[Gemini]

There are a number of programs, even an official plugin that works under Photoshop or Xnview.

[NERV Agent]

I'm not getting very far with the GIMP plugin, so I tried switching to XnView.

How can you save a TIM file in XnView? The "Tip of the day" says this:

By default only the most common formats are available for loading/saving. If you want to have special formats, also, please visit the options, category "General > Startup"

But I can't seem to find this menu anywhere.

Also, Google didn't help (but I'm not surprised there).

UPDATE: Found options, category "General > Startup" and it doesn't do anything to save in .TIM format.

Also, I don't have Photoshop.

[PhOeNiX]

In my experience, the easiest way of dealing with paletted TIMs is to convert the TIM to BMP with TIMViewer. Then the critical part is to edit and save the bmp by preserving the color depth (4bpp, 8bpp etc.), for this I find very useful paint.net with its LowColor FileType plugin. This allows you to save low color bmp by choosing the right maximum amount of colors you need in your bmp.

[NERV Agent]

Yeah, but I've run into a problem.

I am trying to replace a 150 x 150 image with another 150 x 150 image of my choice. When I use TIMViewer, the image I want to insert becomes warped and deformed.

I've tried other programs like MNU-TIMjector, and I keep getting a "no proper PSX TIM header" error or something like that.

The most "luck" I have had is with Tim2View. It will import the pixels of the image I am trying to transfer over, but it will not change the CLUT. So the image I import is discolored since it is referring to the CLUT of the image I am trying to replace.

Also, I find it hard to believe that GIMP doesn't have a "Load Palette..." from a "*.PspPalette" or "*.pal" feature like JASC Paint Shop Pro 9 does. Unless I am missing something?

UPDATE: Also, the ".bmp" I generate from TIMViewer is warped, too.
May 24, 2016, 11:36:56 pm - (Auto Merged - Double Posts wore earrings then performed a Fusion Dance, and that is totally not gay at all. Not in the slightest.)DOUBLE POST!

AHA! I'm onto something!

So make a 256 color ".PNG" version of the image you want to insert. Also use matching dimensions.

THEN use MNU-TIMjector to extract the ".TIM" to be changed from the ".MNU" file that contains it.

Okay, then, convert that ".TIM" to a ".PNG" with Tim2View.

Open both both ".PNG" files in JASC Paint Shop Pro 9. These files are your custom 256 color image, and the ".TIM" file that got converted to ".PNG".

Extract the palette from your custom 256 color ".PNG" file into ".PspPalette" format.

Now, go to the other ".PNG" file (that was converted from the ".TIM" file). Select everything, and load the palette you just generated. Then, select everything, clear it, and paste the contents of your custom 256 color ".PNG" file into that empty space. Both files should look the same now! (Obviously, save the new file that you fux0red with.)

Now, open the ".TIM" file (that you extracted with MNU-TIMjector earlier) in Tim2View. Make note of the "Position" and the "BPP".

Use GIMP (I think) with the appropriate plugin to open the new ".PNG" that you fux0red with, and export it as a ".TIM" file. In "Frame buffer position X / Y", put in the "Position" info from Tim2View. Also set the appropriate BPP, and check "include palettes".

Save the new ".TIM" file, and then import this fux0red ".TIM" file into its appropriate ".MNU" file. The results will NOT show up in Tim2View, TIMViewer, or even PSicture. But like the T-800 says, "Trust me."

Reinsert this ".MNU" file into the ISO via CDMage.

You should see results...but I have a problem.

It seems the bottom portion of the image I imported is cutoff.

I compared the ".PNG" version of the original image to what I see in ePSXe. ePSXe seems to cut off the bottom of the image! Is this overscan? What part of the screen is actually SEEN while playing a PSX game?

And what is the best way to make a screen dump of a PSX game running in an emulator, showing it's original "TV" resolution and all the overscan cutoff?

[Gemini]

What part of the screen is actually SEEN while playing a PSX game?

It's commonly an 8x8 frame, but that depends on your TV set anyway; if you have a resolution of 320x240 what will be visible is closer to 304x224, yet on my old TV it tends to cut only a few pixels on the left (around 8-10) and more or less the same at the bottom.

[NERV Agent]

I think I may have come up with a more refined method of what I concocted above.

Use Tim2View to extract the ".TIM" of the image you want to change.

Use GIMP to make a version of the image you want to import with the same dimensions of the ".TIM" you want to replace.

Now, open the ".TIM" file you extracted in Tim2View. Make note of the "Position" and the "BPP".

Use GIMP with the appropriate plugin to export the version of the image you want to import it as a ".TIM" file. In "Frame buffer position X / Y", put in the "Position" info from Tim2View. Also set the appropriate BPP, and check "include palettes".

Save the new ".TIM" file, and then import this fux0red ".TIM" file into its appropriate ".MNU" file. The results will NOT show up in Tim2View, TIMViewer, or even PSicture. But like the T-800 says, "Trust me."

Reinsert this ".MNU" file into the ISO via CDMage.

You should see results...

However, I notice that the image appears darker when running the ISO in ePSXe with Pete's OpenGL2 Driver 2.9. Is this supposed to happen? Does the PSX (or emulator plugin) fux0r with the color rendering?

[Gemini]

However, I notice that the image appears darker when running the ISO in ePSXe with Pete's OpenGL2 Driver 2.9. Is this supposed to happen? Does the PSX (or emulator plugin) fux0r with the color rendering?

Crappy upscale plugins are crappy, it's not supposed to happen.

[NERV Agent]

I know I asked this before, but I never got a definite answer.

How do I make GIMP 2 load a palette from a ".PspPalette" or ".pal"  file to replace the existing palette of the image I am editing (in this case, a ".TIM" file), like how JASC Paint Shop Pro 9 does? Or does GIMP lack this function?

[shadow501]

My advice use Graphics Gale.

https://graphicsgale.com/files/setgalefreeus.exe

[NERV Agent]

Interesting but...can I use this in English?

I'm gonna try this out once I find some free time this week. Gendo's been riding my ass all week about the entry plug connections having a bad sync ratio with his kid. Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with the system; his kid just sucks.
June 17, 2016, 10:46:12 pm - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed, as the state does not recognize 2 posts of the same gender getting married.)UPDATE:

This program cannot open ".TIM" files.