Testing SPS to XPS conversion

[Der Alta]

If someone out there in GT3 PAL land could download this replay and see if it works, I'd be most appreciative.

I'm wondering if there is the possibility of converting one format to the other so that I can trade a few replay saves across the pond.

Now before anyone jumps on me about throwing this into the gameshark forum, I'm trying to verify this for OLR purposes. I don't have a desire to have the hidden cars or other 4000hp hybrids.

I simply want to trade a replay from PAL to NTSC.

Thanks,

AO

 

[made in holland]

Í will try it now for you

 

[made in holland]

It doesn't work. I can download it to my PS2 with my XPort, but the game doesn't recognize the replay.

 

[Der Alta]

arrrghhh...

Well thank you for trying it. I'll still keep trying to search for another program that will do it.

Thanks,

AO

 

[boombexus]

That didn't work? The file that Der Alta has attached is an .xps. You should be able to read that Mr. Holland.

I've have DL'ed .xps replays to my NTSC PS2 and it will save to the memory card, but I can't view the replay. Zero has stated that he has been able to view certain .xps files on his NTSC but the majority of the time he can't view the replay.

 

[made in holland]

Originally posted by boombexus

I've have DL'ed .xps replays to my NTSC PS2 and it will save to the memory card, but I can't view the replay. Zero has stated that he has been able to view certain .xps files on his NTSC but the majority of the time he can't view the replay.

That's what is happening to me too. It will save on the memory card, but when i look for it in the replay theater, it's not there.

 

[Der Alta]

I used a program I found on the gameshark.com forums (found while looknig for a new piece of hardware).

While it seemed to work at first, I think that it just changes the file format. Something I could easily do myself with windows.

My question would be can you DL a regular SPS faile and see if it has the same reaction?

Thanks,
AO

 

[sukerkin]

Well, I got the game to recognise the replay Alex - don't ask me how as the first time I tried it I could only find it on the card using the File Operations section. I tried again and this time it showed up in the Replay Theatre.

However, the known problem with inter-system replays shows up in that the car you're in (the SARD I'm assuming) never makes it out of the first hairpin, just drives about running into walls, spinning etc. The AI cars are OK of course!

 

[boombexus]

Is the replay that Der Alta attached a .sps file that he just changed to a .xps file?

Where the heck is Der Alta anyway?

Check this out AO.


http://forums.gtplanet.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11847&highlight=Modded+PS2

 

[boombexus]

Would a mod chip enable you to view replays of different file types?

 

[sukerkin]

Hi Boombexus

As far as I know it is an NTSC replay file captured using a Sharkport and then converted to an .xps file.

A chipped PS2 might do the job but I don't know enough about the subject to say for certain. The problem with trying to view NTSC replays on a PAL TV, as you probably already know, is down to the frame rate the replay was originally recorded with being incompatable with the frame rate the PAL user is trying to view it with.

 

[boombexus]

Hey sukerkin! I've heard some stories of your racing skills. Der Alta speaks highly of you!

*note to self, plan sukerkins demise at the race track*

That frame rate issue might be the biggest hurdle to overcome. Don't know if it will be possible. Now, one thing that I have heard about is video capture cards for the computer where you can record your replay on to the computer and send them off to where ever your hearts desire. I don't know much about them, but "_" does as well as vat_man. Could possibly ask one of them about that as an option. Don't really know what kind of cost factors are involved with that method. I'm sure it aint cheap. I'd be interested in finding this information out as well. I've been dying to see a replay from Mr. Holland because he beats me all the time. That dirty rat!

 

[Der Alta]

I think that may actually be Boombexus replay file

Sorry about slipping out for a moment, I was off checking the rest of the Gameshark site.

*sneaks off to check Boom's link*

Thanks, guys for looking into this.

So what it basically means is that there is no conversion between NTSC and PAL. Maybe Sony in their infinite wisdom in the PS3 will make it record everything in dual format. I can hope at least.

I'm not going to go off on my "one Standard rant here:...

The search continues

AO

 

[Der Alta]

we just recently had some success with that as Talentless was able to load one of his replays. The problem comes down that it was a 20+ meg file. It gave a video of the run, but no way to really learn from it. Much like watching the chase scene in "gone in 60 seconds"

AO

 

[made in holland]

I tried it again with your replay from the first post. I found the file on my memory card with File Operation. But i can't watch it, only copy or delete it. And it's still a sharkport file, cause i see a pretty picture of a blue shark

And i really want to see that replay, because it's Boom's replay of Round 6 at Laguna Seca.

 

[boombexus]

I feel your pain AO. Those damn Europeans get all the cool stuff.
I want a PAL version TV, but NOOOOOOOOOO! I want a car that is really damn fast, has no emissions equipment and wont hold up well in a crash. Damn, those pommy bastards get all the cool stuff. Crap, a Ford Escort that will smoke a Ferrari? WTH? Where is our version of that Escort.

 

[sukerkin]

Thanks for the compliment Boombexus and thanks to Alex too for saying nice things about me ... {nervously looks over shoulder to see if Boombexus is sneaking up on him with sabotage on his mind }.

Alex, with /BOOM being in the replay title I'd sort of forged a possible link to Boombexus but I also thought it could be a reference to either explosive speed or a terrible accident !

The video capture idea has possibilities (I know Talentless makes use of it for example). I've no clue as to the technicalities though.

 

[Der Alta]

I have seen that thread on the chip. And in fact looked into one. The running cost for my PS2 is about $150 bucks. That would seem to be the trick.

Unfotunately that means that I can only read replays, not export any of them. it also means that I can't convert it for others to read. Really only accomplishes half of what I wish to do.

Hey Boss, we built the pool for you.

Great! did you fill it with water?

AO

 

[boombexus]

Originally posted by made in holland

And i really want to see that replay, because it's Boom's replay of Round 6 at Laguna Seca.

Is that my replay of round 6 @ Laguna in the Denso? If so Der, I have a more recent one that I beleive that is much faster than what is on that replay. If I recall correctly, that replay was not my fastest. I think that I shaved at least another second off of what is stated in that replay.

If you want my final replay of that race AO, just let me know and I'll post it up for you.

 

[Der Alta]

Indeed it is the Round six @ Laguna. I always relish the chance to get a new replay.

This gives me insight and practice on catching Sukerkin.

Hey boom, do you think he can look over both his shoudlers?

Load away....the Laptop awaits another replay.



AO

 

[sukerkin]

So that's one eye looking over my left shoulder, one eye over the right and ... oops {screeching of tyres ... sound effect of hideous crash!}.

 

[boombexus]

Do you know what time is on that replay off hand?

 

[sukerkin]

3:35.766. Not too shabby at all !

_________________________________

Duh! You meant the date stamp not the total lap time - it's been a hard day at work, that's my excuse!

 

[Der Alta]

not right off hand. Although the date reads september 13 that I Dl'ed it. So....nothing more than that.

and I'm blessed (or cursed). Thanks to a wildly wielded golf club by my youngest brother, my eyes work independently. I can keep one eye on the road and use the other to adjust the radio.

3D movies give me the worst headache due to the dual image.

AO

 

[boombexus]

Here is the final replay of that race:

It was a 3'33.7xx
Could have still shaved time off of it too. The second lap in there was not as fast as the others by about .5 seconds.

 

[boombexus]

Thanks sukerkin.

A 3'35 in that old reply. So I shaved 2 full seconds off of that replay then.

 

[Zero]

Originally posted by boombexus
That didn't work? The file that Der Alta has attached is an .xps. You should be able to read that Mr. Holland.

I've have DL'ed .xps replays to my NTSC PS2 and it will save to the memory card, but I can't view the replay. Zero has stated that he has been able to view certain .xps files on his NTSC but the majority of the time he can't view the replay.

No I have never said that I have been able to watch a PAL replay on my PS2. It wont work without a mod chip.

 

[boombexus]

Originally posted by Zero


No I have never said that I have been able to watch a PAL replay on my PS2. It wont work without a mod chip.

Well excuuuuuueeueueueuussssseeeee me. I would have sworn up and down that you said that, back in your race series threads.

 

[jbschumacher]

NTSC and PAL saved games are interchangeable if you change the specific codes (from BASCUS-->BESCES and vice versa), the replay format works the same way, but when you play a PAL replay on NTSC or vice versa, they crash - this is due to the different refresh rates of the two formats (50htz for NTSC, 60htz for PAL).

I wrote a program awhile back to do this conversion, so you don't have to open it up in a hex editor to change it.

I can upload it if anyone wants it.

 

[jbschumacher]

It's zipped - at the time I wrote it quick and dirty using MFC so I could finish it in like 10 minutes. (I am going to redo it in Win32 API like I normally do so it's alot smaller.)

Keep in mind that certain saved games that have NTSC specific cars (like the Diablo) when converted to PAL are not guaranteed to work and might crash (because the those car's skins were removed before they converted the game to PAL).

The specific data you look for in the files, is:

BESCES-50294 (for PAL)
BASCUS-97102 (for NTSC)

To convert, you just switch these two values wherever they appear in the file. I simply loaded the file into memory, and searched the buffer continuously for these values, and replacing with the opposite.

The core of the search is just implemented by a simple binary search function I wrote to do it, implemented in C++ code below:

inline void * BinarySearch(const unsigned char * pStart,const unsigned char * pKey,unsigned long dwBufSize,unsigned long dwKeySize) throw()
{
	unsigned long dwCurrentPos(0);
	void * pReturn = 0;
	for (unsigned long x = 0; x < dwBufSize; x++)
	{
		for (unsigned long j = 0; j < dwKeySize; j++)
		{
			if (pStart[x + j] != pKey[j])
			{
				break;
			}
			else if (j == (dwKeySize - 1))
			{
				pReturn = (void *)&pStart[x];
				return pReturn;
			}
		}
	}
	return pReturn;
}