The DDR Research Master Thread - UPDATED 2023-04-15 - Minor Addition - SOME DDR GB1 Memory Addresses

What do the background script files look like, out of curiousity?

Yes I would be interested in how the data is arranged there, and also figuring out how to take that file apart.

---

Can you add DDR X/ X2 to the queue for any unused dialogue? Doubt there are any hidden graphics, but those would be ultra grand. I think X2 was hacked into at least once just to make it through DMM and Request Mode, but that was a while ago.

and/ or these requests

Ahhhh memory usage is fascinating ever since the Missingno glitch was a thing. :3

---

For that data, I defer to the data / work that root670 had done on here:
http://pastie.org/10178850 - all the contents of filedata.bin - which he figured out.

The line "Another SSQ table?" is where he thought, at the time of publishing this list, another set of stepdata tables was, but upon investigating, it turned out that is where the video scripts (or rather, what I think are BG scripts) are located.

He has tools that he does not want made public yet, including one that can take apart EXTREME's filedata.bin, and even put it back together again, but again - only will be released when he gives the OK. Hopefully before that, it can be adapted to support the tables for the other games (MAX JP, US, MAX2 JP, U.S Demo, U.S, EXTREME U.S, Party Collection, DS Fusion, etc, all of whose filedata tables I was able to find thanks to root's work.

Here's my tools for use with the PS2 DDR games: https://www.mediafire.com/?w5u765854zhd65b

In that 7z there are 4 tools:
dump-filetable.py: Extract FILEDATA.BIN using the file table in a game's ELF file. Currently it supports Extreme JP, MAX 2 JP, MAX JP, and Party Collection but more can easily be added. You need Python 3.4 installed to use this (Python 2.7 might work, but I didn't test it), along with an ELF file and FILEDATA.BIN file.
create-filedata.py: Create a new FILEDATA.BIN file along with a file table to inject into a game's ELF file. You need Python 3.4 for this as well. It will add all files extracted using dump-filetable.py in the current directory to create a new FILEDATA.BIN and file table. You can then inject the generated file table into the game's ELF at the offsets listed in dump-filetable.py. Unfortunately, there are several edge cases that need to be addressed (for example, there's extra data at the end of Extreme JP's FILEDATA.BIN that doesn't have an entry in the file table, yet the game requires the data to be here) so it probably won't work most of the time. I recomend using UltraISO to add the modified files to an existing ISO.
extract-tcb.exe: Extract TCB images from a data file. It can do a bruteforce search for compressed and uncompressed TCBs contained within a file, or extract from a file that start with a table. Basically just use the bruteforce option with files extracted using dump-filetable.py and it'll spit out TCBs into a folder.
tcb-tool: Convert TCB images to PNG or inject a PNG into an existing TCB. You could create texture mods using this if you wanted to. It works great with 256-color images (8-bit), but often produces weird images with 16 color (4-bit) images.

I hope someone finds this useful . These tools are not entirely stable, but please let me know if you encounter anything strange.

Nice, this could help me with some PS2 rips. Thanx root670 !

They aren't working when I try to use them. I use a Windows 7 Home.

They have to be run from the command prompt.

You think you can also make one for IPU files?

This is awesome.

IMO, all the TCB program needs is the option of having compressed files extracted uncompressed (either alone, or with decompressed versions), and the ability to recompress TCB images, then we'll be pretty much set to edit any graphic in the PS2 DDR mixes.

@root670 how can you convert many tcbs to pngs using tcb tool in one way?

I quickly whipped up a program that will do that - I'll post it a little later (just got home from work, got an evening routine to go through XD)

you could group all the tcb in a same folder and create a bat with this content:


The file.exe string is the name of the exe that you want to run, you can change the *.* filter too. Save as a bat and run it.

Anyone knows a mode to extract the videos? I need some DDREX2 and DDRX videos.

I used this script during testing:
Save this to a .bat file and change "C:\tcb-tool.exe" to the correct path if needed. Then from the command line you can call it with the arguments used by extract-tcb (option number and path to .BIN file extracted using dump-filetable.py)

Been messing around with song step data... seems in limited cases the game engine does support quads. XD



Gonna keep investigating this.

Quick convert every ITG song to DDRs engine!
Anyways, that's quite a step forward if we're able to change stepcharts now. Are the quads hittable or would it crash the game or something?

---

It should be hittable Since Uh la la la has a 3 step hand...

---

Hitting them works fine - no crashes, no smoking PS2s (or PCs running the game emulated for that matter)

I just finished a little experiment where I ported over "A" from EXTREME JP over to MAX2 JP, step chart and music (no BG, banner, or song wheel label), when I get home a little later I'll upload the video I did. Aside from the audio for the song cutting off about 5 seconds before the end (probably a little less in actuality), it works, and I have a hacked ISO of MAX2JP with "A" in it, sorta.

Speaking of that, the size of banner and BG graphics for songs that appear in multiple games fluxuates a lot between games, which is surprising since you'd figure they'd just use the same TCB image for the banner, and static background image (and songwheel label), since it's already in the format neede, and thus have uniform sizes - so far my attempts to port banners over result in an ISO that crashes, odds are because my attempts to port the banner graphic overwrites another song's graphics. Song wheel labels are easy to port, OTOH, without crashing anything, and they appear to maintain a uniform file size through out the series..

Later on, some point in the future, I gotta look to see if it is possible to make the game utilize regular Playstation PCM/ADPCM, not SVAG, as that would make putting in custom music a hell of a lot easier (since tools exist for converting wav files into non-SVAG PS2 ADPCM )

@root670 Any news about texture dumping tools for SN1 JP/US to X2 US PS2? I believe they have similar file structures to each other.

Here is my ALMOST successfully porting "A" 's stepchart and music from EXTREME JP to MAX2 JP.


I wish I knew why the hell the music faded out like 10 seconds early.