Help with Xenon 2
 

This is my first post here (but hopefully the first of many :) )

I've been wanting to get hold of the sprites and tiles from Xenon2 for ages, to use in a GBA project (I'm teaching myself programming on the GBA).

I've tried extracting images using GfxRip, but I'm not getting anywhere - I can see a few images in the 2 colour mode, but can't figure out how to get a 4 bitplane sprite - there's loads of garbage over the graphics.

I've tried ripping from a UAE snapshot, and also a WHDLoad disk image. In both cases I can see stuff, but don't know how to get a clean image.

So far, I've been having to take screen grabs, then clean up the image (remove ships, bullets, backgrounds etc) in PSP :help

A quick update - I can extract certain images (like the font), and can sort of see the ship sprite, but can't get a clean image of it.


The font was nice and easy (though I still need to get the palette for it) - the rest is a nightmare!

Well I got the following out a while ago..

I'll have another look soon, but if I remember correctly the game is in sprite mode and you'll need to grab the pallette with PSP

:D

and if you like to have the whole gamemaps ask me and i will have a look...;)

good luck with your GBA project... :great

bippym - Nice one. If you can give me some pointers to getting the rest of the sprites, I'll be a very happy man. I'll post things here as I extract them :)

x_to - Do you mean the map layouts, or the tiles used to build the maps? I'll be loading all the tiles into a map maker before importing them into the GBA. Copying the original map design isn't a problem, because I'll be taking screen grabs from UAE. What I need is the original tiles used to make the level.

Using GxfRip on disk 2 of Xenon2's WHDload file shows loads of data, I'm just not sure how to get at it properly.:confused

Okay all the gfx are rippable but you'll need a LOT of patience as they are stored at different sizes so generally you'll have to rip 1 at a time :(

Anyway the sprites are in ST mode and are in 5 bitplanes (this is weird tho as Xenon2 is only a 16 col game I think)

Anyway have a look as they are easily found once you know where to look :)

...

Next stage is getting the colours right.. grab a screenshot and use PSP to copy colours etc..

5 bitplanes? That'd explain the corruption I was seeing over the sprites then. You're dead right, it's only a 16 colour game. I'd figured that the graphics were in ST mode from when I grabbed the font.


Patience is one thing I have - producing the map above took ages :crazy

I think the 5th image in each is a mask, so you'll probs need to use the offset keys to get the images looking right!!!

Tomcat or maybe evn x-to would know more :D

ok,

first of all post a screenshot where you have problems and put a savestate to the zone so i can have a look...;)

even map data is possible to rip with this utility...;)

The problem is getting the gfx to rip properly!

The game is clearly in 16 colours yet the sprites are in ST format with 5 planes (yes 5 so thats 32 cols)

I think one must be a mask!!!

skip each pic with 16 bytes and you should have no problems...;)

bippym is right. The 5th is a mask which was used by the blitter during the copy process over the background.

One trick. Try to get Action Replay. Search for the gfx using one bitplane only. When you get the sprites, complete the gfx (you are lucky because Xenon doesn't seem to use rasters so both background & sprites use the same colors) in skipping the 5th bitplane (the mask).

To save a large amount of sprites at once, use the screen copy function (on the misc menu).

I think the tiles are stored in 16 colors (don't need any mask).

Have fun

I have the action replay rom,wich I will put in the zone for others to try but I cant get a decent scan of the manual,so I am trying to remember how I used to rip gfx using it on my old Amiga 500.:confused Could you please give a few simple instructions on how to rip Xenon 2 using the action replay.:bowdown
EDIT: Action replay mk 3 rom in the zone

I've put a pdf of the AR3 manual in the zone for ya gifgit.

Thanx;)

Done - there's a UAE savestate for level one.

:shocked Tell me more..... :)

X_to - I've just been finding my way around the EAB site, and have stumbled across your map ripper. Can you post it into The Zone again, as I'd like to take a closer look at this :)

Hi,

sorry for that but i think this tool will be released never... :(

maybe you don´t know how much work it is to create such a tool...
every game must be ripped individually...it could be that some games use the same technology...

such as Yo Joe and Traps n Treasures..


but if you like i could have a look at Xenon 2...or you could help me...with the maptiles...

rip them from each level...i could create a levelripper for it...

the only main problem is to know if the sprites are organized on x axis or y axis...

if you know anything about the game technology tell it me...it could be very helpful...;)

x_to - PM me the details of what you want to know, and I'll see what I can find.


I'm still not getting much joy with this. I can rip the ship data, the same as in bippym's posting, but cannot get the palette, even when I take a screen shot and get PSP to copy the palette. The colour registers look all wrong - is the bitplane order wrong?

Ripping Xenon2 sprites
 

Hi,

Could you explain a bit more how you rip ? After reading your post I tried to rip one of the enemies. You can see the result in the attached picture.

I didn't have your problem. Could you tell me which emulator do you use ? I did the rip using Action Replay MK III & WinUAE.

Remember that you must not add the completely white bitmap because it is a mask, the gfx are in 16 colors which means 4 bitplanes and not 5.

About the tiles : they are stored vertically but the bitplanes are put horizontally. Unfortunately they seem to be stored with differents modulos as if they were of differents widths. If I'm right, the only way to get them is to rip them manually...