Relic IC Image Parser – User Guide

Overview

This guide is an explanation for using the ‘Relic IC Image Parser’ tool.This tool was created because there are no other alternatives for editing the proprietary image files created by relic, SPT and TXR.

What are these SPT and TXR files?

In short, these files contain an image in some manner, to render later inside the game.
These file’s format was created by Relic and Microsoft while developing the game (for some reason), so no standard or known tool can open them.

This file is one image, broken down to several pieces.
Each piece has its own information, this info has several properties:

• The name of the image it was taken from, appended with 00 for the first piece, 01 for the second piece and so on…
• The size of the entire canvas of the sub image.
• Its size in bytes.
• Its cropping rectangle (out of its own canvas).
• Its position on the complete image.

And then you might ask yourselves, why? why doing this?
I don’t have an answer for that, just accept it that they had a decision, and went with it…

This file is one image, with sub images that contains the same image but scaled down.
This file has much more sense, because it holds the complete image, but also all the sub scaled images right down to the smallest one that it can be (1 pixel, yes yes, 1 pixel).
The benefit of that is when you zoom out with the camera there is no need to render high quality images, so it takes one of the smaller sub images and render them instead, by doing that it manages to render a bigger chunk of the map all together without dying.

It has the same sub image properties for each piece.

The RICIP Tool

The core function of this tool, is to convert the images from and to Relic’s image format.
By doing this, you are able to convert Relic’s format to a standard image type, edit the image with a conventional software, and then after you’ve done editing you can convert it back to Relic’s format.
You can even go wild and just create something and convert it to Relic’s format so you can use it inside the game, such as…
DEFAULT MAP LOADING IMAGES! BOOYA! (Credit for MemoryOfAlessa for informing me).

OK, OK, now that we are excited about trying this thing already, let’s jump to the manual.

(Click to enlarge)

• The Window
  This whole window is draggable. As long as you are not clicking on an interactive object, it’s draggable.
  This is the first window that will be open and also the last, after you have opened the first file this window will disappear, but after you have closed all the editor windows you will return to it.
• ‘Open File’ Button
  Clicking this button, will open a file browser that by default restricted to all the supported formats that this tool can handle. For convenience, the option ‘All Files (*.*)’ is available in case you saved your file without an extension or something…
• Recent Files List
  Under the ‘Open File’ button, you may find the list of recent files that you have opened (maximum number of files to display can be configured, see Advanced Options section).

(Click to enlarge)

• The Window
  In this window you can view and export the image file you’ve selected.
  In the title of the window the name of the opened file will be displayed.
• ‘Open File’ Button
  Same as in the Launcher window.
• ‘Export Image’ Button
  This button is enabled only while viewing the complete image.
  Clicking this button, will open the Export window to convert the image to another format.
• ‘Reset View’ Button
  Clicking this button, with reset the position and scaling of the displayed image on the canvas.
• ‘Toggle View’ Button
  This button is enabled only while a Relic’s image type is opened.
  Clicking this button, will toggle between viewing the complete image or the sub images of the Relic’s image (see pictures above).
• The Canvas Area
  On the canvas you will see the complete image or the sub images, depending on the current viewing settings (toggle view settings).
  The image on the canvas can be zoomed using the mouse wheel or dragged using the left mouse button.
• ‘About’ Button
  Who doesn’t need an About button?
  Clicking this button, will open the About window.

(Click to enlarge)

• BMP | GIF | JPG | PNG | TIFF
  These options will be available if you have opened a Relic’s image.
  Clicking on either of these, will open a file browser to export your image, this browser will be restricted to the file type you have chosen.
• SPT | TXR
  These options will be available if you have opened a standard image.
  Clicking on the SPT option, will do the same like the other formats mentioned above.
  Be aware that SPT format is uncompressed! Try to avoid using SPT if the image is very large, you can use the alternatives sometimes, like in the GUILayout, where you can use either TGA, BMP or JPG which support compression.

  Clicking on the TXR option, will open a browser to save the file. But after you have chosen where to save the file, you will need to enter the texture name that this file is meant to be, it is like an ID for the texture and it is saved as part of the texture file.
  For example, if I am editing the file that is soon to replace the texture:

  gyro_copter_crate_tga.txr

  I will enter the name:

  gyro_copter_crate_tga

  In the ‘Original Texture File Name’ text box. (example in the image above)
  In addition, there is an option to set the path that this texture is placed in, but since all the textures are in one place, there is no need to change this field, but the option exists.
  Valid TXR file has a width that is of powers of 2. (… 32, 64, 128, 256, …)
  And also the height suppose to be of powers of 2.
  It does not need to be square, but they both have to be valid powers of 2.

Well, there is no reason to elaborate on that one.
Lets just say that it credits me, and the resources that I have been using.
Plus, contains some links to my relevant profiles on the web.

The RICIP Tool: Advanced Options

If you want to make the most of this tool, this section is for you.

The EXE file is capable of dealing with multiple files as parameters, and opening each one in a separate Editor window. This option also works for dragging a file or multiple files above the EXE file.
For example:

Because the EXE file is capable of opening files as parameters, you can use it as the default program for your SPT and TXR files! And so, by double clicking an SPT or TXR file, the tool will automatically launch with the selected file.

The EXE file is accompanied with a Config file.
This config file contains:

• recentFilesCount [Integer | Default value: 10]
  Set the number of files to display in the recent files list at the Launcher window.

• recentFiles [String | Default value: Empty]
  The list of recent files separated by semicolons.

• relicImageDpi [Double | Default value: 96]
  While decoding the Relic format, this is the DPI value that is used.

• alwaysReturnToLauncher [Boolean | Default value: False]
  Used to make the tool to always return to the launcher window, even if opened by double clicking a file or with parameters.

• logTake [Boolean | Default value: False]
  Used to tell the tool whether to write debug info to a log file.

• logPath [String | Default value: ‘.’]
  Used to set the path for the log file.

• logFile [String | Default value: ‘RelicIcImageParser.log’]
  Used to set the log file name.

Additional Reading

Now that you know how to use the RICIP tool it is time to mod some textures!

You can find a guide on how to do it right here:
[link]

Download

You can download the latest release from here RICIP v0.7.4[github.com]

Bug Reports and Contribution

Found a Bug?
You can leave a comment down below and I will do my best to fix the issue.

Want To Help Improve This Tool?
Contact me and if you want, you can be one of the collaborators at the GitHub repository, and make thing even better!

License

This guide, the RICIP tool and its GitHub repository are licensed under the MIT License[github.com]

Credits

To Me!
I mean… I deserve it, don’t I?

Images and Icons that used in the UI have been taken from:
Google Material Design[material.io]
Freepik[www.freepik.com]