Pokémon Gen IV Map Converter

[Spiky-Eared Pichu]

Pokémon Gen IV Map Converter
by Spiky-Eared Pichu

Pokémon Gen IV Map Converter is my first hacking tool, created to make Gen IV mapping easier. It allows exporting and importing the different sections of a map file as separate files. Editing is planned for the future, but it won't support every section.

The file formats supported by this tool as of version 0.5 are:

• Move Permissions files (*.per)
• Buildings files (*.bld)
• Nintendo DS Model files (*.nsbmd)
• Terrain files (*.bdhc)

The tool has a built-in file checker when opening maps and importing sections. Make sure you're importing the right data. It autodetects the game origin as well, but it can be changed at any time (be careful, incorrect values will lead to map corruption).


Screenshots





Download


http://www.mediafire.com/?0n3fze12zdm034p


Note: The latest .NET Framework is required to run the tool.

[Tan and Teal]

We are getting closer to Ds Hacks (with map edits) than ever. Can't wait to try this!

[tajaros]

This, is great Spiky-Eared-Pichu! this will really bring us closer to DS hacking!

Goodluck on this!

[pichu2000]

Good idea, really! Maybe I can add support for your extension file (.per, .bld) in my tool (If you give me authorization)

[tajaros]

Oh, I forgot to mention is this compatible for all the 4th gen games, including HGSS?

[Spiky-Eared Pichu]

Originally Posted by pichu2000

Good idea, really! Maybe I can add support for your extension file (.per, .bld) in my tool (If you give me authorization)

Sure you can! These new file formats are just the extracted sections and contain the data, they shouldn't be difficult to implement.

Originally Posted by tajaros

Oh, I forgot to mention is this compatible for all the 4th gen games, including HGSS?

It works with Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold and SoulSilver, yes. Just make sure you have selected the right game option when exporting or you'll get files with garbage.


EDIT: Version 0.4 has been released!

• Added import button for all the sections
• Fixed a size calculation bug when importing terrains
• Added file type check
• Added automatic game origin detection (but it can be forced)

[Hacker Bisharp]

Wow! This tool is awesome
Can't wait to try this!

[Tan and Teal]

Holy cow! This is the result of switching the .nsbmd files around!

http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/4...py21425689.png

http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/4...py22425918.png

http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/7...py23126136.png

http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/7...py24025774.png

I'll try other files next.
EDIT: http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/8...copy201324.png
Canalave City

[Spiky-Eared Pichu]

Yesterday I got a buildings data viewer working! It shows all the data related to buildings, including coordinates and model indexes. In the future it'll be an editor, and adding/removing models will be possible as well. Here's a picture:



In case you want to stay updated on everything related to this tool or my hack, I've signed up on Twitter. Follow me at @Markitus95

EDIT: Version 0.5 is now available! Improvements are:

-Buildings data editor (supports add/edit/remove)
-Locked game origin switch (for your safety)

Download link: http://www.mediafire.com/?0n3fze12zdm034p

[Pike15]

How do i open a map in pokemon diamond??

[Spiky-Eared Pichu]

Originally Posted by Pike15

How do i open a map in pokemon diamond??

You need to unpack the file that contains the maps. The included readme file explains which file has to be unpacked, but I'll tell you anyways. It's "/fielddata/land_data/land_data_release.narc"

Also, for those who downloaded version 0.5 before this post was written, please redownload it again, your HGSS maps are in danger (I fixed a corruption bug). Sorry!

[Pike15]

Yes i did do that but i cant open land_data_realease.narc

[Spiky-Eared Pichu]

Originally Posted by Pike15

Yes i did do that but i cant open land_data_realease.narc

You have to UNPACK it to a folder, and then open its files with the tool. NDS Editor is a good program to unpack .narc files.

EDIT: I've got a Move Permission Editor working, although it has saving disabled for now. Here's Route 202 in it:



The colours for each permission are stored in a text file and they can be changed to whatever you like the most. The Buildings Editor will have a map viewer similar to this one, but smaller

[Pike15]

Awsome i gonna try if it workz right now thanks alot ;D

[hinkage]

Did you extract those movement permissions directly? If so, the "02" and "3B" permissions match up with the ones in gen three ("tall grass animation" and "Person jumps down over block," respectively.) Weird.


Anyway, I have an idea for a map editor. I think anything that isn't a 3D model is a 2D tile (as shown above with how movement permissions are handled), so therefore we just need an A-Map that works with a z-axis, in layers. I believe this might be sort of how Game Freak did it: 2D tiles on a 3D plane.

For this to work, this new A-Map-esque program could be made to change only what is on the axis you are on. For example, if you want to edit a water tile on "z, -1", selecting "-1" for the z axis will only show/allow editing of tiles on -1. If you want to change a flower on "z, 0", just select "0" for the z axis. If a mountain tile is on z axis 2, select "2", etc.


I know there's already a map viewer for 4th gen, so maybe that could be made to edit the tiles, too.
I'm not sure if any of this has been thought up already/can't be done with the current knowledge of 4th gen map loading/etc., so I might've just wasted everyone's time xD

[Spiky-Eared Pichu]

Originally Posted by hinkage

Did you extract those movement permissions directly? If so, the "02" and "3B" permissions match up with the ones in gen three ("tall grass animation" and "Person jumps down over block," respectively.) Weird.


Anyway, I have an idea for a map editor. I think anything that isn't a 3D model is a 2D tile (as shown above with how movement permissions are handled), so therefore we just need an A-Map that works with a z-axis, in layers. I believe this might be sort of how Game Freak did it: 2D tiles on a 3D plane.

For this to work, this new A-Map-esque program could be made to change only what is on the axis you are on. For example, if you want to edit a water tile on "z, -1", selecting "-1" for the z axis will only show/allow editing of tiles on -1. If you want to change a flower on "z, 0", just select "0" for the z axis. If a mountain tile is on z axis 2, select "2", etc.


I know there's already a map viewer for 4th gen, so maybe that could be made to edit the tiles, too.
I'm not sure if any of this has been thought up already/can't be done with the current knowledge of 4th gen map loading/etc., so I might've just wasted everyone's time xD

The values shown in that picture are extracted directly from the game, so yes, they match many of the RSE ones.

As for real map editing, Gen IV maps (and the same goes for Gen V) aren't made up of 2D data in a 3D plane. Each map is a true 3D model, composed of vertices and triangles. That's why they are difficult to edit: because we need a full 3D modeller.

However, this tool already supports importing/exporting of models in the native Nintendo DS models. There's a way to create them from 3ds studio max, but it involves official Nintendo plugins, and I can't post links to them (it's like posting a rom). But I will make a tutorial on them soon.

Also, I've started working on another tool. I can't say anything about it because I want it to be a surprise, but I'll only say one thing: it's gonna be HUGE :D

[805587804]

Originally Posted by Spiky-Eared Pichu

You have to UNPACK it to a folder, and then open its files with the tool. NDS Editor is a good program to unpack .narc files.

EDIT: I've got a Move Permission Editor working, although it has saving disabled for now. Here's Route 202 in it:



The colours for each permission are stored in a text file and they can be changed to whatever you like the most. The Buildings Editor will have a map viewer similar to this one, but smaller

Why do I install NET Framework V4.0 or not to open the fourth generation of the Pokemon converter tools?
(Note: Double-click reaction)

[hinkage]

Originally Posted by Spiky-Eared Pichu

The values shown in that picture are extracted directly from the game, so yes, they match many of the RSE ones.

As for real map editing, Gen IV maps (and the same goes for Gen V) aren't made up of 2D data in a 3D plane. Each map is a true 3D model, composed of vertices and triangles. That's why they are difficult to edit: because we need a full 3D modeller.

However, this tool already supports importing/exporting of models in the native Nintendo DS models. There's a way to create them from 3ds studio max, but it involves official Nintendo plugins, and I can't post links to them (it's like posting a rom). But I will make a tutorial on them soon.

Also, I've started working on another tool. I can't say anything about it because I want it to be a surprise, but I'll only say one thing: it's gonna be HUGE :D

Really? Then WHY DID THEY DESIGN IT TO LOOK LIKE TILES? -_- Game Freak, pls.

I know of a tool called BrawlBox which allows viewing/editing of 3D models in Super Smash Bros. Brawl (it's designed almost exactly like A-Map too), so it's not at all impossible to do it for Pokemon. Your program is great to even be able to edit models so easily, but if you could do something like BBox, I think that would really get people into 4th gen hacking.

[Tan and Teal]

Originally Posted by Spiky-Eared Pichu

As for real map editing, Gen IV maps (and the same goes for Gen V) aren't made up of 2D data in a 3D plane. Each map is a true 3D model, composed of vertices and triangles. That's why they are difficult to edit: because we need a full 3D modeller.

However, this tool already supports importing/exporting of models in the native Nintendo DS models. There's a way to create them from 3ds studio max, but it involves official Nintendo plugins, and I can't post links to them (it's like posting a rom). But I will make a tutorial on them soon.

Also, I've started working on another tool. I can't say anything about it because I want it to be a surprise, but I'll only say one thing: it's gonna be HUGE :D

DS map editing may be hard, but we've come so far already. There are so many tools for the ds (not as many as for Game Boy+GBA), including this one and the one you are working on. Can't wait for it BTW.
ps I may or may not be working on one myself.

And you can even create 3d models too!? That's awesome!

[Pike15]

How long have you came with the next version??

a little hacking and finally i created a mart in twinleaf town. And i messed up all other buildings too lolz

[JackHack96]

Woah! That's very nice! This tool is very useful, especially if you use it together with pichu2000's NPRE! Finally I haven't to use Crystal Tile!
Thank very much! =D

[AlexTheRose]

I don't think it's a good idea to use four or five-letter extensions, to be honest. It might pose compatibility issues with dual-OS programs. No, I don't mean OSX or *NIX, but things like SNESedit with DOS — even though Hex workshop exists, few ROM hackers want to throw money at something that has functional free alternatives.

Then again, it may just be my personal opinion that three-letter extensions are best, but it might be wise to stick with them just in case.


Also, two very popular games occupy the .per file extension, which are Age of Empires/Rise of Rome, and Age of Empires II (Age of Kings)/The Conquerors. These games use .per files as personality files to tag with artificial intelligence files (.ai) that they use. So, I wouldn't advise using it.

Again, these things are just what I think. You're welcome to keep or change them—its ultimately up to you of course. :D

[Link_971]

Good idea, i will maybe rewrite my tool with a full support of these extensions.

Originally Posted by AlexTheRose

I don't think it's a good idea to use four or five-letter extensions, to be honest. It might pose compatibility issues with dual-OS programs. No, I don't mean OSX or *NIX, but things like SNESedit with DOS — even though Hex workshop exists, few ROM hackers want to throw money at something that has functional free alternatives.

Then again, it may just be my personal opinion that three-letter extensions are best, but it might be wise to stick with them just in case.


Also, two very popular games occupy the .per file extension, which are Age of Empires/Rise of Rome, and Age of Empires II (Age of Kings)/The Conquerors. These games use .per files as personality files to tag with artificial intelligence files (.ai) that they use. So, I wouldn't advise using it.

Again, these things are just what I think. You're welcome to keep or change them—its ultimately up to you of course. :D

Yes, that's why i suggest more search for the two first extensions

[Pike15]

only get invalid map when i try to open the fielddata narc thing

[DrFuji]

Pike15, please don't bump threads that haven't been posted in for over a month.

Spiky-Eared Pichu, if you would like this thread to be reopened then just message either myself or giradialkia.