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:	v1.65a, 2018-12-23
Website:	szs.wiimm.de

Wiimms SZS Tools has a spelling error, you should see but 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 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.

Last Features

Mipmaps

With version v1.65a, the mipmap creation and the related options changed. Follow the links to SZS Docu for more details:

General mipmap discussion
- Options to control mipmaps
- Resize algorithm (used to create mipmaps)

Ignoring small triangles

Sometimes, the imported file contains very small triangles with an area smaller than 1 unit². They were accidentally inserted into the model by the user. Because of the littleness, the user will not see them in the model view of its 3D Tool. However, machines like the KCL importer of these tools see them and insert them into the KCL — this is not a bug of the tools. The Wii has (mathematical) problems to use them in a correct way with the result of KCL glitches like mini walls on the road.

As of v1.58a there exist 2 new options: --tri-area=EXPR and --tri-height=EXPR[1] to filter out too small triangles.

Option --tri-area=EXPR defines the minimal area size of KCL triangles. The intention is to ignore triangles that are generally to small. EXPR is a floating point number or expression. Triangles are invalidated if their area size is smaller than EXPR. Values between 0.01 and 4.0 are recommended. The careful value 1.0 is used as default. Value 0 disables this filter functionality.

Option --tri-height=EXPR defines the minimal height of KCL triangles. The intention is to ignore deformed triangles (very slim, but long). EXPR is a floating point number or expression. Triangles are invalidated if at least 1 of the 3 heights is smaller than EXPR. Values between 0.01 and 2.0 are recommended. The careful value 1.0 is used as default. Value 0 disables this filter functionality.

The tests for both options are executed after reading files, after transformations, and after calculating normals and lengths.

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

szs v1.65a r7690 - 2018-12-23

 - Support of BMG files without section MID1.

 - New Option: --bmg-mid=MODE: Control the creation of BMG section MID1.
   MODE is one of OFF, AUTO (default) or ON.

 - The impact of options --n-mipmaps, --max-mipmaps and --mipmap-size changed.
   All 3 options together control the automatic creation of mipmaps.
   Read https://szs.wiimm.de/info/mipmap.html for details.

 - Option --smart is deprecated and ignored now. The new option --fast-mipmaps
   will enable the old algorithm for images with odd width or with odd height.
   Read https://szs.wiimm.de/doc/img/resize for details.


szs v1.64a r7680 - 2018-11-23

 - Tool wstrt: Wiimmfi patching optimized again, especially in combination
   with CT-CODE.

 - New option for tool wstrt: --clean-dol: Remove additional DOL sections,
   reset entry point and VBI address, and try to restore other patches known
   by SZS tools. This is done after loading a DOL and before analysing and
   patching to allow re-patching.

 - Error logging improved.


szs v1.63a r7664 - 2018-11-19

 - Tool wstrt: All around Wiimmfi and CT-CODE patching, and around cheat code
   management tuned and optimized. On the fly, some small bugs fixed.
   Related options: --add-section --gct-move --gct-addr --gct-space
   --add-ctcode --wiimmfi --domain --https --wc24 --force

Links

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