyard sheet, it's still a WIP.

Used program is PSX-VRAM:
http://www.spriters-resource.com/communi...#pid278464

[Louise]

Wow! That's incredible. I love the graphics in that game =)

You can rip all the graphics that move (i.e. characters, animations, and really anything that is moved in the game) directly from the disc with PSicture.

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B6sw6hj...5&hl=en_US

There are 3250 files each containing ~20 graphics.

Here they are in BMP
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B6sw6hj...1&hl=en_US

and here in PNG
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B6sw6hj...w&hl=en_US

Are all graphics ripped from memory in 16x16 or is it just the background?

If the 16x16 pieces always are placed in the same coordinates, and have to be assembled in the same order, then I can write a script that will output the assembled backgrounds, if you like?

[Davy Jones]

Awesome, this was a lucky shot

If the 16x16 pieces always are placed in the same coordinates, and have to be assembled in the same order, then I can write a script that will output the assembled backgrounds, if you like?

I'm sure it has a system, I will take a closer look next time when I'm ripping backgrounds.

Currently sorting the graphics, there are a lot of duplicates and empty pictures in the folders, also lots of miscoloured sprites. For example, the monsters have a second palette for their SFX (I have to re-rip that). The rest looks fine, mind if I submit everything in separated zips when I'm done with the palettes?

[Louise]

Currently sorting the graphics, there are a lot of duplicates and empty pictures in the folders, also lots of miscoloured sprites. For example, the monsters have a second palette for their SFX (I have to re-rip that). The rest looks fine, mind if I submit everything in separated zips when I'm done with the palettes?

You are right. Here is a new zip file, which only contains unique files. 2636 files.

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B6sw6hj...w&hl=en_US

The rest looks fine, mind if I submit everything in separated zips when I'm done with the palettes?

I don't quite understand what you mean?

[Davy Jones]

It would be cool if everybody has access to these graphics, therefore I wanted to submit these to TSR (of course with your name under it, if you want)

[Louise]

I'd rather have my name left out, but do submit, that a good idea =)

[Davy Jones]

Ok, I sorted everything which was in your file, but I have problems with some of the SFX palettes:

http://npshare.de/files/f3897b34/miscoloured.rar

Could you look for their palettes? I'm sure it's easy with PSicture.

For the tilesets: The tiles are connected with a system which minimally differs from file to file due to the size of the tileset.

Edit:
http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/9220/snag0005.png
Like this. I don't know if it's possible to write a program for it.

Edit2: