Creating custom PS2 Memorycard Icons

[Cyber Akuma]

I was wondering about something.

It is not hard to get the icon data from a PS2 savegame out of a memcard. Just use Sharkport/Xport with icon crippler, or transfer a Maxdrive save, or even just download a save from www.gamefaqs.com

Its also not hard to extract the icon, there are hundreds of programs that can read the files within a PS2 save game and extract them.

Its just as easy to insert an extracted icon back into a file.

However.... I only know of one way to actually edit the Icons, or create your own. And that is through the plugin to make Milkshape read extracted PS2 icon files and write them.

However, while this plugin keeps the model and texture data intact, it seems to erase the animation data. I am not sure if its the import plugin that is stripping the animation or the output plugin that is failing to output the animation data in the 3d icon file.

Is there any way to successfully import/export the animation data?

Also, are there any turotials on deisgning your own ps2 icons or editing exsisting ones? I tried but was unable to find out how to edit the texture on the models in Milkshape.

Also.... while I am at it. What is the best way to put the save back on the memorycard? Especially if the save already exsists? I dont like to use Maxdrive since it causes a lot of data corruption, but Sharkport/Xport seems to only write back the game's save information, not the icons, if th save already exsists and you are overwriting it.

[Nextclick]

Hi I looked for this information some time ago but came up blank, hopefully you'll have better luck then I did.

[dlanor]

If you don't need real 3D editing, then there are some very simple tools you can use to make custom icons:

bmp2icon.exe => Create an icon file from a BMP file. (Three 3D wrapping methods)
mcIconSysGen.exe => Create icon.sys file from data you enter (incl 3 icon filenames)
ps2save-builder.exe => Combine/Extract/Edit MC save contents to/from single-file save

You'll need a hex editor too, so as to correct the weird space characters used by both mcIconSysGen and ps2save-builder for the game save titles. The correct shift-JIS spacing character for PS2 saves is 0x8140 (as used by real games), not 0x823F (used by mcIconSysGen) or 0x8100 (used by ps2save-builder).

Best regards: dlanor

[gothi]

dlanor pretty much summed it up, you can get all the programs mentioned at www.ps2savetools.com

As for:

Also.... while I am at it. What is the best way to put the save back on the memorycard? Especially if the save already exsists? I dont like to use Maxdrive since it causes a lot of data corruption, but Sharkport/Xport seems to only write back the game's save information, not the icons, if th save already exsists and you are overwriting it.

You'll need to delete the file from the memory card if you want to send all of the save data across including modified icons. It is safe to do this using the Xport software (it's generally a lot safer and stabler than Max Memory, Max Drive and AR Max)

[Cyber Akuma]

If you don't need real 3D editing, then there are some very simple tools you can use to make custom icons:

bmp2icon.exe => Create an icon file from a BMP file. (Three 3D wrapping methods)
mcIconSysGen.exe => Create icon.sys file from data you enter (incl 3 icon filenames)
ps2save-builder.exe => Combine/Extract/Edit MC save contents to/from single-file save

You'll need a hex editor too, so as to correct the weird space characters used by both mcIconSysGen and ps2save-builder for the game save titles. The correct shift-JIS spacing character for PS2 saves is 0x8140 (as used by real games), not 0x823F (used by mcIconSysGen) or 0x8100 (used by ps2save-builder).

Best regards: dlanor

PS2 save builder can generate an icon.sys file as well, and I do not just want a simple box or other shape with a bitmap wrapped around it, I want to create a custom 3D icon WITH animation.