[Tutorial] - Tilemap, GFX & Palette rips (MAME)

[DarkValentine]

There is a tutorial for BOR style rips which is a good beginner's start. But for those who want a bit more in source material, I've decided to create this tutorial specifically for those of us who want to rip tilemaps & GFX pieces with MAME.

The version of MAME that I'm using in this tutorial, has the best tilemap viewer option, because it's not broken like in newer versions. You need to aquire MAME32XT Version 0.134. And while I couldn't locate an archive at the website it originally came from, I happen to still have (and use) that version. I'll provide both a mediafire & megaupload link. Since some users can't use mediafire.

Mediafire Link
http://www.mediafire.com/?cdqdtbk9a50fb40

Megaupload Link
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=CIZQPPCY

Ok, so I shouldn't have to tell you, you need to get ROMs. If you do, do a google search on those. With that said, you're going to need a game to run, in order to get the tilemaps & GFX pieces (optional on the pieces part). In this demonstration, I'll be using D.D. Crew, a game I've already ripped out all the tilemaps from the game. As I plan on using it in my Street Survivors mod. It's one of the classic Sega Beat'em Ups, and it was something I grew up playing in the early 90's next to SoR, so it's only fair that I bring it some justice in SORMaker

When you run the game, and it loads the very first stage, immediately press F4 on the keyboard. This will bring up the Palette screen. As seen below.

Palette Screen:


When you make it to this screen, Press the Enter key (Return key for some users), and you will then have access to the GFX layer. Which is always an 8x8 grid like setup. While in the GFX layer, if there is a specific sprite image you need, you will have to look into the grid, as it will be like a jigsaw puzzle. You can use the left or right arrow keys, to scroll through the different colors in the GFX grid that you may need. As seen in the image below.

GFX Layer:


Pressing enter again on this screen, will bring you to the Tilemap area. In which it will always show the kind of layout in x & y position that it starts off by default. You can use the left and right bracket keys * [ and ] * respectively to scroll through the number sets of tilemaps that are used in a stage. Everything will be grouped together, or some parts will just be a background image. As seen in the image below.


Tilemap (TMap screen):


Take note that while in the Tilemap, GFX and Palette screen, the screenshot button in MAME turns off by default. There is no way to change this, as that is by design of the emulator. So you would need to use an extrnal screenshot saver/creator, in order to rip the tilemaps, or GFX pieces by the section. If you need to get the palette, you can use said external screenshot saver/creator of your choice to take a picture of the available colors, and use something like an eye drop tool (like the one found in gimp), to select the color that is on the palette, if you want to be diverse in editing. You are also able to move the image to any position by using the left & right arrow keys. And, if you need to zoom in, you can use the - and = keys on your keyboard, to zoom in on either the GFX layer, the palette layer or the TMap layer.

Keep in mind, not all parts are in a TMap layer. Some item specific parts that are attached to a stage, are in the GFX grid layer. And for this, you will need to either use Artmoney, and find the address by looking at the grid, or use your image editing tool to select by section (in my case, I use SnagIt version 7 to do all of this).

With the ability to rip things out of MAME, the possibilities are now endless. What game you use, will be up to you. But keep in mind, not every game will be easy to rip, and some layers all reuse the same position. Only advancing when you move forward in the stage, then press F4 to bring up the TMap layer again to get the shot you need.

If you need to rip games from Capcom or SNK, you'll need to use either Kawaks or FBA (FinalBurn Alpha). As those two emulators have a better tilemap & layer ripping system than MAME for those specific games. Otherwise, use MAME if you want to rip non-capcom or non-SNK games.

This ends the tutorial. I will update this as needed, if I discover any more tips and/or shortcuts for easier ripping from MAME. This is currently as good as it gets at this time.

[badjab]

Thanks for the tip! This makes things much easier with MAME.

"Yo gotta bomb in ya park!!!" lol hopefully you're using some D.D. Crew music too.

[DarkValentine]

There wasn't much music in D.D. Crew to begin with, but I'll definitely be using the music that's available.

[Iceweb38]

Wow, excellent tutorial. So far I've been using Winkawaks but this one shall be very useful as well.
Thanks!

[DarkValentine]

Thanks, glad you like it.

[dproeder]

Instead of digging through all that source, and putting it together like a jigsaw puzzle, You could just play through the game and take sequential screenshots. Most emulators have toggles that allow you to hide sprite layers. Walk through the stage a little, pause the game, toggle off the layers u don't want, take a screenshot, piece them easily together in photoshop. I captured and assembled all the stages and levels from final fight 1 in about 4 hours.

[DarkValentine]

While this is true, MAME does not have a toggle option, that allows you to toggle through sequential screenshots.

If MAME operated like Nebula, Kawaks or FinalBurn Alpha, that would work, in theory. However, That doesn't work in MAME. I'm very familiar with the method you're talking about. It's how I made stages under the MUGEN engine. The only difference here is that MAME's version of what you're looking for, disables the entire screen, instead of sequential snapshots, for image based ripping. So disabling layers is not possible in MAME. Which is sad, because disabling layers would make this process much faster. Like it is in Kawaks, Nebula and FBA. The only way around this, is if I knew how to use ArtMoney. And even that is complicated enough. Because that allows for removing, altering or replacing parts with other parts, while the game is running. Instead of sequential screenshots. ArtMoney is for experienced users. So I won't be using that anytime soon.

The sad part, is that while D.D. Crew works & plays in FinalBurn Alpha, the sequential screenshots option, when disabling layers, does not work well in FBA. And the only other emulator that plays D.D. Crew, is MAME. FBA works fine when doing sequential screenshots and layer toggling for games like Final Fight. But I wanted D.D. Crew. Since I'm not you...


I've been fooling with emulators for years. MAME just does not have that option you're speaking of. Even when I look through the controls part of MAME, that list menu and shortcut options. F5 is the only one that displays layers. I'm also NOT a photoshop user. So what works for you, won't work for me. Since I don't use that. The tutorial was put here just as reference. Anyone can use whatever they want. As opposed to what I have here.

But hey, different strokes for different folks. Some of us normal people find their own way, and at least share what they know. Someone else may want it easier, some may not, and want to do it like I do. It's called diversity. I'm not mad, I'm just saying.

So the basis of this tutorial is to show that the option is possible in MAME, it is not as easy to get to. Since MAME has a much larger selection of games that could run, and this is the only real way of getting images out without finding a specific emulator that will work on the option you're speaking of. What I posted is as close as you can get. In the above, when I was making this tutorial, it only took me 45 minutes to get all the parts of every stage. The best part of this, was the fact that the layers, while looking jigsawed to you, was actually in the correct settings when ripped. No, that is not a joke. As I do understand, that each game will always be different. Also, because of the above in the first post, the characters don't come ripped with the images, as you are showing to believe. They are on the 8x8 grid option, separate from the above. So this makes for very clean rips.

I've been trying for years to figure out how to toggle layers in MAME to get sequential screenshots. Or, at least allow me to disable layers. Even after asking some that work on the MAME emulator on how to do it, it's told to play through the game, and just press F5. That brings up this emulator's version of the Toggle Display option, for sequential screenshots. The only problem is that taking screenshots while in this mode, is disabled.

Now, if they could enable this option, without disabling it, doing what I do above, then I'd be a happy camper. Also, if you're inclined to explain in your own thread how this works. I'd be more than happy to see it. There's a thread already for suggesting ideas. You didn't have to hijack my thread, and try to give me an explanation on what works, when I clearly stated that it doesn't work in mame. You're more than welcome to make your own. Or, post the tips you know, in the thread I'm speaking of. Which can be found Here. Unless you don't like using the search button. But that's besides the point...

What I made here, isn't the "end all, be all" kind of topic. It's just my own take on ripping. Since nobody else on this site covered it. Feel free to make your own.

[Don Vecta]

Yeah, I also use photoshop but MAME, as DV mentioned, doesn't have the layer option like ZSNES, Kawaks, Genskmod or other emus.

So, yeah, I've had to play the whole games and then hit f4, get the layers on, printscreen then paste on photoshop and keep the screened layers saved in a psd. That saves me a lot of troubles in having tons of images so in case i need resources from a whole game, I click on its psd (that contains all the rips) and work directly with them. At least I have all the material gathered in one place and lot easier to manage since it's inside photoshop and just need to copy and paste the elements I need for my stage.