[HD Texture Project] Xenoblade Chronicles (v5.0U - May 17, 2014)

[Bighead]

I just went through your steps, and the first few gems it wasn't working but after like the 4th gem the next 3 gems did make new IDs. That is a scary thought. There has to be a limit somewhere, 8 digits with 16 possible values has a limit somewhere. I don't understand how to do permutations with hex values so I'm not even going to attempt it, but lets just hope that the well dries up.

Edit: But it makes me wonder... maybe the possible IDs it gives you are static. Meaning that you enter Makna Forest for example, dump some IDS, run down the path, slay a few monsters, check again you have new IDs now. Maybe the method you found gives you all the possible IDs for the area before going through all that crap, and maybe they are reused again (like IDs you dumped through gem crafting may end up being the same in like Sword Valley or something). Hard to say since at any point you can't actually check which textures are being loaded by Dolphin.

[frozenwings]

Yeah, obviously there's a numerical limit so it can't be infinite. I don't know much about hex either besides the basics and how the values increase and decrease, but definitely not infinite. I was exaggerating slightly. :p

I don't know if you saw my edits. But yeah, I ran into a wall shortly after making that post. I did get around 5-6 new sets in Tephra using the method though. The problem is I've already done a lot of backtrack dumping prior to discovering this. So I'll have to wait until I get to a new area to test it out and see if it loads all of the possible IDs without having to jump through a bunch of crazy hoops. I hope so, that would be really great and save tons of time.

Anyway, I have my dump folder on my other monitor so I'm constantly monitoring it, I have it "large picture view" sorted by date created so I can see the new files that are dumped while I'm playing. So that helps to discern some patterns in how the game dumps by seeing what files are constantly coming in.

[Bighead]

Yeah I was doing the same thing just now, and I did hit a wall in Ether Mine after awhile. I crafted about 10 gems now with no new IDs. I couldn't even imagine doing all this stuff with only one screen. I usually have folders open everywhere, multiple GIMP instances, paint, dolphin, firefox, w/e else... my desktop is now cluttered with icons and folders within folders within folders with PNGs everywhere LOL.

[frozenwings]

Haha, I totally am the same way. Minus GIMP, because I gave up on trying to retexture things. But still, I have tons of folders and crap and images open comparing stuff all over.

Anyway, where are you at in the game? I'm wondering if backtracking at certain points will unlock new IDs. I'm testing it now but dumping everything I can before Eryth Sea, since a lot of stuff goes down there. I think there's another point in the game that changes some of the old maps that may also create new IDs. So it's probably good we're both backtracking and grabbing stuff.

I've also been thinking about how I'm going to submit everything to you to put into your pack. At first I wa sonly going to send you my own stuff, but we've also made a ton of changes to files that existed when you sent me the pack in the first place. I'm worried about some discrepancies in our files/folders, either the wrong ones or in different spots and having duplicates all over.

Edit: Also, I use Riki and Melia to craft since Riki, Melia, and Seven only have one High Tension texture each. Since the gem crafting generates high tension textures, I figure you're better off having them crafting and getting the other 4 party members to jump in and aid you to get their textures.

[Bighead]

Right now I'm currently in Central Factory. As for dealing with duplicates and stuff I was going to keep both dump folders separate, and create a script that compares the files in each against each other based on name, compare byte sizes, look for missing stuff, etc.. and create some logs detailing whats what. Step 2 would be to take all the dumps out each sub folder, 2 separate folders still, and drop all textures onto the other and windows "replace verify" shows pics and sizes in KB and what not. Anything that doesn't match up from both I'll set aside and try to figure out wtf. At least all this sounds good in theory, I might add a few steps in there somewhere, might not even need the do the 2nd part if I can write a good enough script to take care of it for me.

[frozenwings]

So how do you want me to organize stuff? Do you want me to toss it all into one big folder then? Or separate it how yours was when you sent it to me? Because I think we're going to more folders than that now. I don't know.

[Bighead]

Either way will work, the sub folders will probably be a little easier to maintain but it doesn't matter too much. As you can see I already broke it down into more categories since the pack I sent you about a week ago lol, and I might even decide to go with more yet because when folders start reaching 3-5k textures, it takes forever to load thumbnails and the contents in general because my primary hard drive is slow. This seems to be a windows 8 issue though, when I first broke the textures into categories I was doing it in a virtual Windows XP install with VirtualBox. Thumbnails load instantly on WinXP for some reason, even when the folder I was working on had 15k textures in it.

Spoiler: (Show Spoiler)

[frozenwings]

Yeah, mine is pretty similar now. Just slightly different names in some spots. I'm keeping mine similar to yours until I send it, however if you're just going to run a script to pull out and separate all of the files anyway.... Not sure if it matters. Unless I'm misunderstanding something.

[Flanqer]

(04-25-2014, 02:34 PM)frozenwings Wrote: Also, while I have you here. I think I saw you in a post on the gamefaqs forum, unless it's a different Flanqer. Where the guy didn't know you could quick travel to various parts of the game, and thought you had to travel to the different entrances / exits in order to zone. And then tried explaining to everyone how he was right, when he just didn't get it? That guy was hilarious. Major face palm moment.

Yes, I use the same nym there, and I remember that thread. I can sort of understand why that guy was confused. Maybe he'd decided very early that the Maps menu item was unnecessary because it's faster to press (1) or (-). After he entered Tephra Cavern it never occured to him to look at the Maps menu item again so he never found out that you can access all of the maps from there.

Or maybe when the mechon attack started, he'd started back through Tephra Cavern before trying to quick-travel back to the colony, and reached the wrong conclusion about why it wouldn't let him. (Quick travel is disabled during the mechon attack.)

[frozenwings]

(04-26-2014, 12:17 PM)Flanqer Wrote:

(04-25-2014, 02:34 PM)frozenwings Wrote: Also, while I have you here. I think I saw you in a post on the gamefaqs forum, unless it's a different Flanqer. Where the guy didn't know you could quick travel to various parts of the game, and thought you had to travel to the different entrances / exits in order to zone. And then tried explaining to everyone how he was right, when he just didn't get it? That guy was hilarious. Major face palm moment.

Yes, I use the same nym there, and I remember that thread. I can sort of understand why that guy was confused. Maybe he'd decided very early that the Maps menu item was unnecessary because it's faster to press (1) or (-). After he entered Tephra Cavern it never occured to him to look at the Maps menu item again so he never found out that you can access all of the maps from there.

Or maybe when the mechon attack started, he'd started back through Tephra Cavern before trying to quick-travel back to the colony, and reached the wrong conclusion about why it wouldn't let him. (Quick travel is disabled during the mechon attack.)

That's very understanding of you. I just thought it was funny how people explained to him how to do it, then he came back and tried to defend his point. I guess I would have at least went and tried it first before arguing about it. That's what made me notice your name. I was like "Man, this guy is hopeless. Who is nice enough to try and continue to explain this to him? Oh, it's Flanqer. I know a Flanqer."

Anyway, not a big deal and I'm kind of derailing the thread. I just wasn't sure if that was you or not. Good to know some cool people still hang around on the gamefaqs board.