Author Topic: PIX file extensions. Any idea?  (Read 1334 times)

wyndcrosser

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PIX file extensions. Any idea?
« on: January 05, 2014, 06:11:17 AM »
Hi,

https://www.dropbox.com/s/aej5n0oowi80t9a/battlemenu.pix

The above link is for a .pix image file

It comes from the game Earth Seeker, that
I'm currently translating.

I have NO idea how to read it, no program
I found will identify it

IT should look like this.
http://www.abload.de/image.php?img=battlemenu3n92.png

Please help, if you can or have free time.

Thank you,

« Last Edit: January 07, 2014, 12:14:01 PM by wyndcrosser »

sunteam_paul

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Re: PIX file extensions. Any idea?
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2014, 07:39:16 AM »
I don't know if this helps: http://filext.com/file-extension/PIX

Also, scroll to the bottom here: http://www.fileinfo.com/extension/pix

Maybe GIMP can open it?
« Last Edit: January 05, 2014, 07:41:03 AM by sunteam_paul »
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wyndcrosser

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Re: PIX file extensions. Any idea?
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2014, 07:43:54 AM »
Thanks boss, yes I trolled the internet for about 4 hours, GIMP reads .PIX format, but apparently this isn't a "PIX file" based on the plugin it uses. Argh lol.

NightWolve

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Re: PIX file extensions. Any idea?
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2014, 07:53:09 AM »
Yeah, I scoured the net a bit for you and no luck, at least, in getting anything to open it...

Opening the file in a hex editor shows 'FPIX' as the file header.



You see 'FPIX', 'DPIX' and 'XPIX'. So I googled around for details based on that:
http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E11882_01/appdev.112/e10776/ap_imgfmts.htm#AIVUG80590
Quote
FPIX

extension: .fpx

mime: image/x-fpx

FPIX, or FlashPix, is a format developed by Kodak, Microsoft Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Company, and Live Picture, Inc., for storing digital photography.

But, after installing IrfanViewer (http://www.irfanview.net/), and its plugins pack, software that supported the format, it would fail to recognize your particular file.

Since this is from a videogame, it's likely it's a custom format or a modified version of an official one. That means you'll have to learn Intel x86 Assembly, trace the game code to where the file is opened, and study the decoding code. That's a long, involved, difficult process unfortunately so it's not something anybody is gonna help you with, not unless they are fully committed and interested in translating that videogame with you and have lots of experience in hacking.

Good luck.
« Last Edit: January 05, 2014, 08:02:33 AM by NightWolve »

wyndcrosser

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Re: PIX file extensions. Any idea?
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2014, 09:30:56 AM »
NightWolve,

Thanks for spending the time. I'm still looking at it. The original author had someone do it for them, or at least point him/her in the right direction, however that person is no longer active on any forums.

Argh lol. I'm hoping posting in the gbatemp.net will get that same person to help out.

Thanks again,

Wynd

NightWolve

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Re: PIX file extensions. Any idea?
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2014, 09:55:47 AM »
Ah, I see. Well, the other thing I notice is that it is not compressed (which is good!), so you got that going for you. There are bitplane/image viewers and so forth that can attempt to form an image based on the data in any file. You've got a shot with that since it's not compressed - looks very much like a raw bitmap. Anyway, that's about all I can offer for ya on this one. But yeah, where there is a will, there is a way, it just may take ya a while... ;)

nodtveidt

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Re: PIX file extensions. Any idea?
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2014, 07:15:18 AM »
Did you ever figure this out?

wyndcrosser

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Re: PIX file extensions. Any idea?
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2014, 03:01:31 AM »
Yes sir, totally did. We have a program now that converts it from PIX to TBL and then to PNG and of course back down the line to PIX. It was WAY easier than hexediting the files everything. Each file has two sizes for Wii (widescreen and basic 4:3).