Difference between revisions of "Wiimms SZS Tools"

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* '''wszst''' : Wiimms SZS Tool (handles [[SZS]], [[U8]] and [[BRRES]] archives)
 
* '''wszst''' : Wiimms SZS Tool (handles [[SZS]], [[U8]] and [[BRRES]] archives)
 
* '''wbmgt''' : Wiimms BMG Tool (handles raw and text [[BMG]] files).
 
* '''wbmgt''' : Wiimms BMG Tool (handles raw and text [[BMG]] files).
* '''wstrt''' : Wiimms StaticR Tool (handles [[StaticR]] files of [[Mario Kart Wii]]).
+
* '''wstrt''' : Wiimms StaticR Tool (handles [[StaticR.rel]] files of [[Mario Kart Wii]]).
 
One main goal is the fully automated [[Wiimms SZS Tools/How To#Replace Track Names|track name replacement]]. Both tools together can do this. This toolset will not replace the [[SZS Modifier]] or the [[CTools]], because they are interactive tools with GUI support and can work directly with many sub file formats.
 
One main goal is the fully automated [[Wiimms SZS Tools/How To#Replace Track Names|track name replacement]]. Both tools together can do this. This toolset will not replace the [[SZS Modifier]] or the [[CTools]], because they are interactive tools with GUI support and can work directly with many sub file formats.
  

Revision as of 09:36, 14 May 2011

Wiimms SZS Tools
File:Wiimms-SZS-Tools.png
Author: Wiimm
Software Type: SZS and BMG Manager
File Formats: SZS, U8, BRRES, BMG
Current Version: 0.08a
Website: szs.wiimm.de

Introduction

Wiimms SZS Tools is a set of different tools to manipulate SZS, U8, BRRES and BMG 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 two tools:

  • wszst : Wiimms SZS Tool (handles SZS, U8 and BRRES archives)
  • wbmgt : Wiimms BMG Tool (handles raw and text BMG files).
  • wstrt : Wiimms StaticR Tool (handles StaticR.rel files of Mario Kart Wii).

One main goal is the fully automated track name replacement. Both tools together can do this. This toolset will not replace the SZS Modifier or the CTools, because they are interactive tools with GUI support and can work directly with many sub file formats.

There is also an little How To.

History and Download

What's new

  • Tool wszst can now create BRRES files from scratch. All files of a directory structure are included.
  • Tool wszst can now extract and create SZS, U8 and BRRES files recursivley. This makes access to any component very easy.
  • Tool wszst is able to decode or encode BMG files while extracting or creating archives.

Change Log

szs v0.08a r2617 - 2011-05-12

 - Improved support for BRRES sub file versions (more string pointers).

 - wszst EXTRACT --raw: Extract BRRES sub file in raw mode and do not adjust
   string pointers and other offsets.

 - Known bugs:
    - If creating a BRRES the internal name of the sub file is not set to
      the filename. This could be problematic if a sub file was renamed.

Preview

 - New tool: wstrt: Wiimms StaticR Tool: manipuate StaticR files of MKW.

    - It can analyze StaticR files and detects CTGP 4.4. patches and
      modifications of track and arena orders.

    - It can patch StaticR files and modifies the track and arena order.
      So it is possible to move tracks with special features (like snow
      or fog) to other slots.

   IMPORTANT: wstrt is EXPERIMENTAL!

 - New option: --tracks=list: This option allow to define a new track order
   for Mario Kart Wii. Tools wstrt uses this option for patching the track
   order. Tools wszst and wbmgt uses this to define the relation between Txx
   and real message IDs.

 - New option: --arenas=list: Does the same for arenas as --tracks for tracks.

Links

wszst (Wiimms SZS Tool)

wszst is a command driven tool to manipulate SZS files.

Features

  • wszst supports compressed and uncompressed SZS files. Uncompressed files are good for analysis. Supported archive formats are U8 and BRRES. The format of each source file is detected independent of the file name.
  • wszst LIST lists the content of a SZS files and directories. It lists also extracted file systems to preview the creation process.
  • wszst DIFF compares 2 SZS files on file level. This comparing is independent of the compression and of file order.
  • wszst NORMALIZE read an U8 archive, compressed or not, and write it back in a normalized form.
    • The files are sorted in a Nintendo like order.
    • Unused data holes are removed.
    • If directory '.' is available it becomes the root directory for all others.
    • Compressed sources are compressed again with maximum compression (level 9).
    • The destination is only written if any data changed.
  • wszst COMPRESS and wszst DECOMPRESS convert SZS files from and to compressed format.
  • wszst EXTRACT extract the directories and files to the local file system to make access very easy. Recursive extraction and automatic decoding of some file formats is also possible.
  • wszst CREATE creates SZS files from directory structures. All files are included, include and exlcude lists are supported. Recursive creation and automatic encoding of some file formats is also possible.
  • wszst CAT allow to access one or more sub files within SZS files. The output of all sources is concatenated and written to stdout.
  • Extrating a SZS file and creating again results in the same SZS file. Only the internal order of the files may be changed.
  • wszst DIFF compares 2 SZS files on file level. This comparing is independent of the compression and of file order.

wszst LIST

The command LIST list the sub files of SZS files.

wszst LIST

Example:

# wszst lll Award_G.szs

* Files of Award_G.szs

off/hex siz/hex size/dec  magic file or directory/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      -       -        -  -     ./
      -       -        -  -     ./award/
      -       -        -  -     ./dpd_pointer/
      -       -        -  -     ./message/
    120    2580     9600  MESG  ./message/Common.bmg
   26a0   18300    99072  MESG  ./message/Menu.bmg
  1a9a0    1fc0     8128  MESG  ./message/Race.bmg
      -       -        -  -     ./message_window/
      -       -        -  -     ./pad_recognize/
      -       -        -  -     ./winning_run/

wszst DIFF

The command DIFF compares two sources (each SZS, U8, BRRES or directory) on file level and report mismatches for each sub file.

wszst DIFF

Example:

# wszst diff Award_G.szs MenuMulti_E.szs

* Only in source #1: ./award/
* Only in source #2: ./bg/
* Only in source #2: ./button/
* Only in source #2: ./control/
* Only in source #2: ./globe/
* File size differ:  ./message/Common.bmg [9984+256=10240]
* File size differ:  ./message/Menu.bmg [97920-7552=90368]
* Only in source #1: ./message/Race.bmg
* Only in source #2: ./model/
* Only in source #1: ./winning_run/
Content differ: Award_G.szs : MenuMulti_E.szs

wszst NORMALIZE

The command NORMALIZE read an U8 archive, compressed or not, and write it back in a normalized form:

  • The files are sorted in a Nintendo like order.
    • ('/' is less than) '.' is less than digits is less than letters is less than others.
    • The case of letters is ignored.
    • For same group of characters use ASCII order.
    • For each directory: Real files are inserted before sub directories.
  • Unused data holes are removed.
  • If directory '.' is available it becomes the root directory for all others.
  • Compressed sources are compressed again with maximum compression (level 9).
  • The destination is only written if any data changed.

Normalized files are for archives and to find files with the same content.

wszst NORMALIZE

wbmgt (Wiimms BMG Tool)

wbmgt is a command driven tool to manipulate BMG files.

Features

  • wbmgt supports raw and text BMG files. Raw BMG is the file format needed by Nintendos software. Text BMG is a user readable and editable format. wbmgt includes in every text export a little syntax documentation.
  • When reading a file, wbmgt detect the format of each source file independent of the file name. This make the usage of raw and text BMG files interchangeable.
  • wbmgt may read BMG files directly from SZS files. Just enter the path and assume that the SZS file is a directory. Example: pathto/my.szs/message/Common.bmg
  • wbmgt LIST lists the contained strings for a fast preview.
  • wbmgt DIFF compares the strings of 2 BMG files and reports the differences.
  • wbmgt PATCH patches each source by using a list of patch files. There are several patching modes: REPLACE, INSERT, OVERWRITE, DELETE, MASK, EQUAL and NONEQUAL. Like every source, raw and text BMG files are accepted as patch.
  • wbmgt DECODE converts each source file into text mode. Patching while decoding is possible.
  • wbmgt ENCODE converts each source file into raw mode. Patching while encoding is possible.
  • Decoding a raw BMG file and encoding again results in the same BMG file.

wstrt (Wiimms StaticR Tool)

wstrt is a command driven tool to manipulate StaticR files of Mario Kart Wii.

Features

  • wstrt can analyze and patch StaticR files of Mario Kart Wii (PAL and NTSC).
  • wstrt ANALYZE analyzes StaticR files and detects CTGP 4.4 patches and modifications of track and arena orders.
  • wstrt PATCH modifies the track and arena order of StaticR files. So it is possible to move tracks with special features (like snow or fog) to other slots.

Tests

I have made several tests with the following files:

  • All files of Scene/UI/.
  • All files of Race/Course/, some of the tracks have been replaced by custom tracks before.

The tests:

  • Decompress and compress and decompress again SZS files and compare the results.
  • Extract all files, create SZS and extract again. The both extracted file system are equal.
  • Extract some of the files with SZS Explorer and compare them to my extracted files.
  • Extract all files and create a new SZS files. Then create a new ISO image with the new SZS files and play it.
  • Read BMG file, convert to internal representation and write a new BMG file. Then compare the new BMG with the original one.
  • Convert all BMG files into the text format and back again. Then compare the new BMG with the original one.

All tests run without errors.

Links