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| Acmlm's Board - I3 Archive - ROM Hacking - The Favorable Hacking Utility |
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Guy Perfect                   Since: 11-18-05 Last post: 6289 days Last view: 6288 days |
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| Some of you may remember my earlier thread about Favorable Hacking Techniques... Well, I've decided to attemt to address as many of those concepts as I can with a single application.
I actually decided I would attempt this a long time ago, but now seems the time to actually do it. At the aforementioned long time ago, I typed out a prototype of what I IMAGINED I might be able to say about the project after its completion. And here, free of charge, is said prototype: Feature: Resource Search Engine
Techniques Addressed: 1, 1 1/2, 2, 8 Abstract: The Resource Search Engine can be used to search repositories of standardized resource links that can be searched to find whatever it is you're looking for. Using descriptions and various properties such as "system supported" or "game targeted," utilities, documentation, emulators and codes can be selected from an online database. Codes would be available such as Action Replay codes, which may help in the effort to hack a game. Feature: Flexible Hex Editor Techniques Addressed: 2, 3, 7 Abstract: The Flexible Hex Editor has the workings for a tool designed to hack. Featuring the standard features like binary editing, copy/paste, etc., the feature will also provide features that aid in an effort to hack a game. Taking after the great editor of DOS days, Hexposure, this editor will sports many of the same features. Advanced searching options allow case sensitive/insensite text searches, binary searches, endianness precautions, relative text searches and locating regions of differences between two files. Standard font table support is also included. Feature: Smart Corrupter Techniques Addressed: 4, 4 1/2 Abstract: The Smart Corrupter is a powerful tool that can be used to effectively locate certain data within ROM images. Regions of bytes within any file can be set to any value, series of values or random values. If desired, there is a Binary Elimination history option that can corrupt parts of the ROM automatically and keep track of what has been corrupted in the past. This is an aid in finding resource data in ROMs. The seeds for random values are recorded in order to reproduce the results, and a new file is created each time to avoid overwriting source files. In addition to all of these completely awesome ideas (-:, I also intend to include support for IPS and NINJA patch formats... as well as the ability to convert between them. One of the considerations I made was to create a disassembler, but that's more of a specialty item since it's different for every processor series ever created (save for Z80 and the GameBoy processor; the obligatory exception to the rule). I figured this utility should stick to the roots of being able to be used for any given purpose. There's no way I can guarantee a disassembly can be provided for said given purpose. Also, I've been at odds with myself in terms of whether or not to provide graphics viewing and editing capabilities such as those available in Tile Molester. While the features are simple to implement, it's more of a tool to MODIFY ROMs as opposed to HACKING the data that makes them up. There's a whole discussion about what's hacking and what's not, but I want the primary use of this utility to be for discovering what bytes in a file do what... as opposed to using it to make modifications. But the truth is, you can use a graphics viewer to help hack binary data. For example, you can use it to locate image data. There's also tell-tale signs of which regions of a ROM are compressed, which regions are offset tables, etc. There are graphical signatures to many things, even things that are not images. I'll probably end up implementing these features, but I'd like some feedback. Lastly, I'd like to present this project as an opportunity for the community to get involved. If there's enough demand for it, this project can become a conversation piece for Acmlm's Board. Whatever the circumstances, let me know your thoughts and criticisms. |
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Kyoufu Kawa Intends to keep Rom Hacking in one piece until the end   Since: 11-18-05 From: Catgirl Central Station Last post: 6287 days Last view: 6287 days |
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| You got my vote. Might even use it instead of that old SNESEdit thing. | |||
never-obsolete Paragoomba  Since: 05-14-06 From: AZ Last post: 6289 days Last view: 6289 days |
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Originally posted by BGNG i could probably help with that as i wrote one just like Hexposure in every way exept its a windows program. the only thing not finished is the relative search and editing on the text side. adding more features would be possible. |
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Gavin Cheep-cheep Vandalism is not tolerated Since: 11-17-05 From: IL, USA Last post: 6364 days Last view: 6307 days |
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| Criticism:
Each proposed Tool already exists.
In fact, i believe this entire set of applications already exists in `Bongo's WindHex32 (or whatever the fuck it's called now), sans the Resource Search Engine, which I would suggest is best suited for a web-application and does not belong tethered into a Hex application or Rom Editing software. Not trying to rain on your parade, it just seems like it would be a waste of time to make stripped clones of existing tools that actually have more robust capabilities than what you propose. Originally posted by Kyoufu Kawa edit:  This is the year two-thousand-and-fucking-six, who the hell still uses SNESEdit?!?(edited by Gavin on 07-01-06 06:26 PM) |
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Guy Perfect Since: 11-18-05 Last post: 6289 days Last view: 6288 days |
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| I've taken the time to look at WindHex32 and I've found that it is essentially Hexposure with more features and for Windows. There are a few disadvantages that WindHex32 has over the proposed application:
- It provides nothing like the "Resource Search Engine" - It does not provide any form of ROM corruption other than perhaps copy-and-paste - It does not have the ability to use NINJA patches, which is much more extensive than IPS - It cannot edit or view graphics data with visual feedback - It is not cross-platform. Windows only If you take the time to consider the purpose of this project, you'll find that it is a proposal to address as many of the issues as possible that were mentioned in the "Favorable Hacking Techniques" thread. Yes, there are countless resources out there to do the same thing, but this project aims to bring them all together into one package. That's why I proposed it. RomHacking.net, Zophar.net and even Acmlm.org are all resources for hacking-releated things, but that's three places to look. If all of the information contained in each of those sites could be compiled into a single directory, then searching for tools and documentation would be substantially easier. There are several hex editors and corruptors out there, but that's still more downloads. Again, the open-source and cross-platform intent of this project will enable anyone to be able to contribute and anyone to be able to use it. Most ROM hacking tools today are limited to Microsoft Windows or DOS. This way, at least, there's a tidy collection of tools that are at the disposal of anyone for whatever purpose. I have also never seen a corrupter that will perform a binary elimination search like the one I proposed. |
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DarkPhoenix Red Goomba Since: 12-27-05 Last post: 6292 days Last view: 6292 days |
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| I like the idea, but I share some of Gavin's criticisms.
A more flexible Hex Editor would be useful, particularly in regards to the structure viewer and the various functions. A Hex Editor could reasonably be expanded to do some linear disassembly, decompression, and pallete/tile viewing/editing; but I'm not aware of any that supports this (granted I haven't looked too hard) - most only support new structures based on the limited set of built in ones, and don't support graphical output/modification. It'd be nice to use one app to look at all parts of a ROM, like an IDE. Moreover, with appropriately structured bookmarks, it could be a powerful tool for sharing information about a ROM, if people used it. The key to making it a useful development would be to make it very extensible (read "reasonable to write plugins for" not necessarily "open source") - As Gavin mentioned, other hex editors have more features. It has to be easy to expand to do its job of application convergence. Corruption tool - A good extention, but better to leave the method (binary elimination) to the user. As was mentioned on the referenced thread, there are different strategies for corruption. Hard coding a specific strategy, even if it does do the note-taking, might not be too widely used. Keep it a tool, not a script. Resource Search Engine - As Gavin said. It has too little in common with the other two concepts to be part of the same app. A Hex Editor with a search engine isn't unlike a Media Player that tries to give you entertainment news. |
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FreeDOS + Giant Red Koopa Legion: freedos = fritos  Since: 11-17-05 From: Seattle Last post: 6287 days Last view: 6287 days |
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| A good corruption tool sounds sexy, I despise all the ones on RomHacking.net |
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