iff/ilbm on NDOS disk ????

[SkulleateR]

hi guys

I´m reactivating a kind of translation project I began some years ago and here is a problem ...

I can easily translate in game text but the game got some screens displayed as intro and in game sequences that loads as iff/ilbm screens ...

Is there a way/tool to locate them on a NDOS Disk and replace it ?

[s2325]

How can you be sure these are iff/ilbm if you can't see files?

[SkulleateR]

Originally Posted by s2325

How can you be sure these are iff/ilbm if you can't see files?

These can be ripped out of memory as iff screen ... so I´m pretty sure about it

[Predseda]

I am afraid your approach is just wrong and it is not possible this way.

[prowler]

Try Maptapper.

It's a very capable and flexible kind of Graphics ripper which should do the job.

[Retro1234]

If you can find them in memory as ilbm why not search the disk for the exact same file or parts of it ,it might be packed.

[SkulleateR]

well, ripping is not the problem ... replacing is the magic word

If I know the data (in hex or whatever) of the iff, is there a prog to locate that on the NDOS disk ? and if I find it ... can it be replaced in any way ?

@Predseda

So you know a better way ?? Tell me about it

[Retro1234]

Your be limited to the same file size (probably) - just cut and paste
Can you say what game it is?

[Predseda]

Originally Posted by SkulleateR

well, ripping is not the problem ... replacing is the magic word

If I know the data (in hex or whatever) of the iff, is there a prog to locate that on the NDOS disk ? and if I find it ... can it be replaced in any way ?

@Predseda

So you know a better way ?? Tell me about it

You already answered yourself. Replacing a text in a code can be easy, if the final file size is unaltered. But if you want to replace parts of the graphics in once compiled program, it will bring you software failures because of invalid checksums etc. Maybe if you would fine a way how to decompile it, dissasemble, put a new elements and compile again, it would work. I remember myself trying to do some translation job in Arkanoid (which is one file DOS game). Everything seemed to be fine until i used the letter 'B' in the text. I always crashed then. So I had to work out how to translate it without one very common letter and the final translation was... weird

[BippyM]

Originally Posted by Predseda

You already answered yourself. Replacing a text in a code can be easy, if the final file size is unaltered. But if you want to replace parts of the graphics in once compiled program, it will bring you software failures because of invalid checksums etc. Maybe if you would fine a way how to decompile it, dissasemble, put a new elements and compile again, it would work. I remember myself trying to do some translation job in Arkanoid (which is one file DOS game). Everything seemed to be fine until i used the letter 'B' in the text. I always crashed then. So I had to work out how to translate it without one very common letter and the final translation was... weird

This isn't necessarily the case. Some games will use checksums, some games wont. The only way to know is to try.

There are issues here that have been picked up, but the reasons they might not worked explained properly.

• How do you know the images are iff/ilbm? They could easily be stored as a raw file with separate palette info (the image will still show in memory).
• The image could be compressed on disk. If this is the case you will need to take this into account when replacing the file. You will have a couple of options 1. Repack the new image with exactly the same packer as the original, and replace. 2. Replace the image and bypass the unpacking routine. (This will have added complications - see next point!)
• If the new image is bigger than the original image (Iff/Ilbm) then you will need to relocate all the files on the disk, and then adjust the loading routine to accomodate. (If it is a raw image, and the dimensions/bitplanes are the same then it should remain the same size exactly)
• If it is a raw image, you will then have to find and adjust the palette info for your new image (assuming you make adjustments)
• as Preseda has mentioned.. There could be checksums, which will need patching if you make adjustments

Without knowing more about this, the advice will always be generic..

[SkulleateR]

Thx for all your advice

I´ve got some really nice tools suggested to try out, I´ll post back if I get some result in any way