If you append the palette to the beginning of the file then it should be offset 0 and size 256. Alternatively you could load the palette file into vSNES (with PalViewer palette format set to 512 bytes) and save it as a ZSNES savestate, which could be imported into TileMolester.



There doesn't seem to be a codec that shows what you've posted...

The CHU file seems to contain only the palette, no additional header.

If you know the number of color entries in a palette then you can calculate the color depth:
15 bpp = 2 bytes per color entry -> 256 colors = 512 bytes
16 bpp = 2 bytes per color entry -> 256 colors = 512 bytes
24 bpp = 3 bytes per color entry -> 256 colors = 768 bytes

On most systems there is no "32 color bits per pixel" mode, but a color can still use up 4 bytes for faster access, or alpha transparency (only in images, not in palettes). 256 colors would then be 1024 bytes.


Regarding vSNES, if you want to do that, here's how:

 - start vSNES and load a ZSNES savestate (to activate some buttons)
 - set the palette format in the PalViewer options to "SNES: 512 bytes"
 - load the CHU file via the PalViewer window
 - save the current savestate (via the main window) to a new file
 - in TileMolester, import the palette from that savestate file

This removes the need to add the palette to the file you're editing. It's a pity that TileMolester doesn't give much control over palette files...

Thanks for the confirmation on the .CHU palette creaothceann! I can get the spell effects colored correctly in agemo's VRAM viewer, since that seems to collect all the CLUTs in the game into one place, making things easy.  Although the .CHU file that I included in my first post is in the same game directory as the spell effects, I strongly suspect it is the incorrect color scheme for what I'm trying to view at the moment. It appears that all the CHU files are 512 bytes in length, so I think I've been correct in specifying 256 as the number of color entries and 15bpp as the color depth.

Gemini, the 2-dimensional / 15bpp (BGR 555) mode only works for finding palettes that are included within the image file, correct? I'm trying to import palettes from external sources, since Ogre Battle stores images separately from their palettes.

I think I actually will go through with the vSNES method creaothceann described, just to get all the palettes into an import format that TileMolester supports so I can cycle through all of them without having to append the palette data.

EDIT: The vSNES method works, and it definitely suits my purposes. Thanks for making that program creaothceann! I had no idea it would come so in handy for PSX graphics hacking!

YEAH!!



I just wanted to let everyone know, I've figured out a fairly efficient way of transferring the CLUTs assembled in PSX VRAM to actual palettes that can be loaded in TileMolester. Here's what I did:

1.) Launch Agemo's VRAM Viewer on an uncompressed epsxe savestate.
2.) Take a screencap, then separate the CLUTs into 16x16 pixel series. Blow them up, then save them as .GIFs in your favorite image editor.
3.) Google PEdit, a palette-editing program. Open a blown-up CLUT as a GIF image and build a correct palette with its simple point-and-click interface.
4.) Save the palette as a Jasc PSP palette and import it into vSNES (creaothceann's program). Provided you have a ZSNES savestate handy, just save that savestate with the palette you've just imported.
5.) Open your raw image in TileMolester, then import the palette from the ZSNES savestate modified in vSNES! Voila!

This works for 4bpp images in Ogre Battle, anyway. Interestingly, both PEdit and vSNES were both programmed by Germans -- do you people have a comparative advantage in working with graphics, or what?

This is the most efficient method of transferring the CLUTs assembled in VRAM to something usable in TileMolester that I've seen so far. It might be useful to fellow PSX hacking noobs.

PVV_0.1.rar

input: uncompressed VRAM dumps
output: ZST savestates

See the last few posts in this thread.

Tile Molester can browse through all the palettes you tell it the file has by changing the size parameter with the total colours available in that chunk. You just need to append all the palettes there and then use the <-/-> buttons in order to browse them all.