Hi guys, I've look at monster sprites for awhile now and just wondering if want to make a new monster sprite, how do we crack the frames that are used for its attacks, skills, and etc?
Here's what I've got so far...
Coeurl/Cougar as example:
(http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt312/jimmyjw88/MonsterTesting.png)
So, as you can see from the above, scratch and poison nail used the same frames. So, if we were to create a new monster sprite, is there a way to crack this, like let's say example, make it use different frames for the poison nail skill, frames that we custom-made, extra frames that we extend at the bottom? Is this have something to do with hex editing?
EDIT: Sorry for posting at the wrong section.
Does this apply to all MON sprites?
Well, I'm not sure about that actually. haven't check them all yet. Sorry. I think only this monster that used same frames and I know Minotaur don't use the same frames for its attacks; Shake Off - a set of frames, Wave Around another set of frames and etc. Hmm....I'll go check it out. Sorry for providing insufficient infos.
EDIT: So far, Ghost, Ariman, Treant, Dragon have shorter spritesheet. The rest monsters' spritesheet are long, like this Coeurl.
EDIT: Alright, I took a look at the rest of the monsters' spritesheet and perhaps not applied to all monsters' sprites but it applied to some of them.
Hmm.. Maybe we could also make the spritesheets of Ghost, Ariman, Treant, Dragon longer like coeurl!?
I think that would be great because more attack animations but problem is how are the frames set for each of the skills and attacks? I'm not sure how which is why a problem. Ghost, Ariman, Treant, Dragon, Hydra used same frames for certain skills, like all the three attacks for Ghost used that normal attack frames (I think), then Ahriman, used same frames for Look of Devil, Look of Fright, Death Sentence (which is that Charge frame, I think); Same goes for Treant and Dragon and Hydra. Well, Hydra used same frames for Triple Attack and Triple Flame.
Anyway, if we can determine how the frames are set, then we can create extra frames for all the attacks and skills of the monsters and split those monsters that used same frames for their attacks and skills. Look at Steel Giant, such long spritesheet...Hmm...
This should be in the General Hacking section then.
I think this does something when editing the skills..
I'm not good at hacking, so let's pass this to the hexorz.
Me neither ^^
Yeah, sorry about posting at the wrong section. Hope someone can move it there. ^^
Every MON have the same frames until the first protrait.
Down there are their unique abilities frames, wich arent even part of the main sprite. (they're SP2).
The only difference between a normal MON and a Lucavi MON is that the Lucavi doesnt have a dead frame. Instead, they have a casting frame.
I thought the SP2 frames had a pattern, but I was wrong.
Some have 4 frames por animation, e others have 5.
Problably the ability animation determine how many it will use.
I believe this is how these work, correct me if I'm wrong someone. The order and sequence of a specific animation is assigned set up in the MON.SEQ and MON.SHP file in the battle folder. Which animation that is actually used for a particular attack is assigned in FFTPatcher I believe (or can be edited there). I would look at the thread in the hacking thread on attack animations for more info.
So... basically it is all put together really jumbled and a certain animation might work for a couple monster sprites but be a completely different attack for each of them. This is a decent idea and by doing this you will help identify animations and potentially this could all be put into ShiShi with an extra designation say which animations work with which monster.
That's right, Cheetah.
Plus remember that MON type sprites can also have .sp2 files.
That is why some monsters have more animations than others.
With that MON.SEQ and MON.SHP if edited correctly even humans can be placed in Monster sprite frames to have special animations like kicking and jumpslash?
Well, the problem with that is that we have like zero documentation about how .SEQ & .SHP work.
Plus we don't currently have any way to add new .SP2 files for units that don't already have one.
Take the coeurl sprite, the cat kick animation is in it's .SP2 file. Right now if you made a new MON type sprite that looks human it's basic movement and attack images would be ok, but any extended animations are up in the air. No idea how they would be handled.
Yeah there isn't an easy way to do it I think Seushiro, you couldn't really fit a human into a monster sprite format anyways since they are in pieces. Also don't forget that part of the human sprites are compressed. We are a long ways away to adding additional graphics and animations I think.
Well, if you are using the expansion patch or allowing the new shishi to 'reorganize' the ISO the newly replaced .spr files are no longer compressed. At least they all seem to be the same size as the WotL files.
* I gave up messing with the files. . . Shishi cannot even replace a type 1 to Mon and could not import SP2 on sprites u want to convert as Mon.
Here's some info from about shishi that should be kept in mind:
Quote from: "Shishi read me"When you open a brand new PSX ISO, the program will ask if you want to restructure the ISO. You must select "OK" to continue. This will rearrange the contents of the ISO so that you can use 65536 bytes for every sprite and allow you to use a unique spritesheet for all 0x99 sprites
Quote from: "Shishi read me"*.SPR files:
These contain 16 16-color palettes and an image that is 256 pixels wide, with
variable height. Some of the data in the SPR file is compressed. The program should detect it and decompress it. When you save it will compress what it needs to automatically.
I know that. . . what I mean is example Ramza Sprite to a Mon type Sprite. . . but only the first SPR can be placed cannot add other SP2 into it. . . unless i replace the original .SPR in the ISo with the mon that I want but not sure. . .
Oh yeah the unique spritesheet is just = to the length of 1 huma and the original sprite of a Monter without the SP2. . .
Like I said before, you can't add sp2 files unless they already had them.
You can only make new monsters have basic animations.
There's no way around it unless someone figures out how to add .sp2 files and correctly link them to .spr files.
So If I copy the Sprite of the Monster I want and replace a Human Sprite is the CD/ ISO itself it still cant put SP2 or detect that it is a Monster sprite?
Quote from: "Vanya"Here's some info from about shishi that should be kept in mind:
Quote from: "Shishi read me"When you open a brand new PSX ISO, the program will ask if you want to restructure the ISO. You must select "OK" to continue. This will rearrange the contents of the ISO so that you can use 65536 bytes for every sprite and allow you to use a unique spritesheet for all 0x99 sprites
About this Vanya, does this means that those unused sprite slot can be use now, like that Celia and Lede (unused)?
Also, any luck on those "????" slots? And another question is why are there 5 Male Squires sprite slots? (Sorry for asking at the wrong section)
And about Sp2.file, is it possible that we just extend the length of the spritesheet and custom-made the attack animation that we desire and there's the SP2? Does it work like that? Also, can we use Steel Giant's Sp2 to make the extending work?
That is a yes for the u can use the Celia and Lede Jimmy . . . including the 57-5B dont wanna touch the 5C maybe it was realy ther for a reason. . .
back to SP2 topic. .. u mean we make the bmp the length of a Mon Spr with all the SP2s included?. . . I never thought of that. . . could work then we still select the character as MON for SHP and SEQ. . .
Oh...Then how can we use those unuse sprite slot? I mean just insert the spr.file you want for them and there's your special unit but how to make them appear in your party, in the formation screen? Same goes for 57 - 5B... Sorry, noob at this.
Back to SP2, I replaced Steel Giant's first SP2, second SP2, third SP2 and fourth SP2 with other SP2 files, just the colours changed due to the palettes but that's not a big problem.
Here are some screenshots:
the formation screen shows the 56-57 in there jobs assigned. . . use FFTpatcher it shows that 57~5B will be Samurai, Ninja, bard, etc. and in battle formation screen it will show them as Ramza chapter 1 as default. . .
on SP2 again. . . yes we can import and export from an existing SP but creating or replacing one of the existing ones is what we are all trying to do. . . I have not tried the extra long .bmp sheet yet but damn it would be that long!!!!
So we just change the sprite for 56-5B and that's it? And in FFTPatcher, 57 to 5B are those generic jobs. So how to edit the sprite's 56 to 5B jobs and skills? And I still don't get how to make 56 to 5B appear? And for 39 and 3A (Celia and Lede unused), how can we use them as our units? Gameshark codes for Celia and Lede? I don't think so because I think that is for those used Celia and Lede. And in FFTPatcher, 39 and 3A is Oracle and [Blank], which I think is unused.
On SP2 again, if we're trying to create or replace the existing one, can we just follow the existing ones' allignments and frames and create new ones and then replace it in the bmp sheet and save?
well the 57 to 5b just choose a job skill to what u want and use text editor to change job name. . . for 39 and 3A the reason they hang if used for a Char is because they have no jobs i believe. . . cuz when i game shark to change to them it froze not like the 57-5B which show the same as the real conterparts (samurai, Ninja, bard) I think it was originally used for a Super Squire or for other main characters because when u job change a char you assigned to these sprites using gameshark even if they change jobs they are still the main sprites and not job=sprites job. . .
Then how to change job and skill for 57 to 5B? FFTPatcher? But that's the original Lancer, Samurai, Ninja and Bard...So, if you change that, the original job and skill for Lancer, Samurai, Ninja and Bard are changed too right?
Also, the 57 to 5B sprite will appear as well?
Quote from: "Seushiro"So If I copy the Sprite of the Monster I want and replace a Human Sprite is the CD/ ISO itself it still cant put SP2 or detect that it is a Monster sprite?
That's right. You'd have to also go into shishi and change the type or do it manually with hex editing.
Quote from: "jimmyjw88"About this Vanya, does this means that those unused sprite slot can be use now, like that Celia and Lede (unused)?
Also, any luck on those "????" slots? And another question is why are there 5 Male Squires sprite slots? (Sorry for asking at the wrong section)
Yes they can. Yes, also those. There were 5 sprite sets linked to the squire sprite originally, but they now have separate files. (No problem.)
Quote from: "jimmyjw88"And about Sp2.file, is it possible that we just extend the length of the spritesheet and custom-made the attack animation that we desire and there's the SP2? Does it work like that? Also, can we use Steel Giant's Sp2 to make the extending work?
I don't think so. I believe the data that links an SPR file to an SP2 file is contained within the SEQ & SHP file corresponding to their sprite type.
Quote from: "Seushiro". . . dont wanna touch the 5C maybe it was realy ther for a reason. . .
All the ??? ones are safe to use.
Quote from: "jimmyjw88"Oh...Then how can we use those unuse sprite slot? I mean just insert the spr.file you want for them and there's your special unit but how to make them appear in your party, in the formation screen? Same goes for 57 - 5B... Sorry, noob at this.
You set the sprite set value in ENTD. The entire point of the expansion was so that each sprite set corresponds to a sprite file. The exception, of course is generic humans and monsters have a special sprite set value.
As for the Formation screen, that is where Unit.bin hacking comes into play. There's a program for inserting new frames into it and almost all the relevant data for linking jobs to formation sprites & portraits has been discovered.
Quote from: "jimmyjw88"On SP2 again, if we're trying to create or replace the existing one, can we just follow the existing ones' allignments and frames and create new ones and then replace it in the bmp sheet and save?
Yes.
Quote from: "Seushiro"...for 39 and 3A the reason they hang if used for a Char is because they have no jobs i believe. . . cuz when i game shark to change to them it froze not like the 57-5B which show the same as the real conterparts (samurai, Ninja, bard) I think it was originally used for a Super Squire or for other main characters because when u job change a char you assigned to these sprites using gameshark even if they change jobs they are still the main sprites and not job=sprites job. . .
It is largely a good idea to ignore the affects of gameshark codes, because they only effect RAM. That can cause some misleading results. There was never a super squire. It's just that when you assign any sprite as a special it will override all other sprite jobs. Remember how I said that each sprite set is linked to one sprite now? If you gave a unit the sprite set linked to Male White Mage instead of the Generic Male you'd end up with a special White Mage.
Quote from: "jimmyjw88"Then how to change job and skill for 57 to 5B? FFTPatcher? But that's the original Lancer, Samurai, Ninja and Bard...So, if you change that, the original job and skill for Lancer, Samurai, Ninja and Bard are changed too right?
Also, the 57 to 5B sprite will appear as well?
Here's a pretty important note. The job number does not have to match the job number. Sprite numbers in shishi match the sprite set in the Patcher's ENTD tab. The only ones that don't match are 80, 81, & 82. Those are special sprite sets for Genric Male, Female, & Monster units.
Read these for further clarification:
http://www.ffhacktics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1828
http://www.ffhacktics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1495
Thanks for all the info and clarification in the above, Vanya. I roughly read them through because got to go to bed, but I'll read them again tomorrow. Thanks again. ^^
Now, about SP2, I tried to extend the length of the bmp and add attack animations for the sprite with the reference from Steel Giant.
Extended length of bmp:
(http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt312/jimmyjw88/Coeurl1.jpg)
I just copied Steel Giant's frames as a test.
I thought it would work but unfortunately, I'd failed.
What it looks like in Shishi:
(http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt312/jimmyjw88/MonsterSp2Test.png)
It seems that everything is set for each monster's sprite on the length itself. If the sprite length is that short, it means it is that short. We can't just extend its length and just place the frames on it.
Import Steel Giant into Coeurl sprite:
(http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt312/jimmyjw88/MonsterSp2Test1.png)
Same thing happened with Steel Giant. So now, I guess we have to try find out how the length of the sprite is set in order to crack it (I think).
Very Nice info on this whole topic Vanya. . . but even without knowing the length it is the Iron Giant that is the biggest and has most SP2 im sure of it. . . we need to replace a Monster with TETSU.SPR and rename it in the actual ISO but that would leave the problem of finding the sheets lengths in Hex for the SEQ and TYPE of this Tetsu.spr so we can paste it to another sprite. . . just to make Shishi detect that too. . . But another problem will now arise. . . if example we will replace a Cuerl with a larger sheet than that means if we copy Hex data for sheet length on a different sprite all the animations will now have to follow unlike Lucavi which has the same animations. . . other monters are jumbled in some for attack and charge anims. . .
Quote from: "Vanya"You set the sprite set value in ENTD. The entire point of the expansion was so that each sprite set corresponds to a sprite file. The exception, of course is generic humans and monsters have a special sprite set value.
As for the Formation screen, that is where Unit.bin hacking comes into play. There's a program for inserting new frames into it and almost all the relevant data for linking jobs to formation sprites & portraits has been discovered.
Ah yes, ENTD, so I just set the value accordingly with the Shishi, meaning 57 = 57, 58 = 58 and so on? Also, about the X and Y value, that's the value on the map right? How to determine what value for the X and Y so that the sprite will appear?
Quote from: "Vanya"Quote from: "jimmyjw88"And about Sp2.file, is it possible that we just extend the length of the spritesheet and custom-made the attack animation that we desire and there's the SP2? Does it work like that? Also, can we use Steel Giant's Sp2 to make the extending work?
I don't think so. I believe the data that links an SPR file to an SP2 file is contained within the SEQ & SHP file corresponding to their sprite type.
Quote from: "Seushiro"Very Nice info on this whole topic Vanya. . . but even without knowing the length it is the Iron Giant that is the biggest and has most SP2 im sure of it. . . we need to replace a Monster with TETSU.SPR and rename it in the actual ISO but that would leave the problem of finding the sheets lengths in Hex for the SEQ and TYPE of this Tetsu.spr so we can paste it to another sprite. . . just to make Shishi detect that too. . . But another problem will now arise. . . if example we will replace a Cuerl with a larger sheet than that means if we copy Hex data for sheet length on a different sprite all the animations will now have to follow unlike Lucavi which has the same animations. . . other monters are jumbled in some for attack and charge anims. . .
So, means we have to hex edit the SEQ & SHP?
Yes we have. . . or maybe not ^__^ I think Vanya can answer that. ..
I do have a question. . . Vanya stated that the ??? can be used. . . we also know that the Chocobo has animations that can be viewed and like a Human the type 1 and type 2 can be changed and will take effect. . .
Can I use the ??? to make a unique Chocobo that will be mountable?. . .
This is for the Peco Peco I found while searching sprites. . . want to make an armored chocobo for Balbanes and Judges
Quote from: "Seushiro"Can I use the ??? to make a unique Chocobo that will be mountable?. . .
Haha. That's what I've been trying to do, which is why I created this topic to know and understands how the frames are set and everything about monsters' spritesheets and SP2 as well. I've been wanted to make a Choco Knight for a very long time but having problems with spritesheet and frames for the animation.
Q: X, Y?
A: Yes, map coordinates. You can use the maps on the main page to get a better idea of where to place units.
Q: Hex edit SEQ & SHP?
A: Yup. No current data on those files, though.
Q: ??? stat for mount?
A:It's only specific jobs that can be mounted. The 3 kinds of chocobo can be mounted of course, but there is also an ASM hack that makes one more job mountable. The ??? stat boolean only hides the units's info and makes it's HP/MP 10x.