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Thread: Editing Heroes 3 HD Edition (.PAK files) | |
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Mursilis
Hired Hero
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posted April 02, 2017 11:39 AM |
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Edited by Mursilis at 11:41, 02 Apr 2017.
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Editing Heroes 3 HD Edition (.PAK files)
Hello everyone!
I want to extract the heroes and creatures's portraits from Heroes III HD Edition, because I'm going to replace them with the original portraits of Heroes 3 Complete.
The problem? The new "H3 HD Edition" files are in .pak format and I do not know how to edit or open those files. It does not work with MMArchive, obviously.
Any ideas?
Thanks!!
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avatar
Promising
Supreme Hero
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posted April 02, 2017 01:14 PM |
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Edited by avatar at 13:19, 02 Apr 2017.
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Search for exctracted all H3 hde files over the net. For example here
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Mursilis
Hired Hero
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posted April 02, 2017 03:59 PM |
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Thank you very much!! I appreciate it.
Next problem: How do I open DDS files?
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Salamandre
Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Wog refugee
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posted April 02, 2017 04:39 PM |
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google and you will get several software options.
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NimoStar
Responsible
Legendary Hero
Modding the Unmoddable
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posted September 29, 2023 10:28 AM |
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avatar said: Search for exctracted all H3 hde files over the net. For example here
Sadly this drive is no longed public. It would be good to have access to assets DDS
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Never changing = never improving
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DarkAtom
Adventuring Hero
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posted September 30, 2023 01:12 PM |
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Edited by DarkAtom at 13:55, 30 Sep 2023.
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I wrote a Python script to extract the DDS files from the PAK archives. However, I find their organization quite poor, so I made it automatically splice the DDS files into individual frames (PNGs). It's based on a QuickBMS script I found here, but I thought that a Python script would be more convenient than the solution presented there.
To run it, use the command "python unpack-pak.py [--split] <pak-file>" (you need Python installed, obviously).
Technically, related assets are grouped in a single DDS file (and there's a header which tells you the coordinates and the size of each bitmap). However, these DDS files actually come in chunks (which basically means there are multiple DDS files). For example, the large hero portraits are in a file called HPL, however this file has 9 chunks, with most of the portraits being in the first one. I find this organization annoying, so that's why I included the "--split" option, to take each individual frame (including shadows) and store it into its own PNG. However, do note that this option makes the script run very slowly (I didn't put any effort to make it efficient).
@NimoStar
The drive works for me, it must be on your side.
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"If you get scared of doing what's right you might as well lay down and die" - Wulfstan, Heroes of Might and Magic V: Hammers of Fate
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NimoStar
Responsible
Legendary Hero
Modding the Unmoddable
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posted September 30, 2023 05:33 PM |
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DarkAtom said: I wrote a Python script to extract the DDS files from the PAK archives. However, I find their organization quite poor, so I made it automatically splice the DDS files into individual frames (PNGs). It's based on a QuickBMS script I found here, but I thought that a Python script would be more convenient than the solution presented there.
To run it, use the command "python unpack-pak.py [--split] <pak-file>" (you need Python installed, obviously).
Technically, related assets are grouped in a single DDS file (and there's a header which tells you the coordinates and the size of each bitmap). However, these DDS files actually come in chunks (which basically means there are multiple DDS files). For example, the large hero portraits are in a file called HPL, however this file has 9 chunks, with most of the portraits being in the first one. I find this organization annoying, so that's why I included the "--split" option, to take each individual frame (including shadows) and store it into its own PNG. However, do note that this option makes the script run very slowly (I didn't put any effort to make it efficient).
@NimoStar
The drive works for me, it must be on your side.
The drive said before "you need to ask for access". Now I can enter. I can only guess the owner saw my post and changed it.
Thanks for the Python script, I hope in the future someone can also eventually share a folder with all the PNGs so we don't have to waste time all running it?
But, I will see what I can do...
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Never changing = never improving
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DarkAtom
Adventuring Hero
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posted September 30, 2023 06:18 PM |
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NimoStar said:
Thanks for the Python script, I hope in the future someone can also eventually share a folder with all the PNGs so we don't have to waste time all running it?
I am pretty sure sharing original game assets is not appropriate here. Yes, I know it's technically not the original DDS files but the divided PNGs, but I won't do it anyway.
Btw, if someone ever (though probably never) makes a mod for this game (e.g. GUI reskin), people will want an unpacking tool, not the already unpacked original game files.
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"If you get scared of doing what's right you might as well lay down and die" - Wulfstan, Heroes of Might and Magic V: Hammers of Fate
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