Post by picano on Feb 15, 2009 11:43:32 GMT -5
Hopefully this will serve as a one-stop resource for all your Brawl hacking needs. Other staff and I can update as necessary.
NOTE: Any modifications to your wii will be made at your own risk as neither I nor the rest of the staff here may be held responsible.
Currently Hackable:
Character Textures
---Manual: Pharrox's Guide / Raganook&Skyos / Video Example
---Automatic: ASH (by elrefugio)
------(ASH +1/+2 textures currently only fully working with Photoshop)
---Preview in 3ds Max: Guide provided by Meow-Mix
---FS Eyes (for "flat faced" characters): How to fix
Character Select Portraits
---Automatic: CUPASH (by elrefugio)
---Battle Portrait numbering guide
---Idiot's Guide provided by Meow-Mix
Final Smashes
---Semi-Manual: Vile's Guide
Items
---Semi-Manual: Vile's Guide
Music
---Manual: Unblessed_Zaku MKII's_Guide
---Automatic: stacksmash.cultnet.net/androu1/downloads/Androu1-Brawl-BRSTM-MasterVersion.rar
---File List (by RAWRzilla)
Pokemon & Assist Trophies
---Refer to characters
Stages
---Manual: Refer to above manual character guides.
---Automatic: STASH
Tools and Downloadable Stuff:
Brawl Files
Brawl ISO (Make your own / be a filthy pirate)
---NOT NEEDED IF you are using the sd loader method, mainly useful for texture hackers who want ALL the files.)
---Wii Scrubber 1.21 (For extracting / replaces PAC&PCS files from an ISO, the BEST version)
---key.bin required: Cannot tell you where to find it, so... google
PACs (the things we edit!)
NTCompress (Needed for all variations of ASH. Found in Revolution SDK*cough*)
TexConv (Needed for all variations of ASH. Found in Revolution SDK *cough*)
Image Editing
GIMP (Free! But if using ASH, it may have troubles with indexed [+1/+2] images.)
PaintShop
Paint.Net (Free! But can't do indexed [+1/+2] images at all!)
Photoshop (What? You expected a link? Filthy pirate... --- But it is the most "compatible" with ASH)
Screenshot Converter: Online and exe
Packing and Unpacking
ASH / CUPASH / STASH (Automatic character / portrait / stage creation)
Hex Workshop (For manual hacking / hexing)
Lz77ex (Decompress PCS files into PAC, drag and drop)
SSBBarc (A combination tool for manual texture hacking --- MUST BE RUN THROUGH COMMAND PROMPT --- Run without any arguments for instructions)
Using the textures
Dynamic SD Loader (No ISOs needed! Place files on an SD card as specified, run through Gecko OS, enjoy! --- Need help naming/placing your files?)
Waninkoko's SD / USB Loader (Play isos off a harddrive! --- Bug the "friendly" people at gbatemp if you have any issues with this)
WiiGator Backup Launcher (Play burned discs on a non-hard-modded wii)
Frequently Asked Questions:
I just got started...
Q: Do you need to hard mod your wii to use custom textures?
A: No.
WiiGator Backup Launcher works fine
USB Gecko owners can upload files directly to Wii (contact for details)
Dynamic SD Loader allows you to load textures from an SD card!
Q: Where can I find textures to download?
A: ...seriously? Here!
Well, here and a few other places. Here are some good ones.
Kitty Corp Gallery (Community and staff textures)
Stack Smash (And the downloads)
and so as to not make this guide too long... our friends at the various links on the right
I just downloaded some textures and...
Q: I got a tga file, what do I do with it?
A: TGA files, also known as CSPs, allow you to see the custom characters on the selection screen. In order to get these to work, you need to run them through CUPASH (which requires texconv, ntcompress, and a common pac [explained in readme!]) Video Example
Q: Where do I put the files?
A: For ISO burning, simply replace the original file.
For the SD loader... refer to this.
For renaming files (to match certain costumes, or simply to have the original name) refer to this.
Q: Is it possible to burn Brawl to a single layer DVD?
A: Yes. There are two methods. You can either burn normally and ignore errors (if allowed by your software) and then make sure to select "finalize disk" upon the final error or use Wii Scrubber 1.0 to shrink the disk ISO. (If using the wiiscrubber method, do not shrink your main copy --- it makes editing it a pain) But as previously noted, just use the SD loader for textures.
Q: Why do they freeze my game?
A: Many possible reasons.
If it's only a specific character / stage / item... redownload it replace it, the file may have corrupted itself.
If it's random, your SD card may be going bad; backup everything on it, reformat the card, and try again --- or just try a different card.
I'm making textures and...
Q: Is there a way to preview textures?
A: Model Extractor + 3ds Max
Q: What can be made transparent?
A:
+1 files can NEVER be made transparent.
+2 files can be made transparent.
---With ASH, color transparent parts magenta. Partial transparency is not supported.
---If you need varied transparency, learn to hex. Use on of the above manual guides.
Normal files sometimes can be transparent.
---Depending on your program, just select and delete (if you see checkered boxes, congrats) or color the alpha channel black where wanted.
---(guess and check, Zelda can almost be fully transparent... Samus to a lesser extent... Mario fails)
Q: What causes the "No pallet" error in ASH?
A: +1/+2 textures must be handled differently, please refer to a post by mnsg.
Q: Why does TPLExtract crash when using ASH?
A: Unfortunately, it seems to be a bug in that specific program with certain files saved in GIMP. Workaround? Use a different program. :/
Q: Why don't you make a Mr. G&W texture?
A: You can't edit Mr. Game & Watch. It's impossible.
A: You can edit Mr. Game & Watch by modifying his "Dark" pac and replacing his normal one but at the price of having only 1 outfit.
I have another question...
Q: How do you take such awesome screenshots?
A: Skillz. Gecko OS (software, use with unrestricted pause camera cheat).
You can then save / copy your screenshots to an SD card then use one of the screenshot converters listed above to make them into viewable images.
Also, USB Gecko (hardware, allows me to take screenshots anywhere in game) can provide higher quality screenshots than the game itself!
Q: Are you single?
A: Depends on who is asking. 
A: I'm stalking someone at the moment.
NOTE: Any modifications to your wii will be made at your own risk as neither I nor the rest of the staff here may be held responsible.
Currently Hackable:
Character Textures
---Manual: Pharrox's Guide / Raganook&Skyos / Video Example
---Automatic: ASH (by elrefugio)
------(ASH +1/+2 textures currently only fully working with Photoshop)
---Preview in 3ds Max: Guide provided by Meow-Mix
---FS Eyes (for "flat faced" characters): How to fix
Character Select Portraits
---Automatic: CUPASH (by elrefugio)
---Battle Portrait numbering guide
---Idiot's Guide provided by Meow-Mix
Final Smashes
---Semi-Manual: Vile's Guide
Items
---Semi-Manual: Vile's Guide
Music
---Manual: Unblessed_Zaku MKII's_Guide
---Automatic: stacksmash.cultnet.net/androu1/downloads/Androu1-Brawl-BRSTM-MasterVersion.rar
---File List (by RAWRzilla)
Pokemon & Assist Trophies
---Refer to characters
Stages
---Manual: Refer to above manual character guides.
---Automatic: STASH
Tools and Downloadable Stuff:
Brawl Files
Brawl ISO (Make your own / be a filthy pirate)
---NOT NEEDED IF you are using the sd loader method, mainly useful for texture hackers who want ALL the files.)
---Wii Scrubber 1.21 (For extracting / replaces PAC&PCS files from an ISO, the BEST version)
---key.bin required: Cannot tell you where to find it, so... google
PACs (the things we edit!)
NTCompress (Needed for all variations of ASH. Found in Revolution SDK*cough*)
TexConv (Needed for all variations of ASH. Found in Revolution SDK *cough*)
Image Editing
GIMP (Free! But if using ASH, it may have troubles with indexed [+1/+2] images.)
PaintShop
Paint.Net (Free! But can't do indexed [+1/+2] images at all!)
Photoshop (What? You expected a link? Filthy pirate... --- But it is the most "compatible" with ASH)
Screenshot Converter: Online and exe
Packing and Unpacking
ASH / CUPASH / STASH (Automatic character / portrait / stage creation)
Hex Workshop (For manual hacking / hexing)
Lz77ex (Decompress PCS files into PAC, drag and drop)
SSBBarc (A combination tool for manual texture hacking --- MUST BE RUN THROUGH COMMAND PROMPT --- Run without any arguments for instructions)
Using the textures
Dynamic SD Loader (No ISOs needed! Place files on an SD card as specified, run through Gecko OS, enjoy! --- Need help naming/placing your files?)
Waninkoko's SD / USB Loader (Play isos off a harddrive! --- Bug the "friendly" people at gbatemp if you have any issues with this)
WiiGator Backup Launcher (Play burned discs on a non-hard-modded wii)
Frequently Asked Questions:
I just got started...
Q: Do you need to hard mod your wii to use custom textures?
A: No.
WiiGator Backup Launcher works fine
USB Gecko owners can upload files directly to Wii (contact for details)
Dynamic SD Loader allows you to load textures from an SD card!
Q: Where can I find textures to download?
A: ...seriously? Here!
Well, here and a few other places. Here are some good ones.
Kitty Corp Gallery (Community and staff textures)
Stack Smash (And the downloads)
and so as to not make this guide too long... our friends at the various links on the right
I just downloaded some textures and...
Q: I got a tga file, what do I do with it?
A: TGA files, also known as CSPs, allow you to see the custom characters on the selection screen. In order to get these to work, you need to run them through CUPASH (which requires texconv, ntcompress, and a common pac [explained in readme!]) Video Example
Q: Where do I put the files?
A: For ISO burning, simply replace the original file.
For the SD loader... refer to this.
For renaming files (to match certain costumes, or simply to have the original name) refer to this.
Q: Is it possible to burn Brawl to a single layer DVD?
A: Yes. There are two methods. You can either burn normally and ignore errors (if allowed by your software) and then make sure to select "finalize disk" upon the final error or use Wii Scrubber 1.0 to shrink the disk ISO. (If using the wiiscrubber method, do not shrink your main copy --- it makes editing it a pain) But as previously noted, just use the SD loader for textures.
Q: Why do they freeze my game?
A: Many possible reasons.
If it's only a specific character / stage / item... redownload it replace it, the file may have corrupted itself.
If it's random, your SD card may be going bad; backup everything on it, reformat the card, and try again --- or just try a different card.
I'm making textures and...
Q: Is there a way to preview textures?
A: Model Extractor + 3ds Max
Q: What can be made transparent?
A:
+1 files can NEVER be made transparent.
+2 files can be made transparent.
---With ASH, color transparent parts magenta. Partial transparency is not supported.
---If you need varied transparency, learn to hex. Use on of the above manual guides.
Normal files sometimes can be transparent.
---Depending on your program, just select and delete (if you see checkered boxes, congrats) or color the alpha channel black where wanted.
---(guess and check, Zelda can almost be fully transparent... Samus to a lesser extent... Mario fails)
Q: What causes the "No pallet" error in ASH?
A: +1/+2 textures must be handled differently, please refer to a post by mnsg.
Q: Why does TPLExtract crash when using ASH?
A: Unfortunately, it seems to be a bug in that specific program with certain files saved in GIMP. Workaround? Use a different program. :/
Q: Why don't you make a Mr. G&W texture?
A: You can edit Mr. Game & Watch by modifying his "Dark" pac and replacing his normal one but at the price of having only 1 outfit.
I have another question...
Q: How do you take such awesome screenshots?
A: Skillz. Gecko OS (software, use with unrestricted pause camera cheat).
Unrestricted Pause Camera [Link, original Y.S.] --- RSBE NTSC ONLY
* 040A7D60 4E800020
* 04109D88 38800001
Unrestricted pause camera [Link, original Y.S.] --- RSBP PAL ONLY
* 040A9424 4E800020
* 0410B4E0 38800001
You can then save / copy your screenshots to an SD card then use one of the screenshot converters listed above to make them into viewable images.
Also, USB Gecko (hardware, allows me to take screenshots anywhere in game) can provide higher quality screenshots than the game itself!
Q: Are you single?
A: I'm stalking someone at the moment.
