Wiimms SZS Tools

Wiimms SZS Tools

File:Wiimms-SZS-Tools.png
Author:	Wiimm
Operating Systems:	Linux (i386,x86_64), Mac (i386,x86_64), Windows (cygwin).
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, KMP, MDL0, PAT0, TPL, TEX0, PNG, OBJ, StaticR.rel, main.dol, CT-CODE.
Image formats:	I4, I8, IA4, IA8, RGB565, RGB5A3, RGBA32, C4, C8, C14X2, CMPR.
Current Version:	v1.47a, 2015-11-27
Website:	szs.wiimm.de

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 8 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(GP)-CODE to allow >32 tracks).

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 an 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.

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). All tools are command line tools to support scripts and fully automated operations.

Latest Change Log

Since v1.45, the tools wctct and wstrt can use external CT-CODE files, e.g that one created by github.com/Wiimm/wii-ct-code. The internal CT-CODE is now updated to the most current version of the GitHub archive.

Since v1.45, the KMP can create fully automated respawn points. With v1.46 flags for KMP sections ENPT, ITPT and JGPT are supported to exclude single points from automatic calculations (fall-down, snap, respawn).

szs v1.47a r6650 - 2015-11-27

 - Tool wctct: Update of the internal CT-CODE (mod2). The new code improves
   the modes "in order" and "random" for offline versus races. Here you can
   find old CT-CODE version: http://szs.wiimm.de/download/ctcode/
   Visit https://github.com/Wiimm/wii-ct-code/ for more details.


szs v1.46a r6626 - 2015-11-08

 - New option: --compatible=version: The option accpets a version number
   (format '#.##' or 'v#.##') or a revision number (format 'r#') as parameter.
   If set, the tools try to create BMG and KMP text files, that are compatible 
   to the entered version. This may override other legacy options.

 - wkmpt DECODE: If creating a KMP text file, a new macro section is included.
   The only yet provided macro is ITEMBOX: It help to setup a row of items
   and supports automatic height correction. See the macro definition for more
   details. The macro itself is very old and works also with old versions of
   the tools, but they don't create it.

 - wkmpt DRAW: Draw objects 'kinoko_*' and 'DKturibashiGC' as recognizable
   polygons. These objects can also be used to stop fall-down on automatic
   height evaluation, if the new parameter 'KCL-FALL-ADD-ROAD' is set to '1'.

 - New: Post processing flags for KMP sections ENPT, ITPT and JGPT. To disable
   the new flags column on text output, use option --compatible=v1.45.

 - wkmpt DRAW: If drawing check point connection lines, red is used for the
   left and green for the right side (like navigation lights).

 - wkmpt DRAW: Option --draw supports now object filtering by presence flag.
   The new keywords are: 1OFFLINE .. 3OFFLINE and  1ONLINE .. 3ONLINE.


szs v1.45a r6602 - 2015-10-31

 - Option --patch-bmg=id: Better detection of the source file type (Race,
   Event, MenuOther, ... ) especially in SZS files.

 - The KMP compiler can now automatically create respawn points and/or
   automatically connect check points to the nearest respawn point. Both
   together make an initial respawn setup much easier.
   Read http://szs.wiimm.de/info/respawn-setup.html for details.

 - Tool wctct: It is now possible to define hidden tracks (don't appear in
   any cup) by using control letter 'H' instead of 'T'.

 - New option: wctct/wstrt --ct-dir: Define a search directory for CT-CODE
   parts and use the internal copies only, if no valid file is found. Use
   this option multiple times to define more than one search directory.

    - wctct --ct-dir: Search files rmc?/mod1.bin, rmc?/mod2.bin, rmc?/ovr1.bin
      and rmc?/bad1code.bin.

    - wstrt --ct-dir: Search files rmc?/boot_code.bin and rmc?/boot_data.bin
      if option --add-ctcode is used.

 - Tools wctct and wstrt use now the most current CT-CODE version provided by
   https://github.com/Wiimm/wii-ct-code (a fork of Chadderz code with support
   of the SZS Tools). To use the old code of year 2013 download the zip file
   http://szs.wiimm.de/download/ctcode/ctcode-2013-10.zip and use the base
   directory as parameter for the new option --ct-dir (see above).

 - wstrt --add-ctcode: The first free DOL sections are used now. Before only
   sections T2 and D8 were added if not already in use.

 - New option: wstrt --meno: Patch some 'MenuSingle' and 'MenuMulti' strings
   of file StaticR.rel for online usage to 'MenO*' to distinguish between
   offline and online.

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
  • KCL Tutorial (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

Custom Track Tutorials

Main Tutorials
Introduction – Textures – Scale – Modeling ⇒ Using Blender – BRRES: CTools
BRRES: BrawlBox – BRRES: RiiStudio – Minimap – Solidity – KCL: Wiimms Tools – KMP Editing
Object Editing – Cameras – Cannons – Post-effects – Videos

Battle Arenas
Battle Arenas – Enemy routes in battle arenas ⇒ Using Wiimm's Tools – Coins

Misc. Tutorials
Getting Files – BrawlBox Tricks – Animations – Shadows – Mipmaps
Custom Effects – Moving Terrain – Music – Ports – Paint Remakes – Tutorial Archive
Extended presence flags: Track Tutorial – LE-CODE Track FAQ

Testing and Reviewing
Testing a Track – Visual Review – Track Transformation – Fixing Errors

Software
3D Tools – BrawlBox – CTools Pack – KMP3D – KMP Cloud – KMP Modifier
Lorenzi's KMP Editor – MagicY – Material Tool – Post-Effect Editor – Wiimms SZS Tools – Wiimm's Tool Manager

Other
KMP Objects – Custom Objects – Model Database – Tutorial Archive

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