What's new

Zelda64 Actor Viewer status thread

cooliscool

Nintendo Zealot
Started this earlier this week, getting some nice results. Know the format mostly, now just working out what vertices make up what polygons (hence why GL_Points primitives only currently shows truly legible data, and why the wireframe shots look somewhat screwed).

Models are very low res, so you can only vaguely make out Jabu Jabu from this shot (top down view). Heheh.

This space will be updated as I make progress..

edit: if you're wondering how you'll be getting model files from the ROM, that will be explained at release time (of which will include the source code). It will support Majora's Mask and Ocarina of Time model files :).

The purpose of the application is to load models which are not linked to the game in one way or another, IE, can't be loaded ingame.

Latest release is 0.83.

http://webpages.charter.net/cooliscool/UoT_0.83_Release.exe

http://webpages.charter.net/cooliscool/UoT_0.83_Source.rar
 
Last edited:

MIO0

New member
Interesting..

You may want to post your findings at Acmlm's board in the ROM Hacking forum. Much has been found in Super Mario 64, which has similar data fromats, but progress is currently stagnant. Because the archive at Acmlm's is down, I've attached a snapshot of the thread with the interesting stuff. There might be some information in the attached file useful for your project.
 
OP
C

cooliscool

Nintendo Zealot
Yeah, Acmlm's board is nice, and that info will be especially useful. Thanks much.

For now, with the help of my buddy MNGoldenEagle, I've improved my parser a lot, now the program can identify vertex lists in the file, so no more nasty lines everywhere. Still haven't fixed linking completely, but even it is much better. :) Just began working on triangle groups - but it's fairly simple so it shouldn't take long to have filled 3D models. The program also identifies and extracts textures and coordinates, though no conversion or mapping information is currently extracted.

Shizzy: Of course. ;p

clipboard01sc4.jpg


clipboard02sy8.jpg


clipboard03fh2.jpg


clipboard04au9.jpg
 
OP
C

cooliscool

Nintendo Zealot
Haven't had a whole lot of time to work on the viewer over the holidays, but the last few days or so I've done some work..


  • Display list entry point scanning and selection (for objects, not maps as it's not necessary), which means multiple models within one file can be seperated now (thanks _Demo_).

  • Accurate Vertex Colors (not always used in a useful manner)

  • Semi-finished texture data parser

  • Many bugfixes to the polygon parser

  • Major optimizations

By at least release number 2, ZAV will be able to export model data to another format (haven't decided which yet), for manipulation.

Maybe some more things I forgot... but here's some shots. Try to guess where the first model is from... hehe.

The best part about this project is that it's given me the opportunity to work with someone who I really respect and look up to: _Demo_ of ZSNES fame. :)
 
Last edited:
OP
C

cooliscool

Nintendo Zealot
Thanks!

VB .NET Express 2005 and OpenGL (through Tao) as the API. This is a great thing for me, as a major .NET advocate, to show what the framework (and VB) are capable of. :)
 
Last edited:

Enzo Dragon

STFU, NAVI
Haven't had a whole lot of time to work on the viewer over the holidays, but the last few days or so I've done some work..


  • Display list entry point scanning and selection (for objects, not maps as it's not necessary), which means multiple models within one file can be seperated now (thanks _Demo_).

  • Accurate Vertex Colors (not always used in a useful manner)

  • Semi-finished texture data parser

  • Many bugfixes to the polygon parser

  • Major optimizations

By at least release number 2, ZAV will be able to export model data to another format (haven't decided which yet), for manipulation.

Maybe some more things I forgot... but here's some shots. Try to guess where the first model is from... hehe.

The best part about this project is that it's given me the opportunity to work with someone who I really respect and look up to: _Demo_ of ZSNES fame. :)
WHOA! One of your models looks like this:
z6452.jpg

That is QUITE the infamous model you've found. Rumors have been going around about the Blue Fairy for a long, long time...
 

Cyberman

Moderator
Moderator
Thanks!

VB .NET Express 2005 and OpenGL (through Tao) as the API. This is a great thing for me, as a major .NET advocate, to show what the framework (and VB) are capable of. :)
Well ... although .NET makes things easy ... In my view it reminds me of the days of the Commodor 64. Did you know MS wrote that BASIC too? as matter of fact prior to 1986 MS provided the largest number of versions of basic in the world. They ported to everything. TRS80 you name it. As for .NET it is 20 to 30 year old technology revisted with clever packaging. I won't get into much more detail but it's more business politics than actual technological inovation Microsoft bought the top RAD spear head from Borland and that has lead too the new versions of the developer suite for there compilors. The big changes are the compilor end of things. I do not like having to get a bunch of libraries to run something however. I hate Borland C++ builder for that, it's a big anoyance. :D We should have a forum called Technology politics, that's .NET in a nutshell.

As for your work. Good job dude! Although your reasons are odd (LOL) the work is good. Good fortune and maybe you'll have cool features to add to it like easy High Rez texturing matching or better ways to identify texture models at least for said plugins. Oh yes COMPILE a standalone version, I think you can with .NET (IE people don't need those stupid bloody libraries ;) ).

Cyb
 
OP
C

cooliscool

Nintendo Zealot
I agree on the libraries issue - but if you ever move to Vista, .NET (2.0 & 3.0) will be basically transparent. Microsoft is really pushing for .NET standardization, and they're doing quite well with it. Screw politics, btw. =]

My reasons actually aren't to prove a point or anything. As a long time Ocarina of Time "hidden realm" aficionado (Zelda's Secret Ocarina - I co run this site with MNGoldenEagle, who was a big helper in deciphering the format & wrote the extractor used to get models, and XDaniel), I really want the extended use of these wonderful models & deeper exploration of what the ROM still holds.. only very partially a technical pursuit.

Enzo Dragon: Yep, that's it. I didn't find it, actually, a guy named EFX did: it's just being rendered in my viewer.
 
Last edited:

Slougi

New member
I agree on the libraries issue - but if you ever move to Vista, .NET (2.0 & 3.0) will be basically transparent. Microsoft is really pushing for .NET standardization, and they're doing quite well with it. Screw politics, btw. =]
From my point of view, as long as .NET and the associated technologies are only available on one platform, it is very far from anything resembling canonical definitions of standard.

Yes, this comes from someone who uses free operating systems and software, but Windows is not the only operating system that matters, be it on the desktop, on servers, or in other segments.

Sorry for going off-topic. :)
 
OP
C

cooliscool

Nintendo Zealot
*cough* Mono *cough*

;)

As far as Microsoft is concerned, you can't blame them for only heavily supporting their own OS.
 

Cyberman

Moderator
Moderator
MS is attempting to dominate. They don't just try to support there OS. In fact they are notorious for sabotaging other peoples software with there OS. Lotus 123 is a famous example of this. Vista is the same trick different dog as what they did with IE. Current Direct X is not part of the OS, now it is. Same thing they did with IE (made it part of the OS). This time it's with OpenGL. They tossed out direct OpenGL support out because they wanted to OWN everything. They only have 'lame duck' support for OpenGL, if you call it support you are optimistic. It's not enough to have what they do have, they have to have it all. Someone was saying how great this was a year ago. Sheesh. People believe anything. I can only say they are doing the same thing as ussual. They want to finish off OpenGL like Navigator so they will include Direct X as part of the OS. This is very Microsoft.

MS doesn't make software for people, it forces it down peoples throats.

This is why Linux and a lot of other software was called "Cancer" by Bill Gates. Please don't mistake MS as ever being generous, nice, or doing anything for your benefit ever. They didn't get to be so big without steping on a lot of other companies and people.

Now for your project, your site is a bit strange. Looks like you have a compilation of all possible things Nintendo did with Zelda. LOL. That's cool, I take it you are a big fan it Zelda Link to the past? (being silly there of course you are)

Cyb
 
Last edited:

ShizZy

Emulator Developer
Sorry to go offtopic, but OpenGL was stripped out of Vista? Is it supported hardware-wise, or is it just emulated with DX?

If it's seriously out, I'm going to be rethinking my next OS of choice :p
 

Slougi

New member
*cough* Mono *cough*

;)

As far as Microsoft is concerned, you can't blame them for only heavily supporting their own OS.
Mono is an unofficial unsupported project that is trying to build a .NET compatible system. You cannot claim that its existence make .NET any more supported on systems other than Windows than saying that the existence of Wine makes the win32 api cross-platform in any serious way.

There are numerous examples of companies supporting platforms other than their own. In the case of VM-run languages, Java might be one...

-slougi
 

Top