Diamond/Pearl/Platinum hacking

There won't be any good DP Hacks.

Because it's impossible to change maps in DP because they're 3d-modelled not tiled.

Maxim said:

There won't be any good DP Hacks.

Because it's impossible to change maps in DP because they're 3d-modelled not tiled.

Click to expand...

And you think that there will never be any program that could change D/P maps?

the 3d-modeling is a little different, however, if you haven't noticed. things change shape from distance, which is in itself 3D modeling, but if you notice, there are certain boundaries of distance for each form of each sprite/object. from about 0-4 steps/tiles away from an object, it is in its original form. from 5-10, the object has a different form (usually being smaller). think about how sinnoh underground works. you can place all sorts of objects in your base or w/e it is. certain tiles allow certain events/actions to be performed.

i just tend to pay attention to details like that, so i can make the assumption that hacking CAN be done. the elevation issue in D/P graphics is something that can't be modified, but maybe ground level maps can.

Maxim said:

There won't be any good DP Hacks.

Click to expand...

Unless we can't edit the maps, you're probably right. -shrudders at the sight of countless bad hacks-

You guys really don't think hacking will get better? Think how much hacking has changed since gold and silver! Eventually we will find ways to change 3D maps, it may be months or years, but I'm sure it will happen eventually...

yeah this sounds cool.
might try it :)

if you look at the limk D-trough there is a map app in the making

Mapping looks difficult, also nice findings CBM.

It could be possible to change the map in hex(maybe) if you found the right code, each square of the map. Hopefully it will be possible, maps would probably be the hardest part.

Where did you get the emulator and rom from? I would like to try my hand at hacking but my emulator runs so slowly it's not even worth having.

The outside world map is just one big map. Try walking through walls and you will find that some mystery areas actully are just shedloads of trees not because there is no data there it's just that gamefreak didn't want a town/city/route there! The same applys inside buildings, if you walk to far in the 'shadows' you'll find other buildings.
The mapping issue is very simple. Because it's a ds, not a gameboy rom anymore, the values are a completely different format. Like making a 3d game there's models of houses and trees. things like mountsins and grass is just a terrain file which has an added heightmap. Then there is the data of blocking players off certain areas.
When entering a new town, a flag is set meaning the 'terrain set' (similar to tileset) changes and buildings appear. My penpal has indepthly told me this in weak english. Seeing as in Japan they call hacking 'Core programing' i'm sure he knows what he's talking about!

I've blabbed on abit so thank you for reading.

Theres a difference between modeling and mapping. Modeling is basically making the graphics, mapping it putting the 3d models/ graphics in place. Mapping is entirly possible, however modeling is as well, although that will be tougher. Theres a Super Mario 64 editor in production, so if that is possible, so is the modeling.

If you know 3D programming there is nothing difficult there, just polygons with images wrapped on them.
I know you'd think thats only for PC games but that implies to every actual 3d implimentation and even DS.
The only difference that would be between PC and DS is that how it is coded.
I hope you will be able to actually work it out.
Other than that the logic of 3d graphics is to do the type of mapping we currently do on polygons and planes.

Hopefully someone will find a way to do a unLZ GBA type of thing were the models can be viewed then ripped, then opened and edited in 3DS or Maya. Although, you only really need to edit the textures to change the look of the buildings.

True, I agree with Zyph. Though I have not personally delt with too many 3D aspects of anything, from my understanding, that would make sense.

Also, has anyone else played around with PokeTex? It's really good, the best Diamond and Pearl hacking tool out there at the moment. You can do some pretty neet things with the sprites using this tool, now if only the program was translated (Not that it's hard to navigate...)

Map editing should be entirely possible. You'd just be moving around data already there. It would be similar to tilesets only instead of "piece 1 of building f goes to 12,15" it would be more like "build_a goes to 12,15,17". Just an extra height value, and using the whole model instead of tileset pieces. If the model format was studied you could eventually be able to edit the textures I'm sure, maybe even model your own stuff, if it was cracked enough and the game itself doesn't have filesize checks.

once this map editing gets figured out, i'd like to se a remake of maybe emerald or gold... But this all takes time.

PokeTEX

Well, I played around with PokeTEX, and it indeed can change graphics. (in the Japanese version at least - haven't figured out how to get it to work on U.S. version).

Anyway, I've got a few screenshots of it, in which I changed a few graphics.

Enjoy!

P.S. Oh, by the way, the Ideas emulator now works perfectly (or close enough anyway) with Pokemon diamond. You don't need the (*illegal*) bios and firmware files for it, either. And, it has save states! :D Might just be passing up no$gba. It's fast, too!

Edit: Just realized .bmp files won't upload. So, I zipped them and am attaching them now...

Edit: Figured out how to make PokeTEX work with English roms, but it's a pain. Took me hours to get. I'll post how to later when I have time.

Hey, I've got an Action Replay, and though it doesn't sound like much the DS ones have no encryption and it replaces hex values. So you can look into the codes and this can help with hex modification.

11235 said:

Well, I played around with PokeTEX, and it indeed can change graphics. (in the Japanese version at least - haven't figured out how to get it to work on U.S. version).

Anyway, I've got a few screenshots of it, in which I changed a few graphics.

Enjoy!

P.S. Oh, by the way, the Ideas emulator now works perfectly (or close enough anyway) with Pokemon diamond. You don't need the (*illegal*) bios and firmware files for it, either. And, it has save states! :D Might just be passing up no$gba. It's fast, too!

Edit: Just realized .bmp files won't upload. So, I zipped them and am attaching them now...

Edit: Figured out how to make PokeTEX work with English roms, but it's a pain. Took me hours to get. I'll post how to later when I have time.

Click to expand...

I suppose no one has really posted about this program, though I suppose it is because most of us know it exists and works. Yes it's true, PokeHex is perhaps the best and only working program for Diamond/Pearl hacking. If done correctly you can even replace whole sprite sheets with others...
*Oh and please do tell how you got it to work on English roms! As this is a much needed step in stairway toward DS hacking perfection.*

Hey, I've got an Action Replay, and though it doesn't sound like much the DS ones have no encryption and it replaces hex values. So you can look into the codes and this can help with hex modification.

Click to expand...

I'm not really sure what you mean...I suppose we could in theory, look at one string of hex, modify if with an AR or the Pokesav program, upload it to a rom and look at it under a hex editor. Though this would be a lot of work, figuring out exactly which hex digits did what would be a pain in the ...well you know.
Anyways thanks for the updates, I was beginning to fear people had given up after that debate on graphics! Don't freat people! Where there is a will! There's a hacker!

Making PokeTEX work on English roms

Well, after hours of work in cracking the rom, figuring out what PokeTEX does, etc., and a lot of entering in numbers, I came up with this attached file. All you have to do is replace the list.txt file with the one I'm providing here. (Note: it will no longer work on Japanese versions, so back up the list.txt file it came with if you ever want to hack Japanese roms)

Well everyone, I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor!

P.S. The program Poke DsPic also works, but you need to fiddle around with some stuff to make it useful. I'll post a guide when I have time (probably next week). (You also need the programs NDSTS and NDSTool)
Site: pokeguide.filb.de/progs/PokeDsPic.zip (it won't let me post a link for some reason, so just copy it into the address bar and add).