Editing GimConv


=Description=
'''GimConv.exe''' is a sony program for microsoft windows used to convert GIM images, see [[Graphic Image Map (GIM)]]

*GimConv.exe versions:
**'''1.20c''' (GIM files made around 2005 included in pre-retail PS3 firmwares such 0.82.006)
**'''1.20e''' (GIM files made around 2006 and still present in PS3 4.82 firmware)
**'''1.20h''' released with '''p3tcompiler v2.00''' as part of the [http://uk.playstation.com/ps3/support/settings/detail/linked235336/item85346/Download-PlayStation-3-Custom-Theme-Guidelines/ PS3 Custom Theme Toolbox] (this is the version included in rcomage using a modifyed GimConv.cfg)

*Other notes:
**GIM images can be previewed in PC by using '''Gim Viewer''' (unnofficial app made by hsreina, it has limited support for the "rgba based" GIM formats). See [[Multimedia_Formats_and_Tools#GIM | Multimedia Formats and Tools]]
**The option '''-viewer''' (start gimview.exe when process ends) in the official config file (that was removed for rcomage) is intended to launch an official '''gimview.exe''' that doesnt exists in the public release
**[http://us.playstation.com/support/manuals/psp/pspguides/ PSP Custom Theme Toolbox] admits GIM files as inputs, but doesnt includes a GIM converter
**Some of the settings (such '''merge_mode''') are related with animated images but the support of animated GIM images on PlayStation consoles is unknown, see: http://endlessparadigm.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=5054
**It supports AVI video as input, probably to convert the video frames to static images and build a GIM animation with them, unknown usage
**Gimconv.exe supports an internal script format to automatize image conversions, it can be seen how appears as an option available at bottom of Gimconv.cfg and allows to create GIM-to-GIS conversions. The usage of this scripting features is mostly unknown
**There is a [http://tizzyt-archive.blogspot.com.es/2013/10/gis2png.html GIS2PNG converter] made by TizzyT

=GimConv.exe usage=
Before explaining how works GimConv.exe is needed an introductory explain about how works GimConv.cfg (the settings file). GimConv.cfg is divided in sections and is loaded "from top to bottom", at top are the "default settings" where are given a default value, if a setting is repeated below the new value overrides the default. After the "default settings" appears the "options" that defines a group of settings, and this settings inside options overrides the defaults settings at top

==GimConv.exe help screen==
The command line help screen of GimConv.exe displays a very limited list of predefined options with an small explain for them, the example below belongs to the official GimConv.cfg and shows the options sony considered was useful for them

{{Keyboard|content='''C:\PS3_Custom_Theme_v200\GimConv>GimConv.exe'''
gimconv ver 1.20h --- generic picture converter
 Copyright (C) 2006 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
  All Rights Reserved.

usage:
        gimconv <input files> [options]

options:
        -interact       input additional options
        -pictures       merge files as pictures
        -frames         merge files as frames
        -levels         merge files as levels
        -prompt         prompt always
        -warning        prompt on warning
        -error          prompt on error
        -viewer         start gimview.exe when process ends
        -o <filename>   specify output file name
        -s <w,h>        resize image data
        -S              output text format
        -P              resize image data to a power of two
        -N              output in normal pixel storage format
        -F              output in faster pixel storage format
        -R              re-convert ( don't swap RGBA <-> ABGR )
}}

==GimConv.exe usage with options==
For GIM-to-PNG conversions is not needed to use special options:
{{Keyboard|content='''gimconv.exe in.gim -o out.png'''}}

If you create a PNG-to-GIM (or any of the supported input image formats to GIM) without specifying special options it will generate a GIM with the "default settings" of GimConv.cfg "from top to bottom", you can achieve it by doing:
{{Keyboard|content='''gimconv.exe in.png -o out.gim'''}}

Additionally to the options that appears on the help screen there are a lot more special options inside GimConv.cfg, all them can be used in the same way, actually the help screen is just informative and the options that appears in it are not much useful for us

To specify an option is needed to use the name of the '''-option''' at the end of the line. At the time GimConv.exe processes this command it loads the settings of GimConv.cfg file "from top to bottom" (so it starts loading the default settings) and then it loads the option we have choosen (and the option contains settings that overrides the defaults)
{{Keyboard|content='''gimconv.exe in.png -o out.gim -DXT'''}}
*Note the option -DXT at bottom of GimConv.cfg is composed by 3 settings (this is an example of the official GimConv.cfg, the one used inside rcomage is different):
{{Boxcode|content=<syntaxhighlight lang="c">
option -DXT {
	pixel_order = default
	pixel_channel = default
	image_format = default
}
</syntaxhighlight>}}

Another example where can be seen better how the options contains settings that overrides the default settings:
{{Keyboard|content='''gimconv.exe in.gim -o out.gis -S'''}}
*The option '''-S''' contains this settings that are going to override the defaults:
{{Boxcode|content=<syntaxhighlight lang="c">
option -S {
	output_object = off
	output_script = on
}
</syntaxhighlight>}}
If you look at GimConv.cfg "from top to bottom" you are going to find at top the default settings '''output_object''' with value '''on''' and '''output_script''' with value '''off''' (so by default it outputs a GIM and doesnt outputs a GIS). The option '''-S''' is "switching" them (doesnt outputs a GIM but it outpputs a GIS)

==GimConv.exe usage with explicit settings==
This is the most accurate way to have full controll of the settings, if you are picky enought you can write a long line of settings to be sure you are overriding all the defaults (just incase the GimConv.cfg has been modifyed by someone, by doing this you are overriding his/her changes made to default settings). If you are writing an script or any tool that sends actions to gimconv.exe you should use this method
{{Keyboard|content='''gimconv.exe in.png -o out.gim --pixel_order normal --format_style psp --format_endian big'''}}
*Note the 3 options used in the example are overriding the default settings at top of GimConv.cfg (this is an example of the official GimConv.cfg, the one used inside rcomage is different):
{{Boxcode|content=<syntaxhighlight lang="c">
//----------------------------------------------------------------
//  default settings
//----------------------------------------------------------------
	pixel_order = default		// default normal faster
	format_style = psp		// std psp ps3
	format_endian = little		// little big
</syntaxhighlight>}}

==GimConv.exe usage driven by rcomage==
{{Boxwarning1|content='''Dont use this method for PS3'''. GIM files inside RCO files from PS3 firmware uses variated formats, this method applyes the same settings for all them and breaks some}}
This works by sending GIM settings from rcomage.exe to gimconv.exe and is made at the time rcomage.exe is compiling the RCO (see the "compile" help in [[rcomage]] page)

There are 2 options in rcomage specific for this task, named: '''--gimconv-cmd''' and '''--gimconv-flags'''
{{Keyboard|content='''rcomage.exe compile in.xml out.rco --gimconv-cmd ".\gimconv\gimconv.exe" --gimconv-flags "--pixel_order normal --format_style psp --format_endian big"'''}}

=GimConv.cfg Overview (official version)=
This is the configuration file released by sony as part of the [http://uk.playstation.com/ps3/support/settings/detail/linked235336/item85346/Download-PlayStation-3-Custom-Theme-Guidelines/ PS3 Custom Theme Toolbox]. At top is the help screen, then the default settings and a "patch" that belongs to the default settings and is named "PS3 OSD default settings" (this is actually overriding some default settings above), after that comes some input file formats definitions, after this point all the others are options (optionals literally, if you create a GIM without specifying special options none of this ones are used) up to the end of the file where appears a section related with scripting features
<div style="height:520px; overflow:auto">
{{Boxcode|content=<syntaxhighlight lang="c">
//================================================================
//  gimconv configuration
//================================================================

usage {
	puts "usage:"
	puts "        gimconv <input files> [options]"
	puts ""
	puts "options:"
	puts "        -interact       input additional options"
	puts "        -pictures       merge files as pictures"
	puts "        -frames         merge files as frames"
	puts "        -levels         merge files as levels"
	puts "        -prompt         prompt always"
	puts "        -warning        prompt on warning"
	puts "        -error          prompt on error"
	puts "        -viewer         start gimview.exe when process ends"
	puts "        -o <filename>   specify output file name"
	puts "        -s <w,h>        resize image data"
	puts "        -S              output text format"
	puts "        -P              resize image data to a power of two"
	puts "        -N              output in normal pixel storage format"
	puts "        -F              output in faster pixel storage format"
	puts "        -R              re-convert ( don't swap RGBA <-> ABGR )"
}

//----------------------------------------------------------------
//  default settings
//----------------------------------------------------------------

default {
	load "lib/*"

	//  main control

	interact_mode = off		// off on ctrl
	merge_mode = off		// off picture frame level plane
					// image palette sequence
	prompt_mode = off		// off on warning error
	output_object = on		// off on
	output_script = off		// off on
	output_directory = auto		// current input auto
	output_filename = ""
	object_extension = .gim
	script_extension = .gis
	userdata_extension = .dat
	glob_extension = .dds .tm2 .tga .bmp .avi
	object_viewer = ""

	//  process control

	filter_script = "Filter"
	image_size = default		// default pow2 $w,$h
	pixel_order = default		// default normal faster
	pixel_alpha = default		// default $alpha
	pixel_channel = default		// default rgba rgab ragb ... etc
	image_format = default		// default rgba8888 rgba4444 rgba5551 rgba5650
					// index4 index8 index16 index32
					// dxt1 dxt3 dxt5 dxt1ext dxt3ext dxt5ext
	palette_format = default	// default rgba8888 rgba4444 rgba5551 rgba5650
	update_userdata = default	// default off on
	update_fileinfo = off		// default off on

	check_limit = on		// off on
	limit_image_width = 4096	// off $count
	limit_image_height = 4096	// off $count
	limit_level_count = 8		// off $count
	limit_frame_count = off		// off $count

	//  output control

	format_style = psp		// std psp ps3
	format_endian = little		// little big

	output_image = on		// off on
	output_palette = on		// off on
	output_sequence = on		// off on

	//  PS3 OSD default settings

	format_endian = big		// -B
	pixel_order = normal		// -N
	pixel_channel = default		// -R
	image_format = rgba8888		// --image_format rgba8888

	extend_edge = off
}

//--------------------------------------------------------
//  format specific
//--------------------------------------------------------

input *.avi {
	pixel_alpha = 255
}

input *.bmp {
	pixel_alpha = 255
}

input *.dds {
}

input *.tga {
}

input *.tm2 {
}

input *.gim {
}

input *.gis {
}

//--------------------------------------------------------
//  mode option
//--------------------------------------------------------

option -interact {
	interact_mode = on
}

option -pictures {
	merge_mode = picture
}

option -frames {
	merge_mode = frame
}

option -levels {
	merge_mode = level
}

option -planes {
	merge_mode = plane
}

option -images {
	merge_mode = image
}

option -palettes {
	merge_mode = palette
}

option -sequences {
	merge_mode = sequence
}

option -prompt {
	prompt_mode = on
}

option -warning {
	prompt_mode = warning
}

option -error {
	prompt_mode = error
}

option -viewer {
	object_viewer = "GimView.exe"
}

//--------------------------------------------------------
//  process option
//--------------------------------------------------------

option -o %filename {
	output_filename = %filename
}

option -s %size {
	image_size = %size
}

option -g %ext {
	glob_extension = %ext
}

option -P {
	image_size = pow2
}

option -N {
	pixel_order = normal
}

option -F {
	pixel_order = faster
}

//--------------------------------------------------------
//  PS3 OSD specific options
//--------------------------------------------------------

option -B {
	format_endian = big
}

option -X {
	pixel_channel = abgr
}

option -R {
	pixel_channel = default
}

option -DXT {
	pixel_order = default
	pixel_channel = default
	image_format = default
}

option -E {
	extend_edge = on
}

//--------------------------------------------------------
//  output option
//--------------------------------------------------------

option -S {
	output_object = off
	output_script = on
}

//--------------------------------------------------------
//  filter script
//--------------------------------------------------------

script Filter %target {
	RescaleImage   %target $image_size
	SetPixelFormat %target $image_format $palette_format
	SetPixelAlpha  %target $pixel_alpha
	SwapPixelChannel %target $pixel_channel
	ConfigureImage %target order $pixel_order
	UpdateUserData %target $update_userdata
	UpdateFileInfo %target $update_fileinfo
	ExtendEdge     %target $extend_edge
	CheckPSP       %target $check_limit
}
</syntaxhighlight>}}
</div>

Note there are some modifications made officially by sony at a later version because GimComv was initially made for PSP (those initial GimComv versions compatibles with "PSP only" probably didnt had this PS3 specific settings), but this public release of GimConv was released as part of a toolkit to build PS3 themes so it has some settings specific for PS3

This group at top on the config file are default settings (for PS3) that overrides other default settings of an older version of GimComv (for PSP). They are overwriting default values because the same option is specifyed before in the file, so the last one overrrides the previous one with the same name (and also was added a new option named '''extend_edge''' that should be PS3 specific)
{{Boxcode|content=<syntaxhighlight lang="c">
//----------------------------------------------------------------
//  default settings
//----------------------------------------------------------------

	//  PS3 OSD default settings

	format_endian = big		// -B
	pixel_order = normal		// -N
	pixel_channel = default		// -R
	image_format = rgba8888		// --image_format rgba8888

	extend_edge = off
</syntaxhighlight>}}

This other group seems to be options for GIM formats used in PS3
{{Boxcode|content=<syntaxhighlight lang="c">
//--------------------------------------------------------
//  PS3 OSD specific options
//--------------------------------------------------------

option -B {
	format_endian = big
}

option -X {
	pixel_channel = abgr
}

option -R {
	pixel_channel = default
}

option -DXT {
	pixel_order = default
	pixel_channel = default
	image_format = default
}

option -E {
	extend_edge = on
}
</syntaxhighlight>}}

=How to identify GIM settings=

*GIM--->GIM method (prefered)
**Use gimconv with .gim files as input and output (this preserves dxt pixel info, because dxt images doesnt suffers a conversion)
{{Keyboard|content='''gimconv.exe test.gim -o test.gim --format_style psp --format_endian big --image_format dxt5 --pixel_channel default --pixel_alpha default'''}}

*GIM--->PNG--->GIM method (fails when there is involved a DXT conversion because DXT conversions are lossy, works fine for rgba**** image formats):
**Use rcomagegui to make an extraction of the contents '''without''' conversion of images (this way the GIM are extracted as GIM)
**Use rcomagegui to make another extraction of the contents '''with''' conversion of images (this way the GIM are extracted as PNG)
**Use gimconv to convert a PNG ---to---> GIM by the old method of test-error by trying some of the options availables that appears in gimonv.cfg
**Use a hexeditor to compare the original GIM extracted in step 1 with the rebuilt GIM from your test, there is no need to make accurate comparisons, just an overview of the first 0x80 bytes of the header, and how the pixel data is ordered starting at offset 0x80
**When the header and pixel data seems similar make a hash comparison, original GIM and rebuild GIM should be exactly the same hash (is posible to create a GIM exactly like the original)

<!-- GimConv.exe version patch
This allows to create GIM files identical to some of the ones included in PS3 firmware by doing a GIM-to-GIM conversion
The goal of this is to identify accuratelly the original GIM settings with some kind of bruteforce method (the classic test and error, but only with 3 posible candidates, so is relativelly easy and works pretty well)

The patch applyed to GimConv.exe changes the version... the reason to do this is because this version is going to be included in the rebuilt GIM, at the bottom as part of the "fileinfo" (block id 0x00FF)

GimConv.exe v1.20h original (MD5:425B2E4D9684BCE1FC79A37247618AC8)
At absolute offset 0x91E4 replace 0x68 by 0x65 (character 'h' by character 'e')
GimConv.exe v1.20h patched (MD5:6AFA9F10221CDDACE3E294D13A572250)

With the patched GimConv.exe you can run this command:
GimConv.exe original.gim -o rebuilt.gim -ps3bpp32 --update_fileinfo on
This preserves the original "fileinfo", so the rebuilt.gim will have identical fileinfo than the original.gim

As far i know all the GIM files using "fileinfo" from PS3 retail firmwares was build with GimConv.exe v1.20e so it should work... if at some point someone finds other GIM files that was made with with other GimConv.exe versions (f,g,h) and you want to use this identification process you can make another GimConv.exe patched with different versions and rename them to GimConvE.exe, GimConvF.exe, GimConvG.exe etc... and have all them in the same folder next to the original v1.20h

Instead of applying this patch this can be automatized with scripts or external code, but the concept of how this identification method works is the same, the goal is to create a GIM exactly like the original by doing a GIM-to-GIM conversion and compare hashes of them... if original GIM and rebuilt GIM are identical you found the settings

-->

=GIM formats used in PS3=
PS3 uses at least 2 types of GIM images, both included inside rco's, and in some cases both types in the same rco

When an .RCO contains 2 or more images that was created with different .GIM settings... it means is not posible to compile the .RCO with rcomage by using .PNG images as source (because rcomage.exe sends the GIM settings to gimconv.exe to make the PNG--->GIM image conversion and this settings are applyed to all PNG images)

In other words, the only way to compile this RCO's is in 2 steps. In the first step is needed to make the different .GIM conversions with gimconv.exe (and all the other conversions in case exists .VAG audio a WAV2VAG conversion or a JS2VSMX for the .VSMX script). In the second step is needed to compile the .RCO with rcomage.exe by using the .GIM's .VAG's and .VSMX's as sources without any kind of file conversions

Also means we have a big problem to document in wiki wich settings are used for each image (there are thousands of images so initially seems not posible), but probably they follows a rule, so the solution is to deduce or imagine the real reason of why the ps3 is using different gim formats inside the .rco's

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! image group or rco !! gim settings !! notes
|-
| '''ps3bpp32''' || --format_style psp --format_endian big --image_format rgba8888 --pixel_order normal || Most used GIM format inside .rco's
|-
| '''ps3dxt5''' || --format_style psp --format_endian big --image_format dxt5 || Second most used GIM format inside rco's
|}

'''Notes about [[explore_plugin]]_full.rco from firmware 4.70''':
*There are 245 images
**201 was created by using options: ''--format_style psp --format_endian big --image_format rgba8888 --pixel_order normal'' (exact match of gims after rebuilding gim--->png--->gim)
**030 was created by using options: ''--format_style psp --format_endian big --image_format rgba8888 --pixel_order normal --update_fileinfo on'' (exact match of gims after removing footer from originals and rebuilding gim--->png--->gim)
**014 was created by using options: ''--format_style psp --format_endian big --image_format dxt5'' (exact match of gims after rebuilding gim--->gim)
***item_tex_trophy.gim, trophy_tex_grade_bronze.gim, trophy_tex_grade_gold.gim, trophy_tex_grade_hidden.gim, trophy_tex_grade_platinum.gim, trophy_tex_grade_silver.gim, item_tex_CardBallon.gim, item_tex_Profile_Game.gim, item_tex_Profile_Highlight.gim, item_tex_Profile_Onlines.gim, tex_indi_Me.gim, tex_sb_base.gim, tex_sb_base_s.gim, tex_sb_slider.gim

==Custom Options==
The configuration file allows to modify the ''help'' screen of the command line by adding custom labels, or by removing useless options to make room for more custom labels, this labels can be composed of groups of options, there is no need at all to do this because doesnt really enables any new funcionallity as you can specify all the options you need one by one from command line included the hability to override default values, but is good to keep a record of the most common used formats for a console by using custom labels with intuitive names that defines the GIM format

The config file supplyed by [[Rcomage]] contains some custom options for the formats that are used in PSP, some changes in the default settings that was common for PSP (included a size limit that breaks compatibility with PS3), and a group of options was added for PS3 (labeled '''-ps3''') but this group seems to use wrong options. For more info about the modifications made in the config file supplyed with [[rcomage]] see the differences in the {{talk}} page

This wiki section proposes new groups of options with new label names (to be able to use a new modifyed config file without breaking the compatibility of other tools that uses rcomage as a dependency)

*Inside [[explore_plugin]]_full.rco from firmware 4.70 there are 245 images, 201 of them (included the new icon tex_psn.gim) has been made by using this options:
{{Boxcode|content=<syntaxhighlight lang="c">
option -ps3bpp32 {
	format_style = psp
	format_endian = big
	pixel_order = normal
	pixel_channel = default
	image_format = rgba8888
	limit_image_width = 4096
	limit_image_height = 4096
}
</syntaxhighlight>}}

*Inside [[explore_plugin]]_full.rco from firmware 4.70 there are 245 images, 14 of them has been made by using this options:
{{Boxcode|content=<syntaxhighlight lang="c">
option -ps3dxt5 {
	format_style = psp
	format_endian = big
	pixel_order = normal
	pixel_channel = default
	image_format = dxt5
	limit_image_width = 4096
	limit_image_height = 4096
}
</syntaxhighlight>}}

==Variants==
This is just a variant shown here for curiosity sake, because this is what sony did exactly for some (old) GIM files that are still present in modern PS3 firmwares, it seems never was updated, the only difference with what is written above is i added the option '''update_fileinfo''' that adds a footer at the botom of the GIM files. In this footer you can see the name of the user account of the microsoft windows OS where the GIM was created (funny stuff), a timestamp (usually around 2006), the original file name and format (usually a TGA with weird names), etc... To make a custom RCO you dont need to add this footer (so dont create GIM files with this option), if you do open the GIM file in a hexeditor and look at the footer how it was added info from your PC

*Inside [[explore_plugin]]_full.rco from firmware 4.70 there are 245 images, 30 of them has been made by using this options:
{{Boxcode|content=<syntaxhighlight lang="c">
option -ps3old {
	format_style = psp
	format_endian = big
	pixel_order = normal
	pixel_alpha = default
	pixel_channel = default
	image_format = rgba8888
	limit_image_width = 4096
	limit_image_height = 4096
	update_fileinfo = on
}
</syntaxhighlight>}}

{{File Formats}}
<noinclude>[[Category:Main]]</noinclude>