[TUTORIAL] Model Ripping Guide For Beginners (.BRRES Format) [Updated: 8/5/2012]

[Garamonde]

GUIDE UPDATE! The following changes have been made (as always, bolded parts are new/changed):

1: BRRES Viewer (get it here, and you can find an updated list of games that use .BRRES format here)
2: Noesis (this is the easiest way, you don't have to mess with the model at all usually. Get it here)
3: A text editor (Notepad ++ is recommended because of all the great features it has, but you can just use Notepad if you like. Get Notepad ++ here)
4: Icon Maker V3b Rev. 2 (for making icons and previews so that your model will be uploaded faster. Read further for usage help), you can get it here

Icon + preview making tutorial for those who cannot use Icon Maker for whatever reason:

You can find the preview image here (the JPG'd version has now been replaced with the original .PNG version). In BRRES Viewer, go to Model, and uncheck Axes (or hit F3) to remove those colored lines, and center the model if you haven't already (you can turn the model around with your mouse, and zoom in and out with the mouse wheel too). Also under Model is an option called "Color". If you uncheck this, the model will become brighter (this does not apply to all models, but it works for Brawl models. Try disabling it if the model looks significantly darker than it should). Now take a print screen of the model at an angle you like and copy and paste it onto the preview image (making sure it fits in decently enough. If the model ends up covering any part of the white border at all, paste the border overtop so it will cover whatever is sticking out. I recommend saving the border separately). It's also okay to save the preview images as .JPG if you like. .PNG isn't completely necessary unless you're funny about JPGs like I am. The icon however must be .PNG, as .JPG won't be accepted, so just remember that if you decide to make it manually.

Now after you save that, you're done aside from making the preview and icon. Icon Maker V3b isn't much different from V1, you can just pick between sprite icons, model icons and previews, and texture icons (click "Load Image" or Ctrl + L to import images. With the newest revision, you can now load or drag and drop your saved model renders in the Icon Maker and they'll keep their transparency!).

So that's it! You're now ready to submit BRRES format models to the Models Resource! I hope this guide was useful to you and thank you for reading!

[Garamonde]

Once again, edited the link to the Icon Maker, only this time I linked to the actual thread so that I only have to update one link each time Barubary makes a new revision.

[josh98]

I know I can rip them, but I may re-read this for kicks :p

(Love your text under your username XD XD XD)

[Garamonde]

Actually even if you know how to do it, it'd be a good idea to read it over once in a while because I add or change things sometimes (as I've posted about in this thread) and I'd like for everyone to know them. c:
And thanks, it's a combination of Doctor Izzy Glow (the character I had before this) and my own character Mossy's names.

[yelsha42]

I hope this is an appropriate question for this thread. This is my first time extracting models, and your tutorial seemed quite easy to progress through. However when I open Dolphin, the ISO I have doesn't automatically appear in the list, even though I have both the Dolphin application and the Pokemon Battle Revoltion ISO in the same folder. I can play the ISO by browsing with Dolphin, but I can't access the properties (and as such progress through the rest of the tutorial). Is there a way around this that you know of?

Thanks in advance!

[TGE]

I hope this is an appropriate question for this thread. This is my first time extracting models, and your tutorial seemed quite easy to progress through. However when I open Dolphin, the ISO I have doesn't automatically appear in the list, even though I have both the Dolphin application and the Pokemon Battle Revoltion ISO in the same folder. I can play the ISO by browsing with Dolphin, but I can't access the properties (and as such progress through the rest of the tutorial). Is there a way around this that you know of?

Thanks in advance!

File -> Browse for ISO's.

[yelsha42]

Works now! Thanks

[Garamonde]

Thanks for reporting that! Enigma is right, that should solve your problem. I've now made a small update to the guide providing this info (as always, bolded parts are new):

First, open Dolphin. You will see all the ISOs you have (as long as they're in the same folder as Dolphin, make sure they are). If for some reason the ISO you want isn't in the list, then go to "File > Browse for ISOs" and open the folder containing the game. It should appear then.

Hope this works for you. You can also try "Refresh list" if that doesn't work.
By the way, thanks for your appreciation! It's always good to know that I've made my explanations clear and easy to follow.
If anyone else sees any errors or finds any parts that are difficult to understand in the guide (or even suggestions, I'm always open to those!) or have problems, please report them either by PMing me or posting in this thread here. Happy ripping!

EDIT: Also edited this part because I realize now that it didn't make any sense the way I worded it.

Now open Noesis and load up your new MD5. It should appear like this. Now you go to File > Export, and you'll see a new window. In the "Main output type" dropdown, first select .DAE COLLADA. Now make sure you check "Flip UV's" on the right so that the textures will load properly in modeling programs like Blender (always do this for each and every export). Now just click OK, then when it's done click Done. I always export it again as .SMD format as well, so I'd suggest that, as it makes your submissions even more useful for the end users. (Also, as a note, if you happen to open your DAE or SMD in Noesis again after you export it you'll see that the textures look weird, but don't worry as that's just from Noesis having flipped the texture UV's and is perfectly normal.)

EDIT 2: Made another change:

*IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT THE .MD5 FORMAT: When exporting in .MD5, always check the export to see if it came out right when you open it in Noesis. I don't know if it's because Noesis doesn't always properly convert it, or BRRES Viewer does not always export .MD5 correctly, but sometimes the model will mess up. If the model does mess up, you should be able to see it in Noesis (remember, even if the model looks fine on the outside, the model's bones might have gotten mangled during the export, so click the red skeleton icon on the bottom to view the model skeleton. If the bones look okay to you then proceed to the next steps). This isn't really a common problem AFAIK, but if it happens, use .PSK.

EDIT 3: Added this part at the end of the very first paragraph of the guide so that I won't have to keep saying that bolded parts are new.

(Note: Whenever I post about updates made to the guide, everything that is changed will be in bold.)

[Sensei]

Hello. I have a bothering problem with the BRRES file about the extension "ui". File comes from the game Tenchu4.
I would like to pack the file name -'exported' to the file - UI DATA SETUP.ui I have used this program U8Mii but the game did not work.
I turn to you for help because no one is able to help me.
I will be very grateful for your help!

Here is a screensot of this file (original).
http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/4350/...geasvx.jpg
this is original file from this game - http://www.mediafire.com/?8b6zoa3gxamuybd
and this is a file which I would like to create as a UI_DATA_SETUP.ui - http://www.mediafire.com/?tmkjdsjtsn094cx

[Garamonde]

I don't entirely understand, are you trying to rip the model of that health and safety screen? I didn't even know that was a model.

[Sensei]

No. you don't understand me. I would like create the same file - UI_DATA_SETUP.ui.
I have been unpacked textures from this UI DATA SETUP file. But I cannot create a new file (UI_DATA_SETUP.ui) from - exported file.

[Garamonde]

I'm sorry, I don't know about this kind of thing so I can't help you. My knowledge of models is rather limited. I will ask the TMR moderator if he knows anything though.

[Sensei]

I understand. If you can ask, is it even possible to create such a file to work?
I would be grateful.

[Garamonde]

Edited the batch export .DAE portion of the guide written by Dazz to be a bit more clear as I received a PM saying it wasn't.

You want to find all the giberish you want to have removed from those texture lines (read MJ's tutorial for more explaination) - copy & paste the directory (example: "C:/Users/Computer Name/Desktop/Models") from the texture path in the .DAE file you are editing.

Also I'm sorry Sensei, I will ask Peardian about your problem today. I have been busy with a few things so it sorta slipped my mind.

[TGE]

The link is dead, it has been taken down.
Try uploading the to min.us