Multimedia Formats and Tools

This page is intended to move here all info about multimedia file formats that is commonly used in other wiki pages and the related PC tools

A lot more fileformats not added yet to the page are listed in: http://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/XMB_database#Promoter

Image

TIFF 6.0 Specification:

• http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/en/tiff/TIFF6.pdf

• IFD format

• IFD tag

BMP

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMP_file_format

DDS

Direct Draw Surface are used on PS3 (e.g. the XMB monthly wallpapers inside Lines.qrc and the XMB Manuals specific for PS3 game/apps)

It seems at the release of PS3 firmware 1.00 the DDS support in XMB was not complete (or maybe not supported dds at all, this is hard to know), it was implemented gradually and only for a few specific display modes, the monthly background wallpapers inside lines.qrc was implemented in firmware 1.90/2.00 and PS3 manuals support around 4.00, this display modes are a bit special because uses full screen. But DDS was never implemented in PS3 RCO's... the PS3 RCO's doesnt even knows what is a DDS (because there is not an ID for DDS), so is not officially posible to store a DDS image inside a PS3 RCO, at the end of life of PS3 the RCO format was obsolete for several reasons and this was one of them. GIM format seems to superceed the features of DDS though

For PSVita the RCO format was highly modified, and at this point probably DDS support was added to RCO (this is speculative though). Later the RCO format from PSVita was inherited by PS4 and with it the DDS support, actually it looks like the whole interface of PS4 supports DDS (not only from inside RCO, but also for the ICON0.DDS of games/apps)

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectDraw_Surface
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S3_Texture_Compression
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb943991.aspx

Header:

Offset	Size	Example	Value (conversion)	Notes
DDS header
0x00	0x04	44 44 53 20	"DDS "	Magic
0x04	0x04	7C 00 00 00	124	Size of header stucture
0x08	0x04	07 10 08 00	compressed no mipmap	Flags: 0x01: DDSD_CAPS (Required in every .dds file) 0x02: DDSD_HEIGHT (Required in every .dds file) 0x04: DDSD_WIDTH (Required in every .dds file) 0x08: DDSD_PITCH (Required when pitch is provided for an uncompressed texture) 0x0010: DDSD_PIXELFORMAT (Required in every .dds file) 0x000002: DDSD_MIPMAPCOUNT (Required in a mipmapped texture) 0x000008: DDSD_LINEARSIZE (Required when pitch is provided for a compressed texture) 0x000080: DDSD_DEPTH (Required in a depth texture)
0x0C	0x04	38 04 00 00	1080	Surface height (in pixels).
0x10	0x04	80 07 00 00	1920	Surface width (in pixels).
0x14	0x04	00 D2 0F 00	1012.5KB	Size: the pitch or number of bytes per scan line in an uncompressed texture the total number of bytes in the top level texture for a compressed texture
...	...	...	...	...

DDS normal maps

Normal maps are a 3D effect, the word "normal" is a reference to the Y axis (of the 3D space defined by X,Y,Z axis), is also known as "elevation". Normal maps can make small areas of a surface to be displayed with a displacement up or down, they also reacts to the lights of the scene dinamycally

NVIDIA Normal Map filter plugin for photoshop

The NVIDIA Normal Map filter creates normal maps from grayscale height maps. The filter UI provides a powerful 3D preview and a variety of filtering options. For MIP-mapped normal maps, the NormalMap Filter should be used for preview only, and then the grayscale map exported via the DDS plugin with "Normal Map Settings..." enabled. This will create a normal map with maximal detail and fidelity for all texture levels, without undesirable filter aliasing.

An easy way to create normal maps in photoshop by using the Normal Map plugin:

In tab: Filter ---> Ndivia Tools
-height generation - 7x7 / minZ-0 scale-2.2
-3D view options - animate light
-height source - Average RGB (or "Alpha Channel" in case you created an alpha channel with this purpose)
-Alpha field - height

Normal Map Tutorial (using photoshop and crazybump) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKqKJi6nh7A

DDS Cube Maps

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cube_mapping

DDS Tools

• Gimp DDS plugin http://code.google.com/p/gimp-dds/
• Gimp Normal Map Plugin http://code.google.com/p/gimp-normalmap/
• Photoshop DDS plugin https://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop Tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_SpdM5cLuQ (in spanish)
• 3DS Max DDS Plugin https://developer.nvidia.com/content/3ds-max-dds-plugin-1008271100
• NVIDIA WTV (windows texture viewer) http://www.nvidia.com/object/windows_texture_viewer.html
• NVIDIA DDS Thumbnail Viewer for windows explorer https://developer.nvidia.com/sites/default/files/akamai/tools/files/DDS_viewer.exe
• NVIDIA DDS Legacy Texture Tools https://developer.nvidia.com/legacy-texture-tools and https://developer.nvidia.com/sites/default/files/akamai/tools/files/DDS_Utilities_8.31.1127.1645.exe (includes a command line texture converter)
• Crazybump is a quick and easy tool for creating normal maps from a texture. http://www.crazybump.com/ Tutorial: http://iamsparky.wordpress.com/crazybump/
• DDS Converter 2 by Yannick Bluehair Leon http://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/8698
• nvdxt.exe (extracted from nvidia legacy tools installation) https://www.sendspace.com/file/8ru1va
• DXTViewer http://www.ozone3d.net/dxt_viewer.php

DXT

• http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=DXT_compression_explained
• http://files.wayforward.com/shane/rgbv/ (RGBV Texture Compression in DuckTales: Remastered)

The DXT compressed textures always have the same size. This is because they have a fixed compression ratio.

Used on PS2 classic as manual, they are texture files (DXT1, no mipmap?) with a minimalistic header of 0x08 byte (width*height)

For viewing them on computer, you can rebuild/create/paste (from an .dds dxt1 no mipmap existing file) an header following .dds header specs:

• On your dxt files, remove the first 0x08 bytes (which has the width and height hexadecimal information), insert on top of it the .dds header. Edit the .dds header, see the .dds section, to get the proper width, height, and texture size)

Sample: http://rghost.net/58928544 (.dxt files are original, .dxt.dds are edited for viewing)

There is a QuickBMS scripts for converting DTX<>DDS pastebin GKdqL7xG and pastebin 3H0MDmTG

e.g. (quick note, should be move to emulation/PS2 page once figure out)

001.dxt -->  256KB -->instruction screen: 544*960? (Surface height (in pixels).*Surface width (in pixels).)
002.dxt -->  256KB -->information screen: *544*960?
003.dxt --> 1441KB -->game manual: 1536*1920?
...
008.dxt --> 1441KB -->end of the game manual
009.dxt -->  256KB -->Notice screen: 544*960?

GIM

Graphic Image Map ?. See Graphic Image Map (GIM)

The tool used to manage GIM image conversions is GimConv.exe. See GimConv

Used inside Resource Container (RCO) files (see RCOXML Images), PlayStation 3 Theme (P3T) files, etc...

• Gim Viewer v0.8 by HSreina: http://hsreina.shadosoft-tm.com/display/cat/103
  • Created for PSP it has partiall support for PS3 gim's, allows to view the most common .gim images used in ps3 (the standard format used by most gim's inside .rco's)... is not able to display gims inside rco's that doesnt uses the standard gim format (dxt5 based are displayed full filled with white)

Version 0.8 / by Hsreina - Hontoshadow

What is Gim Viewer
===============================
Giw Viewer was designed for view (*.gim; *.mig) files from "Fantasy golf Pangya portable"

How to use
==========
just Drag & Drop a (*.gim; *.mig file) on the main window of Gim viewer or use the Files/open menu to found a  picture;
you can use spacebar or backspace for display the previous or next file in the current folder. 

for anybugs please mail to "[email protected]"
Copyright (c) 2005 - 2012 Shadosoft tm. All rights reserved. http://pangya.shadosoft-tm.com/

GMO

Graphic Model Object

Used inside Resource_Container_(RCO) files (see RCOXML Models)

GTF

Graphics Texture Format (GTF) is a container for storing one or multiple textures ("pack GTF") data in a layout that can be used as is by RSX.

Header (for single texture):

Offset	Size	Example	Value (conversion)	Notes
GTF header
0x00	0x04	02 02 00 FF		Version
0x04	0x04			Size of texture (not included header)
0x08	0x04	00 00 00 01		Number of textures embedded
0x0C	0x04	00 00 00 00		Not used?
GTF specification
0x10	0x04	00 00 00 80		Size Header
0x14	0x04			For V.02 02: Size file (without header & ending padding)
0x18
0x19
0x1A
0x1B
0x1C	0x04			Remaps:
DDS specification
0x20	0x02	00 40	64 in decimal	Size image width
0x22	0x02	00 40	64 in decimal	Size image height
0x24	0x02	00 00	0 in decimal	Size image depth

GXT

Gxt is a container for storing one or multiple graphic textures for the PSVita and PSP. See GXT

JPG

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JPEG

JPEG markers:

• http://www.digicamsoft.com/itu/itu-t81-36.html

MPO

Is a 3D JPG embedded format by Fuji or Sony. Since fw 3.70 with specifics sixasis controls (on PlayMemories but also from XMB), PS3 as well as Nintendo 3DS or some Sony & Fuji camera can read MPO images as specific format.

On the Sony MPO format Multi Angle : the picture is 15 embedded Jpg Exif images with no padding (but can be modulate probably).

The MPO MA for 3DS is Fuji format?

MPO Splitter by Christian Steinruecken:

• http://cstein.kings.cam.ac.uk/~chris/mposplit/

PNG

PS3 supports PNG images in 24 bits (for RGB channels), and 32 bits with transparency (24 bits for RGB channels + 8 bits for an alpha layer). "PNG Interlaced" and "APNG (Animated Portable Network Graphics)" formats are not supported by the PS3.

• How to create smallest possible transparent PNG

PVR

PowerVR Texture Compression files: PVRTC and PVRTC2 are a family of lossy, fixed-rate texture compression formats.

• PVR

TGA

• TGA (used on Qt Resource Container (lines.qrc))

Audio

AC3

Used for coldboot sounds

AT3

Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding (ATRAC) is a family of proprietary audio compression algorithms developed by Sony.

Can be created by saving the file as a .WAV container using the ATRAC3 Codec @ 66Kbps.

Mono and stereo channels are supported

AT9

• See Snd0.at9

VAG

Used for sound effects such navigational sounds on XMB inside a theme , on \dev_flash\pspemu\flash0\logo\remaster_op.bin and some .rco (e.g trophy unlocking)

• Format

Offset (h)	Size (h)	Example (h)	Value (conversion)	Notes
VAG header
0x00	0x04	56 41 47 70	"VAGp"	Magic
0x04	0x04	00 00 00 06	0.6?	Version
0x08	0x04	00 00 00 00	-	Reserved area
0x0C	0x04	00 00 04 50	1104 bytes	Waveform data size (bytes)
0x10	0x04	00 00 BB 80	48 000 Hz	Sampling Frequency (Hz) (hex to decimal)
0x14	0x0A	00 00 ... 00 00	-	Reserved area
0x1E	0x01	00	1 ch	Number of channels 0-1 : 1 channel 2 : 2 channels
0x1F	0x01	00	-	Reserved area
0x20	0x10	53 45 30 34 5F 42 61 63 6B	SE04_BACK	Name
Waveform data (AIFF/WAV) starts

ADPCM data format (16 bytes block)

Decoding coefficient (1 byte)	Loop information (1 byte)	Sound Data (14 bytes)
Decoding coefficient	Loop information: 00: default? 01: last block of the file 03: ending block of the loop 06: starting block of the loop 07: playback ending position Because ADPCM uses sample blocks that are aligned one after the other, a wave compressed with ADPCM may have an unfinished, partial block at its end. The ADPCM decoder generates silence for the remainder of this partial block, which keeps the wave from looping seamlessly.	Sound data

• Tools
  • MFAudio v1.1 at http://www.zophar.net/utilities/ps2util/mfaudio-1-1.html or http://dl.qj.net/software/utilities/mfaudio-11.html or http://downloads.ziddu.com/downloadfile/3353225/MFAudiov11.zip.html can convert/play .vag files.
  • Rcomage can convert .vag files

Video

BIK

Bik is a video and audio container designed specifically for consoles. It can contain multiple video and audio tracks and assign an ID each of them, this way the system choose which one will be loaded. This allows to store multiple audio languages in separated tracks, and multiple audio modes with separated channels for stereo, 5.1, etc...

Bik files do not have any protection, PS3 games do not verify any kind of security over them. They can be fully edited and replaced, usually people replace the video track by a downsampled version of the same video to reduce the game size, it is also possible to remove the audio tracks from "foreign" languages.

• "RAD Video Tools" http://www.radgametools.com/bnkdown.htm

PAM

Pam files can contain audio or have the audio separated in a .AT3 track, used in Content Information Files

Interactive

SWF

Shockwave Flash, used in Content Information Files and Widgets and some games (e.g.: Doki Doki unverse)

• Irfanview supported format

3D/OpenGL

DAE

DAE (Digital Asset Exchange) is an XML file that contains COLLADA content. COLLADA is an open standard created by sony for interactive 3D applications. Is used to export and import files from 3-D authoring applications in .dae format, see: https://collada.org/ and https://www.khronos.org/collada/

Collada usually is implemented as a plugin, some 3-D authoring applications supporting collada are: Blender, Google SketchUp, Maya, Rhino, 3D Max, SoftImage

• Collada plugins:
  • Blender - http://colladablender.illusoft.com/ http://sourceforge.net/projects/colladablender/

• Other collada info
  • https://www.khronos.org/assets/uploads/developers/library/2007_siggraph_bof_collada/SCIE.pdf
  • http://lukasz.dk/mirror/research-scea/gdc2006/gdc06-for-khronos.pdf
  • https://www.khronos.org/collada/wiki/Building_third_party_libraries_for_the_COLLADA_DOM
  • https://sourceforge.net/projects/collada-dom/
  • http://www.psu.com/forums/showthread.php/363-COLLADA-the-new-PS3-graphics-format?s=c6e507c63cc32a901bcf06a7f36538bd
  • https://games.slashdot.org/story/04/07/30/1837253/sony-endorsing-open-graphics-format-for-ps3

FPO and VPO

• FPO (Fragment Program Objects)
• VPO (Vertex Program Objects)
• Used inside:
  • QRC containers
  • ps2_netemu.self

This files are Cg shaders created by the Cg compiler (sce-cgc.exe), and are compatible with the Cg disassembler (sce-cgcdisasm.exe) from SCEI PS3 SDK

See: Introduction to GCM and PS3 graphics (pages 4 and 5), and Cg in Two Pages

• The compiler acepts 2 arguments:
  • -p: For the PS3 RSX is needed to use the profiles: sce_fp_rsx (to compile a fragment shader and create a FPO file), or sce_vp_rsx (to compile a vertex shader and create a VPO file)
  • -o: the output filename

C:\usr\local\cell\host-win32\Cg\bin\sce-cgc.exe -p sce_fp_rsx -o OUTPUT.FPO input_fshader.cg

input_fshader.cg

void main
(
	float4 color_in : COLOR,
	out float4 color_out : COLOR
)
{
	color_out = color_in;
}

C:\usr\local\cell\host-win32\Cg\bin\sce-cgc.exe -p sce_vp_rsx -o OUTPUT.VPO input_vshader.cg

input_vshader.cg

void main
(
	float4 position : POSITION,
	float4 color : COLOR,

	uniform float4x4 modelViewProj,

	out float4 oPosition : POSITION,
	out float4 oColor : COLOR
)
{
	oPosition = position;
	oColor = color;
}

• Notes/speculation
  • The PS3 RSX Cg profiles (sce_fp_rsx & sce_vp_rsx) probably are custom, but based in the standard profiles
  • Open Source code related with PS3 Cg shaders

Tools & Tips

• Audio:

Audacity: The tool can be used to record live audio, record computer playback, 
edit WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MP2, MP3 or  Ogg Vorbis sound files, cut, copy, 
splice or mix sound together and also change the speed or pitch of a  
recording, plus a number of other useful features.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Wavosaur: is a cool free sound editor, audio editor, wav editor software for editing, 
processing and recording sounds, wav and mp3 files. Wavosaur has all the features 
to edit audio (cut, copy, paste, etc.) produce music loops, analyze, record, batch convert.
Wavosaur supports VST plugins, ASIO driver, multichannel wav files, real time effect processing.
http://www.wavosaur.com/

• Image:

Irfanview: View, convert, batch processing ...
http://www.irfanview.com/ (there is a plugin for .DDS)

Imagemagick: Create, edit, compose, or convert bitmap images
http://www.imagemagick.org (typically utilized from the command line)

• 2D animation

animata: an open source real-time animation software, designed to create animations, 
interactive background projections for concerts, theatre and dance performances.
http://animata.kibu.hu/ 

• 3D Modeling:

   Maya - http://www.autodesk.com/Maya
   3ds Max - http://usa.autodesk.com/3ds-max/
   Blender - http://www.blender.org/
   Wings3D - http://www.wings3d.com/
   Modo - http://www.luxology.com/modo/

• Texturing:

   Photoshop - http://www.photoshop.com/
   Paint.NET - http://www.getpaint.net/
   GIMP - http://www.gimp.org/

• Tutorials and Online Digital Communities:

   http://www.polycount.com/forum
   http://forums.cgsociety.org/
   http://www.3dbuzz.com
   http://3d-coat.com/forum/
   http://www.cgfeedback.com/cgfeedback/
   https://forums.station.sony.com/playerstudio