Round 2: It's Show Time. VGA Patching games (not IP.BIN)

Hello everyone,
My last post a couple of days ago was very vague but thank you to the people that offered help. In the end I was able to work out the process of what I want to do and to correctly do it...
Actual patching of video modes in games, not with IP.bin hacks but actually binary hacking.

My experiments have led me to being able to patch a katana SDK built binary into the video mode of my choosing (with IP.bin allowing vga).
So if I compile my test app some kamui2 sample, I can find the correct call and patch the binary to whatever video mode I choose. This does not guarantee that the Dreamcast or program will be happy with the mode chosen but I will choose that mode.

For instance: I specific 320x240 PAL and I can patch to 640x480 VGA Interlaced.

This is handy and has been fun to play with but now I want to expand the research and actually do something with it. There is a list floating around that has games that DO NOT WORK with VGA, and I want to try and tackle some of them.

So this thread will serve as a dumping ground of information on that front.

Is that cool? Or should this be somewhere else? Is this discussion even allowed?

Current work:
Perpetual Blue 2 (no idea why, just happened that way, I can even read japanese)

I can patch this game but I believe I am missing a step because of 2 things: 1. As soon as ip.bin loads the Dreamcast goes into 640x480 NTSC Component. 2. The videos are encoded as 320x240 and I think when they play the mode is changed to that resolution.

Does anyone have any knowledge or know of any writings about patching a running application on DC? Maybe check out the patcher disc for PSO? Are there code caves to be found in DC bins?

If nothing else can someone help me make a definitive list of NO VGA games?

Thanks!

 

You might benefit from @japanese_cake input. He did add VGA support to many games himself. You could also cooperate to avoid working on the same games.

@yzb37859365 likes to patch executables too, and he's good at it.

 

There are bangaio and last blade 2 with no vga patch and often request in order to have one.

Or else some games are waiting for it :
Iron aces
deadly skies
plasma sword
king of fighters 1999

probably others
I don't put resident evil code veronica pal because with the work on the X version, when it will be done. The patch will be include.

povaroz have done a patch for the game ring for completing the name's list of family guy.

japanese cake have done an amazing work with dino crisis FMVs and others games, you may have a look in his journal. for example here in the comments there is a python tool :
https://japanese-cake.livejournal.com/6343.html

 

my code veronica x is already vga compatible tested.

 

Thanks for the links and the help. I now have a bunch of original bins and patched bins. At some point I should really contact japanese_cake but for now I'll just keep reversing his work to see what he is doing.

For people who have patched DC binaries what are you using to help you?

Lately I've been using:
Notepad++ (a godsend)
Dcdism .2
Ida 6.4
And a bunch of calculators.
(2 emulators: demul and nulldc)

Is there a better way?

I also haven't been working on this because I got wrapped up making selfboot releases for people (Monaco Grand Prix baby!)

 

Monaco grand prix was not vga compatible ?

your stuff looks good, nulldc doesn't run wince games and the widescreen hacks.
If you have nulldc, could you please take a little time for trying my release with cdda, I can't try them :
https://assemblergames.com/threads/convert-gdi-to-iso.64435/#post-942756

do you burn a cd for adding cdda ? I used the echelon method but it doesn't works all time.

 

Monaco was VGA compatible but not region free.

its a big mess when i do CDDA, but probably could be made better but im happy with the setup (quick+reliable)
Tools:
Isobuster
MagicIso
ffmpeg
Notepad++
GDI Explorer
Daemon Tools
Disc Juggler (6.0 or 3.5 and 3.0)
The usual Suspects (binhack,hack4,ipwriter,mkisofs,cdi4dc,mds4dc,bincon,dummy)
Windows 8.1 and Windows XP

Basic rundown:
get gdi, extract gdi(+ip.bin, sorttxt, and pvd), convert audio to wav
do some calculations (i need more help on this, sectors to KB and minutes to KB) then use ffmpeg to trim audio tracks if needed
get audio tracks back in raw format
hack up ip.bin
make isofs for files, get lba of audio track data
use mds4dc to combine
mount file and then rip depeding on release type (FULL=juggler 6.0 or 3.5) (MP3=juggler 3.0)
at this point full is done, but mp3 gets ripped by mp3 injector then its done.

Typically i dont burn a CD unless i actually want to play the game or if i think something might be strange (perpetual blue not working on VGA but emulators will run it over "VGA")

 

Why dont you just download nulldc? its free and definitely easy to find on the net. i mainly use 1.04(slightly modified) or a custom 1.04(gives me file access and a couple other helpful things).

but in addition i also use reicast for testing, demul for testing+debugging and redream for testing. Each one has their strengths and weaknesses but generally if it works flawlessly in all 4 then im fairly happy with the release and ill up it.