ROM Hack E-Reader E-Card Decompression

[W hat]

This should be possible; I'm just unable to figure out the E-Reader tools available on the Internet. I want to decompress Animal Crossing E-cards.

*************************************
* Nintendo e-Reader VPK Tool (lite) *
*************************************

This tool can compress and decompress Nintendo e-Reader VPK files.

Nintendo uses the "VPK" compression to put as much data as possible in each
dot code. The Nintendo e-Reader is capable of decompressing this data. The
compression uses a combination of LZ and Huffman.
CODENintendo e-Reader VPK Tool v1.1 (lite)
(c) 2003-2004 Tim Schuerewegen

usage :
ÂÂnevpk.exe [options]
options :
ÂÂ-i ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂinput fileÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ (required)
ÂÂ-o ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂoutput fileÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ(required)
ÂÂ-vÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ verboseÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ(optional)
ÂÂ-cÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ compressÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ (required *)
ÂÂ-dÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ decompressÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ (required *)
ÂÂ-log ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂlog fileÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ (default = none)
ÂÂ-level ÂÂÂÂÂÂ compression level (0=low 1=med 2=max)ÂÂ(default = 0)
ÂÂ(following options are only valid for compression level 1 or 2)
ÂÂ-method ÂÂÂÂÂÂcompression method (0 or 1)ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ(default = 0)
ÂÂ-lzwindow ÂÂÂÂlz window sizeÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ (default = 4096)

ÂÂ(*) options "-c" and "-d" can not be used at the same time

I try this command:
nevpk.exe -i D:\ereader\nevpk11_lite\tomnook.bin -o D:\ereader\nevpk11_lite\tomnook.vpk -d

and get
error: could not decompress data

That's just one example command; I've tried many similar to it with variations on input and output format. I've looked at CaitSith2's and Firefly's E-Reader sites for information on how to use these tools. No luck so far. I've tried contacting Caitsith2, and I can't find contact information for Firefly (Tim Schuerewegen). Either way, Caitsith2 doesn't seem interested in responding on this specific issue: it's been months. I'm posting here as a last resort. (Actually, I'm reposting here because it's not exactly about Hardware, Devices and Utilities).

 

[raulpica]

Have you tried with some other E-Cards? Maybe the Animal Crossing ones use a different compression and/or are organized differently internally, and the program doesn't recognizes them.

 

[Bent]

Go ask xuom2, the owner of no-intro.org. He is an ereader card collector and knows quite a bit about them, he should be able to help you.

According to your command you posted, it looks like you got the files switched around, input file as output and output as input. Did you try them the other way? I would think that with that command, you would want to use -c and not -d.

 

[W hat]

Ending the -o command with a .vpk file was just a guess on my part. I'm inputting (as far as I can tell) semi-decompressed e-card .bin files (already converted from raw dotcodes to error corrected binary data) and trying to get out VPK decompressed files.

I'll try to contact xuom2. Thanks for the info.

For the record, here's some strings near the header of a few e-reader .bin files:

Pokemon TCG E-Expedition: None, appears to be uncompressed
Animal Crossing, Rockman (Mega Man), Pokemon Emerald, Excitebike: vpk0
Mario Advance 4: ASR0 (Apparently, a different compression.)

Here's what happens when I try to de-VPK Excitebike or Rockman:

Error: Invalid vpk data

edit: This looks like what I'm looking for.