Okay, here goes again... and hopefully I won't have to explain this again (for the n-th million time).
Sound extraction and convertion 101, with your host, elorran...
And today on TAP tools, we'll be showing you how to extract and convert relic AIFF-C format files from the games Homeworld and Homeworld: Cataclysm.
First you'll need the following programs...
1. A version of 2.x Winamp
Available from
http://www.winamp.com2. The Relic AIFF-C plugin for winamp.
Available from
http://www.hiigara.com/files/aifr.zip3. The Penesound program by Delphy.
Available from
http://www.hiigara.com/files/penesound.zipYou will of course need a copy of the winzip program to unpack the zip files (
http://www.winzip.com)
EXTRACTING...
After carefully installing winamp (version 2.xx), you will need to place the Relic AIFF-C plugin file into the 'plugins' folder in the location where you installed winamp.
It is advised that you start up the program and go into the options/preferences. From the file associations list de-select all file extentions of AIF and AIFR if you see more than one of each of these file types... wouldn't want a format read conflict now would we
Close winamp if you have it open and install penesound. After installation, run the program (you may need to find the executable file manual with the 'run' menu or from the windows explorer). Once the program has started it will ask you for the location of your winamp executable file. Once you have located and confirmed this you are now ready to rumble (you must not have winamp open at the time you start up penesound or during the initial confirmation process).
You can now open the entire sound archive files of Homeworld or Cataclysms music and voice files. Music archive files are in WXD format (eg Music4Cat.WXD) and audio voice files and general sound effects are kept in archive files with VCE extentions (eg HW_Comp.VCE) You will also note that penesound can open BIK files. These are RADTOOLS Bink video format which are the video format used by Homeworld and Cataclysm (as well as a number of other games).
From here you can now open either of the master audio files and extract individual voice/music files or extract the entire archive. You can play individual tracks directly with penesound too, without having to extract the files.
CONVERTING...
Once you have extracted an audio file from Homeworld or Cataclysm you can convert it using winamp (version 2.x, not version 3 (not easily anyway)). To do this you will need to open the file or files you intend to convert, make sure that the 'repeat' button is turned off (wouldn't want to convert the whole track list twice). From here you now go into the options/preferences, click on 'output' under plugins and select 'nullsoft disk writer' (or something similar) as your output type. You can select the destination of the converted files from the 'configure' button. Once you've done that, close the options and simply click on 'play'. Winamp should now convert the file or files into a standard PCM wave format in the location you selected.
Remember to put your output type back to what it was before you changed it, or else winamp will keep converting files when you try to play them. You may also need to use 'all files' are visible when looking for AIF or AIFR extracted files if you deselected them from the winamp file associations (but that can't be help otherwise you'd get a format conflict and the files wouldn't play or convert).
From here you can now edit the converted wave file or I'm sure you can find a program to convert it to MP3 format.
And this concludes our tutorial 101 session on how to extract and convert Homeworld audio files.
Any questions, class?
