TIM Textures
Classic TIM[edit]
These are the classic PlayStation TIM type. Detailed info about the format is available at wiki.qhimm.com, but let's have a brief run-through here, as this will help us compare the classic TIM format to the abnormal TIM format used in Chrono Cross battle models.
The basic structure of a classic TIM is HEADER CLUT IMAGE. The HEADER gives basic info about the file. It is directly followed by the CLUT, or color lookup table. Then comes the IMAGE data, which is usually going to be a series of offsets into the CLUT.
HEADER...10 00 00 00 ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? specifies bit depth and whether a CLUT is present. For more, see http://wiki.qhimm.com/PSX/TIM_fileCLUT...
CL CL CL CL CX CX CY CY - CW CW CH CH RG BS RG BS RG BS .. .. Where... *CL = CLUT Length in bytes. *CX, CY, CW, and CH are beyond the scope of this entry; for more, see http://wiki.qhimm.com/PSX/TIM_file *RG BS are the red, green, blue, and special transparency values for each color in the CLUT. Note that these byte pairs are read as their constituent bits, so one nybble (half-byte) doesn't necessarily correspond to each color specification; one letter is used to represent each nybble for ease of labeling.IMAGE...
IL IL IL IL IX IX IY IY - IW IW IH IH I1 I2 I3 I4 .. .. Where... *IL = Length of the IMAGE data in bytes. *IX, IY, IW, and IH are beyond the scope of this entry. Once again, check the qhimm wiki for more in-depth info. *I# = Offsets into the CLUT. One byte (8 bits) is required for each pixel because the TIM header specifies 8 bits-per-pixel.
- Warning: Some TIMs lack an internal CLUT, and the IMAGE data simply refers to a CLUT outside of the file. This is the case with room background graphics.
Altered Format TIM[edit]
The .TIM files used for battle model textures differ from the classic format, preventing tools like TIMViewer and PSicture from detecting them. Like the classic TIMs, the altered format TIMs consist of a HEADER, CLUT, and IMAGE data -- only the headers for each element are different. Thus it is possible to run a bitmap through TIMViewer and turn it into a classic TIM, then take the "meat" of the CLUT and IMAGE data from that classic TIM and insert it around the "skeleton" of an existing altered format TIM's headers. The resulting chimera TIM is usable by the game for battle models. This method was used successfully in the Compendium's Chrono Cross Magil/Janus/Magus Patch project.
HEADER...Length is dec(4+#O*4) bytes long
#O #O #O #O O1 O1 O1 O1 - O2 O2 O2 O2 ...
Where...
#O = Number of Objects in the file. The first object is the CLUT; all
subsequent objects are texture IMAGEs.
O1 = Pointer to the first Object - the CLUT.
O2 = Pointer to the second Object - a texture IMAGE.
CLUT...?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? - ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? RG BS RG BS... Where... *?? appear to express all the information contained in a classic TIM CLUT header, but with an additional 8 bytes of unknown function interspersed. *RG BS are the red, green, blue, and special transparency values for each color in the CLUT. Note that these byte pairs are read as their constituent bits, so one nybble (half-byte) doesn't necessarily correspond to each color specification; one letter is used to represent each nybble for ease of labeling.
For quick reference, the RG BS CLUT data in an Altered Format TIM typically occurs between addresses 0x1C and 0x21C.
?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? - ?? ?? ?? ?? HW HW HH HH
I1 I2 I3 I4 .. ..
Where...
HW = "Half Width"; literally half the value of the image width. If the image
is 128 pixels wide, for example, it's reported here as 0x40.
HH = Height. Curiously, unlike the width, the image height is reported
literally. If the image is 128 pixels high, for example, it's reported
here as 0x80.
I# = Offsets into the CLUT. One byte (8 bits) is required for each pixel
because the TIM header specifies 8 bits-per-pixel.
For quick reference, the I# image data in an Altered Format TIM usually follows address 0x22C.