[SiLo]

Well, I was at home this weekend and since I was without Visual Studio 2005 here, I decided I would just code some simple things in Dev-C++!

So I made these two command line utilities, UNPACK and PACK. As the name might suggest, UNPACK will extract all the files from a .DAT file and PACK will take a directory and make a .DAT file of all the files inside of the directory.

They both come with the single .CPP (C++ Source File), incase anyone is skeptical of keyloggers or something, or maybe curious of how it works. Feel free to modify the code to your needs if you want, just be wary that any person who sends you their UNPACK/PACK executables has had access to the source most likely and could have added something malicious that I did not originally put there.

So, if you want the 100% clean version, here it is (thanks to Eru for initial webspace, and now Chris):

PACK Command Line Utility

UNPACK Command Line Utility

So, "Command Line Utility" might sound a little intimidating to some people. What does it mean? It means the program does not have a user-interface, it is a console window.

The best way to use this program is to extract both the .EXEs to your Windows\System32 folder. Then go to Start->Run and type "cmd" and press enter (no quotes). Command line will come up and you can simply type unpack or pack in the command line and it will run those programs.

So, how do they work? Each have command line arguments like so:

unpack (source file) (destination folder)

pack (source folder) (new archive file)

Updated PACK.exe uploaded, fixed the underscore issue.

Any path that contains spaces, such as "My Documents" should be typed as "My_Documents". Don't worry, it converts it to the spaced version, it just needs the underscores to help it seperate command line arguments.

NOTE: For Unpack, the destination folder has to exist otherwise it will complain and not work properly. Sorry, blame Windows, not me! :D

Basically, you can unpack the contents of SEO.DAT into a folder, "SEO" for example. You modify a few files in the SEO folder and then use pack to recompile the SEO.DAT using the files in SEO folder. You have just edited the .DAT file! :)

Example:

unpack C:\program_files\kru\dark_ages\seo.dat C:\data_files\seo

pack C:\data_files\seo c:\program_files\kru\dark_ages\new_seo.dat

This is probably against the ToS, but somethings might help people (replacing new spell effects with old ones, etc), so whatever.

BACK UP YOUR FILES IF YOU DECIDE TO REPLACE THEM.

EDIT: Fixed links.

This post has been edited by SiLo: 17 March 2007 - 03:34 PM

[Stadsport]

Nifty, but I wish you had an EPF/MPF viewer :(

[SiLo]

It's coming! I will need to make that have a user interface, so most likely C# when I get back tomorrow!:D

[Papaya]

Cool, I'm anticipating that .epf viewer...All the other ones fail to read half of the graphics. :(

[Irving]

Very cool.

[Leos]

First person to release an old school style .epf with updated stone interface, certain old spells, old ruc tiles and maybe include the odd misc/LOD thing gets a super medal.

[Papaya]

Quick, somebody alert Zallmo...

[LightMerlin]

Boring. You told me about this earlier.

[SiLo]

Leos, on Nov 12 2005, 09:05 PM, said:

First person to release an old school style .epf with updated stone interface, certain old spells, old ruc tiles and maybe include the odd misc/LOD thing gets a super medal.

You may very well get it soon. If you look in setoa.dat, it contains all the "UI" layout files. Fortunately they are highly flexible! Skinnable interfaces could very well be on the way! :D

[Keldrin]

Quote

Quick, somebody alert Zallmo...

*Spews pepsi over screen*

[Stadsport]

ｷﾀ━━━━━━(ﾟ∀ﾟ )━━━━━━ !!!!!

[Atma]

This is super fly =D

[Zyphone]

lol, looks like the DA updater screen or somethin' there Stads!

Oh and how the hell do you work this program, it just appears then closes immediatley when i run it, im a noob when it comes to command prompt n stuff, anything im doing wrong?

This post has been edited by Zyphone: 13 November 2005 - 12:13 AM

[Atma]

In windows click on start, then run, type cmd, press enter, and if memory serves, drop the file into the black window.

If I'm wrong let me know. I havent messed with DOS in a while and I'm gonna wait til it becomes more user friendly to download this. I'm lazy =P

Edit: Typos

This post has been edited by Atma: 13 November 2005 - 04:25 AM

[Acht]

SiLo, on Nov 12 2005, 06:18 PM, said:

The best way to use this program is to extract both the .EXEs to your Windows\System32 folder. Then go to Start->Run and type "cmd" and press enter (no quotes). Command line will come up and you can simply type unpack or pack in the command line and it will run those programs.

So, how do they work? Each have command line arguments like so:

unpack (source file) (destination folder)

pack (source folder) (new archive file)

Any path that contains spaces, such as "My Documents" should be typed as "My_Documents". Don't worry, it converts it to the spaced version, it just needs the underscores to help it seperate command line arguments.

NOTE: For Unpack, the destination folder has to exist otherwise it will complain and not work properly. Sorry, blame Windows, not me! :D

Good job at reading, guys.

[SiLo]

Ah, no worries Zyph, I will be making a UI version of this in C#. I was just at home and unable to mess with C# in an elegant manner (Expression edition is ewww :( ).

[Acht]

Awesome



Time to work on the stone one, now.

[_sl0t_]

SiLo, on Nov 13 2005, 03:55 PM, said:

Ah, no worries Zyph, I will be making a UI version of this in C#. I was just at home and unable to mess with C# in an elegant manner (Expression edition is ewww :( ).

This isn't really necessary, command line is more than enough. Unless you are planning to expand it and make the epf and mpf viewer work with it.

Chris, on Nov 14 2005, 12:04 AM, said:

Awesome



Time to work on the stone one, now.

Could you make one all blue with blue pwoer rangers pictures hanging all over the screen?
And, huh... My... sister! Yea, my sister wants one with hello kitty and carebears.

[Acht]

Sure, _sl0t_, just make the EPF or SPF files for it. :)

[Aes]

SiLo, on Nov 12 2005, 07:29 PM, said:

You may very well get it soon. If you look in setoa.dat, it contains all the "UI" layout files. Fortunately they are highly flexible! Skinnable interfaces could very well be on the way! :D

Not just that--a person has to admit the idea of customized graphics and sounds is pretty appealing, too. Instead of just turning off the snap-snap assail sound, it could actually be replaced with something less...obnoxious.

Nice! :D

[_sl0t_]

Chris, on Nov 14 2005, 08:40 AM, said:

Sure, _sl0t_, just make the EPF or SPF files for it. :)

Hehe, now talking seriously.
If this one you made keeps all the new functions, options and profiles, then I want one.
I really just want to get rid of vines, balls in hp/mp and be able to see mine and others people portrait without opening profile screen.
If so, could you upload it and post a link pretty pleeeeeeeeaaaaase.

What a noob beggar post

This post has been edited by _sl0t_: 15 November 2005 - 02:35 AM

[Papaya]

Aesica, on Nov 15 2005, 06:32 PM, said:

Not just that--a person has to admit the idea of customized graphics and sounds is pretty appealing, too. Instead of just turning off the snap-snap assail sound, it could actually be replaced with something less...obnoxious.

Nice! :D

Personally, every time I assail I'd like to hear Donald Trump saying "You're fired!"

[Lioko]

Wait, are you telling me i can imput sprites that i, or others have made? (well, im the only one who will see them) but is that what this is all about? Yeh i just got off work and its been a long day so too tired to read all of it, so is it? :P

[Aes]

Lioko, on Nov 15 2005, 06:38 AM, said:

Wait, are you telling me i can imput sprites that i, or others have made? (well, im the only one who will see them) but is that what this is all about? Yeh i just got off work and its been a long day so too tired to read all of it, so is it? :P

Pretty soon, once our code-savvy individuals give us a way to package custom .epf files. Unpackers for .epf files are already out there, so it's only a matter of time.

Custom skins, sprites, sounds, etc just might bring interest back to this game for those who have grown tired of it.

Edit: You can actually make custom sound effects right now, since (if I recall) those are packe directly into one of the .dat files in .mp3 (or is it .wav? I think it's .mp3 though...) form.

This post has been edited by Aesica: 15 November 2005 - 03:22 PM

[SiLo]

It is .mp3. EPF/SPF/MPF editor is on the way soon.

[Pardon Moi]

Wow this can be mighty handy~! I confess that the vines are annoying as well as having to open profiles to see a person's portrait =(

Seems we can be expecting a new level for DA with all this soon hopefully.

[Hypen]

block them plz

[Ashley]

What?

[SqueekyClean]

wow i hate the vines too :D

[enkrypter]

I want a counter-strike interface for when I areana or do guild castles...

I want crosshairs as my mouse pointer!