Wiimms SZS Tools

Wiimms SZS Tools

Author:	Wiimm
Operating Systems:	Linux (i386/x86_64), Windows (Cygwin), Mac (i386/x86_64/arm64).
Software Type:	File manager, decoding and encoding toolset.
Compression Formats:	Yaz0, Yaz1, WBZ.
Archive Formats:	SZS, U8, WU8, PACK, RARC, BRRES, BREFF, BREFT.
File Formats:	BMG, BTI, KCL, KMG, KMP, MDL0, PAT0, TPL, TEX0, PNG, OBJ, StaticR.rel, main.dol, CT-CODE, LE-CODE, LEX, LPAR, ObjFlow, GeoHit, ItemSlot, minigame.
Image formats:	I4, I8, IA4, IA8, RGB565, RGB5A3, RGBA32, C4, C8, C14X2, CMPR.
Current Version:	v2.26a, 2021-05-08
Website:	szs.wiimm.de

Wiimms SZS Tools has a punctuation error, but you should see it as a brand name.

Introduction

Wiimms SZS Tools is a set of different tools to manipulate SZS, U8, RARC, BRRES, BREFF and BREFT archives and BMG, BTI, KCL, KMP, MDL0, TPL, TEX0 and StaticR.rel files. All tools are command line tools and run without any interaction. The tools are available for Linux, Mac and Windows. The main goal is to run them in batch files and scripts to automate recurring jobs. At the moment there are 9 tools:

• wszst : Wiimms SZS Tool (handles SZS, U8, RARC, BRRES, BREFF and BREFT archives)
• wbmgt : Wiimms BMG Tool (convert and patch BMG files in binary and text format).
• wimgt : Wiimms Image Tool (convert and patch image files of Mario Kart Wii).
• wkclt : Wiimms KCL Tool (convert raw KCL files from/into obj format).
• wkmpt : Wiimms KMP Tool (handles raw and text KMP files, read text files like a compiler).
• wpatt : Wiimms PAT Tool (handles raw and text PAT0 files, read text files like a compiler).
• wstrt : Wiimms StaticR Tool (handles StaticR.rel and main.dol files of Mario Kart Wii).
• wctct : Wiimms CT-CODE Tool (handles CT-CODE and LE-CODE files).
• wlect : Wiimms LE-CODE Tool (handles LE-CODE and LEX files)

One main goal is the fully automated track name replacement. The tools together can do this. Another goal is to extract all sub files recursively and transforming they into user friendly file formats (like text of png files) and support recreation of the original source files.

There is also a little how to.

Main Features

• The tools are command line tools. This means, that there is no GUI support. The main advantage is, that you can place commands into scripts (batch files) for fully automated execution → More about command line.
• wszst is the main SZS tool. It has a fast Yaz0 compressor with the best compression rates.
• The wszst command CHECK can help you to find bugs in your track.
• The new wszst command SLOTS makes a track proposal for working and non working slots.
• The KCL tool wkclt can create KCL files from scratch (they become as small as possible) by reading an OBJ file. It can also export an existing KCL to an OBJ file with colors to make a KCL visible.
• The KMP tool wkmpt can decode and compile (yes, it's a real compiler with loops and other control structures) KMP files.
  • While compiling, it can overide some parameters for debugging or optimization.
  • The KMP compiler can use the KCL to find optimal vertical positions of objects and route points. This is good for visual debugging.
• The wkmpt command DRAW creates an OBJ file with KCL and add route positions and other objects of the KMP.
• The wszst command PATCH can transform whole tracks inkl. KCL, KMP, MODEL, MINIMAP and VRCORN. Transforming means any combinations of scaling, rotating and shifting with different factors for each axis.
• The wszst command MINIMAP can center the minimap automatically. You can use this command with SZS, U8, BRRES and MDL0 files.
• The image tool wimgt can convert images of all formats:
  • It can convert the file formats TPL, TEX0, BTI, BREFT and PNG to any other.
  • It can convert the Image Formats I4, I8, IA4, IA8, RGB565, RGB5A3, RGBA32, C4, C8, C14X2 and CMPR to any other.
  • It supports the palette formats IA8, RGB565 and RGB5A3.
  • It can automatically create mipmaps, or it can use user defined mipmaps and create only missed mipmaps automatically.
  • It can patch images with other images.

Last Features

Cygwin

As of v2.21a, 2 Cygwin version are supported: One for 32-bit Windows and one for 64-bit Windows.

Mac OS

As of v2.24a, the ARM version for Mac is supported.

Porting and other address calculations

As of v2.25a, tool wstrt supports address porting from one to all other regions. Therefor the new commands PORT and WHERE were implemented.

As of v2.26a, both commands are improved in many ways. Entered addresses can be real addresses, or file offsets, or cheat codes. By options the user can define the output format (with or without 0x prefix, with or without file offsets, with or without table headers).

Please read wstrt PORT and wstrt WHERE for details.

History and Download

Wiimm started the development of his SZS Tools in March 2011. The first goal was to automate the insertions of the track names for Wiimms Mario Kart Fun distributions. Therefore 2 tools have been needed: A SZS extractor and creator and a BMG manipulator. The 2 tools wszst and wbmgt were ready in April 2011. After this, Wiimm implemented an Image-Tool (wimgt), an StaticR.rel tool (wstrt), a KMP tool (wkmpt) and a KCL tool (wkclt). Other tools were added later. The last added tool is wlect to manage LE-CODE and LEX files. All tools are command line tools to support scripts and fully automated operations.

Latest Change Log

szs v2.26a r8462 - 2021-05-08

 - wstrt PORT & wstrt WHERE:
    - Address scanning: If an address starts with letter 'm' or 'M' (main.dol)
      or 's' or 'S' (staticr.rel), then it is interpreted as file offset.
      If an address without prefix is exact 6 characters long, then value
      0x80000000 is added. This makes cut+paste from cheat codes easier.
    - New option: --no-0x (short: -0): Suppress 0x prefix for hex numbers.
    - New option: --long (short: -l): Print file offsets too.

 - wstrt PORT:
    - Bug fix: Wrong column was highlighted when region order was changed by
      option --order.
    - Internal porting database updated.
    - New option: --port-db=file: Load the specified update file and replace
      the internal porting database.

 - wstrt DUMP: More details for StaticR.rel files.

 - New command: wszst INSTALL: Install files to the shared directory.


szs v2.25a r8443 - 2021-04-24

 - Bug fix: If creating a LPAR file, a parameter with name ITEM-CHEATS was
   printed. But tool wlect accepted only ITEM-CHEAT (without leading 'S').

 - Bug fix: Since previous version the tools recomended slots 3.1 + 6.2 + 7.1
   for some tracks.

 - New command: wstrt WHERE address...: The segment in which the specified
   addresses are located is calculated for each region.

 - New command: wstrt PORT ...: Port addresses from one region to all others.

 - Mac support improved. Universal binaries for x86_64 and arm64.

 - Support of LE-CODE build 29.


szs v2.24a r8414 - 2021-04-07

 - The tools support a configuration file now to define different paths.
   Therefor the file "wiimms-szs-tools.conf" is searched in different
   directories.
    - Option --config=file allows to define a specific config file.
    - Command CONFIG (available for all tools) prints an information about
      searching and the final settings.
    - wszst CONFIG can export configuration settings for scripts.
    - wszst CONFIG can create new or updated configuration files.

 - wszst ANALYZE:
    - Behavior changed for item position bug.
    - Print item position factors.
    - New warning if minimap is missed.
    - Detect AIParam.

 - Speedometer settings changed. It is either disabled or enabled with or
   without fraction (up to 3 digits).

 - wlect option --speedometer=modus accpets now parameters OFF, AUTO, ON,
   FRACTION (=1DIGIT), 2DIGITS and 3DIGITS.

 - LE-CODE supports debug output while racing. LPAR parameter DEBUG, LPAR
   sections [DEBUG-*] and wlect option --debug define the output format.
   See http://wiki.tockdom.com/wiki/LPAR#debug for details.

 - Wiimm's Item Cheat has been integrated into LE-CODE. It is enabled by a
   LPAR setting and supports Wiimote+Nunchuk, Classic Controller and GCN
   Controller for all 4 regions.

 - Bug fix for CT-CODE/LE-CODE configuration file: In v2.21a command 'S' was
   modified to accept 16 bit slot numbers. And here a copy bug is fixed now.

 - Mac: Universal binaries for i386, x86_64 and arm64.

Links

• Complete History
• Downloads
• Source code
• Command Line Interface (CLI)
• GitHub: Wiimm/wii-ct-code

Tools Overview

wszst (Wiimms SZS Tool)

wszst is a command driven tool to manipulate archives:

• Supported archive formats: SZS, U8, RARC, BRRES, BREFF and BREFT.
• It can extract all subfiles of any archive.
• While extracting some file formats can be decoded (converted to text or PNG files).
• It can create all (but not RARC archives) while readind and scanning a directory structure. Decoded files are encoded automatically.

→ Tool wszst: Features, commands and options

wbmgt (Wiimms BMG Tool)

wbmgt is a command driven tool to manipulate BMG (message) files.
→ Tool wbmgt: Features, commands and options

wkclt (Wiimms KCL Tool)

wkclt is a command driven tool to convert KCL files into/from binary KCL from/into Wavefront OBJ files.
→ Tool wkclt: Features, commands and options
→ General parser syntax and semantics
→ KCL export and import guide

wkmpt (Wiimms KMP Tool)

wkmpt is a command driven tool to convert KMP files into/from binary from/into text files. A special compiler is used to allow variables, expressions, if..then..else, loops, macros and user defined functions while reading a KMP text file.
→ Tool wkmpt: Features, commands and options
→ General parser syntax and semantics
→ KMP text syntax and semantics
→ KMP parser functions
→ How to edit KMP files

wimgt (Wiimms Image Tool)

wimgt is a command driven tool to convert and aptch graphic images:

• wimgt supports the file formats BREFT, BTI, TEX0, TPL and PNG as export and import type.
• wimgt supports the internal image formats I4, I8, IA4, IA8, RGB565, RGB5A3, RGBA32, C4, C8, C14X2 and CMPR (and also different PNG formats).

→ Tool wimgt: Features, commands and options

wstrt (Wiimms StaticR Tool)

wstrt is a command driven tool to manipulate StaticR files of Mario Kart Wii.
→ Tool wstrt: Features, commands and options

Links

• How To
  • General How To
  • KMP How To
  • Creating a KCL with Wiimms Tools
  • wkmpt DRAW

• Wiimms SZS Tools
  • Features, commands and options: wszst, wbmgt, wkmpt, wimgt, wstrt, wctct
  • Downloads

• Graphical user interfaces (GUI)
  • Wiimm's Tool Manager
  • Speed & Lap Modifier Tool

• KMP & KCL Parser
  • General parser syntax and semantics
  • KMP text syntax and semantics
  • KMP parser functions
  • KCL export and import guide
  • Automatic setup of respawn points

• Forums
  • Discussion at GBAtemp.net
  • Discussion at Wii-Homebrew.com (german forum)

• Misc.
  • Automated height correction

By the same author: Wiimm

Custom Track Distributions:
Years 2010 – 2021
Wiimms Mario Kart Fun 2022-05 — Wiimms Mario Kart Fun 2022-11 — Wiimms Mario Kart Textures 2022-12
Download and Install

Custom Tracks:
Alpine Mountain — N64 Frappe Snowland — N64 Kalimari Desert — N64 Koopa Troopa Beach — N64 Wario Stadium
Custom Track Updates

Custom Arena:
Bash 'n' Dash 'n' Battle

Software:
Wiimms SZS Tools — Wiimms ISO Tools — Wiimms ISO Patcher — WBZ Converter — mkw-ana — LE-CODE

Cheat Codes:
License Unlock — Clear Profile ID — Item Cheat

Websites:
szs.wiimm.de — wit.wiimm.de — ct.wiimm.de — wiimm.de — wiimmfi.de