[Closed] SD2 Media

[di_miro]

I hope that here we could share our experience in altering SD2 media files.

1st of all, about the background music, which, as it seems, no one succeeded to change. Using a PSX media decoder(jPSXdec) I found that there are some audio files, packed in the XA.PAC (Screen). From the 34 files that the media decoder could load, the first 13 are the menu songs, and sounds from the season cut-scenes. The last 3(which are mono sounds) are voices, so only 18 out 34 detected are actually what I am looking for, but obviously these are not all of them. I think that all of them are packed in the XA.PAC, but we have a similar problem as with the text in the game - compression. When the jPSXdec scans the XA.PAC it loads 34 audios, but also signals some warnings:
[WARN] Sector 70715 Channel Number corrupted: 54 (bad) == 54 (bad)
[WARN] Sector 70723 Channel Number corrupted: 54 (bad) == 54 (bad)
[WARN] Sector 70731 Channel Number corrupted: 54 (bad) == 54 (bad)
[WARN] Sector 70739 Channel Number corrupted: 54 (bad) == 54 (bad)
[WARN] Sector 70747 Channel Number corrupted: 54 (bad) == 54 (bad)
ect.

My explanation is that the other ones are differently compressed and I need a different application to access them.(Of course, I can not be sure of that - it's just a guess)
Also I need a program, capable to modify the XA.PAC file as the one I used, apart from not loading all the audio, can't add files to the .PAC file. Also, even if I could see all the files, a audio converter capable to convert common audio into XA audio would have been needed in order to do replacements for the original ones.

So, I'll be happy if others share their experience in that matter too - maybe together we'll figure it out.

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UPDATE: Background sounds are figured out by Kendrick.

That's the tool - http://www.romhacking.net/utilities/894/ Open XA.pac despite it's not a .xa file. It will find only 8 sounds. Select FileSearch and it will load all the background sounds in the game. From options you can listen or replace them with .wav files. Wav files you make should be 16bit and mono or stereo depending of the one you're replacing. It's pretty easy. We must be very thankful to Kendrick!

Thanks to Kendrick again - the background sounds mapping:
<blockquote class='quote\\_blockquote'><dl><dt>Quote:</dt><dd> </dd></dl><div>here: imagen tutorial to map wrestler entrance music http://www.mediafire.com/view/?myfiles#2fakqi66sa26z2x[/quote]

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[AKI Man]

This is great man. Nice tutorial of sorts bro. I will pin this now.

 

[WCW Rick]

nice work mate
could you try and figure out how to mod arena's if you ever get time

 

[NMCM]

I'm SD2 LeGeNd by the way lol. No really its me.

 

[di_miro]

I'm SD2 LeGeNd by the way lol. No really its me.

Haha, nice tutorial then! It was really clear and very useful.

As for the arenas, I'm not much into the graphics modding and image editing at all - I don't work with photoshop ect. It looks like all modders are using hacks to alter arenas - yesterday, as I was searching for move codes I saw a lot of codes about arena changes such as Barbwire Ropes, Flaming Raw Arena ect. Anyways, surely the answer lies somewhere in the files, but I suppose it's either hard to find or once again - strangely compressed and barely impossible to alter with common apps - I will tell if I come upon something.

 

[di_miro]

After another 2 hours of trying to find a way to deal with the XA.PAC it's time to sleep and most valuable thing I found was that I am not alone - back in 2007 someone felt just like me.

I quote:
"this file is a complete B^%#$ to open, it doesn't even want to open. I'm asking here if theres a way to open these files. The reason for this is that I'm ripping or trying to rip a copy of a game (WWF Smackdown! 2) for its audio files usually the files are in .XA but apparently the .XA files are in a .PAC file.

I've tried just about everything and I'm getting very frustrated at this, not ONE program has opened it, none. It can be played yes but only plays several notes and they are loud screeching. PSX Multirip can't find them in the file, Dragon Unpacker can't read the format, Winrar obviously can't read the format nor can Winzip. I'm new here but not new to the internet and some other forums.

I know this has been talked about before but there has to be something out there, people keep saying its a Creative Blaster Studio II file, some say its a Stan Image file, well apparently they don't relate to the file thats like a archive. Google is no help, they just give me links where people talk about it, but no solutions. I've asked just about everywhere and I got no replies whatsoever, its like nobody has even dealt with it, not even the people who rip OSTs from movies and games never encountered such a thing.... "
End of quote.

Maybe I just got to write an email to THQ asking them, but I am not so sure they'll want to help me.

NMCM, can you remember what did you do to pull out the mute trick?

PS: Sorry for the 2 in a row post - couldn't find a edit button to add this to my last post.

 

[NMCM]

I mean, you could mute everything in game in the options. I think the my ripped copy of the game may have had ripped sound files. Shoot a pm to redeye jedi. He did the titantrons and media for our YOC mod.

 

[di_miro]

Shoot a pm to redeye jedi. He did the titantrons and media for our YOC mod.

You do not have permission to send a message.
Error Code: 18039:6016166

 

[di_miro]

Hey Rick,
Can you please tell me how can I change which .str file corresponds to a wrestler? For example: Al Snow's str is 01.str. How can I change it to be 09.str? Some of these relations(let's call them) are changed in your mod, so I supposed you know how it's done.

Thanks in advance.

 

[WWEModder123]

.

 

[NMCM]

Its weird that you can send a pm. Maybe its a post thing?

 

[The NekoMancer]

If I'm not wrong he's just one post away for pms

 

[WCW Rick]

some str files are 16 seconds long and some are 24 seconds long
if you wanted al snow to have str 9 then you would have to re-hack al snow into the game and give him who evers music is str 9 and there entrence moves or you could just record a new video from youtube and make the str and replace his real str number

 

[Goatcheese]

Yes. Victor is right, It says in the rules you need 20 posts to enable use of the PM system.

 

[di_miro]

I figured it out myself. No need to send PM.

Also I made some progress with XA.PAC file. I managed to extract all the sounds via program called VGMToolbox. There are 132 separate files and some of them are actually unused in the game - such as Big Show's song(by the way, It's a shame they didn't finished Big Show, the only thing missing is his video. His face's pretty well done) and lots of comments.

Unfortunately it looks like that there's nothing more I can do. Still don't know how alter the package itself or how to make one. I don't even know what kind of package it is. Some kind of CDXA audio compilation, but I couldn't find anything about such a pack on the web.

 

[NMCM]

Nice! Research has its benefits! I really do wish we had a programmer @OSR.

 

[KendrickSD2]

Hi men , with Respect a the XA.pc i can Extract and listen , but not insert it sound

 

[NMCM]

There may be an import tool somewhere out there Kendrick. I'll look around a bit later.

 

[di_miro]

I've searched all over the internet for such a tool without any success. Extract and listen was my best achievement too... I think the XA.pac file is some kind of RIFF based audio compilation(package), but I couldn't find a way to modify its contents.

 

[KendrickSD2]

Ok, (PSound) Tool operates to extract and listen, but no contains option to insert, Psound extract archive Waw audio. I work hard to edit Xa.pac, But I never found tool to insert. need a program that SEARCH archive containing (Waw) and available option INSERT