An exhaustive video on extracting graphics from PS1/PS2 games

Boku 2 also uses a file it calls BUV that denotes which segments of each image are using which palette in the TIM2. It's laid out as [U, V, Width, Height, Palette #]. They're usually nearby the TIM2 they're connected to.

This is a tough one, but there's a trick you can try. Simply extract each image with ALL possible color palettes that it might be using, then look through and see which ones are correct. Then you might be able to see a pattern emerging by comparing the matches with header data. I did this with Kowloon's Gate.

As someone working on trying to figure out a proprietary PS2 graphics format this helped greatly in organizing and crystallizing some information I'd already figured out in bits in pieces. Thank you. At this point I've figured out how pixel and palette data are laid out, but what I have not been able to figure out is how those palettes are assigned to the images in a given file. As you mentioned in your video this is a case of a single file containing many different images, with their own palettes. Memory breakpoints don't seem to help as I don't see any code directly interpreting the graphics data (just loading it in as-is pretty much). I've tried corrupting nearby files hoping to find a file that describes "image X starts at 0,0 and is 100x100, and uses palette A". So far have found nothing. Any ideas how I could try and hunt down that info? Without it I've been forced to approach each image file individually to associate palettes which is time consuming.

Everdred

I look forward to enjoying this video over a couple of evenings this week. Very interesting subject to me. Thanks for all you do!

Ben Toman

Awesome, thanks so much for making it - can’t wait to watch! I’ve found the other ones you’ve done absolutely fascinating.

Jeremy Hosking

Appreciate your work and effort that went into this! Will be a while before I have time to watch this, unfortunately. But I’m looking forward to it. :)

Jockel