File size limits: they need to go!

[Tabuu Forte Akugun]

Is there anyone who's ever looked at why Brawl can't handle more than a certain filezise for its files?

Example time: Thanks to BJ's new BB, I finally figured out why Tabuu's graphic effects were so glitchy on my PSA. The REFT file is missing. But I can't add it because the game will ignore FitGanon.pac on Gecko and freeze on Riivolution.

I need some skilled hackers to try and increase the filesize limits or even better, erase them.

This really needs looking into. Then the sky will be the limit in what Brawl hacks we can produce. Thanks alot.

Tabuu.

[spralwers]

Two reasons I can think of:
increasing the file sizes too much would crash the RAM. Keep in mind that the files are loaded into the RAM. So if in a situation, the Wii loads a bunch of files that take up to 89 MB into RAM, then you modify a file so it takes 3 more MB than before, the Wii now tries to load 92 MB into RAM. But since the Wii only has about 90, it'll crash.

The game is programmed to look through a certain range in each file. If a file is 3 Kb, then you increase it to 5Kb, the game may not actually know how to read the additional 2 Kb of info. This isn't always true but it can happen. In that case, you would have to hex edit the files and fool around with pointers, essentially telling the game to read the extra 2 Kb of info.

edit: so in most cases, the issue with file size limits are because of limitations in the Wii hardware itself, and/or the coding of the game. It'd be awesome if there was a convenient hardware mod to increase the wii's RAM. 90 Mb is tiny.

[ForOhFor Error]

Erm... we CAN change the game's programming. Is the thing.

[DSX8]

Erm... we CAN change the game's programming. Is the thing.

or better, just increase the ram the wii has.... somehow... i could take a look into the ram for the wii since i have 3 wii's laying around (well 2 actually since i use 1 of them)

[BlackJax96]

Just hardware mod the Wii and give it like, 4gb of ram.
I'd do it.

[DSX8]

Just hardware mod the Wii and give it like, 4gb of ram.
I'd do it.

well then ill come to ur place 2 hours later and drop off a wii!!!
..........
lol not

*opens a wii up*

[DarkPikachu]

Two reasons I can think of:
increasing the file sizes too much would crash the RAM. Keep in mind that the files are loaded into the RAM. So if in a situation, the Wii loads a bunch of files that take up to 89 MB into RAM, then you modify a file so it takes 3 more MB than before, the Wii now tries to load 92 MB into RAM. But since the Wii only has about 90, it'll crash.

The game is programmed to look through a certain range in each file. If a file is 3 Kb, then you increase it to 5Kb, the game may not actually know how to read the additional 2 Kb of info. This isn't always true but it can happen. In that case, you would have to hex edit the files and fool around with pointers, essentially telling the game to read the extra 2 Kb of info.

edit: so in most cases, the issue with file size limits are because of limitations in the Wii hardware itself, and/or the coding of the game. It'd be awesome if there was a convenient hardware mod to increase the wii's RAM. 90 Mb is tiny.

thank you for explaining what I explained 5-6 times on this forum, and people still don't seem to get it

adding RAM to the Wii is nearly impossible as the RAM is actually part of the Gecko IBM CPU (I think) >_>
(I'd have to take apart my wii again)

however...
you can expand the space in the wii system memory
(the wii operates off of the same chips as flash drives)

Note: you can only stack 2, chips
(but the wii only supports 1)

I have a 16GB memory module (8GB x2 stacked) so that's how I know
(and from reading other documents on Samsung memory modules)

[Tabuu Forte Akugun]

So basically, we can never increase the limits. Great. >>

[DarkPikachu]

So basically, we can never increase the limits. Great. >>

*pinches between eyes*
I'll explain it again...

if you clear out enough used space from the RAM (w/e is loaded into RAM just before the countdown (3,2,1,Go) starts) you'll be able to fit larger files (from characters) into the RAM.

note: this is what's loaded into RAM before and during the countdown:
Menu data (gets deleted in RAM during countdown)
Character data (loaded into RAM when selecting a stage)
Stage data (loaded into RAM during "Ready" (just before countdown))

music isn't loaded into RAM
(it's read right from the disc)

[BlackJax96]

*pinches between eyes*
I'll explain it again...

if you clear out enough used space from the RAM (w/e is loaded into RAM just before the countdown (3,2,1,Go) starts) you'll be able to fit larger files (from characters) into the RAM.

note: this is what's loaded into RAM before the countdown:
Menu data (gets deleted in RAM during countdown)
Character data (loaded into RAM when selecting a stage)
Stage data (loaded into RAM during "Ready" (just before countdown))

music isn't loaded into RAM
(it's read right from the disc)

...which is why the Wii has to stop for a few moments after you select a stage.

[DarkPikachu]

and Riivolution actually shows you the data access with the disk drive light
(just like the HDD on a compy)

[spralwers]

Erm... we CAN change the game's programming. Is the thing.

True. But I don't think it's been figured out too well, because if we did have easy access to changing the game's programming, we could finally add new content and go beyond file patching.

We could also program the game to go back to the previous menu if it tries to load more than 90mb into the ram :O

Also to expand off the riivolution thing, if you have RiiFS set up, it tells you when each file is loaded. Pretty cool. Haven't tried riivolution with Brawl yet though, so far I've been hacking Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn. My brawl disc is coming in today so I'll fool around with that.

[DarkPikachu]

RiiFS??
somebody please make this known

[Hubert Oswell]

Are BPs, common5.pac, TEX0s, and everything in the fighter folder (That includes Fighter.pac and FitcharEntry) read in the RAM as well? (Not sure if they're actually part of the menu data, character data, and stage data, knowing Nintendo)


Also, since music doesn't affect the RAM, does that also mean the brsar can be much larger than 112 MB?

EDIT: and that explains why my wii flashes blue everytime I play a music hack XD

[DarkPikachu]

the brsar files are another story >_>

I'm not quite sure, but I think indexed memory locations from the brsar are stored in RAM
(meaning only the needed SFX and indexing data (for the logic) would be loaded into RAM)

as for your first thing, I think the game runs as such:
the char select menu data is loaded into the RAM after selecting "Brawl"
(CSP's and Common5/3 (forget which))

once you actually select a character, then the needed char data is appended to the RAM
(Fit*Char*##.pcs and Fit*char*.pac only)

when you start the stage selection,
the stage selection data is then loaded, while the char selection data is unloaded.

once you select a stage, then the stage selection data is unloaded while the stage is loaded.
(the common data is also loaded during battle)

the final smash data isn't loaded until you execute the FS, and is then unloaded after you finish the FS.

I think that pretty much sums it up

Note: I may not be too accurate with my descriptions as I'm only guessing...
(I listen to the lazer movement during disk reads)