TIM software/libraries for PC?

Graphic based area of development (Graphics Processing Unit), including the Geometry Transform Engine (GTE), TIM, STR (MDEC), etc.
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ayleid96
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TIM software/libraries for PC?

Post by ayleid96 » December 17th, 2020, 11:15 pm

Hello,

Is it possible to use TIM images with modern OpenGL programming? Are here any libraries/software/convertors that will make this possible? My plan i to use TIM format with opengl models just for experimental purposes.

Thank you for your time.

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koi-fish
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Post by koi-fish » December 18th, 2020, 12:26 am

ayleid96 wrote: December 17th, 2020, 11:15 pm Hello,

Is it possible to use TIM images with modern OpenGL programming? Are here any libraries/software/convertors that will make this possible? My plan i to use TIM format with opengl models just for experimental purposes.

Thank you for your time.
Welcome. While Im just new registered here, just read you and wanna share my thoughts with you. Hope it helps a little.
Is it possible to use TIM images with modern OpenGL programming?
Yes it is. You could write a TIM parser (format it's well documented, at least Standard Sony & Capcom RE TIM format)
and create a library which converts the size,color,clut,etc. You could get some simple code for "drag&drop X file here and convert to PCX" (PCX is very similar to TIM in terms of restrictions and the zero color for transparency thing) and start from there.

Are here any libraries/software/convertors that will make this possible?
Not that Im aware of. Probably you mean just libraries because if we use a software/converter then it is not TIM, right?
Anyway, maybe shared code fitting your needs in gitlab or github. Just search PSX TIM and surely something interesting will come up. For the record: There's model viewers for PSX games like the previously mentioned classic RE trilogy which reads and display TIM. Sources are avaliable. Also, that's the way classic RE was ported: instead of coding all-new file formats for PC they made TMD/TIM parsers plus some routines for BMP and WAV (so you see it's possible but to be exact old resi was DX based. Directx3 IIRC).

My plan i to use TIM format with opengl models just for experimental purposes.
Praises for experimenting. But I'll be playing the "bubble-buster" role for the next few lines, because sometimes it's necessary (this is with all my respects). What's the point for all of this? TIM its a very limited graphic format and OpenGL feels strange to use it in conjuction. No bumps, shadow/light-maps,gloss,etc.
So if using OpenGL why using TIM instead of i.e. png,tga..? I only find it logical at psx development and even there you can write your own graphic libraries and there's already some sample code for it avaliable.
If you're planning to use textures bigger than 128 or 256 WxH just choose something else.
Unless you're trying to make a modern psx looking game I don't get it, moreover it's not necessary nor practical to follow the 90's pipeline to achieve this result because it can be replicated with modern tools and pipeline.

That's all! Hope you get my words, make a well mixed ball and get something useful from it. Success!

EDIT: Pal, you woke my curiosity. Did little research and found some links you will find handy.
-This will get a result like PSX but using modern assets. All is done in renderer, achieving same result as using old restrictive formats. I find better working with png and it behaving like tim.
https://github.com/Kodrin/URP-PSX
-And if you still want tim support for any reason, actually you can't get this working by plugins:
https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/Plugins.html
Just combine it with renderer extensions and you'll have a neat "GL playground".
Hyenas are taking over the world!

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ayleid96
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Post by ayleid96 » December 18th, 2020, 11:02 am

Before i begin, thank you very much for reply!
Is it possible to use TIM images with modern OpenGL programming?
Yes it is. You could write a TIM parser (format it's well documented, at least Standard Sony & Capcom RE TIM format)
and create a library which converts the size,color,clut,etc. You could get some simple code for "drag&drop X file here and convert to PCX" (PCX is very similar to TIM in terms of restrictions and the zero color for transparency thing) and start from there.
I will probably do that in the end. Since i cannot find anything on the internet.
Are here any libraries/software/convertors that will make this possible?
Not that Im aware of. Probably you mean just libraries because if we use a software/converter then it is not TIM, right?
Anyway, maybe shared code fitting your needs in gitlab or github. Just search PSX TIM and surely something interesting will come up. For the record: There's model viewers for PSX games like the previously mentioned classic RE trilogy which reads and display TIM. Sources are avaliable. Also, that's the way classic RE was ported: instead of coding all-new file formats for PC they made TMD/TIM parsers plus some routines for BMP and WAV (so you see it's possible but to be exact old resi was DX based. Directx3 IIRC).
I was thinking on libraries(header files) for C programming language. Since i am still properly learning OpenGL. I am currently searching the leaked source code of Beatmania to see some traces on how they done things.
My plan i to use TIM format with opengl models just for experimental purposes.
Praises for experimenting. But I'll be playing the "bubble-buster" role for the next few lines, because sometimes it's necessary (this is with all my respects). What's the point for all of this? TIM its a very limited graphic format and OpenGL feels strange to use it in conjuction. No bumps, shadow/light-maps,gloss,etc.
So if using OpenGL why using TIM instead of i.e. png,tga..? I only find it logical at psx development and even there you can write your own graphic libraries and there's already some sample code for it avaliable.
If you're planning to use textures bigger than 128 or 256 WxH just choose something else.
Unless you're trying to make a modern psx looking game I don't get it, moreover it's not necessary nor practical to follow the 90's pipeline to achieve this result because it can be replicated with modern tools and pipeline.
I am planning on making a Silent HIll-like game. I plan it to be a full spiritual successor of original SH game. The graphics, mechanics, story, the horror, etc... I even want it to be as much as original silent hill game(there will be no copyright stuff or anything else, game name would be different, story, world etc..) to an extreme that i am ready to incorporate old tech as much as i can in the game like TIM textures and WAV sounds etc..
EDIT: Pal, you woke my curiosity. Did little research and found some links you will find handy.
-This will get a result like PSX but using modern assets. All is done in renderer, achieving same result as using old restrictive formats. I find better working with png and it behaving like tim.
https://github.com/Kodrin/URP-PSX
-And if you still want tim support for any reason, actually you can't get this working by plugins:
https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/Plugins.html
Just combine it with renderer extensions and you'll have a neat "GL playground".
Thanks! I will use that information as a reference for some things, since i am programming in pure C i cannot use those plugins made for other engines.

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