User talk:CTPAX-X Team

SLB/M3 tools

Thanks for amplifying the page I created related to the M3/SLB format(s). Are we aware of any tool to extract data from .SLB/.M3 formats yet ?

- Elìa1995

Added script to unpack archives. If you want to view images you can use IGC.EXE game program as a viewer (DOSBox). CTPAX-X Team (talk) 19:20, 16 October 2018 (UTC)

FileInfoRec on SelectWare Archive

On the SelectWare Archive page, I'm not sure if it is useful to replace the information on the folder ID by the link to the FileInfoRec. I don't doubt that it's correct, but the page you linked to just describes that whole start block as "reserved", giving no information whatsoever about how a tool could distinguish files from folders and link them together correctly, while the previous information on the page did specify that. -Nyerguds (talk) 14:33, 8 May 2021 (GMT)

For more info on the problem, I refer to you the John Madden Football demo on this CD. It's the archive under the folder ELE15003. In that archive, there is no difference in directory level between "GRAPHICS\MISC\MISC.BMS" file and the following "GRAPHICS\STANCES" folder; without looking at those folder IDs, there is no way to know if "STANCES" is a "GRAPHICS\STANCES" folder, or an empty "GRAPHICS\MISC\STANCES" file. Here's an image of the files tree. -Nyerguds (talk) 14:52, 8 May 2021 (GMT)

[EDIT]

Ah, I missed the fact there is a directory bit in the file attributes. With that, and the dir level from the entry, it is indeed completely possible without ever looking at that "reserved" information. Out of curiosity, does the SelectWare extractor actually look at that reserved block, or is its unpacking identical to your own? -Nyerguds (talk) 15:32, 8 May 2021 (GMT)

Sorry, messed up logic for folder level. Example code fixed (thanks for pointing out on ELE15003 example archive) - now it should be identical to how the SelectWare extractor works (rechecked disassembler code), except parts marked as TODO in comments. And yes, original code never use anything from reserved 21 byte block since it's undocumented DOS internals. Also it would be nice if someone ported to this Wiki information about FileInfoRec, DOS Packed Time/Date and DOS File Attributes, since there are few other file formats which uses this structures (except maybe FileInfoRec). CTPAX-X Team (talk) 18:26, 8 May 2021 (GMT)

Thanks for confirming that the reserved block is not used; it will come in handy when writing my code to save the archive type. I adapted my own reading code for the next version of the Librarian tool using the directory flag, and it's actually a lot simpler now. I also added a small section in the article now describing how to traverse the directory tree. -Nyerguds (talk) 22:02, 8 May 2021 (GMT)

One addition: the actual extractor code does not check the first filename character (it's just this implementation quirks), instead it checks that sizeof(swt_item) bytes was sucessully read from input file. Also add subdirectories and remove hidden tag since can't imagine a way to hide something with this format. CTPAX-X Team (talk) 16:03, 11 May 2021 (GMT)

Black line at the bottom of Keen Dreams title

Hello. Could you tell me what to do in this case? Since nobody can help me (yet), read my topic: https://keenmodding.org/viewtopic.php?p=36634#p36634 (Oh, and the black line appears at the right bottom corner of the screen.) Szemigi (talk) 07:36, 7 September 2021 (GMT)

TitleBuild was developed by Levellass - you should ask for help there first. As for some suggestions - try to use nConvert:

nconvert.exe -in -1 -out iff TITLESCR.BMP

Rename output file "TITLESCR.IFF" to "TITLESCR.LBM" and pack it back with "SOFTLIB.EXE" to "KDREAMS.CMP". Maybe it will work correctly this time. CTPAX-X Team (talk) 09:44, 7 September 2021 (GMT)

I have a little problem at the end. I did everything as you mentioned, but SOFTLIB said titlescr.lbm is not a SOFTLIB file and I'm stopped. Please, tell me what can I do as it would be very important for me. Szemigi (talk) 23:36, 7 September 2021 (GMT)

No success. I managed to pack it back, but still the same black line at the bottom. Maybe TitleBuilder is the guilty? Szemigi (talk) 01:01, 8 September 2021 (GMT)

Do the following things (step-by-step):

1. SOFTLIB.EXE E KDREAMS.CMP TITLESCR.LBM

2. nConvert.exe -in -1 -out bmp TITLESCR.LBM

(edit output "TITLESCR.BMP" file here as you like)

3. nConvert.exe -in -1 -c 1 -out iff TITLESCR.BMP

4. del TITLESCR.LBM

5. ren TITLESCR.IFF TITLESCR.LBM

6. del KDREAMS.CMP

7. SOFTLIB.EXE AC KDREAMS.CMP TITLESCR.LBM LZH

Just tested and everything works fine. Use DOSBox or any other DOS VM for running SOFTLIB.EXE. Do not use TileBuilder if you have issues with it. CTPAX-X Team (talk) 08:34, 8 September 2021 (GMT)

Thanks! I will try it, too. Szemigi (talk) 08:50, 8 September 2021 (GMT)

Keen 1 v1.34 EXE problem

Hello! Could you help me? The EXE of Keen 1 v1.34 was compressed by PKLite, which I decompressed with UNP, so that I can use KeenGraph (Keen 1-6, Dreams graphic editor). While trying to extract the graphics, KeenGraph mentions that 'EGASPRIT.CK1 LZW-compressed, decompressing...' 'EGALATCH.CK1 LZW-compressed, decompressing...' And then nothing happens, but just hanging. Tell me how to decompress these LZW-compressed files. Szemigi (talk) 22:52, 18 October 2021 (GMT)

Sorry, not familiar with this game or modding tools, can't help. CTPAX-X Team (talk) 19:50, 20 October 2021 (GMT)

Alright, but any suggestions/tools on how to decompress LZW-decompressed files? Szemigi (talk) 21:42, 20 October 2021 (GMT)

Try the LZW Compression page? Or ask Levellass, who actually made the KeenGraph tool. -Nyerguds (talk) 23:15, 20 October 2021 (GMT)

I managed to decompress EGALATCH.CK1, but EGASPRIT.CK1 not. Here are the compressed values from EGASPRIT.CK1:

0000  70 7B 00 00 0C 00 00 40
0010  40 80 6C 00 3B 82 1D 0E

Do you know how to decompress it? Szemigi (talk) 20:25, 21 October 2021 (GMT)

Sorry, not familiar with this game or modding tools, can't help. CTPAX-X Team (talk) 18:35, 30 November 2021 (GMT)