Ripping Sprites - Revision history

imported>Yawackhary: Started rewording, less Nintendo focused and more general

2024-05-10T19:41:21Z

Started rewording, less Nintendo focused and more general

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:41, 10 May 2024
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	Depending on what ~~console~~, what game, and how the game stores its files, ripping sprites may be different between each console. There are many different formats that store images, and many different ways to extract those images from the format.		Depending on what system, what game, and how the game stores its files, ripping sprites may be different between each console. There are many different formats that store images, and many different ways to extract those images from the format.

	===~~Via~~ ROM Extraction===		===ROM Extraction===

	Every system has a different way of storing graphics data, and often times there exist many, many alternative graphics encoding formats even on the same console.		Every system has a different way of storing graphics data, and often times there exist many, many alternative graphics encoding formats even on the same console.

	For systems like Atari 5200, NES~~/Famicom~~, ~~and~~ Game Boy/Game Boy Color, ~~most or all~~ graphics can be viewed alongside the ROM data in a Tile-~~Viewer~~.		For systems like Atari 5200, [[NES]], [[Game Boy]]/Game Boy Color, [[Master System]]/[[Game Gear]] graphics can be viewed alongside the ROM data in a tile viewer such as [[Tile Molester]], [[YY-CHR]] or [[TiledGGD]]. For disc based systems, it would be looking at an ISO or a BIN file. Tiles may appear to be missing as they are reused and arranging them is like a puzzle or a jigsaw.

	~~But for more advanced systems like Wii, GameCube, DS, and 3DS,~~ the ~~game files are stored specifically as a filesystem. These filesystems can~~ be ~~extracted with certain programs, notably Dolphin Emulator has this feature,~~ to ~~reveal files like texture~~.~~brres. Some of these file extensions / formats are heavily documented. Some file types are mostly unknown however, so some~~ games~~' sprites are not able to be easily extracted~~ this ~~way without reverse-engineering the file format more. For information on a specific filetype, try searching on Google or a forum like GBATemp or The VG Resource~~.		Downside to this is that many games have compression or have an unusual way of storing the sprites meaning that it may or may not be possible to rip. [[Genesis]] games in particular have this issue.

	===~~Via Texture Dumping~~===		====Savestates====

	A ~~few emulators~~, ~~notably Dolphin Emulator for GameCube and Wii~~, ~~have features to dump textures in PNG format into a folder as~~ the ~~game uses them. For 3D games~~, ~~some of this may fit better on The Textures Resource~~.		A variation of the above using savestates or snapshots from an emulator. Some systems such as the [[Amiga]], it is more successful ripping from savestates via Maptapper rather than ripping from an .adf or a WHDLoad file, the same with [[Commodore 64]] and [[Commodore 16]] where ripping tools are designed around savestates than tapes, disks or cartridges.

	~~===Via Screenshot===~~		Downside is that ripping from a savestate may not display all the graphics in the game and may need to make multiple savestates. This is more of an issue regarding systems such as [[Genesis]], [[SNES]], [[Game Boy Advance]] where a savestate may only hold one character frame or only what is on screen at the time of making the savestate.

	Reverse engineering file formats is not always necessary to rip sprites however. Some rippers use programs like ScreenGet and AnimGet (https://spritedatabase.net/download) to automatically take screenshots and crop sprites out of them.		===File Extraction===

	Some rippers ~~swear by Microsoft Paint~~, but some say its colors are not always accurate and instead recommend programs like Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, and Paint.net. Further, some rippers use ~~SpriteTracer (~~https://spritedatabase.net/download) or other tools specialized for sprite sheets.		More advanced systems like Wii, GameCube, DS, and 3DS as well as [[PC]] and [[Mobile]] in general, the game files are stored specifically as a filesystem. These filesystems can be extracted with certain programs, such as Dolphin (GameCube) and Tinkle (DS), to reveal files like texture.BFRES. For PC, the filesystem is instead a folder based structure unless the game only as an .exe file.

			Some of these file extensions / formats are heavily documented and in the cases of PC and Mobile may also be in a PNG or BMP file, already supported in image editors. Some file types are unknown and are not able to be easily extracted without reverse-engineering the file format. Try searching for the file format first. As warning, some files may have a common filename such as BIN but would not be the same format.

			Mobile games may also require the Internet running to download additional data/updates as the .apk may only have the basics required to open the game.

			===Graphics Viewers in an Emulator===

			Some systems have emulators that include tile viewers, sprite viewers, background viewers, palette viewers. This is a more simpler way of ripping from older consoles. Emulators such as [[BizHawk]] cover multiple systems.

			Depending on system, these may not be strictly a tile/sprite based viewer. Computers such as [[ZX Spectrum]] does not have any sprites at all and graphics are stored via bitplanes.

			===Editors===

			In some cases, an editor can be used to rip graphics. Examples include LunarMagic for [[Super Mario World]] and KiddEd for [[Alex Kidd in Miracle World]].

			Places such as Romhacking.net can be used to search for game based editors.

			===Tools===

			Some games require an external tool to rip. This also include games that have compression where a decompressor can be used so it can be viewed in a tile viewer.

			Try searching for the game online to see if there is a ripping tool, often the tool or the source code would be found on GitHub or similar sites. Some programming knowledge might be needed to either rip or able to use the tool. Python or Lua scripting may also be required to learn.

			In rare cases, a tool may have to be paid for.

			===Texture Dumping===

			A few emulators, notably [[Dolphin]] for GameCube and Wii or PPSSPP for [[PSP]], have features to dump textures in PNG format into a folder as the game uses them. For title screens, image based text and any 2D based element such as menus and HUD is suitable for The Spriters Resource while 3D textures (from character models and surroundings) are for The Textures Resource.

			===Screenshots===

			This was the traditional way of sprite ripping aka capturing. Programs such as ScreenGet and [https://spritedatabase.net/download AnimGet] automatically take screenshots and using an image editor crop sprites out of them. Early rips used this method and it is best if the background layers are removed with a background color that does not clash with the sprite.

			Downside to screenshot ripping is there is no guarantee that all the sprites are shown in game, some may also be cut off that would be shown in full using another method. Early rips may also be edited to remove the background, this may not match the sprite and may have leftovers or removed too much of the sprite.

			In rare cases, screenshotting might still be the easiest way of ripping especially if the file format is unknown, cannot be viewed in a tile viewer at all, no tool exists and the emulator has no ripping features.

			==After Ripping==

			In a majority of cases, an image editor is required whether it is taken from a sprite viewer via an emulator, tiles extracted from a tile viewer or screenshots. This is so the sprites can be sheeted.

			Some rippers use [[MSPaint]], but some say its colors are not always accurate and instead recommend programs like Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, GraphicsGale and Paint.net. Further, some rippers use SpriteSheeter, [https://spritedatabase.net/download SpriteTracer] or other tools specialized for sprite sheets.

	{{WikiMainTopNav}}		{{WikiMainTopNav}}

	[[Category:The Resource Basics]]		[[Category:The Resource Basics]]

imported>RedStoneMatt: /* Via ROM Extraction */ BFRES is a Wii U / Switch format, not a Wii format (therefore incoherent with Dolphin being mentionned prior to it). Note that BFRES/BRRES do not typically hold sprites, but models with their textures & animations.

2023-03-02T21:19:21Z

Via ROM Extraction: BFRES is a Wii U / Switch format, not a Wii format (therefore incoherent with Dolphin being mentionned prior to it). Note that BFRES/BRRES do not typically hold sprites, but models with their textures & animations.

← Older revision	Revision as of 21:19, 2 March 2023
(No difference)

imported>RedStoneMatt: /* Via ROM Extraction */ BFRES is a Wii U / Switch format, not a Wii format (therefore incoherent with Dolphin being mentionned prior to it). Note that BFRES/BRRES do not typically hold sprites, but models with their textures & animations.

2023-03-02T21:19:21Z

← Older revision	Revision as of 21:19, 2 March 2023
(No difference)

imported>RedStoneMatt: /* Via ROM Extraction */ BFRES is a Wii U / Switch format, not a Wii format (therefore incoherent with Dolphin being mentionned prior to it). Note that BFRES/BRRES do not typically hold sprites, but models with their textures & animations.

2023-03-02T21:19:21Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:19, 2 March 2023
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	For systems like Atari 5200, NES/Famicom, and Game Boy/Game Boy Color, most or all graphics can be viewed alongside the ROM data in a Tile-Viewer.		For systems like Atari 5200, NES/Famicom, and Game Boy/Game Boy Color, most or all graphics can be viewed alongside the ROM data in a Tile-Viewer.

	But for more advanced systems like Wii, GameCube, DS, and 3DS, the game files are stored specifically as a filesystem. These filesystems can be extracted with certain programs, notably Dolphin Emulator has this feature, to reveal files like texture.~~bfres~~. Some of these file extensions / formats are heavily documented. Some file types are mostly unknown however, so some games' sprites are not able to be easily extracted this way without reverse-engineering the file format more. For information on a specific filetype, try searching on Google or a forum like GBATemp or The VG Resource.		But for more advanced systems like Wii, GameCube, DS, and 3DS, the game files are stored specifically as a filesystem. These filesystems can be extracted with certain programs, notably Dolphin Emulator has this feature, to reveal files like texture.brres. Some of these file extensions / formats are heavily documented. Some file types are mostly unknown however, so some games' sprites are not able to be easily extracted this way without reverse-engineering the file format more. For information on a specific filetype, try searching on Google or a forum like GBATemp or The VG Resource.

	===Via Texture Dumping===		===Via Texture Dumping===

imported>ChainSwordCS: added more, only one specific external link

2021-03-18T04:50:38Z

added more, only one specific external link

← Older revision	Revision as of 04:50, 18 March 2021
(No difference)

imported>ChainSwordCS: added more, only one specific external link

2021-03-18T04:50:38Z

added more, only one specific external link

← Older revision	Revision as of 04:50, 18 March 2021
(No difference)

imported>ChainSwordCS: added more, only one specific external link

2021-03-18T04:50:38Z

added more, only one specific external link

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 Depending on what console, what game, and how the game stores its files, ripping sprites may be different between each console. There are many different formats that store images, and many different ways to extract those images from the format.
 {{WikiMainTopNav}}
 [[Category:The Resource Basics]]

imported>BonaFideCertified: Grammar

2021-01-31T12:39:41Z

Grammar

← Older revision	Revision as of 12:39, 31 January 2021
(No difference)

imported>BonaFideCertified: Grammar

2021-01-31T12:39:41Z

Grammar

← Older revision	Revision as of 12:39, 31 January 2021
(No difference)

imported>BonaFideCertified: Grammar

2021-01-31T12:39:41Z

Grammar

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:39, 31 January 2021
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{Stub}}		{{Stub}}

	Depending on what console, what game, and how the game stores ~~it's~~ files, ripping sprites may be different between each console. There are many different formats that store images, and many different ways to extract those images from the format.		Depending on what console, what game, and how the game stores its files, ripping sprites may be different between each console. There are many different formats that store images, and many different ways to extract those images from the format.

	{{WikiMainTopNav}}		{{WikiMainTopNav}}

	[[Category:The Resource Basics]]		[[Category:The Resource Basics]]