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Importing Custom Formation Sprites and Portraits [Warning! Image Heavy Post!]

Started by Celdia, February 11, 2011, 01:02:40 am

Cheetah

Onion Knight and Dark Knight for the PSP are hidden away in the unknown folder as separate files. I'm sure there is a list of exactly which ones they are somewhere, I'm not sure how replacing them is done.
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PilotSpecter

Hey the tutorial was great everything worked perfectly, except when I wanted to make changes to the color of the sprite. It just kept the original warrior m color. What do I do to keep the colors that I want?

Celdia

Can you post the final product you're getting so I can see how its coming out?
  • Modding version: PSX
  • Discord username: Celdia#0

PilotSpecter


PilotSpecter


RandMuadDib

That is because that program only edits out of battle stuff (including the formation screen right before a battle). For in-battle stuff, you have to use shishis to replace the entire sprite with a new file.
I will show you the power of SARDIIIIINES!!!!



Celdia

I had a feeling it might've been that. I'm going to update my first post to link to that Shishi tutorial.
  • Modding version: PSX
  • Discord username: Celdia#0

Wiz

I know this may seem like spamming, but this should be linked in the OP since it's essentially the video version of this tutorial, which should be stickied imo :cool:
  • Modding version: Other/Unknown

plandr

Quote from: Mary Quite Contrary on February 21, 2011, 07:37:48 pm
This is a great guide, I appreciate the work!

I was wondering if you could help me out a bit, though. I'm having this weird problem where CDMage opens my fresh ISO just fine, everything displays properly, no error messages. But after patching sprites with Shishi's, CDMage opens the ISO and gives me a similar (but not the same) error message to the one you mentioned:


After that, the ISO loads, but I only have the BATTLE and DUMMY folder.


I'm pretty careful about following steps (I think!) but I am not sure what might be the problem.

For reference, I'm using CDmage 1.01.5 and the most recent Shishi's downloadable from the front page (Can't seem to find a version on the darn thing).
Edit: Just tested, and even if I don't change any sprites, just opening it in Shishi's and restructuring the ISO seems to result in this.

Edit: Just tried it using a very old version of Shishi's from several years ago, and it works fine. Go figure!!


^^ I'm running into this same problem. The older version of ShiShi allows me to open my files and repack without this happening but then I end up with the problem of not being able to change sprite type or access the three ??? mark sprite types made available in the newer versions.

Celdia

I'm afraid I don't have an answer for that one. I've been using Shishi .478 from the get-go and have never seen a limited file tree in CDMage on any version of my projects. Sadly my best suggestion would be to take what you've put together so far and start applying it to a clean ISO and hope you can find away around the error, either in using a different Shishi or using different sprites, assuming those are in fact the problem.

Edit: Went back to look through the thread and I came across something Cheetah asked me near the start.

Quote from: CheetahHave you tried CDProg?


CDProg is an alternative to CDMage. I don't know where to find it since I don't believe its on our front page with the other downloads but if you can locate a copy of it, it may help you in viewing the ISO's file tree correctly. I don't know. Its a shot in the dark.
  • Modding version: PSX
  • Discord username: Celdia#0

plandr

Quote from: Celdia on September 18, 2011, 10:30:50 pm
I'm afraid I don't have an answer for that one. I've been using Shishi .478 from the get-go and have never seen a limited file tree in CDMage on any version of my projects. Sadly my best suggestion would be to take what you've put together so far and start applying it to a clean ISO and hope you can find away around the error, either in using a different Shishi or using different sprites, assuming those are in fact the problem.

Edit: Went back to look through the thread and I came across something Cheetah asked me near the start.

CDProg is an alternative to CDMage. I don't know where to find it since I don't believe its on our front page with the other downloads but if you can locate a copy of it, it may help you in viewing the ISO's file tree correctly. I don't know. Its a shot in the dark.


Thanks. My current thought process is that I'm going to replace the faces and pre-battle formation sprites first, THEN import the new sprites on top of the old character.

I.E. first I'll put Aerith's portrait and battle formation sprite in place of the default character I'm overwriting WITHOUT importing the whole Aerith sprite sheet first (thus eliminating the need to rebuild the .ISO for the time being).

Then I'll use shishi to import the Aerith sprite sheet as a whole after I've already changed the battle formation and portrait of the default. Essentially I'm going to do it in the reverse order of what your tutorial says. Do you think that could work?

I mean, it doesn't appear that shishi itself is altering the portrait and battle formation sprite (otherwise what would be the need of the tutorial?), so maybe doing it in reverse could be a solution?

I'll also try the program you recommended if this doesn't work.

Thanks. :)

plandr

That said, perhaps this is something you or someone else has knowledge on? :)

Quote3A   Celia (Never used)   SERIA.SPR   TYPE2   43332   45056
3B   Lede (Never used)   LEDY.SPR   TYPE2   43325   45056
5D   ???   DAMI.SPR   ???   44690   45056
5E   ???   KASANEK.SPR   ???   40516   40960
5F   ???   KASANEM.SPR   ???   40516   40960


^^ Using the ShiShi sprite editor, these are the sprites I'm seeking out to replace. They aren't used by anyone else in the game and as such don't require me to replace existing characters which is ideal to me (so I don't see duplicates of the imported characters during story battles/events).

That said, when I unpack a fresh .ISO file (without using ShiShi I'm able to do this) and use FFTEVGRP to open up the UNIT and WLD .BIN files I don't see any associated sprites with these characters. As such, even if I could successfully follow the tutorial I don't see a clear way to assign a battle formation sprite and portrait to the "free/empty" characters in the game.

Am I just missing something here?

Thanks for any help you can provide. :)

Eternal

I'm pretty sure you'd have to use those slots for characters that don't join you, but I'm not 100% sure on how it works.
  • Modding version: PSX & WotL
"You, no less human than we? Ha! Now there's a beastly thought. You've been less than we from the moment your baseborn father fell upon your mother in whatever gutter saw you sired! You've been chattel since you came into the world drenched in common blood!"
  • Discord username: eternal248#1817

plandr

Quote from: Eternal248 on September 19, 2011, 05:42:40 am
I'm pretty sure you'd have to use those slots for characters that don't join you, but I'm not 100% sure on how it works.


Okay cool. I'll keep an ear out in that case but if this is the case event editing might be my best option here. :(

Celdia

Yeah, FFTEVGRP just isn't equipped to handle formation sprites for those entries it looks like.
  • Modding version: PSX
  • Discord username: Celdia#0

Zozma

Quote from: Eternal248 on September 19, 2011, 05:42:40 am
I'm pretty sure you'd have to use those slots for characters that don't join you, but I'm not 100% sure on how it works.


you're wrong. you can reassign a unit.bin sprite to ANY sprite, for example, i assigned the Dancer unit.bin sprite to celia and lede's :)
  • Modding version: Other/Unknown
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Argy

Thank you Celdia, for your cracking tutorial!! Absolutely brilliant, nothing better than running around as Vincent Valentine for Ramza!! Oh yes... for all 4 chapters!! Skillset update now!! Go you mighty Hellmasker!!
  • Modding version: PSX
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Tony75

Does my game have to be a bin file ? I think it is ISO and I can't get this to work .
  • Modding version: WotL