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Old 02-05-2009, 03:36 PM   #1
weylin
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Default Extracting data

In abandonware, is it OK to try and extract sprites, sounds, ect, so long as you don't use it for profit?

I'm trying to extract the sprite sheets and graphics from .ACT, .FLC, and .GXL files in the game "Lion", but seeing as it's an old game, I can't find any tools capable of doing that.


What I'm working on is remaking a particular game to (hopefully) be better than the original by making it compatible with new computers, have features that the old one should have had but didn't, improve the features it did have but didn't work very well.

If anyone could help me out with this, I'd appreciate it.
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Old 02-05-2009, 06:18 PM   #2
The Fifth Horseman
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Pretty much so.

Look around for various "ripper" programs. They can have functions for extracting/converting data from these formats.

Take note that some of the files you're trying to rip might (but don't have to) be in-house formats, which may complicate things.

Regarding FLC, check this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FLI/FLC

I'll run the rippers I have on the files, will see what results I'll get.
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Old 02-05-2009, 06:55 PM   #3
weylin
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in-house formats being only those that the program itself knows how to use?

I might have to figure out a way to grab the graphics from memory while the game is running, if that's possible.
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Old 04-05-2009, 05:11 AM   #4
weylin
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Have any luck with it TFH?
or was I supposed to be the one doing it :embarassed:
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Old 04-05-2009, 11:24 AM   #5
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Sorry, didn't have the time yet. Will do.
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Old 06-05-2009, 04:06 AM   #6
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Thanks!
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Old 09-05-2009, 10:50 AM   #7
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Okay, FLCs can be played as videos - you'll find some programs for converting them here: http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/operati...tml#converting

The GXLs contained PCX images that could be ripped using Fast Module Extractor. Ripped and converted to PNG, reducing the size to 15 from 25 MB with no loss of image data. I'll upload that somewhere on Monday.

This leaves ACT - most likely a compressed sound format.
I've been unable to rip it with the tools I have on this PC, will get some of the ones mentioned on these pages: trick. ACT (Audio Format file extension/ACT after the weekend and see if they do the trick.
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Old 10-05-2009, 12:02 AM   #8
weylin
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Thank you very much

Th ACT files though, I thought that the normal download for it didn't have sound?
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Old 10-05-2009, 07:55 AM   #9
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Ack. Then I'm wrong on that account... and since it looks like the graphics from the GXL files did not contain ingame sprites, the ACT's are the culprit.

Opened up the ACT's in Hex Workshop. Looking at the hex structure, the files are definitely divided into a number of data entries. Their structure is not entirely clear, though there are some similarities with a sprite format I've been trying to rip not long ago.
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Old 10-05-2009, 08:28 AM   #10
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Well, if push comes to shove, you could always reverse engineer the program and find out what they are...
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