Modding rundown: Sound

[Teancum]

Well, back to my renaming xtreme to 1treme in the zss.  Maybe it behaves like most files in that if it can't fine the filename it skips it.  Of course if the hash contains a character ID then they may have some tricky way of avoiding the filename, since PS2 files don't use filenames.  My other thought is that somewhere it actually contains a folder called igam_v, or a virtual folder if nothing else.  I'll try setting up gambit as gamb_m and gamb_v, then see what I get. 

[Noelemahc]

Of course if the hash contains a character ID then they may have some tricky way of avoiding the filename, since PS2 files don't use filenames.

Yep, that's what I was thinking too. But I ran the hash's contents through every decipherer and decoder I've got on my hands (including most of the encodings M$ Word supports) and to no avail.

[DJay Saint]

Hey Noel, does the x-box version of XML1 have a file called ZAUDIO.IRX under the Modules folder?  If so, can I get it?

Here's the PS2 one if you want to take a look:

ZAudio

It appears to be the "driver" for the sounds.  I glanced at it with a hex editor, and will find a way to get it in readable document form.  Perhaps if we can make a "driver" for the x-box sounds for the PC like they have for the consoles, we could get those working?  *shrugs*

[Noelemahc]

We'd have to get it into DLL form. Since I'm no programmer, I haven't the slightest as to how to do it.

P.S. The modules are a Sony thing. Both of the Boxes have built-in drivers and the games use the Boxes' proprietary sound formats. I suppose you know what this means, dontcha?

[DJay Saint]

We're screwed, with a capital PH?

[Noelemahc]

Uh-huh. There still may be a way to add PS2 and Box support to the PC (after all, both formats are mapped out and well-studied these days; it'll be just a matter of injecting the necessary code into the DLLs) - but not of one to the other.

Anyone out there good with decompiling/recompiling DLLs?

[DJay Saint]

I can MAKE DLLs with Microsoft Visual Studio.  I would be lost as to what code to use for the console sound support though.  I've tried using Studio to decompile the XML2 and MUA DLLs, and all I see is version info and other random garbage, but no actual code...  *shrugs*

[Noelemahc]

Yup. You'd need a januwine proper disassembler for that (I use IDA, the Interactive Disassembler, if you want to know), then it's just a matter of seeing how the sound decodage is done... Mayhap that will ALSO allow us to decipher the ZSS format - but, again, allathis hangs on the premise of someone in here who actually understands machine code

[Teancum]

I had a thought last night Noel -- We know the ZSM gets referenced by the herostat, but perhaps there's a hash ID that links a ZSM with a section of ZSS. 

I also thought about the absolutely dumb idea of making /igam_v in /sounds/eng/i/g, then extracting the files to that folder and seeing if it plays.  To me it stands to reason, since the devs probably didn't recompile ZSS's every time they needed to change a sound.  Makes much more sense to run from a folder.  But even if they did, that code is probably long gone.

[Noelemahc]

Read the first pages of this thread, please (I know it's a lot, but since you've already outmaneouvered me on the planning and XML1ing fronts, I have to pretend I know more than you about something else now ). I wrote out all of my procrastinations on the matter back then - I tested all the 'loose files' options imaginable with the various formats, which is WHY exactly I arrived to the hash smash - wouldn't've touched it with a ten-foot-pole if the option was open to me.

In short, I couldn't find a way to get the non-ZSSed files to work. Maybe you'll have more luck than I did - maybe there's some trick to it that I could not invent.

but perhaps there's a hash ID that links a ZSM with a section of ZSS. 

Or maybe it works in the same way as the package names are formed - take this, nip/tuck here, poof, new file name to load. I'm still stuck with decoding how the DLLs were made, can't manage to get them to tell me anything, even with a dissassembler in tow.

[GuyIncognito]

http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EEZlkuAyVygUPdTBgY.php

Kernel Master informed us he released a new version of EkszBox-ABX(info) - an audio extraction/injection tool which supports multiple xbox audio/container formats.

What's new/fixed: (Edit: The important stuff below)
* Zsm/Zss supprt (X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse) (Xbox only).
* Wav support (Hybrid mode).

[Teancum]

Hmm....  It extracts the files as wav files (they're xbadpcm) which don't play.  Still this might be the best bet to installing new files.

[BliZZ]

Here's my idea: bear in mind I have no idea if it will work.

We take a character's sound file that ALREADY has the proper headers built in, like Wolverine's. We find the sections which are the raw data for the various sounds, and overwrite that raw data with raw data from another character's voice. Don't know if it'll work, but someone who knows what they are doing trying wouldn't hurt anyone

[cvc]

would anyone know Sebastian Shaw's voice is in xml2 or if he even had one??

[Teancum]

He had about 10 dialogue lines.  Nothing that could be used for his character.