ROM Hack Model Swapping in Soma Bringer?

[CPhantom]

HOW TO SWAP MODELS

Mod edit. Steps 1 and 2 have been replaced by https://gbatemp.net/threads/soma-bringer-open-translation.78947/ . You can then use ndstool, crystaltile2, tinke, ndsts, mkds course modifier or any tool that can unpack and reassemble (or import) DS ROMs.

1. Go and download DarthNemesis' newest SomaTrans (v1.3 at writing this) located Here (mirror https://web.archive.org/web/20101009153822/http://somatrans.referata.com/wiki/Main_Page )
2. Run it, and click on File -> Import ROM, then import a patched version of Soma Bringer if you want to use the English patch.
3. When it is finished opening the ROM file, go to File -> Unpack IMG Files
4. When that finished, a folder will appear in your SomaTrans folder called IMG, open it.
5. locate the files that are called mdl###, these are where the models are located.
6. Player Characters are located in the following numbers that are in parentheses:

Spoiler

Welt (198)
Idea (199)
Millers (200)
Cadenza (201)
Jadis (202)
Einsatz (203)
Forte (204)
Granada (205)

Welt2 (206)
Idea2 (207)
Millers2 (208)
Cadenza2 (209)
Jadis2 (210)
Einsatz2 (211)
Forte2 (212)
Granada2 (213)

Welt3 (214)
Idea3 (215)
Millers3 (216)
Cadenza3 (217)
Jadis3 (218)
Einsatz3 (219)
Forte3 (220)
Granada3 (221)

Welt4 (222)
Idea4 (223)
Millers4 (224)
Cadenza4 (225)
Jadis4 (226)
Einsatz4 (227)
Forte4 (228)
Granada4 (229)

Welt5 (230)
Idea5 (231)
Millers5 (232)
Cadenza5 (233)
Jadis5 (234)
Einsatz5 (235)
Forte5 (236)
Granada5 (237)

Welt6 (238)
Idea6 (239)
Millers6 (240)
Cadenza6 (241)
Jadis6 (242)
Einsatz6 (243)
Forte6 (244)
Granada6 (245)

Welt7 (246)
Idea7 (247)
Millers7 (248)
Cadenza7 (249)
Jadis7 (250)
Einsatz7 (251)
Forte7 (252)
Granada7 (253)

Welt8 (254)
Idea8 (255)
Millers8 (256)
Cadenza8 (257)
Jadis8 (258)
Einsatz8 (259)
Forte8 (260)
Granada8 (261)

Welt9 (262)
Idea9 (263)
Millers9 (264)
Cadenza9 (265)
Jadis9 (266)
Einsatz9 (267)
Forte9 (268)
Granada9 (269)

Welt10 (270)
Idea10 (271)
Millers10 (272)
Cadenza10 (273)
Jadis10 (274)
Einsatz10 (275)
Forte10 (276)
Granada10 (277)

7. When you have found the location of whichever Player Character you wish to replace, remove the file, and create a copy of one of these files and rename it to the Player Character file you are replacing:

Spoiler

(CURRENTLY 66Characters to choose!)

287

288

289

290

291

292

293

294

295

296

297

298

299

300

301

302

303

304

305

306

307

308

309

310

311

312

313

314

315

316

317

318

319

320

321

324

325

326

327

328

329

330

331

332

333

334

335

336

337

338

339

340

704

707

708

709

711

712

713

716

719

720

721

723

724

725

8. Go back to SomaTrans, and go to File -> Pack IMG Files
9. When that is done, go to File -> Export ROM
10. Save, then enjoy!



Thanks to DarthNemesis who has worked on so much stuff for Soma Bringer and helped to find out model locations!

 

[Hehe Moo]

Hey! Great idea!! I'm not that good with this kind of "messing around", but yeah, I love Soma Bringer and it sounds like a good idea xD

 

[DarthNemesis]

Well, I was thinking, not sure if it'd work or not, but would it be possible to swap the Models of NPCs with the playable characters? I say this because there are some pretty wicked looking NPC characters versus the main playable characters. I'm not sure if the game would crash or whatnot, but it'd be pretty interesting to see if this would work.


Are the character models located in a certain folder, or packed together into one file? Maybe, if I could find this out, I could mess with it a bit.

I think it could probably be done. The models are stored in mdl\mdl.img. The pointer to the offset for a particular file n is stored in mdl.fat, and is 18 bits starting at offset 0x24+8*n, multiplied by 0x200. These files are in compressed DAD format and can be edited using DADTool, which is linked on the translation wiki.

 

[CPhantom]

Yeah, I started thinking about it when I started enjoying a lot of the NPCs.

Now, I think that portraits, Names, etc would be fun to change as well, but that'd be a ton of work combined with just this idea. So yeah, just swapping the little character would be cool, haha :]

I'm going to take a peak at files in a clean rom, see if anything is there. If not, then maybe someone can show me the way.


@Darthnemesis: Thank you very much for the help there :] maybe I'll take a peak around here then, see if anything can be done! Hopefully I'm skilled enough though, haha.

 

[Hehe Moo]

Well, I was thinking, not sure if it'd work or not, but would it be possible to swap the Models of NPCs with the playable characters? I say this because there are some pretty wicked looking NPC characters versus the main playable characters. I'm not sure if the game would crash or whatnot, but it'd be pretty interesting to see if this would work.


Are the character models located in a certain folder, or packed together into one file? Maybe, if I could find this out, I could mess with it a bit.

I think it could probably be done. The models are stored in mdl\mdl.img. The pointer to the offset for a particular file n is stored in mdl.fat, and is 18 bits starting at offset 0x28+8*n, multiplied by 0x200. These files are in compressed DAD format and can be edited using DADTool, which is linked on the translation wiki.

Omfg. That is seriously... (no offense) NERD-TALK xD What the heck does that mean?~! "offset 0x28+9" whoa...

Wow. Darth, you are a computer god.

 

[CPhantom]

Okay, well I found the files, but .img...I have no idea how to extract the DAD files, haha. I am not very computer savvy, but once I get it down, I can usually do it.Haha.

 

[DarthNemesis]

 

[CPhantom]

WOW, haha! I wasn't expecting you to post an image of you doing it

care for a short tutorial or something? lol, I'd love to do this myself with something to follow from the great Darth himself :].

That's not entirely sucking up either, you are pretty amazing, haha.

 

[DarthNemesis]

Alright, I split the .img into separate files using the pointers from the file table, then batch decompressed them using DADTool. I looked at a bunch in a tile editor until I found the NPCs I wanted, then just copied the replacement file over the target file in mdl.img using a hex editor.

 

[Dominator]

Darth, I'm glad you manage do to it, but the combat animation are not make for npc, so i think when you press attack or something like this the game would crach or show black screen ?

 

[DarthNemesis]

Darth, I'm glad you manage do to dit, but the combat animation are not make for npc, so i think when you press attack or something like this ythe game would crach or show black screen ?

Nope, these models are just bones and textures. The animations are the same regardless of which character you're using.

 

[Dominator]

that awesome, so the game have a real engine with no pre-made img for each animation

 

[CPhantom]

Hmmm, and how do I split it? See, haha your talk is to heavy for a newbie like myself with this stuff.

What programs do you use? How'd you find the pointers?

Maybe later on you could show me how to do this a bit more in depth? That way the newbies at this, such as myself, could tinker and choose a neat player character?

 

[Hehe Moo]

Darth if you manage to patch it, can you post it here for us =] I want to test it xD

Also, if you patch it, will it work on the already English patched rom that you made?

 

[DarthNemesis]

Hmmm, and how do I split it? See, haha your talk is to heavy for a newbie like myself with this stuff.

What programs do you use? How'd you find the pointers?

Maybe later on you could show me how to do this a bit more in depth? That way the newbies at this, such as myself, could tinker and choose a neat player character?

Alright...

Jadis = file #202 (0xCA)
Sailor = file #211 (0xD2)

Offset of pointer to Jadis model = 0x24 + 8*0xCA = 0x674
Data in mdl.fat at 0x674 = 20 0F C0 08
First 18 bits = 0x08C00F20 & 0x3FFFF = 0xF20
Offset of Jadis model = 0xF20 * 0x200 = 0x1E4000

Offset of pointer to Sailor model = 0x24 + 8*0xD2 = 0x6BC
Data in mdl.fat at 0x6BC = 5C 10 00 09
First 18 bits = 0x0900105C & 0x3FFFF = 0x105C
Offset of Sailor model = 0x105C * 0x200 = 0x20B800

So in mdl.img, the Jadis model is at offset 0x1E4000 and the Sailor model is at offset 0x20B800.

If the replacement model is smaller than the target model, you can just copy the whole block of data until the next "DAD" and overwrite the target block. If it's larger, you'll have pad out to the next multiple of 0x200 that will contain the file and increase all the pointers after that file by the number of 0x200 blocks you added.

QUOTE(Hehe Moo @ Oct 11 2008, 11:57 PM) Darth if you manage to patch it, can you post it here for us =] I want to test it xD

Also, if you patch it, will it work on the already English patched rom that you made?

Download model replacement demo patch
Apply to an already patched (2008-10-11) file.

 

[CPhantom]

So, what are you using to find those pointers and such? I only currently have Hex Workshop. I'm sure there is something else that you use though?

 

[DarthNemesis]

No, I use Hex Workshop.

 

[CPhantom]

Wow, haha. Then I must have no idea how you are using it then. As I've said, I'm a newbie to this stuff, haha. I didn't know how the models were thrown in here, and hex editing DS games are totally new to me xD

I honestly don't have much HEX skills either. The only game I ever used hex for was Phantasy Star Online...and that was ages ago, haha. Not much work either.

But I think I've found were to look for offsets and such, so yeah. I'll probably find out here sooner or later, haha.

Your skills in this blows my mind away.



Well, I think I'm going to wave my white flag here. I have no clue how to get this done, haha. I don't understand the pointers, hex, etc. To much for my brain with no knowledge of this stuff. Unless Darth would release a heavily newbie friendly guide, or some program, I have to lean on his shoulder till, haha.

I love you Darth, knowing this game like the back of your hand rocks. xD

 

[CPhantom]

Hmmm, sorry for double posting, but if anyone can make a guide on how to do this, that'd be awesome. I know Darth made a slight guide there, but it is to much for my unskilled mind, haha.

I'd really like to learn how to do this, it'd be fun. I'm sure that once a guide shows up, it'd be a walk in the park. But when numbers start popping up like "0x24 + 8*0xCA = 0x674", my head explodes.

 

[War]

Omg, that's so awesome Darth! Is there an easy way to do this process? It would be really fun to play as some NPCs... like maybe those spirit things?