The Famous Five - BRG files

[SuperFlomm]

I found some old games of the famous five.
The Graphics are in SMK (Smacker Video) and BRG files.

It would be nice if someone could take a look at those files I uploaded.

[attachment=4532]
It contains 2 flags in BRG and PNG and also a cursor (animated?) in BRG.

I can upload more if you want.

[puggsoy]

These BRG files are fairly straightforward, I got this quickly using TextureFinder:

   

The file dimensions are in plain sight and the pixel format is straight up RGB565 (similar to the SNES's RGB555). All I need is a good way to detect where the pixel data starts.

If you could upload some more files (of different sizes) I can maybe figure it out and make a conversion program.

[SuperFlomm]

Impressive, that was really fast

[attachment=4534]

Here you go. I just randomly picked some objects, characters and other stuff.

[puggsoy]

Hmm, now it's getting trickier. quit1.brg and skyback.brg are the same as the others, and I've figured out that the pixel data starts at an offset of 0x18 (24).

However, gewl.brg, loc04msk.brg, loc06msk.brg and tisn02.brg are quite different. The header is the same, but the pixel data looks much different and looks like little more than static using any of TextureFinder's settings. The dimensions don't seem to make sense either, although loc04msk.brg and loc06msk.brg have the same dimension values, which might be a clue that they need to be merged or something.

Would you be able to upload an entire folder or something? I'm not sure how these files are organised but if you can give me complete sets of related files (e.g. all locXXmsk.brg files) then I can see if I can maybe figure out what's going on.

[SuperFlomm]

[attachment=4535]

Here you have some Characters and the folder with the locXXmsk.brg files.

I removed the SMKs from the LOCS folder because they are quite large and I can open them with RAD Video Tools. They are backgrounds by the way.

[SuperFlomm]

The same location ingame and ripped (loc6)
[attachment=4579]
[attachment=4580]
As you can see the birds, doors, window and bucket are missing.

[puggsoy]

Ah, sorry I haven't really said anything about this recently. The BRG files in the OBJ folder are like the other ones, RGB565 data with dimensions data.

Unfortunately those in the LOC folder are still confusing, but the images you posted could be helpful. Are these images only from loc6? If so that means that each file contains a single image. How did you rip the first one?

[SuperFlomm]

Most locations have 2 files, SMK and BRG.

The SMKs are backgrounds (like the first image)
and the BRGs are everything you can interact with (open, pick up).

[attachment=4587]

EDIT:

The BRG files in the OBJ folder are like the other ones, RGB565 data with dimensions data.

Look what I found in the OBJ folder
[attachment=4590]
I have no Idea what the purpose of the BRGs in the LOCs folder is, but the sprites, we were looking for, are actually in a subfolder in the OBJ folder.
I just overlooked it...

[puggsoy]

Aha, that makes more sense. In that case I only have to look for the birds, bucket, and so on, and not the entire image. That would definitely explain why the pixel data is too small for the image dimensions.

EDIT: Ah, I see you've uploaded the files for the interactive objects; these are again normal BRGs like the others. This means that the locXXmsk.brg files contain something else. Seeing as SMK videos are given for the main thing, and due to the filenames having "msk", this could mean that they are actually masks for the SMK files; that is, alpha masks, telling the game which part of the SMKs to display and which parts to make transparent.

If you could supply LOC06.smk that would help me in figuring out if I'm right.

EDIT2: Looking again at the files in the LOCs folder, I've actually noticed that they have the same dimensions, but way different file sizes, which is really strange. In that case, them being alpha masks is pretty much definitely not the case. The only thing I can imagine they contain would be placement data for the interactive sprites, and not any graphic data. In that case we don't need them, but the fact that they have the same extension is really misleading.

In any case, I'll make a small app to convert the other BRG files, so you can get most (if not all) of the sprites.

[SuperFlomm]

The only thing I can imagine they contain would be placement data for the interactive sprites, and not any graphic data.

That must be it.

alpha masks, telling the game which part of the SMKs to display and which parts to make transparent.

I guess they use a greenscreen to tell the game which part is transparent. Else I can't explain why every background has the same green color.
[attachment=4591]

[puggsoy]

Ah OK, that's what the sprites have as well. I thought maybe the SMKs had a different way of showing transparency that required masks but apparently not.

Anyway, here's BRGConvert. You can use in one of two ways; the first is to double-click on it, it'll open up and show a dialogue where you choose the files to convert, and then another one to choose the folder to save the files in (this file must exist beforehand.

The second way to use it is with the command-line:

Code:

Command line usage: BRGConvert inDir outDir
    inDir: Directory containing the files to convert
    outDir: Directory where converted images will be saved

Using this method, outDir doesn't have to exist.

If the file doesn't contain any graphics data (like the locXXmsk files) it'll tell you that and just go on to the next one.

Enjoy! Tell me if you get any strange errors or weirdly extracted files and I'll try and fix it.

[SuperFlomm]

I get an error when I open it.

Code:

Called from C:\HaxeToolkit\haxe\std/neko/_std/haxe/zip/Compress.hx line 60
Uncaught exception - load.c(237) : Failed to load library : zlib.ndll

Edit: It happens with both ways

[puggsoy]

Sorry, it was missing a file! This keeps happening whenever I make programs and because this is the computer it's made on it doesn't warn me. I've found a way to test it on my computer now so hopefully it shouldn't happen anymore.

Anyway, re-download it using the same link, it should work now.

[SuperFlomm]

Another missing file?

Code:

Called from systools/Dialogs.hx line 36
Called from systools/Loader.hx line 18
Called from systools/Loader.hx line 30
Called from C:\HaxeToolkit\haxe\std/neko/Lib.hx line 30
Uncaught exception - load.c(237) : Failed to load library : systools.ndll

[puggsoy]

Agh, I'm so sorry! I don't know how to make it check for that one, save testing it on another computer. Maybe I should just do that from now on.

Anyway try downloading again, it really should work this time!