ROM Hack Metroid: Other M Redux (Based on Maxximum Edition)

[ScatlinkSean]

Strange; I just checked both my .wav and .avi files and they're the same as my previous converted videos with the Dreamcast Film Creator from earlier in the year, yet they don't work.

I'll try saving them as .mp4 with no sound and keep the .wav files; see if I have any luck.

Is there any particular codec of .mp4 that plays nice with the converter? It's hard to figure out what's good or what bitrate the source videos should be for the .sfd

I just realised; the opening cutscene is too long for the Dreamcast Film Creator; it's 7704 frames long but the program can only go upto 4659 frames, so how do you make this into a .sfd?

Could I ask if you could convert them please? I could send you a .mp4 and .wav of my slightly edited versions of the Opening & Post-Training cutscenes, and you could send the .sfd files to me? I can provide email.

 

[ShadowOne333]

I just realised; the opening cutscene is too long for the Dreamcast Film Creator; it's 7704 frames long but the program can only go upto 4659 frames, so how do you make this into a .sfd?

Could I ask if you could convert them please? I could send you a .mp4 and .wav of my slightly edited versions of the Opening & Post-Training cutscenes, and you could send the .sfd files to me? I can provide email.

I think for that one I followed the 2nd method listed in the OP, by using sfdmux.
The problem with sfdmux is that it does't play nice with cutscenes that have directly another cutscene following them.
All the SFDs without japanese tracks (dm08_01, dm43to46, dm63Bto65) had to be done with Dreamcast Film Creator due to that.
For some reason, having SFDs made with sfdmux makes the subsequent SFD that plays bork in some way, but for dm01to02 it should be fine to use sfdmux.

 

[ScatlinkSean]

I think for that one I followed the 2nd method listed in the OP, by using sfdmux.
The problem with sfdmux is that it does't play nice with cutscenes that have directly another cutscene following them.
All the SFDs without japanese tracks (dm08_01, dm43to46, dm63Bto65) had to be done with Dreamcast Film Creator due to that.
For some reason, having SFDs made with sfdmux makes the subsequent SFD that plays bork in some way, but for dm01to02 it should be fine to use sfdmux.

Okay, I managed to get my .mp4 files into .mpeg files with the ffmpeg .bat, but for some reason I cannot make a .sfd file with sfdmux. I run the .bat but literally nothing happens. No error message, no command prompt window, nothing. What do I do?

For one, is my directory and .bat code correct? I think if I get this working I'm set!
btw this is still my edited Opening cutscene

 

[ShadowOne333]

Okay, I managed to get my .mp4 files into .mpeg files with the ffmpeg .bat, but for some reason I cannot make a .sfd file with sfdmux. I run the .bat but literally nothing happens. No error message, no command prompt window, nothing. What do I do?

For one, is my directory and .bat code correct? I think if I get this working I'm set!
btw this is still my edited Opening cutscene
View attachment 329699

Possibly the order is wrong.
Not sure what version of sfdmux the exe is based on, but try this:

sfdmux.exe your.sfd your.adx your.mp4

If that desn't work, try running sfdmu.exe aline and it should tell you the right order.

 

[ScatlinkSean]

Possibly the order is wrong.
Not sure what version of sfdmux the exe is based on, but try this:

sfdmux.exe your.sfd your.adx your.mp4

If that desn't work, try running sfdmu.exe aline and it should tell you the right order.

Okay, I changed the .bat and it did generate a .sfd file... but it doesn't play in VLC. In fact, it constantly makes the window's name flicker and I have to close it with Task Manager.

I've tried running as administrator and tried running sfdmux.exe separately, nothing changes.
I am on Windows 10 btw. Could it be compatibility?

 

[ShadowOne333]

Okay, I changed the .bat and it did generate a .sfd file... but it doesn't play in VLC. In fact, it constantly makes the window's name flicker and I have to close it with Task Manager.

I've tried running as administrator and tried running sfdmux.exe separately, nothing changes.
I am on Windows 10 btw. Could it be compatibility?
View attachment 329769

The SFD should be somewhat close in size to the mpeg, so yeah there's something wrong.
Try checking the proper order and/or export options of the mpeg, it should work.

 

[ScatlinkSean]

The SFD should be somewhat close in size to the mpeg, so yeah there's something wrong.
Try checking the proper order and/or export options of the mpeg, it should work.

I used the ffmpeg and crytools method and just made the .bat files by copy-pasting the text into a notepad file and making it into a .bat file. I'll try the .mpeg conversion again before retrying here.

EDIT 5 minutes later: nope, still only 3kb. I'll try changing the order. I even changed "your.mp4" back to "your.mpeg"
Can I just convert a .mp4 file instead of a .mpeg file? Would that work?

EDIT 10 minutes later: I redid my .adx file from my .wav and noticed I did that wrong, but still my .sfd is only 3kb. Something is stopping it from working but I don't know what.

 

[ScatlinkSean]

I cannot figure this out, I might just add my small changes when I'm editing my Let's Play videos...
If I'm following the instructions exactly, it shouldn't be this much hassle.

 

[ShadowOne333]

I cannot figure this out, I might just add my small changes when I'm editing my Let's Play videos...
If I'm following the instructions exactly, it shouldn't be this much hassle.

I think I posted in this thread something about the bitrate and the exact number they should be.
it's here:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/metroid...n-maxximum-edition.602301/page-9#post-9894177

You could try with those exact values for sample rate and bitrate for better results.

As for the sfdmux side of things, from the OP, the order of muxing goes as follows:

sfdmux.exe youraudio.adx yourvideo.mpeg yourvideo.sfd

That should properly create the required SFD file. For Dreamcast Creator, you do need a .m1v file, which is explained in the OP as well how to convert it using FFMPEG.

 

[ScatlinkSean]

I think I posted in this thread something about the bitrate and the exact number they should be.
it's here:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/metroid...n-maxximum-edition.602301/page-9#post-9894177

You could try with those exact values for sample rate and bitrate for better results.

As for the sfdmux side of things, from the OP, the order of muxing goes as follows:

sfdmux.exe youraudio.adx yourvideo.mpeg yourvideo.sfd

That should properly create the required SFD file. For Dreamcast Creator, you do need a .m1v file, which is explained in the OP as well how to convert it using FFMPEG.

Okay, I've followed these instructions to the best of my ability, and I don't know why this isn't working for me. But I did notice something odd; when I run the .bat file with the code you provided; my .adx file gets overwritten to 3kb regardless of its previous size.

 

[ShadowOne333]

Okay, I've followed these instructions to the best of my ability, and I don't know why this isn't working for me. But I did notice something odd; when I run the .bat file with the code you provided; my .adx file gets overwritten to 3kb regardless of its previous size.

Seems to be the order is wrong.
It's obnoxious that different versions of sfdmux modified the order, but oh well.
Try doing:
sfdmux your.sfd your.mpg your.adx

 

[ScatlinkSean]

Seems to be the order is wrong.
It's obnoxious that different versions of sfdmux modified the order, but oh well.
Try doing:
sfdmux your.sfd your.mpg your.adx

I GOT SOMETHING! But no visual or sound is coming from VLC player.
Should I try changing the order or is there something else I'm missing?

 

[ShadowOne333]

I GOT SOMETHING! But no visual or sound is coming from VLC player.
Should I try changing the order or is there something else I'm missing?

View attachment 329948

Yeah keep trying and play around with the order.
I am not sure what kind of order the files go on anymore with the recent updates to sfdmux.

Try running sfdmux alone and it should tell you.

 

[ScatlinkSean]

Yeah keep trying and play around with the order.
I am not sure what kind of order the files go on anymore with the recent updates to sfdmux.

Try running sfdmux alone and it should tell you.

It doesn't open up on it's own, but I'm close, so I'll experiment; thank you.

If I really cannot get these to work, could I possibly send you the .mp4 and .wav files so you can quickly sfdmux them for me please?

 

[ShadowOne333]

It doesn't open up on it's own, but I'm close, so I'll experiment; thank you.

If I really cannot get these to work, could I possibly send you the .mp4 and .wav files so you can quickly sfdmux them for me please?

Sure, I can give it a shot.

 

[ScatlinkSean]

Sure, I can give it a shot.

Thank you for this.
I've sent you a PM with a Google Drive link; at least this will move our convo from this forum.

 

[ScatlinkSean]

I've been playtesting this so far; noticed that any cutscenes that are in-engine still have Samus in her Varia suit when she has the Gravity suit. For example; discovering Ridley's petrified remains.

 

[ShadowOne333]

I've been playtesting this so far; noticed that any cutscenes that are in-engine still have Samus in her Varia suit when she has the Gravity suit. For example; discovering Ridley's petrified remains.

Yep, I was aware of this way back when I was starting the cutscene editing.
Seems like the developers for some reason used the "rtm_samus_barrier" 3D model for all cutscenes, instead of properly separating them using the "rtm_samus_barrier" and "rtm_samus_gravity" models for the proper cutscenes.

Lazy from their part, hopefully one day someone can figure out how to change which model is loaded for which cutscenes instead of having them all use the barrier/Varia one.

 

[ScatlinkSean]

Yep, I was aware of this way back when I was starting the cutscene editing.
Seems like the developers for some reason used the "rtm_samus_barrier" 3D model for all cutscenes, instead of properly separating them using the "rtm_samus_barrier" and "rtm_samus_gravity" models for the proper cutscenes.

Lazy from their part, hopefully one day someone can figure out how to change which model is loaded for which cutscenes instead of having them all use the barrier/Varia one.

Since these cutscenes are in-engine, isn't it possible to code a texture swap, swap Barrier textures for Gravity textures or something? You're just changing the orange parts of the suit then and the cutscene should still use the Barrier model so hopefully no breakage. Also maybe re-swap the textures back after the cutscene is finished to be safe.

(also, small suggestion IF this can be done; during the flashback on meeting the Baby Metroid on SR388, make Samus have the Gravity Suit in line with Metroid Samus Returns. You could also have Samus in the Gravity Suit in the opening against Mother Brain, but if left unchanged you can easily say the suit was damaged by the Hyper Beam and was shutting down suits.)

 

[ShadowOne333]

Since these cutscenes are in-engine, isn't it possible to code a texture swap, swap Barrier textures for Gravity textures or something? You're just changing the orange parts of the suit then and the cutscene should still use the Barrier model so hopefully no breakage. Also maybe re-swap the textures back after the cutscene is finished to be safe.

(also, small suggestion IF this can be done; during the flashback on meeting the Baby Metroid on SR388, make Samus have the Gravity Suit in line with Metroid Samus Returns. You could also have Samus in the Gravity Suit in the opening against Mother Brain, but if left unchanged you can easily say the suit was damaged by the Hyper Beam and was shutting down suits.)

Problem with that is that all the other cutscenes which do use barrier's texture would use gravity's now.
I need to find precisely where the game determines what model to load for each cutscene, so I can make the proper change. Making a texture change would break other cutscenes. I'm not sure precisely what cutscene the barrier model starts being used, but I think it's after event dm24 that the Varia Suit is activated.
I tried looking around in the files for any kind of calls for cutscenes but didn't have any luck so far.

About your second suggestion, I did attempt doing that at one point. Isn't the scene with the Baby Metroid in sepia tone though?
As for the Mother Brain one, I did try, but damn the lighting and everything else in the scene makes it obnoxiously hard to work with for masking with video editors.
If someone has a way to change Samus' Varia Suit colours in that one to be Gravity Suit, that'd be amazing, I just couldn't do it with Cyberlink's Color Director, maybe there's a better (and free) tool to make it, but I didn't find one.