How to Create High-Resolution Textures in SSF4AE - PC

This tutorial covers how to create *.col.emb files from scratch using Kensou's Tools. These files can contain any number or variety of DDS textures of any size/resolution or compression type (DXT*). The most common usage for this is to create textures that are higher resolution than the default textures, but it can be used for other purposes, as well.

Sensibeat's tutorial for making high-resolution textures is much more informative, but requires a level of comfort working with hexadecimal code and calculations. This method is considerably easier but you should still try to understand sensibeat's instructions since the same techniques are helpful in other aspects of modding.

Anyway, lets get started. All you need are piecemontee's Asset Explorer and Kensou's sf4tool.

Step 1. Open a *.col.emb file in the Asset Explorer and extract the DDS textures. Name them something simple that reflects the order they're supposed to come in (I like to use 1.dds, 2.dds, etc.).

Step 2. Open the DDS textures in a paint/editing program, such as Photoshop or GIMP, and scale them to the desired resolution. In this case, I'm scaling a bunch of 512x512 textures up to 1024x1024.

Step 3. Save the textures as new DDS files with any compression you like. This is your opportunity to change, for example, DXT1 textures into DXT5 to allow for semi-tranparency.

Step 4. Now, open the directory for Kensou's sf4tool.exe (NOT sf4toolnew.exe). If you don't have a directory named 'emb' in there, create it now, and then put your enlarged DDS textures into it. Next, run sf4tool.exe by double-clicking it.

Step 5. In the big file-directory pane on the upper-right of the window, double-click on your emb directory and click on the left-hand button underneath the big pane. The smaller pane to the left should populate with your files. Put them in the proper order by changing the filenames in the smaller pane (you can just click in there and type) and then click on the right-hand button to bundle them all together.

Step 6. Back in your 'emb' directory, you should have a new file called 'newpack.emz.' Rename it to match the col file you're trying to create, in my case GKI_01_01.col.emb.

All set! The *.col.emb file you're left with is formatted a little strangely and contains some garbage hex in the index and at the end of the file, but AE doesn't seem to care, so neither do I. :P

You can now use the Asset Explorer to extract/inject textures from your new file using the new textures as a base for mods.

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Sensibeat's Model Swapping Tutorial (Updated)

Updated Version:

Swapping objects (SSF4AE)

• piecemonteeSF4explorerV0.37b: http://sourceforge.net/projects/sf4viewer/files/0.37 (Console files format support - SuperSF4)/piecemonteeSF4explorerV0.37b.exe/download
• hexadecimal editor HxD (free): http://mh-nexus.de/en/downloads.php?product=HxD

I'll swap cammy's first costume hat with the 2nd one.

In sf4explorer I open CMY_02.obj.emo and I "raw dump" (not "extract") the #EMG (cap_lether) (cap_line)
(I name it CMY_02.cap.emg)


I open CMY_01.obj.emo and CMY_02.cap.emg in HxD

In CMY_01.obj.emo I search for the #EMG (F3) containing the "cap"

(note the offset: 670C0)

I go to the next #EMG (F3)


I place the cursor just before that #EMG and I use the "select block" fonction (CTRL+E) using the start offset I noted (670C0):


OK:

(Note the Length: 63F0)

The #EMG selected in CMY_01.obj.emo, I now "Select All" (CTRL+A) CMY_02.cap.emg and I copy it (CTRL+C).

(Note the Length: 50C0)

I paste it (CTRL+V) over the #EMG selected in CMY_01.obj.emo


OK:

Don't forget to rename the object in the #EMG according to the skin it's swapped onto, here I searched and renamed "cap_lether" and "cap_line" into "cap" (both times) so they'll use the same material in the obj.emm file.

Let's do some math in hexadecimal:

Code:

63F0 (Length of former #EMG) - 50C0 (Length of new #EMG) = 1330

1) I need to substract 1330 in the index at the start of the file for every offset of the #EMGs for every object coming after the "cap", as the new object is smaller than the old one.

If the new object is bigger than the old, you need to substract the length of the new by the old and add the result to the index.

By opening CMY_01.obj.emo in sf4explorer, I can count that the cap is the 10th #EMG so I have to substract 1330 from the 11th #EMG to the last one (22th #EMG).


The index of the #EMGs starts at offset 28
From there each block of 8 digits is the offset of one #EMGs minus 30 written backwards 2 digits at a time ("little endian"):
01 23 45 69 in little endian will be 69 45 23 01 in big endian

So I'll have to edit the 12 index entries from offset 50 (#EMG 11) to 7F (#EMG 22)
I substract 1330 to the offsets (calculating in hexadecimal and reading offsets in "big endian"):

Code:

00 06 D4 80 - 1330 = 00 06 C1 50  00 06 E4 50 - 1330 = 00 06 D1 20  ...  00 0A F1 60 - 1330 = 00 0A DE 30  

And I rewrite them backwards ("little endian")


2) I need to substract 1330 to 2 more offsets related to the 2nd part of the obj.emo file:

Code:

00 0C A7 00 - 1330 = 00 0C 93 D0  00 0C A5 90 - 1330 = 00 0C 92 60  

Let's go to the 2nd offset (minus 20 written backwards, so 00 0C 92 60 + 20 = 00 0C 92 80), using the goto fonction (CTRL+G):

Here's another index I need to substract 1330 to:


From offset C9280 to C92D7, just before the first readable datas (hand_env):

Code:

00 0C A5 E8 - 1330 = 00 0C 92 B8  ...  00 0C A6 D1 - 1330 = 00 0C 93 A1  

Save and that's it for the 1st part:


Next I'll show how to add dds to the col.emb and nml.emb files and how to link objects in the obj.emo file to the right dds.

1) Adding dds to the col.emb (and nml.emb) files

In sf4explorer, I extract the dds for the cap from CMY_02_01.col.emb
That I name CMY_02_01.dds:



I open CMY_01.col.emb and CMY_02_01.dds in HXD


In CMY_01.col.emb, I add a line of "00" at the end of the index, here:


I change this "04" at offset 0C (former number of dds):


Into "05" (new number of dds):


And I edit the index because I moved all the offsets by 10 with my line of "00":


I add another line of "00" at the end of the file, here:

(Note the starting offset of the new dds will be: 155850)

I "select All" (CTRL+A) CMY_02_01.dds and copy it

(Note the Length: 555F0)

I paste it at the end of the file (after the line of "00"):


Then I go back to the start of the file to enter the starting offset of the new dds minus 40 writen in "little endian"
(40 = offset where I'll write the new index entry)
00 15 58 50 - 40 = 00 15 58 10 ("big endian")
That gives in "little endian":

If I had added 2 dds the next one would be indexed at offset 48 with its starting offset minus 48 written backwards

If there's only one dds and you add one it will be indexed at offset 28 with its starting offset minus 28 written backwards

etc...

Now I add the new dds length written in "little endian" (00 05 55 F0):


Save and do the exact same thing with the normal map dds in CMY_01.nml.emb, adding the normal map dds that contains the cap from CMY_02.nml.emb

2) Linking objects in the obj.emo file to the right dds

dds are ordered from 0 and the normal map dds follow the texture dds, so if you add 1 texture dds, every normal map dds will change number.
I have now 5 texture dds from #0 to #4
and 5 normal map dds from #5 to #9

I open CMY_01.obj.emo in HxD and do a search on "#EMG" (F3)
Each #EMG has those kind of data outlined here:


They contain the links to the dds:


The numbers in red are links to the texture dds
The numbers in green are links to the normal map dds

I have to change all the links to the normal map dds for the 22 #EMG according to the new order of the dds
(I just have to add 1 to every normal map link as we added 1 texture dds)


And edit the "cap" #EMG to link it to my 2 new dds #4 and #9:


Save and it's over.

Original Version:

Let's put Ryu's hairs on Akuma's (a.k.a. Gouki).

preparation:

From GKI_02.obj.emo I dump and rename (included in swap obj.rar):

• GKI_01.bsr


• GKI_01.nml.emb


• GKI_01.shd.emo

They'll be used in kensou's sf4tool to repack the file.

From RYU_03.cos.emz I dump the hair emg file that I rename as RYU_03.hair.emg (included in swap obj.rar):


Open GKI_02.obj.emo and RYU_03.hair.emg in HxD:
The hair being the last emg of GKI file, we can get the information on it's beginning and ending from these:

Code:

offset 24 = offset of the list of offsets of names following the last emg:
00 0B A2 70 + 20 = 00 0B A2 90 so the emg finishes at [COLOR="red"]00 0B A2 8F [/COLOR](1 before)
offset 58 = 1st offset of last emg (hair):  00 0A 68 D0 + 30 = [COLOR="red"]00 0A 69 00[/COLOR]

Let's use the "Select block" option in HxD:



Now select all of the RYU file and copy/paste it over GKY's selection:



OK:


Notice the 2 offsets that will need to be rewritten at the beginning of the file:

Code:

00 0C 01 70  -20 = 00 0C 01 50  -> backwards: [COLOR="red"]50 01 0C 00[/COLOR] @ offset 24
00 0C 02 20 -> backwards: [COLOR="red"]20 02 0C 00[/COLOR] @ offset 10

While we are here let's rewrite those references:

Code:

e_dtooth 00 0C 01 A4 - 20 = 00 0C 01 84 -> backwards: [COLOR="red"]84 01 0C 00[/COLOR]
...
...
hair_TG  00 0C 01 F9 - 20 = 00 0C 01 D9 -> backwards: [COLOR="red"]D9 01 0C 00[/COLOR]

Then the 2 offsets at the beginning of the file:



So it's good for the emo's references.

Note that hair is the last emg, in case of an emg in the middle of others, you would have to rewrite the beginning references (between offset 28 and 5B) of all the following emgs as their starting offset would have moved.

Now let's take a look at the emg's references:


43 -> former emg is 42
01 -> number of the 2nd texture dds
05 -> number of the 2nd normal map dds


Save and Rename the file as GKI_01.obj.emo

Put it in a new folder with:

• GKI_01.bsr


• GKI_01.nml.emb


• GKI_01.shd.emo

and only those 4 files.

Open kensou's sf4tool and go look for your file path in the upper right, then click the left button under the big window:



Notice the files obj.emo and shd.emo are swapped.
Rewrite them in the right order (obj before shd) and click the right button:



Done.

Rename the newpack.emz into GKI_01.cos.emz and test it ingame with the GKI_01_01.col.emz provided (2nd costume 1st color file edited to be played as 1st costume):


You've got Akuma with Ryu's hairs.

For swapping smaller objects:

Basically you just have to copy/paste your emg and fill the rest of the former emg with 00's. Then there're just the emg number and the dds references to change. So the swap can be done on the .cos.emz directly.

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Sensibeat's .emg File Structure Tutorial

From RYU_03.cos.emz I dump the face emg file that I rename as RYU_03.face.emg (included in swap obj.rar):


Notice that the emg is composed of 4 objects sharing 1 name.


.emg file references

Let's take a look at RYU_03.face.emg in HxD:

offset 04 to 07:

Code:

00 01 01 43

number of this emg, former is 00 01 01 42, next is 00 01 01 44

offset 10 to 13:

Code:

00 00 02 C7

appears on every emg, may be the marker to the starting point of every later offset references

offset 14 to 15:

Code:

00 01

number of object's name(s)

offset 1C:

Code:

00 50

no idea what those datas are

offset 20 to 21:

Code:

06 66

number of vertex (666 in hex = 1638 in dec)

offset 2E:

Code:

00 40

appears on every emg, no idea what those data are

offset 24 to 25:

Code:

00 00 39 64 (+ 10 = 39 74)

relative offset (couting from offset 10) of another part of the emg

offset 2A to 2B:

Code:

00 04

number of objects

offset 2C to 2D:

Code:

00 70 (+ 10 = 80)

relative offset (counting from offset 10) of the list of relative offsets of the objects

offset 30 to 5F:

no idea what those datas are

offset 60 to 63:

Code:

00 00 00 54 + 10 = 64

relative offset (counting from offset 10) of the 1st object's name dds references (only one here, more references here in case of more objects)

offset 64 to 7B:

Code:

02 00 00 00 00 [COLOR="red"]02[/COLOR] 80 3F 22 00 80 3F 00 00 00 00 00 [COLOR="red"]07[/COLOR] 80 3F 22 00 80 3F

dds reference
the 1st number in red points to the texture dds
the 2nd number in red points to the normal map dds

dds are ordered from 0 (first texture dds) and the normal map dds numbers follow the texture ones
Ryu has 5 texture dds numbered from #0 to #4 and 5 normal map dds numbered from #5 to #9
#2 is the 3rd texture dds
#7 is the 3rd normal map dds

offset 80 to 8F:


list of relative offsets (counting from 10) of the objects

00 00 00 80 + 10 = 90     1st object
00 00 20 50 + 10 = 20 60  2nd object
00 00 29 D0 + 10 = 29 E0  3rd object
00 00 38 80 + 10 = 38 90  4th object

offset 3974: (given at offset 24)


offset of the beginning of the second part of the emg, that I have yet to understand...

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