Need help: 25 To Life .DBL

[tuckdragon]

Need help to convert, extract or open this file type.

Download:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10322904/25%20t ... models.zip

Thanx in advance

[chrrox]

if you bump again i am going to delete your topic

[tuckdragon]

sry, just want help with this.
would be pretty dope since im pretty sure this game counts as abondonware x)

[finale00]

Names come first, followed by some unknown section, followed by faces, then vertices.

You will need to provide more samples.
I am not interested in the character models, only relatively small files like items or scene props (1-200 KB). If someone else is interested afterwards, maybe they will pick it up from there and write a formal import script.

This is why: no clue what that section is supposed to be, and it's 32 KB long. A tga file maybe? But there's nothing that indicates it as such.

[tuckdragon]

i think almost all the scene props from 1 map and the map are in the same file.

but here are some weapons and items:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10322904/TTL%20 ... models.zip

[finale00]

Hmm, so it is an image file.

The dimensions are given there, followed by the image name (null-terminated), and then the image data.
For some reason the actual data is width*height*2 number of bytes...don't know why I still haven't looked at any graphic files yet.

Didn't notice that earlier
Looks like extra bytes will have to be added to make it a proper tga file.

At least that part of the mystery is dealt with.

A single file could have multiple images depending on how many textures are assigned.
Faces are straightforward, vertices have 24 bytes each, but there's still a lot of unknown stuff leading up to it.

[finale00]

Appears to be a chunk-based format.

very simple outline that covers the entire file:

Code: Select all

dword_6 unk
dword numChunks
dword unk

numChunks Chunk {
   dword unk #chunk type?
   dword chunkSize
   word unk #maybe this is chunk type?
   char_4 "1000"
   byte_50 null padding

   #replace this with cases for each type of chunk
   <seek chunkSize bytes>
}

I don't know which one indicates the chunk type.
I don't know how to calculate the image data size though. It seems like height * width doesn't work, and height * width * 2 works SOMETIMES.

Code: Select all

Geometry {
	byte_236 ? #does not hold for all cases
	dword numIndices
	dword unk
	
	numIndices ? {
	   short index
	}
	
	dword unk
	dword numVerts
	dword vertSize
	dword vertChunkSize
	
	numVerts Vertex
	
	#more stuff. Temporarily calculate chunkSize - total read

}

There are several different vertex types. I have seen three:

Code: Select all

VertSize 32 {
	float_3 coords
	float_3 normals
	float-2 uv
}

vertSize 40 {
	float_3 coords
	...
}

vertSize 72 {
	...
}

The indices don't make much sense to me. A lot of them repeat several times in a row.
A confusing format.

This is supposedly a "deagle". It does resemble a gun of some sort.

[Elephantkilla]

Hey. I added DBL files of different classifications, perhaps this will help to unpack them.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1T0k7i ... zxvurNfnVy

[shakotay2]

well, I'm asking myself what could be the motivation to revive a nearly seven years old thread?
Anyways, welcome to the rider-of-dead-horses club!

Here's a simple mesh, created by hex2obj (view link in my sig):

health_pkup-dlb.jpg

[shakotay2]

and an NPC; sorry that I didn't finish the mesh -- too "average" to arise my motivation:

averageguy1-dbl.jpg

[Elephantkilla]

Nice. Many players still play this game online. The ability to unpack DBL would allow creating custom maps. It would be cool. So what about the unpacker, is this possible?

[shakotay2]

Nice. Many players still play this game online. The ability to unpack DBL would allow creating custom maps.

It would require a repacker, too, wouldn't it?

So what about the unpacker, is this possible?

Not sure whether we're talking about the same thing. I just converted the 3D data in the dbls into wavefront obj files. If you mean that then yes, it's possible.

With some basic knowledge in 'C' you could add dbl2obj conversion to the Make_obj project:
viewtopic.php?f=29&p=141547#p141547

[Elephantkilla]

Repackaging may not be necessary. The game, for example, works with unpacked files from the archive .HOG. Thanks to the users of this resource for the complete unpacking of this file. Just need to fully get all the files. This archive has not only the 3d model, it contains textures, some information (a kind of script), some contain sounds.

In general, I noticed that the .HOG archive, and then contained in it .DBL is not a novelty for the archives of consoles. In many games xBox meet these archives.
And 25 To Life was ported from the console version, saving many files that were only on the console.

I understand, you just extracted the model? But this can be done in a more reasonable way, for example 3D Ripper DX
"sorry my bad translator"

[shakotay2]

In general, I noticed that the .HOG archive, and then contained in it .DBL is not a novelty for the archives of consoles. [...]

I understand, you just extracted the model? But this can be done in a more reasonable way, for example 3D Ripper DX
"sorry my bad translator"

Seems your confusing things, at least for me. Now your talking about .HOG archives BUT in your starting post you wrote about unpacking DBL files:

Hey. I added DBL files of different classifications, perhaps this will help to unpack them.

(If you need to unpack dbl files from .HOG archives you'll need to upload one of those; not dbl files.)

[Elephantkilla]

I just wanted to say that this game can work with an unpacked archive .HOG
Therefore, most likely I suggested that the game can work with an unpacked dbl file.
But you are right. In most cases, you need to be able to repackage the file DBL, for example, part of the character's clothing and texture for this clothing, the game uses as one file, so to add for example a new item of clothing you need to create a similar dbl file. I need an unpacker and a packer for the DBL archive.

UPD
Here is an example 3d model of a long T-shirt. And one of the variants of its texture is Red Blue Stripes
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vy96c ... uTS9HLz_AG