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

See also Game Modding

Image

BMP

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

DDS

Direct Draw Surface (DDS)

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

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 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/

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

JPG

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

MPO

Is a 3D image format. The MPO MA for 3DS is different and this is not so much documented, it might be Sony/PS3 specific enough to be on wiki.

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 (otherwise display as simple JPG).

MPO Splitter: code&credit (and compiled) https://anonfiles.com/file/c70ac8535cc097ca13541e00261f8952

• MPO MA & MPO 3D

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

Fuji format:

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.

TGA

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

Audio

AT3

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

Mono and stereo channels are supported

VAG

• Format

Offset	Size	Example	Value (conversion)	Notes
VAG header
0x00	0x04	56 41 47 70	"VAGp"	Magic
0x04	0x04	00 00 00 06	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	44 000 Hz	Sampling Frequency (Hz)
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 starts

• Tools
  • MFAudio v1.1 (converts WAV to VAG): 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

Video

PAM

Pam files can contain audio or have the audio separwted 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

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/

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 for:
  • Blender http://colladablender.illusoft.com/ http://sourceforge.net/projects/colladablender/

Tools & Tips

• Generic:

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)

• 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