mpskit

Madspack file format decoder/encoder for Rex Nebular, Dragonsphere, Colonization and other Microprose games. Can run on Linux or Windows (using Cygwin). Designed as a translation/modding tool.

Version 1.9.2

Release Notes

1.9.2 - fix problem with ss RLE compression

1.9.1 - fix problem with incorrect colors when packing PNG in RGB mode

1.9.0 - optional TDAT handler for Rex DAT files containing one multiline text message

1.8.1 - TXR handler will now split text to multiple lines; FF handler will now accept P, RGB and RGBA images as input

1.8.0 - TXR handler; charmap: special handling of "[]" characters (see Notes below)

1.7.1 - fixed bug with transparency handling in SS files

1.7.0 - partial unpack and pack support for MCC file format from "The Legacy: Realm of Terror", see example

1.6.0 - lff unpack TMB10 TMB12 TMR10 TMR12 TMR14 HVR08 ("The Legacy: Realm of Terror" font files)

1.5.0 - charmaps added, see EXAMPLE.md

1.4.0 - Rex Nebular ART format support added; All png files are now written in indexed mode (see Notes below)

1.3.0 - MESSAGES.DAT is now unpacked/packed into/from 2 files: MESSAGES.DAT.msg.json and MESSAGES.DAT.id.json. If you have modified MESSAGES.DAT.msg.json you will need to pair it up with MESSAGES.DAT.id.json extracted from unmodified MESSAGES.DAT

Installation

Install dependencies

On Debian run sudo apt-get install python3-pil
On Windows install Cygwin (http://cygwin.com/install.html) with following packages (select them during install): wget, python3, python3-imaging, unzip, chere

Open terminal (Cygwin terminal on Windows) and run following commands:


# download
wget -O mpskit.zip https://github.com/institution/mpskit/archive/master.zip
unzip -o mpskit.zip
cd mpskit-master

# install in system path (sudo may be required)
echo "python3 `pwd`/main.py \$*" > /usr/local/bin/mpskit
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/mpskit

# test - should display usage
mpskit

# optional Windows step: add "Open terminal here" option to Windows Explorer
chere -i -t mintty

Usage examples

General usage

cd REX

# unpacking
mpskit hag unpack GLOBAL.HAG
mpskit mdat unpack GLOBAL.HAG.dir/MESSAGES.DAT
mpskit ss unpack GLOBAL.HAG.dir/*.SS

# now you can modify generated txt and png files

# packing
mpskit ss pack GLOBAL.HAG.dir/GRD1_2.SS
mpskit mdat pack GLOBAL.HAG.dir/MESSAGES.DAT
mpskit hag pack GLOBAL.HAG

Changing AA messages

# unpack
mpskit hag unpack SECTION9.HAG
mpskit aa unpack SECTION9.HAG.dir/RM951A.AA

Now in SECTION9.HAG.dir/RM951A.AA.msg.json

change this:
"msg": "\"Here it is, Stone."

to this:
"msg": "\"Hello, Kitty!"

pos_x can be changed to adjust text position on the screen
"pos_x": 159,

Modify CNV message

mpskit hag unpack GLOBAL.HAG
mpskit cnv unpack GLOBAL.HAG.dir/CONV000.CNV

# now modify GLOBAL.HAG.dir/CONV000.CNV.msg.json

mpskit cnv pack GLOBAL.HAG.dir/CONV000.CNV
mpskit hag pack GLOBAL.HAG

Adding new letter to font

# for extended example read EXAMPLE.md

cd GLOBAL.HAG.dir
mpskit ff unpack FONTCONV.FF
cp FONTCONV.FF.099.png FONTCONV.FF.001.png

# edit image of the letter, Gimp works great for this
# you can modify image width but not height
#gimp FONTCONV.FF.001.png

mpskit ff pack FONTCONV.FF
mpskit hag pack ../GLOBAL.HAG

Unpack all supported files

mpskit hag unpack *.HAG
mpskit ss unpack */*.SS
mpskit ff unpack */*.FF
mpskit aa unpack */*.AA
mpskit txr unpack */*.TXR
mpskit cnv unpack */*.CNV
mpskit art unpack */*.ART
mpskit pik unpack */*.PIK

Create charmap in current directory

mpskit charmap create

Legacy: Realm of Terror

# unpacking of font files
mpskit lff unpack T???? HVR08

mpskit mcc unpack MCC
mpskit mcc pack MCC

# NOTE 1: MCC colors will be mixed but will work correctly in-game
# NOTE 2: sprite width and height cannot be modified

Supported File Formats

|command |applied to |content |games | |---------|--------------------------------------|--------------------|---------| |hag |HAG files |collection of files |rex | |mdat |MESSAGES.DAT file |text |rex | |rdat |DAT files containing text |text |rex | |tdat |DAT files containing multiline text |text |rex | |ss |SS files |sprites |rex,col | |aa |AA files |text |rex | |cnv |CNV files |text |dsp | |art |ART files |background image |rex | |ff |FF files |font |rex,col | |pik |PIK files |background image |col | |lff |TMB10 TMB12 TMR10 TMR12 TMR14 HVR08 |font |leg | |mcc |MCC index file |sprites |leg | |txr |TXR files |text |rex | |fab |file containing FAB section | | | |madspack |any file which begins with "MADSPACK" | | |

rex = Rex Nebular, col = Colonization, dsp = Dragonsphere, leg = The Legacy: Realm of Terror

Notes

png files are written in indexed mode with embedded palette ("Colormap" dialog in GIMP)
changes to embedded palette are ignored by mpskit
charmap will not be applied to "[]" characters and anything between them

License

AGPLv3 or later

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Affero General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License along with this program. If not, see http://www.gnu.org/licenses/.

Contact

Institution, sta256+mpskit@gmail.com

Thanks to

ScummVM Project (http://scummvm.org/)

Mpskit

Install / Use

README