XCI-Cutter

Features:
- cuts off (trims) unused sectors
- optionally cuts in pieces (splits)
- batch processing


This tool reads the XCI-Header to determine the full cartridge-size and the actually used space.

By default, the tool checks if the sectors after the used space/gamedata are really unused (filled with FF).
It refuses to cut, if it finds any data in that area (this check can be bypassed by using "Fast Mode").

The tool can be used to restore these FF-sectors and expand XCI-files back to the full cartridge size.


@ChronoX_ compiled a list with actual datasizes over at:
https://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/XCI-Cutter


UPDATE 20.06.2018:
Trimmed and split games are now fully compatible with SX OS!

!!! Important Note: !!!
Dumps that were split with a version before v2.4.2,
have to be joined/uncut using that OLDER version.
And afterwards split again using the NEW version.
!!!

Download:
https://github.com/Destiny1984/XCI-Cutter/releases


Changelog:

v2.4.2:
- changed partsize to make split-dumps compatible with SX OS

v2.4.1:
- Bugfix release
fixed splitting which was broken in v2.4

v2.4:
- added "fast mode" to batch processing
(Direct trim of inputfiles / no safety checks)

v2.2:
Changes to batchprocessing:
- added recursive folder scanning (thanks to @RapidRaid aka getraid)
- add files and folders by Drag&Drop

v2.0:
- added batch processing with optional inputfile deletion

v1.5:
- fixed some exceptions
- implemented optional splitting

v1.0:
Initial Release

 

[comput3rus3r]

nope
gonna use tx on the 3.0.0 one. im going to update it just for "backups"
i dont care much about homebrew, which will be ported to 5.x soon anyway

my main system will never see homebrew

so why are u keeping one on low firmware?

 

[jakkal]

so why are u keeping one on low firmware?

i did say i was gonna update it once tx releases their SX
i dont have to update now because there is no need to update

 

[GerbilSoft]

oh I didnt know that... that sounds reasonable. but then it means on the cart itself theres a pretty complex processor to handle all that..?

File access is handled by the OS. It's sort of like how user programs on Windows can't access the raw HDD directly; you have to request files.

(Not counting accessing \\.\PhysicalDriveN, and that requires administrator permission.)

 

[Maximilious]

I don't get the blank data part!?
Why require 10 GB if the actual game data is 5 GB?
Anyway great tool! I just hope trimming and getting rid of the original won't be an issue later.

Cart dumps will dump the entire contents of the card (16GB, 2GB, ect.) even when the game itself could be 10GB, 1GB, ect. So we end up with a lot of blank space which is where the trimmer tools come in.

I imagine trimmed .xci's will work. I don't have my Switch right now but we could easily determine by looking at installed games from eShop. If they don't take up the full cart space but just the space designated after being trimmed then we may be good to go.

 

[RedoLane]

The post's title says "Windows".... but I already realized it's Switch related

 

[jakkal]

The post's title says "Windows".... but I already realized it's Switch related

i wonder how you realized it was switch related so fast..

 

[RedoLane]

i wonder how you realized it was switch related so fast..

Intuition. Switch news seem to be spreading like a pile of fishes lately..

 

[jakkal]

Intuition. Switch news seem to be spreading like a pile of fishes lately..

of course its related to nintendo switch
its under the switch forums lol

 

[xy-maps]

Can it be that the current releases of bbb are already trimmed? Because they all have different sizes and are not 16Gb in size (except of course the games that need an additional download)​

 

[jfosheezy]

Can it be that the current releases of bbb are already trimmed? Because they all have different sizes and are not 16Gb in size (except of course the games that need an additional download)​

The Hyrule Warriors file I downloaded today is the exact same size as the Lego City Undercover file that is marked Dec' 2017

I see only 4 different file sizes for the 30 games I downloaded.

Nintendo Switch carts do come in varied sizes depending on the game size

But those 4 varied sizes have been the same in all releases so far

 

[Nevermore]

Yes, you can call it "ROM Trimmer" if you want.

trim, cut, shop, slice ... It's all the same ;-)

Everything old is new again.

 

[PatrickD85]

Very nice, in respect to the whole Micro SD format this tool is reaaally welcome.
Looking forward to see it being used in a WiiScrubber like fashion

 

[Attainable]

Does this work with .nsp files as well?

 

[shabbypenguin]

Can it be that the current releases of bbb are already trimmed? Because they all have different sizes and are not 16Gb in size (except of course the games that need an additional download)​

compressing the xci file has a similar effect as this trimmer, however you cant load up tx sx with a compressed rom, so by scrubbing/trimming it you get the real size of the game.

 

[Deleted User]

File access is handled by the OS. It's sort of like how user programs on Windows can't access the raw HDD directly; you have to request files.

(Not counting accessing \\.\PhysicalDriveN, and that requires administrator permission.)

oh ok gotch, so all read/ writes go through os? that means it will not be hard to make it support trimmed roms once we have cfw because yoi can tell os to return ff for requested reads beyond the given rom
edit:... oh wait I completely missed the point. then it should be ok as is

 

[RedoLane]

of course its related to nintendo switch
its under the switch forums lol

I don't check the Switch forums since I don't own a Switch

 

[detonyle]

Thanks for this tools really.

Did you try to contact Xecuter? maybe they can test a cut xci with XS product?

- Do you think you can do a group/batch cutter? for example just put a folder and he took all xci files in subfolder?

 

[DocKlokMan]

Wait, is this a cutter or a trimmer? Like, does it cut rom files into smaller parts? So you could fit an 8GB or 16GB game onto a FAT32 card or does it just trim blank space off the end of the rom? The name is a bit confusing.

 

[ChronoX_]

Wait, is this a cutter or a trimmer? Like, does it cut rom files into smaller parts? So you could fit an 8GB or 16GB game onto a FAT32 card or does it just trim blank space off the end of the rom? The name is a bit confusing.

Maybe read the first line?

I wrote a small tool to cut off the unused sectors at the end of xci files.

 

[DocKlokMan]

Maybe read the first line?

Should rename it to XCI-Trimmer then. I read the post, thought 'Hey, it's a trimmer!', then read the name and thought, 'Did I miss something? It says it's a cutter'. These tools and terms have been around for a long time, it's just odd to see them mixed up like that is all.