zfs-reader/extractor

Martin the Dane · June 13, 2001, 17:46

Hi I just made a new version of my (not so) famous ReadZFSFile. The new version can view and extract both Text (.txt), graphics (.rim), and sound (.wav) files.

The .rim files contained in the .zfs files found in the graphics sections can be viewed and saved either as .rim files or as 16 bit TrueVision Targa (mode 2) images (the format used by Civ:CTP and CTP2).

ReadZFSFile can now play-back and save .wav files found in the Sound sections.

Well some of this may only be useful in order to grab stuff from Civ:CTP

You should be able to download it from : http://home.worldonline.dk/~isl34882...eadzfs2002.zip

Any comments will be welcome.

Martin the Dane

OmniGod · June 13, 2001, 18:36

Simply amazing.... the rim files were the blocking point in some customizations and such... any chance you can open up *.til files? That would be the best and most useful utility that I can think of... next to the bmp convertor.

Thank you... thank you..

Immortal Wombat · June 13, 2001, 18:40

Yay! Martin's back

This new version is absolutly great Martin. Finally a way of getting the *.rim files

Now I laugh at everyone who spent time taking screenshots of all the CTP and CTP2 advances, units, wonders, buildings, goods etc. (Wait, I did that

)

Having viewed the *.rim files inside pic565.zfs and pic555.zfs, I can say that the two files definitly work together

The 555 ones are odd to say the least, kinda like negatives, but not.

Thanks very much Martin

I hope you get a copy of CTP2 soon

Its probably nearly worth it by now.
If you do have any more ideas about the *.til files, let us know.

What I do wonder about though, is this other display of Activision care and attention, not wishing to fill up our hard drives, they include

this:

Martin Gühmann · June 14, 2001, 09:00

The golden way to get these pics.

It makes my work worthless.

But I also requested something like that.

It saves a lot of screen capturing work and of course time. But the work was necassary for the Great Library pictures of CityMod2.

Quote:

Origally posted by Immortal Wombat
What I do wonder about though, is this other display of Activision care and attention, not wishing to fill up our hard drives, they include

this:

I also looked into the *.zfs files and I fond something in the ...\ctp2_data\german\graphics\pictures\ folder. The *zfs files there contains images from CTP1. What a waste of harddrive space.

Now there are two prgrams left a *.til file editor and a *.spr file grafic extractor.

By the way I tried the ctp1 *.til files in CTP2 it worked but the map looks a little bit odd.

-Martin

Immortal Wombat · June 14, 2001, 09:18

Oops, just realised I forgot to attatch my example of Activision's stupidity.I mean, what is this:

Immortal Wombat · June 14, 2001, 09:21

Quote:

By the way I tried the ctp1 *.til files in CTP2 it worked but the map looks a little bit odd.

I tried the same thing, and juggling around with terrain.txt, I made the terrains match up. I always prefered CTP1 terrain, so when we get the editor, I'll switch some around

Try this:

Martin the Dane · June 14, 2001, 11:18

Good to see someone appreciates my work.

Well, about the .til files: They seem to be in a format that I have never encauntered, this may be because it's a simple binary dump of the tile/tileimp objects. If so decoding it is going to be dificult to say the least.

I still think that i'ts a simple bitmap system, We'll just have to figure out the alignment, but ...

By the way. If anyone want to give it a shot. I have made a little test app. that treats the .til file as a .rim style bitmap or collections of bitmaps. It lets you change the dimentions, but so far no result. But then again, there are an awfull lot of possible dimentions and combinations.

If I ever figure it out, I'll post it.

Fuzzball · June 15, 2001, 01:03

Love your work

kaan · June 15, 2001, 08:02

Martin this is great work keep it up.

by the way, when do i get to take you to Bent J ?

klaus

Martin Gühmann · June 15, 2001, 09:07

Here is another idea how the *.til files could work: You could also treat them as *.spr files. And it would easier to make first a sprite viewer/extractor, because the readme of the sprite maker contains a part for the not so faint of heart, here is the beginning from the last chapter:

Quote:

5.0 - For the Not So Faint of Heart

This section describes the data format of the encoded sprites. This information can be used to create code to interpret, draw, or export sprites in the hands of
someone who knows C/C++.

Activision provides no guarantees, and will not be held responsible for any damages that result from the use of this stuff. It won't compile as it is right here, and is
provided only as a framework to work from for those interested in writing code to handle the Civ:CTP sprite format.

Activision also won't provide any sort of tech support for questions regarding this stuff. You're on your own.

Caveat Emptor. Have fun.

A sprite viewer/extractor should be possible. After the quote you will find in the readme a lot of code. My point is that the CivCTP sprites use a script file to organize the image ressources in a *.spr file. Maybe the *.til files has also something like a script file.

-Martin

Fuzzball · October 2, 2001, 19:03

After restoring my sys I've lost the zfs tool

Does anyone know where I can pick it up nowadays? Martin's site doesn't have it

Fuzzball · October 2, 2001, 19:14

Forget I spoke... I was looking on Martin Gühmann's site.... I found it on the creators site ofcourse...

Martin the Dane

Martin the Dane · October 3, 2001, 08:08

Talk to our parents, we didn't chose the names ourself

Well I'm glad you found it. btw, how usefull is it?

Martin the Dane

Fuzzball · October 3, 2001, 08:21

Very useful indeed!!

I love making custom windows desktop/icq/winamp/gamespy (etc..) skins.

Your zfs tool makes that incredibly easy to do with ctp and ctp2. Although I also plan on hopefully using some of the images on the upcoming civleague site. (If I don't get threatened with any legal action by Activision for doing so

)

Martin Gühmann · October 3, 2001, 08:22

Quote:

Well I'm glad you found it. btw, how usefull is it?

It is very usefull. There is more need to make screencaptures any more. And I can put more important things on my homepage than screencaptures although they were a lot of work. But of course it saves a lot of time in mod making. But I have also a suggestion for an improvement: The CTP2 sound.zfs contains *.wav, but there are also files with a cut extension like *.wa and *.w files. To play these file I have to extract them and rename them. It would be

if
zfs-reader/extractor could recognize these files as wav files.

-Martin

Gen.Dragolen · October 4, 2001, 09:15

Martin,

Could you put your ReadZFSFile up again so I can get a copy ? The link in your first post doesn't appear to be valid anymore. At least not with the dsl connection I use.

Thanks.

Martin the Dane · October 4, 2001, 10:17

Hi,

You are right the original link is invalid, as I was forced to move my files to a new location. (xoom.com was closed down, so I'll edit the link to the new location).

There is a new version with a few fixes:

Trunkated extentions for waw-files (.wa and .w) will now be recognised as waw-files.
The Start, Stop, and Pause buttons now works as intended.
The open and save dialogs now remember last used directories after restart.

The new version can be downloaded from my CTP-page or directly ReadZFSFile.
There is a patch for verion 2.0 build 1.

Martin the Dane