Hacking How to export 3D models & textures from Fire Emblem

[stonegolem]

I would like to export 3D models and corresponding textures from Fire Emblem: Radiant of Dawn. I'm especially interested in static meshes such as buildings, barrels, etc. I really like the layout of the first level and I want to study on this level for my own game project.

After making a research, I learned that several people are exporting SSBB textures and import modified skins for this game. But I"m also aware that, they don't extract 3D models but only textures. Also this process might be different for different games.

I'm an environment modeller and I can cope with model structure and material/texture dependencies if I could reach their source. But I don't know Wii specific game packages and their import/export procedure. This process will definietly be different for each game engine. But I hope to find some other people who at least tried this before.

If anyone knows how to get these models, I will be happy to learn.

Thank you.

 

[stonegolem]

Today, I tried using wii scrubber to see the structure of the FireEmblem backup disc.
I could extract some files, but still I'm unable to get anything from them. Because I couldn't open extracted files...
Does anyone have any opinions or any suggestions ?

 

[Helsionium]

I'm sorry, but I believe Intelligent Systems uses a proprietary, not yet understood model format. What I do know is that there are four file types relevant to 3D models: The *.cmp files are the actual models, the *.ga files contain animation data, apparantly skeletal animation, and the *.tpl files are the textures. Some models have *.pak files associated with them, these are archive files containing mostly, if not only *.ga animation files. TPL is the only file format you can currently use, there are a few converters for this format.

Note that there are different folders for different object types: "xcam" contains camera animations, "xwp" weapon models, "yme" effects, "ymu" LQ character models for the map, "zbg" battle environments, "zmap" contains all the maps, and "zu" HQ character models for battle. The other folders contain no models/animations, but some contain *.cms files, apparently images, but the format is also unknown (I believe)

EDIT: Note that much, if not all of this also applies to the GameCube game Path of Radiance.

 

[stonegolem]

I'm sorry, but I believe Intelligent Systems uses a proprietary, not yet understood model format. What I do know is that there are four file types relevant to 3D models: The *.cmp files are the actual models, the *.ga files contain animation data, apparantly skeletal animation, and the *.tpl files are the textures. Some models have *.pak files associated with them, these are archive files containing mostly, if not only *.ga animation files. TPL is the only file format you can currently use, there are a few converters for this format.

Note that there are different folders for different object types: "xcam" contains camera animations, "xwp" weapon models, "yme" effects, "ymu" LQ character models for the map, "zbg" battle environments, "zmap" contains all the maps, and "zu" HQ character models for battle. The other folders contain no models/animations, but some contain *.cms files, apparently images, but the format is also unknown (I believe)

EDIT: Note that much, if not all of this also applies to the GameCube game Path of Radiance.

Thank you for your detailed information.
So, I might only need "zbg" and "zmap" folders. I will focus on them

I wonder how they construct the maps... it might be tile based maps where all tiles and static models are separate models and called before rendering the scene (lego type). Or they might used whole town mesh with only serapated/shared textures. This guys made Advance Wars games. Both Advance Wars and Fire emblem series for GBA/NDS are tile based system. And this kind of grid based maps usually uses tile packs to easily and effectively construct maps. Even these gc/wii games are in 3D, still I believe they have many environment props (models with textures) and they just combine them to build maps in a game editor. What we might find in zmap folder can be just placeholders for game props and scripts of events. But, this is of course just a guess. Even though, there must be a database for these environment models. Either in that folder or in another one.

It also seems that, battle environments are higher polygonal, more detailed but generic versions of the corresponding maps. Similar to LQ character models for map vs HQ character models for battle.

I asked developers for a level layout and environment concept art for first stage... But I can understand if they won't care to reply that. Even I state that I will only use it to study, they're bound to publishing rights etc to keep those info for themselves.

As you said, Path of Radiance might have same or very similar folder structure. I heard that the developers used the modified Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance engine for Radiant of Dawn. I will denifietly check that game.

Honestly, I only want to learn form their level design and environment creation. I believe they made a quite realistic town setting for that very first level. If everything fails, I will take photos of the TV during gameplay or I might just use wii emulator on my PC to take screenshots.

 

[Helsionium]

Gameplay may be tile-based, but the map models are most certainly not! Unfortunately for you, I believe that the objects you want to extract are not stored as seperate objects - they probably were seperate during development/design, but for efficiency (to reduce load times) they "compiled" all the different models each scene consisted of into one for the release version.

Of course, I can't say for sure, since the *.cmp files seem to be compressed in an unknown way. But the absence of "object" files led me to this conclusion.

 

[stonegolem]

During my research, I found that a software called "MilkShape" has a plugin for CMP files !
However I was unable to execute the software with CMP importer plugin since the trial version didn't let me use the plug-in >.<

There is a very high possibility that this CMP extension is not the same extension I was looking. But it's worth to try.
I believe the other one belongs to Freelancer(space sim) game models.

EDIT:
Just now, I could execute the MilkShape with the corresponding CMP importer... But it didn't work.
I could read the full plug-in name within the MilkShape. it's "Freelancer .CMP model impoter"
tried though...

 

[revinsil]

Forgive my rudeness. but ask to anyone for find answer.
I also interested in fire emblem editing. but more relate on translation to other language.
if anyone knows about which file contain dialogue text and converstaion, please give me some hint or directions.
I tried to find file contain text, no progress.

 

[Helsionium]

All of the game's text is located in the *.m files in the "Mess" folder. The text is not compressed, but it does contain some markup elements (color, text speed/pause etc.) the format of which are not documented. Note that the *.m files without prefix (e.g. c0101.m) contain the Japanese text (Shift-JIS encoding?), the localized files are prefixed with d_ / e_ / f_ / i_ / s_ for the German, English, French, Italian and Spanish languages, respectively. I don't know which of these languages are on the NTSC version of the game, I presume only the Japanese and English files.

 

[revinsil]

All of the game's text is located in the *.m files in the "Mess" folder. The text is not compressed, but it does contain some markup elements (color, text speed/pause etc.) the format of which are not documented. Note that the *.m files without prefix (e.g. c0101.m) contain the Japanese text (Shift-JIS encoding?), the localized files are prefixed with d_ / e_ / f_ / i_ / s_ for the German, English, French, Italian and Spanish languages, respectively. I don't know which of these languages are on the NTSC version of the game, I presume only the Japanese and English files.

Thanks a lot. I really appreciate your effort.
One more question(It's more complicated and can be out of common sense),
Is fire emblem's game font can be replace by other language? not only North American and Europe but also Asian such as Chinese or Korean ..
If I have standard wii game font (extension like .brfnt) I'm afraid most nintendo's game using .brfnt apparently but third party's are not. they using thier own font type.

 

[Helsionium]

Intelligent Systems is actually a Nintendo studio, however, they use some of their own formats. The fonts (in the "Fonts" folder) are in the *.cms format, the format used for almost all images (except for textures, they are TPL) in this game. Unfortunately, I don't know that format and I don't know if any tools for it exist.