Hacking Crap, easy to use channel creator

[pepxl]

Thanks for this tool, it's very handy. For some reason I have to create the following folders myself:
*tempwad
*banners
*temp
*wad

If they aren't there then I get an error message. I guess this is a permissions issue on my computer, but it might be worth yuou including these empty folders in your archive.
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If you have time/inclination would you be willing to update Waninkoko's Nand loader to include the following features please?
Basically we'd like to add the following to Wanin's nand loader:

*002 error fix
*time/date bug fix
*lz77 compression on 01.app compatibilty

Most of the work has been done by the triiforce team, I just can't integrate it myself. I imagine it should be a cut and paste job, but I don't know enough C.
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Thanks again for your tools and contributions!

strange when i DL crap the folder where already made and this was a good few hours ago

 

[WiiCrazy]

@wichoxp : Hmm, try deleting the contents of temp folder, maybe program can't overwrite something though definetly it would give you an error if such a thing happened.
Tonight I'll make a broder test, I hope I get the same bug.

@wilsoff : Hmm the folders are there actually, see if I can find a vista and reproduce the problem. Changing the nand loader is just a matter of changing the base wad, in case of crap it's base.wxd file which contains the nand loader, a stub banner, a stub loader... unpacking that wad (base.wxd), replacing the nand loader (2.app) and repacking will work... Maybe it's better I make it configurable so you can choose in the interface which nand loader you'll use... The one included in the archive is either comex's or marcan's btw, I used waninkoko's nand loader once and that short display of red rectangle had really annoyed me at that time. Yep it's best to throw using more than one base wad capability.

 

[wilsoff]

Hmm... I'm on XP, but it must be my installation of WinZip - if I open the archive in WinZip it doens't show the empty folders. if I use 7-zip and right click and press extract to... then it's fine - the empty folder are there.

I had a hunt around WinZip and couldn't find the offending setting. If it's just me then best to ignore it. If you want to be extra safe I guess you could include an empty text file in each empty folder to make sure WinZip makes the folders.

Thanks for you repsonses.

 

[wilsoff]

Hmm... I'm on XP, but it must be my installation of WinZip (v11.1 Legally Registered)- if I open the archive in WinZip it doens't show the empty folders. if I use 7-zip and right click and press extract to... then it's fine - the empty folder are there.

I had a hunt around WinZip and couldn't find the offending setting. If it's just me then best to ignore it. If you want to be extra safe I guess you could include an empty text file in each empty folder to make sure WinZip makes the folders.

Thanks for your repsonses.

 

[erolz]

GREAT job WiiCrazy!

got one question,
is this the right way to use the triforce channel creator?

1: Dump your NAND using Simple FS Dumper
2: Copy NAND to the root of your SD card.
3: Using Wad manager 1.5 and cIOS38 r14 to install wads to the NAND on the SD card.
4.Place TriiForce in the apps folder on the SD card
5.Run CrapV2.0b
6.Open WAD (channel) / loader=triforce / type=SD loader /
7.Create channel
8.Install new channel on the Wii with Wad manager
9.Load channel with SD card inside Wii

?

 

[WiiCrazy]

GREAT job WiiCrazy!

got one question,
is this the right way to use the triforce channel creator?

1: Dump your NAND using Simple FS Dumper
2: Copy NAND to the root of your SD card.
3: Using Wad manager 1.5 and cIOS38 r14 to install wads to the NAND on the SD card.
4.Place TriiForce in the apps folder on the SD card
5.Run CrapV2.0b
6.Open WAD (channel) / loader=triforce / type=SD loader /
7.Create channel
8.Install new channel on the Wii with Wad manager
9.Load channel with SD card inside Wii

?

Yep, exactly, that's how I tested... only used fstoolbox instead of Simple FS Dumper... In step 6 you point a wad file to the program. (the game you want to create a shortcut channel)

 

[WiiCrazy]

@wiichopxp
Created a few channels, unpacked them and compared them with the original unpacked contents, banner file (0.app) correctly carried onto the channel.

Could you retry that one with the program and see if it's indeed missing the banner, and what 0.app ends up in the created channel?

Thanks

 

[wichoxp]

Could you retry that one with the program and see if it's indeed missing the banner, and what 0.app ends up in the created channel?

Something is wrong with crap's 0.app: I only replaced that file with original 0.app and everything works fine after wad installation.

I'm going to send you both 0.app files: the original one and the crap's one.

EDIT: I compared both 00000000.app files and they're exactly the same (same filesize and coding) but I found some differences between wad-packed files (differences are highlighted in red/black frames):

Wad-packed .TIK area:

Wad-packed .TMD area:

- Mappy U73E - E73E window: corresponds to created Crap's Forwarder.
- Mappy forwarder v5 window: corresponds to Crap's Forwarder with replaced 0.app to original 0.app wad.

You can download the forwarders for check them:
- Mappy U73E - E73E: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EBAETQBV
- Mappy forwarder v5: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=G5H4MDJY

Also, it seems there's some code issue in hex 0C00. I guess you added an extra "!" character in "FGRBeFreeeeeee!"

...

 

[erolz]

GREAT work!
got one question,
how many blocks is one triforce channel?

 

[laurozza]

The triiforce channels have no online anyway?

 

[WiiCrazy]

@wichoxp : well got the problem... it's just about the region of the channel. I installed the channel you gave in the link (the first one). And it just runs fine, even though I don't have that game I can get into the loader...

The reason is, the game is ntsc (and thus the created channel) but your wii is pal. The solution is simple, just pack the channel with a title id that does have a 'P' at the end instead of 'E'.

I don't think it's related to the wad packing, banner or something like this. Crap ensures that banner is indeed a banner by checking it's header and ensures copying it to the temp folder.. if it can't, it just gives an error.

The weird thing is your packed channel also have the same title id, maybe your packer does something extra to make the channel region free... dunno.

Could you try the same process and this time just changing the title id manually to be U73P and see if it just works out of the box.

@erolz : between 0.7MB-1.5MB, dunno the block equivalent... 30 or 50 times smaller than your average game.

 

[GolfDude]

no matter which loader i choose to use for a channel, if i enable ocarina, it either code dumps or black screens, when i shut off ocarina , it works no problem.. how come i cant get a working channel made with ocarina turned on?

 

[WiiCrazy]

no matter which loader i choose to use for a channel, if i enable ocarina, it either code dumps or black screens, when i shut off ocarina , it works no problem.. how come i cant get a working channel made with ocarina turned on?

Try 1.5 loader and be sure to have the code file in the codes directory... maybe a sd compatibility or a later cios issue... when I wrote the code back when using cios rev 10, tried with a couple of games and it was working...

Well I don't have much interest in Ocarina actually, for all these advanced needs I may do a forwarder type loader which opens the game using configurable usb loader or something.

 

[GolfDude]

like it comes up saying sd card with codes found and then it code dumps, under other loader options it simply black screens right after u hit the channel..

 

[wichoxp]

@wichoxp : well got the problem... it's just about the region of the channel. I installed the channel you gave in the link (the first one). And it just runs fine, even though I don't have that game I can get into the loader...

The reason is, the game is ntsc (and thus the created channel) but your wii is pal. The solution is simple, just pack the channel with a title id that does have a 'P' at the end instead of 'E'.
Well, actually my wii is NTSC, so I don't know what caused the problem.

The weird thing is your packed channel also have the same title id, maybe your packer does something extra to make the channel region free... dunno.
The packer I used allows me to put any title ID, so I put the same as Crap gave me.

Could you try the same process and this time just changing the title id manually to be U73P and see if it just works out of the box.

OK, I will try 'P' instead 'E' but my wii is NTSC... so I'm going to post my results later.

EDIT: I changed game ID to U73P and that didn't worked (same problems)

...

EDIT 2: SOLVED

!!! ... I applied FreeTheWads to Crap's outputted wad and gained access to NAND-USB game

! ...

I dunno but it seems that Crap is changing something on the region code

... I had already installed the game on wii-nand with no problems since the game is NTSC (E73E). Also, I tested some other games and they had the same region issue: StarFox64 (U), MarioKart64 (U), Sin and Punishment (JAP), 1080 Snowboarding (U), Cruis’n USA (U), F-ZeroX(U), MegaMan 9 (U). They were fixed with freethewads stuff after they were created with Crap. I don't have preloader neither region-free patches on my wii.

QUOTE

ps: Tested this on my 3.2U system, preloader has region free patches for channels... works ok...

Did you tried to disable your preloader region-free settings and then access to the game from channel?

 

[WiiCrazy]

@wichoxp : well got the problem... it's just about the region of the channel. I installed the channel you gave in the link (the first one). And it just runs fine, even though I don't have that game I can get into the loader...

The reason is, the game is ntsc (and thus the created channel) but your wii is pal. The solution is simple, just pack the channel with a title id that does have a 'P' at the end instead of 'E'.
Well, actually my wii is NTSC, so I don't know what caused the problem.

The weird thing is your packed channel also have the same title id, maybe your packer does something extra to make the channel region free... dunno.
The packer I used allows me to put any title ID, so I put the same as Crap gave me.

Could you try the same process and this time just changing the title id manually to be U73P and see if it just works out of the box.

OK, I will try 'P' instead 'E' but my wii is NTSC... so I'm going to post my results later.

EDIT: I changed game ID to U73P and that didn't worked (same problems)

...

EDIT 2: SOLVED

!!! ... I applied FreeTheWads to Crap's outputted wad and gained access to NAND-USB game

! ...

I dunno but it seems that Crap is changing something on the region code

... I had already installed the game on wii-nand with no problems since the game is NTSC (E73E). Also, I tested some other games and they had the same region issue: StarFox64 (U), MarioKart64 (U), Sin and Punishment (JAP), 1080 Snowboarding (U), Cruis’n USA (U), F-ZeroX(U), MegaMan 9 (U). They were fixed with the freethewads stuff. I don't have preloader neither region-free patches on my wii.

QUOTE

ps: Tested this on my 3.2U system, preloader has region free patches for channels... works ok...

Did you tried to disable your preloader region-free settings and then access to the game from channel?

Well then I should recheck the tmd and stuff in my base wad... for the rest of the files you can use your newly created wad as a base wad by the way... just copy the wad over to the base.wxd.

 

[wichoxp]

for the rest of the files you can use your newly created wad as a base wad by the way... just copy the wad over to the base.wxd.

Got it, thanks

! ... by the way, I guess you could add some of these stuff on incoming versions of Crap:

- Some way to add "NAND Emulation device" selection: I mean to add an option in Crap to select the NAND Emulator source (SD, USB, Internal) for the games placed in the USB device.

- Can you replace the verbosed Triiforce's debug (List of loaded files on-screen) to just something like "Loading..." word on screen?

- Could it be possible to add Triiforce options into Crap channels? (video mode, patches, language, ocarina...) I think that you could add those options by using some wiimote's lauching method (for example, press and hold "B" button after pressing "Start" from wii channel to show Triiforce options in NAND Loader). That could be quite similar to waninkoko's Custom NAND Loader

!

 

[WiiCrazy]

for the rest of the files you can use your newly created wad as a base wad by the way... just copy the wad over to the base.wxd.
Got it, thanks

! ... by the way, I guess you could add some of these stuff on incoming versions of Crap:

- Some way to add "NAND Emulation device" selection: I mean to add an option in Crap to select the NAND Emulator source (SD, USB, Internal) for the games placed in the USB device.


Well that's already selectable, there is no choice "Internal" mainly because it doesn't make much sense.

- Can you replace the verbosed Triiforce's debug (List of loaded files on-screen) to just something like "Loading..." word on screen?

I can for the current version but in future version I can't guarantee it since I don't plan to make this loader a lot configurable and keep it up to date. Instead user will be able to use original triiforce loader.

QUOTE

- Could it be possible to add Triiforce options into Crap channels? (video mode, patches, language, ocarina...) I think that you could add those options by using some wiimote's lauching method (for example, press and hold "B" button after pressing "Start" from wii channel to show Triiforce options in NAND Loader). That could be quite similar to waninkoko's Custom NAND Loader

!

Same way, I'll rely on the official loader to make these things configurable. It's better than everyone doing the same thing more than once... By the way, you can check out the modified sources and comment all (those displayed on success conditions) printf statements, recompile, add it as a loader intro the crap.cfg file.

 

[wichoxp]

- Some way to add "NAND Emulation device" selection: I mean to add an option in Crap to select the NAND Emulator source (SD, USB, Internal) for the games placed in the USB device.
Well that's already selectable, there is no choice "Internal" mainly because it doesn't make much sense.
I was thinking about only placing "ticket" and "title" game folders on the USB device. Everything else (for example Wii System Files, IOSes...) could be called and used from Real-NAND (wii internal memory) or SD-Nand. The main purpose is to save space on USB device (in that way, you won't need the NAND dumped on the device) and help users with problems using dumped NANDs.
I dunno if that can be done with Crap or that's another implementation for Triiforce loader.

QUOTE

- Can you replace the verbosed Triiforce's debug (List of loaded files on-screen) to just something like "Loading..." word on screen?

I can for the current version but in future version I can't guarantee it since I don't plan to make this loader a lot configurable and keep it up to date. Instead user will be able to use original triiforce loader.

Thanks!... about using original Triiforce Loader on Crap sounds good

! ... I mean when Triiforce gets an update will you be able to update Crap's loader, too? In that case, you should make a kind of "forwarder" to Triiforce app folder to make calls to its functions.

 

[WiiCrazy]

- Some way to add "NAND Emulation device" selection: I mean to add an option in Crap to select the NAND Emulator source (SD, USB, Internal) for the games placed in the USB device.
Well that's already selectable, there is no choice "Internal" mainly because it doesn't make much sense.
I was thinking about only placing "ticket" and "title" game folders on the USB device. Everything else (for example Wii System Files, IOSes...) could be called and used from Real-NAND (wii internal memory) or SD-Nand. The main purpose is to save space on USB device (in that way, you won't need the NAND dumped on the device) and help users with problems using dumped NANDs.
I dunno if that can be done with Crap or that's another implementation for Triiforce loader.

QUOTE

- Can you replace the verbosed Triiforce's debug (List of loaded files on-screen) to just something like "Loading..." word on screen?

I can for the current version but in future version I can't guarantee it since I don't plan to make this loader a lot configurable and keep it up to date. Instead user will be able to use original triiforce loader.

Thanks!... about using original Triiforce Loader on Crap sounds good

! ... I mean when Triiforce gets an update will you be able to update Crap's loader, too? In that case, you should make a kind of "forwarder" to Triiforce app folder to make calls to its functions.

Well triiforce's purpose is saving from nand space, I can't see the use of saving space on usb or sd.

If triiforce becomes to support a general mechanism to boot single game then it's only a matter of copying the triiforce's released dol into the loaders folder in Crap. Maybe in the future I might do a auto pull feature for loaders like when they got an update program downloads them from internet and just replaces the one in the program folder. Using the original loader with a forwarder will just slow the loading and spoil the experience I think.